Frank Paul Vigil, Jicarilla Apache Artist

Frank Paul Vigil (1922-1973): Jicarilla Apache Painter

Frank Paul Vigil was a celebrated Jicarilla Apache artist whose work is defined by an intimate knowledge of the animals, particularly the horses, elk, and deer, that shared his environment in Northwestern New Mexico.

Growing up on the Jicarilla Apache reservation in Dulce, New Mexico.  Vigil was a self-taught artist whose deep connection to the natural world — honed through his life as a hunter and outdoorsman — became the signature of his painting style. He was fascinated by the grace and power of animals and began drawing them in active motion and at rest.

His action-filled depictions of galloping horses became especially well-known, capturing a sense of movement that set his work apart. Vigil also painted traditional Apache imagery, such as the impressive Crown Dancers.

Vigil's life spanned a transformative period; he married a Jemez woman and lived in her village, and he served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

His artistic talent was recognized on a national level, with his work being exhibited at major venues, including the prestigious Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial, Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma (awards received), Arizona State Museum, Heard Museum, M.H. De Young Memorial Museum (award received), and the United States Department of State.  His art is represented in collections in the U. S. Department of the Interior, Denver Art Museum, Museum of Northern Arizona, Southwest Museum and the Southeast Museum of the North American Indian.  He is published in Southwest Indian Painting: a Changing Art by Clara Lee Tanner.

TAGS: Native American Paintings, Apache