Jonathan McKinney is a product of two worlds. His mother is a member of Acoma Pueblo and his father, who is white, comes from a Celtic background. Both parents offered him a strong cultural lineage and today Jonathan combines both legacies in his art.The design drives how he creates a piece and what materials he uses for it. He says, “I think about inspirations that speak to me and try to create something in my mind that’s captivating to me. Then I use the tools I have to create it.”He draws inspiration from his connection to Acoma and from his family there. Renowned potter Lucy Lewis was his grandmother’s sister. She researched ancient Mimbres designs for her pottery and today Jonathan reinterprets those designs for his jewelry. Some of his work combines the ancient Celtic designs of his father’s heritage with those from Acoma, blending both sides of who he is into one piece.His education includes studies at Dartmouth and working with various jewelers. He worked full-time with Teme, his father’s company. Teme was the name given to his father by Jonathan’s maternal grandfather. It is a word that means “jewelry maker”or someone who works with treasures. Also, he worked in Las Vegas with American designer Judith Ripka and went on to Van Cleef, a French jewelry company. Now, he is the owner of Jonathan McKinney Handcrafts based out of Albuquerque, N.M.