YEAR OF THE DANCING RABBIT
The Dancing Rabbit Gallery celebrates its 40th anniversary with a yearlong series of events, including a giveaway from April 10 to May 10.
The Dancing Rabbit Gallery was founded in 1980 by Pat and Jo Mcclain, the parents of current owner Katie Mcclain Richarme. Though headquartered in Southlake, Texas, the gallery itself is located “on the cloud”—online, that is. The Southlake, Texas-based operation’s entire collection of Native American art and artifacts can be viewed and purchased over the computer, a business model that grew with the changing times as more people shift toward the internet for their shopping.
“As a young girl, I remember that every summer we spent part of our family vacations in and around Santa Fe, and I learned very early about the different cultures and beliefs represented in the different Pueblo peoples,” says Richarme. “I think those trips ignited a lifelong passion for Native American culture and art
from the American Southwest, as my curiosity and appreciation for well-constructed pieces grew.”
This year, the gallery celebrates its milestone of 40 years running with a series of events, festivities and special sales held throughout 2020, dubbed The Year of the Dancing Rabbit. And beginning April 10, the gallery hosts its 40 Days of Giveaways event up until the Dancing Rabbit’s official birthday on May 10. Each day, they’re giving away an item from the gallery drawn at random from the registered contestants, with items ranging from jewelry to pottery to Zuni carvings and more.
“One key of being successful online is building an absolute level of trust with my clients,” Richarme says. “It is more than just art. It is about relating to people one-on-one, bringing my background and interests together with their background and interests, and creating this amazing tapestry of relationships that defines us as human beings.”
Among the notable Native American artists in Dancing Rabbit’s roster are jeweler Jackie Singer, silversmith Alvin Yellowhorse, sculptor Cliff Fragua, potter Erik Fender and legendary matriarch of Santa Clara Pueblo potters Margaret Tafoya, and many others.
The gallery has a special landing page (www.thedancingrabbitgallery.com/celebrate) where collectors can get the latest updates on happenings