Canyon Country Originals is a small, home-based company, dedicated to finding and offering you a choice selection of the better works coming out of the American Southwest. We select only genuine, handmade, one-of-a-kind items, made by Native American artists in the Southwest. ORIGINALS!

Living in Arizona, the heart of Canyon Country, we work with many traders and artists. This exposure gives us a perspective on new works, as well as the classics. You'll find not only the better known, name-artists; but also work by artists whom we believe to be gaining in stature. Since Arizona and New Mexico are home to some of America's great representational artists, we sometimes offer works by this group.

Priscilla Warren—
One of our friends,
living near Two Grey Hills.

Our sole market is the Internet user; we have no physical retail store. You are looking at our store this very moment, your computer screen. We hope you enjoy your shopping.

We are the Tallants, Mary and Jay Tallant. Collecting is a tradition in Jay's family. Back in the 1920's. his grandmother used to visit relatives in the Gallup area, and bring home "Indian stuff." Some of that "stuff" we still cherishes. His mother was an avid collector, having lived in Albuquerque for many years. We began collecting on our own, some 40 years ago. When the Internet came along, we couldn't resist the opportunity to start our own Native American Gallery. We posted our first site in January, 1996.

Jay was in the advertising agency business for nearly 40 years, ended up as partner in a Denver advertising agency. He started out writing catalog copy, and now writes the catalog copy for this site. (What goes around, comes around.) Our son Tom is a professional photographer, he takes most of the photographs. Mary is the office guru and inveterate shopper (now a professional shopper).

Mary and Jay Tallant

Our focus is on the Native Americans living in Arizona and New Mexico. This includes the Hopis, Navajos, Zunis, and Acomas, as well as the pueblos along the Rio Grande in New Mexico.

There are a few things we are not! We don't offer Zapotec rugs made to look like Navajo weavings. We don't offer Hopi-like Kachina figures made by Navajos. We don't offer bisque-fired knockoffs of Acoma pottery. We don't offer factory made jewelry. To us, ORIGINAL means one-of-a-kind, made by the tribe whose spirit association is involved in the work!

You might call us a Mom and Pop organization, and we are rather proud to be called that. We both have a vital interest in your satisfaction. If you are looking for a particular item, we will cheerfully try to find it for you. When you call, you'll always be talking to "The Boss."