Maxine Scott, in front, held her 95th birthday party at McDonald’s east Jan. 27, and then moved her guests to Earl’s for breakfast.

Seated behind Maxine is Roberta Wolthers, and on the opposite side of the table, at left, is Scott’s niece from Florida, and Tina Mattis from Wyoming (Joe Zecca’s daughter) on the right. Standing is Franklin Zecca, a longtime Gallup friend.

Maxine moved to Gallup in 1963 to work at El Rancho in the restaurant and is a well-known character around town. Her two surviving children, one in Salt Lake City and the other in Texas, were unable to attend, as was her grandson Marvin Gray, his wife Rachel, and their two children Brandon and Marissa. Other...

Pena expresses his Native American heritage through painting

Artisans express their talent through various emotions they feel, see, and experience, whether it’s harmonious or dramatic episodes in their life. It’s these life moments that make each artist unique and we as the viewers get a moment to delve into the artist’s creative mind.

One artist that truly shares his past experiences, in so much as shocking the viewer, is Arnulfo Pena, who does this through the touch of paint to canvas.

Born in Corsicana, TX, 72-year-old Pena has seen his fair share of dramatic experiences directly tied to his Native American roots, more exactly from the Mescalero Apache tribe. Having...

Atsitty shares her journey to publication

Diné poet Tacey M. Atsitty, 35, from Cove, Ariz., has published her first book of poems, Rain Scald, from the University of New Mexico Press in Albuquerque.

After six and a half years of constant revisions and organizing, Atsitty finally got her first published book in her hands this past month.

“It was a long journey, to be honest,” Atsitty said. “It was 2011 and now I finally received my book in my hands January 2018.”

There’s no doubt that the process was arduous, as the poet encountered some personal obstacles between the time of sending off her manuscript to UNM Press and her time at Cornell University, where she received...

ArtsCrawl season slated to start off the season with new concepts

Gallup ArtsCrawl, a monthly event that is held in downtown Gallup on the second Saturday of the month, showcases the region’s mix of talented artisans from all walks of life.

It’s an event that also enriches the community with its display of culture and diversity.

Artisans come to ArtsCrawl in hopes of displaying their talent to the admiring eyes of the public. Many also hope to sell their work so they can keep painting, sculpting, and/or shaping new masterpieces.

But there is much more to this behind the scenes, such as attracting new artists and themes to keep ArtsCrawl fresh and original.

The 2nd Annual...