Waldo Mootzka (1910-1940)

Mootzka had no formal art training. He often observed Fred Kabotie painting at Oraibi Day School, and it may have been there that he learned the technique of watercolor painting. Later, in Santa Fe, he was sponsored by Frank Patania, who taught him silversmithing. At the time of his death, Mootzka was devoting almost all his artistic talents to silverwork. —Snodgrass 1968

Mootzka was especially noted for his representations of tribal ceremonies and mythological scenes. Using a full palette, he demonstrated a great feeling for color. Also notable was his attention to fine detail. Mootzka experimented with a variety of styles and some of his work suggests a European influence due to a three-dimensional effect achieved through modeling with colors. -Dockstader 1977 Mootzka died in 1940 in an automobile accident in Phoenix, at the young age of 30. His work is extremely rare.