(1938 - 2018)

John Nieto is a leading figure in American contemporary art, celebrated for his emotionally resonant paintings of Southwestern, Indigenous and wildlife subjects rendered in heightened, expressive color that is raw and intuitively applied. Nieto was inspired by both his deep roots in New Mexico, his ancestral birthplace, and his sweeping study of the history and culture of the Southwest. His richly modulated images thread the heritage of the American Southwest through his own Native ancestry. In his expressive patterning and the lavish interaction of his colors that is Nieto's signature, the artist's dazzling images act as enduring totems of times and events in the nation’s history that he felt must never be forgotten.

Nieto’s most celebrated period begins in the early 1980s and runs through his death in 2018. Collectors worldwide prize his work.

1985 Governor's Award for Achievement in the Arts Santa Fe, NM
1986-1996 Group exhibitions, Albuquerque Museum Albuquerque, NM
1993 Retrospective solo show, Salt Lake City Museum Salt Lake City, Utah
1989 One person show, Axis Gallery, Tokyo, Japan
1986 One man show, Wheelwright Museum, Santa Fe, NM
1985 Art of the Native American, Owensboro Museum of Fine Art Kentucky
1983 Governor's Award for Achievement in the Arts Santa Fe, NM One man show, Governor's Gallery Santa Fe, NM
1982 American Indian Contemporary Art, Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC
1982 Night of the First Americans, JFK Center for the Performing Arts Washington, DC
1981 Group Invitational, Grand Palais Paris, France