(1953 - ) Fred Begay Jr. is an accomplished self-taught Navajo/Ute sculptor and artist. His father is Navajo/Ute and his mother is Navajo. Fred was born in Shiprock, NM, the home of his mother, Helen. He was then raised and educated in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Fred Begay Jr. was drafted during the Vietnam war and served in the Coast Guard from 1971-1975. Fred Begay Jr. began his art career in 1989 as a sculptor working in alabaster, limestone, marble and bronze casting. From 1999-2002 he was a fine arts technician for the legendary Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fred Begay Jr. believes his artistic values evolved from both the Navajo and the people of the Southwest in general. His art is of basic form and design. He uses symbolism from the Southwest Indigenous people to create an identity for each sculpture. Having begun with drawing, painting and jewelry of Navajo silver and turquoise, Fred Begay Jr. currently creates steel sculpture and sand painting. He primarily creates animals such as bison, horses, bears, and rams all of "fetish heartline and lifeline design" that has at its source the Indigenous Pueblo fetish intended to acknowledge the power and wisdom of each animal for healing. Fred is an award-winning artist with ongoing requests for participation in juried art shows. PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, NM"Protectors" Cristo Rey Catholic Church, Santa Fe, NM"Navajo Madonna" Boswell Medical Center, Sun City AZ"Healers of 4 Directions" ART SHOWS Heard Museum Indian Market, Phoenix, AZ - JURIED1989-2019 Native Treasures Indian Market, Santa Fe, NM - JURIED1995-2020 Santa Fe Indian Market, Santa Fe, NM - JURIED1989-2020 Pueblo Grande Museum Indian Market, Phoenix, AZ1989-2016 Thunderbird Artist Festival, Carefree, AZ2014-2019