Untitled, 1960
Artist: Carl Nelson Gorman a.k.a. Kin-ya-onny-beyeh (Son of Towering House People), Carl Gorman, 1907-1998
Born on the Navajo Reservation in Chinle, Arizona, Carl Nelson Gorman (1907-1998) was a member of the Khinyá’ áni clan (the Towering House People). In 1930's, he worked as an interpreter for the US government's Stock Reduction Program. After being laid off, he enlisted in the Marines, lying about his age to be accepted.
Gorman began his service career in the U.S. Marines during WWII assisting in the creation of the Navajo-based code which was used in the Pacific theatre and serving as a member of the elite group of Navajo Code Talkers who translated military intelligence into Navajo codes that were never broken. He was honorably discharged in Winter 1945.
After the war, Gorman attended the Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles from 1951-1954 on a GI Bill. To add to a long list of accomplishments, C.N. Gorman directed the Navajo Arts and Crafts Guild and was involved in and led a Navajo history project which conducted oral interviews with Navajo elders. After his time at Otis Art Institute, he became a technical illustrator for Douglass Aircraft, established his own silk-screen company and became an instructor in Native American Art at the University of California, Davis. Gorman’s work is displayed in national and international galleries and is known as an innovator in a variety of styles and media.
In 1969, UC Davis faculty member Jack Forbes invited Gorman to help develop the Native American Studies program. As faculty, Gorman created the Native American art studio workshop. To further his teaching, he established the museum to perpetuate Native art and to educate students of work by Native artists. Since 1973, the museum furthered his vision to continue exhibiting contemporary Native art. Upon his retirement from UC Davis, faculty, students, and community members honored his contribution to Native American Studies and Native American contemporary art by establishing the museum in his name. Gorman also taught Navajo language courses at D-Q University and gave numerous lectures in Navajo culture to local community groups.
