The Runaway by Tommy Montoya
The Runaway depicts a figure in the Deer Dance, an important winter ceremonial in Pueblo life. Traditionally performed by male dancers, the animal impersonators carry short sticks, simulating the forelegs of the deer. After the last dance of the day, the deer attempt to run away, while the Pueblo women pursue them. When a deer dancer is caught, his captor takes him home for dinner. The Runaway wears a vivid blue and yellow headdress from which protrude feather-tipped antlers. As in most ceremonial dance costumes, eagle feathers are prominently displayed. The whole figure is charged with energy and emotion.

The Artist
Thomas Edward Montoya, Tommy to his friends, is a native of San Juan Pueblo. Tommy received a degree from the California College of Arts and Crafts and did graduate work at the University of California at Berkeley. In addition to painting, he has worked as a graphic designer, free-lance illustrator, photographer, and for four years as a technical illustrator at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. He has also published a children's book and has won awards at southwestern arts and crafts fairs.