Anthony E. Martinez

A Santa Fe native, Anthony Martinez has produced fine woodwork based on authentic Spanish colonial arts, which originated in northern New Mexico, for thirty years. His careful, life-long study of the colonial period iconography was first inspired, ironically, by the perverse practice, prevalent in the 1950s of people throwing out their antique hand-carved furniture to make room for the then-popular kitsch plastic versions. As a young child, Martinez was able to recognize the beauty of the older classic styles and began to read up on the available literature. Anthony Martinez has come to see his mission as not just to faithfully reproduce the Spanish colonial designs; but also to re-educate the indigenous Hispanic population who have come to take the work for granted. Martinez would like to see this valuable heritage continue to be passed onto future generations of the people who originally created it.

Born in Santa Fe, Martinez grew up in the Espanola and Chimayo valleys and attended Espanola High School. He graduated from Eastern New Mexico University where he majored in Industrial Education and minored in Fine Art. In addition to his 40-year woodworking career, he has also worked as a design draftsman on mechanical, electrical, architectural, and civil engineering projects, as well as construction of solar designed homes. In recent years, he has worked in other media, including photography. wood, metal and stone sculpture, painting, and music. He has even been known to perform in several movies and commercials. Martinez has been recognized with numerous awards, and his work is in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States, as well as Spain, Germany, Guatemala, Mexico, Switzerland, and Canada.