Artists

Carlos Quezada

My name is Carlos Quezada. I'm from the Navajo Nation and Make Native
American Jewelry. I started at the age of eleven thanks to my mom and her
brothers. It's been a family tradition for awhile now. My uncles Ernest, Harold
and Chester Benally taught me how to do silver smithing and how to polish the
silver, my mother Rita Benally Quezada taught me to cut, shape and inlay stones.

I currently live in Spring Branch,Texas with my wife Lisa and sons Kayden and
Gage.

I traveled for years with a company from my home town of Gallup, New
Mexico. Traveling across the country doing various trade shows and rodeos, this
allowed me to discover my passion to promote my own family and other native
artists crafts.

Which brings me 17 years later, continuing to build our business carrying my jewelry, my family and friends.

I hope you find an appreciation for our culture and tradition and keep it alive,
which is my goal in providing you with quality work past down from my ancestors.

Ahehee' laa
Thank You, Carlos

Rita Ann Benally-Quezada

My name is Rita Ann Benally-Quezada. I'm a full blooded Navajo, and have two
sons Ignacio Alvarez and Carlos Quezada.

I have been making jewelry for over 40 years. I started working for a company
called Gilbert Ortegas where I learned to do inlay. Then I went to work for
Lionel McKinney at Sunburst Handcraft, after that I got the opportunity to work
for Nugget Gallery doing custom pieces.Then decided to start producing my own
pieces and selling to different galleries across the country New Mexico, Texas,
New York.

I currently live in Gallup, New Mexico with my Husband Mario Ybarra. I love that my sons make jewelry along with my brothers, so they would not forget their heritage and carry on the tradition of the Navajo.

Ahehee' laa
Thank You, Rita

Lisa Quezada

My name is Lisa Quezada wife of Carlos Quezada. Carlos and I met at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo in February of 2002 and married October 29, 2004. We have since been blessed with two wonderful boys, Kayden born in 2005 and Gage born in 2010.

After Carlos and I married and started our family we decided to start building our own business. I found the Native American Culture to be very interesting. Through the years of our marriage I have learned so much from Carlos and his mother Rita. It has intrigued me so much, that I wanted to contribute to this wonderful jewelry that they were making, so I started beading to compliment their work. I have found it to be very fulfilling.

Now our oldest son Kayden has started taking an interest in his dad's work. It is a blessing to be a part of this culture and to be able to pass it on to our sons.

Thank You, Lisa