Hendrikus “Henry” Cornelius Balink was a Dutch-born American painter, draughtsman, and etcher active in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Born in Amsterdam, Holland, he was trained at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and emigrated to the United States. He first lived in Taos, New Mexico, in 1917 and settled in Santa Fe in 1924, making his home and studio on Old Pecos Road for the remainder of his life. Today, Balink is commonly celebrated for his painted portraits of Native Americans. Balink's rendering of a holy woman has an impressionistic quality, the artist was deliberate in conveying the detail of her dress, long hair, and headband. It is a half-length portrait, showing the head, shoulders, and covered arms of the older woman. His brushstrokes are shorter and precise, though they are still visible. She has a slightly oval-shaped face, with prominent cheekbones. Her eyes are dark and lack focus, with a slight downward gaze. Her nose is straight, and their mouth is closed in a neutral expression. Her tanned facial skin shows the wrinkles that come with age. The woman's hair is dark, styled in two long braids, which hang down on either side of the face. She is clothed in a vibrant blue ceremonial dress that features prominent red and white decorative patterns, likely of cultural significance. The patterns are symmetrical and add a striking visual contrast to the blue fabric. Additionally, she is wearing a headband with similar decorative elements as those on the garment, enhancing the overall cohesive look. Balink's artistic training was in the classical Barbizon school of tight brushwork and a gray-brown palette. The intense colors of the Southwest landscape inspired him to brighten his palette. His excellent background as a skilled draftsman prepared him for the portraits of members from over sixty-three Native American tribes that he painted.

“Holy Woman” by Henry Balink (Dutch American) - Oil on canvas / Before 1963 - Tucson Museum of Art (Arizona) #WomenInArt #ArtText #AmericanArt #art #PortraitofaWoman #HenryBalink #HenryCorneliusBalink #TucsonMuseumofArt #NativeAmerican #womensart #oilpainting #artwork #artoftheday #bskyart #balink

Gaspar Enriquez is a Mexican American artist and educator who has worked extensively with inner city youth, engaging them through art. His paintings are often portraits of marginalized communities that have created alternative structures of power within the barrios. Enriquez does not romanticize the lifestyle of the streets. Rather, he renders generations suspended in time that many would otherwise avoid, ignore, or see. His airbrushed works reflect the art of Low Riders and the contemporary expression of the urban border barrio. In this painting, we see a young woman with long, dark, wavy hair and wearing a red patterned bandana tied across her forehead, partially obscuring her vision. She's also wearing a teal and black plaid shirt and large hoop earrings. Her lips are painted a deep purple and her dark, expressive eyes gaze directly at us with a confident, yet cool expression. The painting blends realism with bolder graphic elements and rich saturated colors with a focus on detail in the woman's features and hair. Enriquez’s artwork are metaphors for pages in a visual novel portraying a subculture that has endured in the Mexican American community since the second world war. “One is born a Mexican American, but one chooses to be a chicano.” Politically charged, the chicano life style has been passed from one generation to another. It has survived wars, prisons, and strife. His art reflects a life style and an attitude dominant in the barrios. This style is identified by the style of dress, mannerism, and language. Enriquez is not on a crusade to change lives nor to pass judgement. It is up to the viewer to judge and interpret as he invites us to come into contact with some of those who populate the chicano world.

“La Patsy” by Gaspar Enriquez (American) - Acrylic on paper (airbrush) / 1991-1993 - Tucson Museum of Art (Arizona) #womeninart #art #acrylicpainting #portraitofawoman #artwork #TucsonMuseumofArt #GasparEnriquez #Enriquez #airbrush #acrylic #womensart #MexicanAmericanArt #MexicanAmericanArtist

Thank you, Tucson Museum of Art, for adding this work to your collection and featuring it on the giant poster outside! Grateful to be part of a reimagined, inclusive vision of the American West. #TucsonMuseumofArt #AmericanWest #ArtInclusion #ContemporaryArt

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