James Ayers, Co-Founder
“Artists give a gift that lasts for generations. I want to do my part to make sure the traditions that have inspired my work are kept alive.”
Shortly after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1991, James began a pattern of traveling, living, and working with indigenous peoples worldwide that continues to the present day.
- James traveled on foot with the semi-nomadic Samburu and Turkana people in Africa’s Great Rift Valley.
- He explored Native American reservations from Maine to Arizona, living with the Iroquois in the Northeast, the Sioux in the Great Plains, and the Hopi in the Southwest.
- James gleaned first-hand knowledge of the Arapaho Sundance Ceremony during a visit to the Wind River Reservation in Ethete, Wyoming.
- Most recently, James was invited to the Toadlena trading post region of the Navajo reservation in New Mexico to meet the sheepherders and weavers still living traditional lifeways.
James has sought first-hand experiences with dozens of tribal cultures, and with each relationship, he has gleaned insights that help him understand the historical material he incorporates into his art.
You may read more about James on his website, James Ayers Studios.