Mudman:
Wayne Snowbird Shields

By Rebekah Powers | August 2023

Today, we know the artist called Snowbird by the polished figurative works he creates that tell a story that goes beyond language. With stone polished faces, the matte black clay figures represent Pueblo grandmothers, some bent gracefully with time, corn maidens, and willow gatherers, dancers, and other figures from Santa Clara history have made a place in Native American Art for Wayne “Snowbird” Shields.

He thinks of his figurines as spiritual beings with their own life and through them he celebrates his elders, particularly the grandmothers and their contribution to daily life of the pueblo. His own grandparents, and entire lineage of Santa Clara potters gave young Snowbird a unique vision and appreciation, seen in the stories his figures convey.

His long journey to become the beloved and notable sculptor he is today began with his birth in 1958 at the Indian Hospital in Santa Fe to his mother, Santa Clara potter, Clara Sisneros. He would move to Nebraska in third grade, but return home to his grandparents in the summers to learn the traditional ways of Santa Clara. Young Snowbird loved clay so much, helping with adobe brick making, trying out different traditional forms, so much so that they called him “Mud Man” because he was always covered head to toe in clay!

Snowbird comes from a long line of potters. Adelaide Sisneros, his grandmother may have been the major inspiration for many of his figures. His aunts, Earlene “Youngbird” Tafoya, Marie Askan, Joyce Sisneros, his uncle Merton Sisneros, his cousin Linda “Cactus Flower” Askan and Birdell “Vine Flower” Bourdon all provided a rich context for the young sculptor.

In 2006, Snowbird started sculpting in stone as well as clay, expanding and abstracting the themes we see from his early works. Sometimes he finds wood that intrigues him along the banks of the Rio Chama near his home in Hernandez, very close to his Santa Clara roots.

It had been a circuitous path from his birth to the life of a highly respected, well known sculptor of Santa Clara and Chimayo Trading has been a partner and promoter of his work for a very long time, representing the fortitude and grace of his subjects, while revealing the same qualities in the artist himself. His collectors have told us that they have come to know and love the “spiritual beings” as almost part of their family, a gentle peaceful presence that continues to tell a story without words.

Encounter the elegant timeless figures by Wayne “Snowbird” Shields, where history meets art at Chimayo Trading.

If you have had a memorable experience with us in the past,
please leave a review.

Come to the gallery to see where History Meets Art in Taos..

#1 Saint Francis Church Plaza
Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

575.758.0504

We buy individual pieces or whole collections.

Contact us for the evaluation and resale of your collectible art.
We’re interested in locating relevant collections and original New Mexico artwork for purchase. We buy historic and contemporary relevant paintings, pottery, jewelry, textiles, weavings and more.

Contact us directly to discuss and evaluate your collection. If you’re an artist, contact us about the possibility of selling your art on consignment or direct wholesale purchase.

• Instagram
• Facebook

Copyright © 2023 Chimayo Trading Del Norte | Ranchos Del Taos, 87557 | All rights reserved.