Dennis C. Numkena
(1941 - ) |
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Designed and built the papal stage for Pope John Paul II’s audience with the Native American peoples and the set design for Mozart’s The Magic Flute performed by the Lyric Opera at Arizona State University Art Work
| Name: |
Dennis C. Numkena |
| Gender: |
Male |
| Place of Birth: |
Moencopi, Northern Arizona |
| Nationality: |
American Indian/Hopi |
| Birth: |
1941 |
| Death: |
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| Website: |
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| Past Auctions: |
Click Here |
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Quick Facts
| Known For: |
Designed and built the papal stage for Pope John Paul II’s audience with the Native American peoples and the set design for Mozart’s The Magic Flute performed by the Lyric Opera at Arizona State University |
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| Method: |
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| Style: |
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| Fine Art Profession(s): |
Architect
Design
Painting |
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Biography
Born in the remote village of Moencopi in Northern Arizona, Dennis Numkena left the reservation shortly after his initiation into the Hopi Snake Clan. Worthy of a feature film, his subsequent life journey took a decidedly circuitous route. Spending much of his adolescence at the Phoenix Indian School, a government sponsored educational institution for Native Americans, Numkena ended up graduating from Scottsdale High School. Though good grades took him to the Severn Naval Academy Preparatory School, the young Indian ultimately decided to join the army. After finishing his military service, Numkena was inspired to become an architect and enrolled at Arizona State University.
In 1971, soon after earning a BA in architecture, the 31-year-old formed the first Native American-owned architectural firm. Over the years, Numkena Architects have been responsible for many important Arizona projects including the American Indian Veterans Memorial in Phoenix, the award-winning Anasazi Condominiums and Office Park in Paradise Valley, and the Yavapi Apache Cultural Center in Verde Valley.
Another milestone in Numkena's artistic journey was reached when the architect's creativity spilled over onto the stage as well as the canvas. He created the papal stage for Pope John Paul II audience with the Native American peoples and the set design for Mozart's 'The Magic Flute' performed by the Lyric Opera at Arizona State University. Numkena's paintings were part of a four-man Heard Museum exhibit, which included the iconic Fritz Scholder and Alan Houser, and the subject of a one-man show at Taliesen West. Traveling to the Mayan ruins of Palenque for inspiration, he created a multi-mural project depicting Hopi creation mythology entitled 'Journey to the Fifth World'. |
Samples of Work
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