Gerald Nailor, Navajo artist, was born in 1917 in Pinedale, New Mexico. From the time of his marriage to a Picuris Indian woman until his death in 1952, he lived in Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico. His formal art study was obtained in two years at the U. S. Indian School in Santa Fe; a year of study under the Swedish muralist Olaf Nordemark. While the greater part of his work stemmed from his vivid imagination and knowledge of Navajo myth, his interest in design and color of wildlife is also a notable source of picture material.

Mr. Nailor exhibited at the Museum of New Mexico, the Denver Art Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Philbrook Institute, and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial. He illustrated a number of books for the In...