ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — October 6, 2014 — Shumakolowa Native Arts, the retail arm of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, is proud to announce the launch of a new online marketplace that showcases authentic handcrafted work from Native American artists and provides a dynamic place for discovering and learning about these unique art forms. The new e-commerce website www.shumakolowa.com offers a fresh, inspired shopping experience enriched by in-depth information about the history, meaning and inspiration behind each handcrafted Native American artwork.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be part of such an extraordinary website,” said Taos/Isleta Pueblo jeweler Ken Romero, a Best in Show winner at Santa Fe Indian Market. “The team at Shumakolowa always takes the time to share the story behind my work with customers, and the new website presents my jewelry collections with dignity and respect. It goes into an amazing level of detail about the efforts, labors and techniques behind my original jewelry pieces. On the site, my inspirations really come alive.”

Shumakolowa.com offers comprehensive Native American art collector’s guides that provide the history behind art forms like southwestern jewelry, Pueblo pottery, Hopi basketry and Navajo weaving. The guides explain the materials and processes that go into each type of art, and how these unique works are valuable for their beauty, craftsmanship and connection to tradition. The site includes a comprehensive biography for every artist, as well as insightful blogs from leading Native American arts experts exploring the Native American arts business, the history and style of popular forms, and current trends in Native American jewelry and fashion.

“I’m proud to say we are one of the few retailers that still buys directly from artists,” said Shumakolowa manager Ira Wilson. “Our new website is as much about the stories we hear on the road while visiting artists in their homes, as it is about sharing their work. We want to bring the joy of this journey and the meaning behind these valuable works of art to audiences around the world.”

In addition to Romero, the new website features award-winning artists and legends like internationally acclaimed Jemez Pueblo sculptor Clifford Fragua, Navajo basket weaver Sally Black and Isleta Pueblo potter Stella Teller. Also featured are top contemporary artists like Laguna Pueblo/Chiricahua Apache jeweler Pat Pruitt, Jemez Pueblo sculptor Adrian Wall and other artists who are truly pushing the boundaries in their craft.

Shumakolowa Native Arts is owned and operated by the 19 Pueblo Indian tribes of New Mexico, and has been known as a trusted destination for authentic Native American art since its opening in 1976. At a time when many commercially made products are being sold as handcrafted Native art, Shumakolowa’s in-depth purchase process allows it to guarantee the authenticity of every unique piece of fine art it offers. Now with its online gallery, Shumakolowa offers collectors around the world a place to shop confidently for authentic high-end Native American art.

“At Shumakolowa we partner directly with artists and can guarantee that what you get is the real thing—authentic, high quality work from artists who learned these unique crafts from their mothers, fathers and grandparents,” said Indian Pueblo Cultural Center president Michael Canfield. “When you purchase authentic Native American artwork, you can be confident that your purchase goes directly to supporting Native American artists. This feeds directly into Native communities, and supports artists who make their living creating traditional arts and crafts in the methods that have been passed down from their ancestors.”

Many retailers sell jewelry, ceramics and other crafts that are represented as authentic Native American art that in fact have been manufactured abroad. In this environment, consumers often do not know who to trust. Shumakolowa Native Arts fills this need by being a trusted authority and source for authentic Native American arts and crafts.

Shumakolowa.com will offer authentic handcrafted sterling silver and 14k gold Native American jewelry, southwestern pottery, contemporary Native American sculpture, painting, Navajo rugs, Apache baskets and more fine art from established and emerging Native American artists.

About Shumakolowa

Owned and operated by the 19 Pueblo Indian Tribes of New Mexico, Shumakolowa Native Arts is the premier marketplace for original, handcrafted works of Native American art. Shumakolowa was founded in 1976 to be a place that truly gathers and showcases work from Native artists, offering traditional and contemporary works from award-winning and emerging artists that are valuable for their beauty, craftsmanship and connection to tradition. Shumakolowa Native Arts can be found online at www.shumakolowa.com and www.facebook.com/Shumakolowa and at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.