Pagosa Springs, Colorado: “I saw you on TV last night,” master Diné artist Tommy Singer said referring to a local access TV commercial featuring Lantern Dancer Gallery owner Doris Green. Lantern Dancer has sold Tommy Singer jewelry for several
years, yet the two had never officially met until that day in 2011. Singer and his son Ben visited with Green for several
hours and during their first face-to-face conversation, Singer showed her a photo of a necklace he designed in 1970, then
he told her he wanted to re-create the line of jewelry and have Lantern Dancer handle it exclusively. The Mother Earth™
collection was born.
The first ensemble, Rebirth™ by Tommy Singer, is symbolic of renewal. The design features a rich, green gemstone from
Utah known as Variscite. The color is reminiscent of the reawakening spring set in layers of hand-stamped sterling silver
symbolic of the life flow of water as it comes from the clouds, the sky, the mountains and circulates into rivers. The
complete set of Rebirth™ is one-of-a-kind and includes a necklace, two cuff bracelets, a pair of earrings, and rings for each
hand. Available for purchase as a complete set to be worn in the Navajo tradition, each piece is numbered and comes with
a certificate of authenticity signed by Tommy Singer.
It is traditional for Diné women to wear a complete set of jewelry: necklace, a cuff on each wrist, a ring on each hand
and earrings for special occasions—especially during the rite of passage from girlhood to womanhood. This type of
ornamentation is part of the celebration of Changing Woman, the Navajo deity that represents the natural order of the
Universe. Each day when the sun rises banishing the dark, we are renewed. During a sacred Diné healing tradition, patients
are cured by going through an experience of death and rebirth. Even the seasons are celebrated for their rites of passage
through birth, maturity, growing old and dying until the earth is born again in the spring. Therefore, it is appropriate that
this first collection be called Rebirth™ and be made of Variscite.
(continued)
Contact: Doris Green 970-264-6446
Lantern Dancer
124 East Pagosa Street
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
www.lanterndancer.com
By mixing traditional methods of jewelry making with new found materials and techniques, Tommy Singer continues
to revise his signature style. In the Mother Earth™ collection he is not only the designer, but is personally selecting the
highest-grade, cut and polished stones, inlaying them in silver crafted by his own hand. His mastery of materials and years
of experience provide him with an opportunity to recreate previous concepts in an entirely new way.
And it somehow seems fitting that Singer selected Lantern Dancer Gallery in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, nearly halfway
between Blanca Peak to the East and Hesperus Peak to the West, two of the four sacred Navajo mountains. Every act of the
Diné is interconnected. Every action, every creation, every waking moment is a living prayer. There is no concept of religion
as an activity separate from daily life.
And there is only one Rebirth™ and only one place to purchase the ensemble and future ensembles in the Mother Earth™
collection—Lantern Dancer Gallery.
# # #
Professionally photographed, high resolution imagery is available upon request.
On August 6, 2011, Tommy Singer will be available for interviews with the media at Lantern Dancer
Gallery. Please contact Lantern Dancer to arrange.
Tommy Singer was born in a small community on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona. His father, Tsinnigine Hathali,
was a Navajo Medicine Man and silversmith who began teaching his son when he was 7
years old. By the age of 21, Singer was creating jewelry full-time. Like his father, he is also
a Medicine Man. Singer incorporates many traditional sandpainting and rug designs into
his jewelry. In the 1960s, Singer invented and perfected the use of turquoise and coral
chips in inlaid silver. This method of design referred to as “chip-inlay” has been shared
and copied by other Navajo artists. In recent years, Singer returned to silversmithing and
has created silver overlaid jewelry with intricate designs. Overlay is created by soldering
two pieces of silver together. The top piece features a design element meticulously cut
out of silver, the bottom piece is oxidized and often textured to produce a contrasting
background. His most recent works often include 14-karat gold overlaid on silver and
carved silver beads. Singer signs each of his works with his distinctive marks: T. Singer,
T and a crescent moon, or Thomas Singer.
Navajo Silversmithing can be traced back to the 1860’s, though some suggest that the Navajo were forging silver
as early as 1795. The first Navajo silversmith, Atsidi Sani, learned his craft from a Mexican blacksmith and passed it along to
his sons. Later in the 1880s, J.L. Hubbell hired several Mexican silversmiths to teach the craft to Navajos at this Trading Post
in Ganado, Arizona.
Variscite is an aluminum phosphate mineral colored by traces of chromium. According to larger mythology, Variscite is a
good meditation stone and centers the Solar Plexus and heart chakras. It helps with remembrance of past lives.
Lantern Dancer specializes in Native American and contemporary Southwestern jewelry, Southwestern art and
pottery. Singer chose Lantern Dancer and owner Doris Green to represent this line exclusively because of the way
she promotes and supports the artists she carries. Lantern Dancer provides Santa Fe Quality at Pagosa Prices available
worldwide at www.lanterndancer.com.
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