My art reflects feelings for the past. I apply traditional techniques and materials as my grandmother and great-grandmother did. I use hand-scraped beef hides and earth pigments to adorn the rawhide boxes and flat storage containers. I also do bead work, quill work and metalsmithing. Each medium is different but very therapeutic. The glass beads I use in my bead work were made prior to World War II. The bead colors are very subtle and understated. My bead work and parfleche designs are based on museum collections, photographs and books. My workmanship has the feel and look of having been created over a century. My metal work has a contemporary feel. I am in the discovery stage of figuring out my niche in working with different metals such as Sterling silver, Argentium silver, copper and high karat gold. I also work with lead-free enamels on copper.
JURIED ART SHOWS
SWAIA Summer Indian Market 2022
SWAIA Summer Indian Market 2021
SWAIA Virtual Winter Indian Market 2020
SWAIA Virtual Indian Market 2020
SWAIA Indian Market; Santa Fe, NM; 1987-2019
Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market; Phoenix, AZ; 1991, 1992, 2002, 2007
TRAVELING EXHIBITS
August 2018-August 2026; "Creating Traditions: Innovation and Change in American Indian"; American Pavilion at Epcot Center, Walt Disney World
September 2004-December 2006; "The Jewelry of Ben Nighthorse Campbell"
July 2000-December 2004; "Mountain, Family, Spirit - The Arts and Culture of the Ute Indians"
MAJOR COLLECTIONS
Museum: National Museum of the American Indian; Washington, DC
Denver Art Museum; Denver, CO
Taylor Museum; Colorado Springs, CO
Private: HRH Duke of York, Prince Andrew, London, UK
Mr. Jim Arndt, Santa Fe, NM
Ms Dexter Cirillo, Durango, CO
Mr. Ray Dewey, Santa Fe, NM
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dowling, Los Angeles, CA
Ms Eleanor Hancock, New York, NY
Mr. Oreland Joe, Kirtland, NM
Mr. Ralph Lauren, New York, NY
Ms Lisa Simeone, New York, NY
Mr. Michael Smith, Chicago, IL
ARTICLES and PUBLICATIONS
Illuminations, Western Art & Architecture; Dec. 2019/Jan, 2020
https://westernartandarchitecture.com/departments/illuminations/artist-spotlight-debra-box
https://www.sudrum.com/culture/2021/03/26/box-featured-swaia-artist/
Coffee with Kim, Executive Director for SWAIA; March 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHt3eweqf5E