We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marco Arviso a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Marco thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

i am in the Native Jewelry business. I’ve always been a huge consumer of our own Native Peoples art. However, in the past i would buy most of my gifts through pawn shops, trading posts, or Native Jewelry stores in Gallup, NM. I never really challenged the idea that these places were owned by non native people. I always assumed that these business knew best about the jewelry industry. So when I opened my business in 2020 i wanted to take ownership of being a distributer of my own jewelry and my peoples art. I wanted a place that people knew that their best interests were taken into account. A Navajo selling Navajo Jewelry directly with an establishment on Navajo Land.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started to make jewelry in 2010. I use to work as an HIV Case Manager then. But the work was very hard and stressful. So i made art to deal with the stress. And I wanted to make things that were original. I love the traditional Navajo Jewelry, But i wasn’t interested in making it. So many people were already creating those pieces. I wanted to make something that had drama and was even Avant guard. I also used to make pottery, paint, draw, and even put out a collection line of clothing. SOOO. With all of these mediums, I started making jewelry. I love using different nonconventional materials or changing traditional designs to make my more edgier or stand out more. I feel like my customers already have the traditional pieces. Which is great to wear at ceremony or graduations, I make pieces for people who attend fashion shows, or go out dancing or a gallery opening.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I had always been a “Festival/Show artist”. I travel and set up a 10×10 tent. Taking my set up here and there. but making my jewelry in my home studio. But in 2020 i moved home to Hunters Point, AZ to live with my ailing Dad. In doing so, I had to compromise my studio. my once roomy creative space, was now a hallway by our main front door. about 5x 6ft. So no need to mention, i was looking for studio space to rent. I found a place in Windowrock that was perfect. an established place to make jewelry at an affordable price. However, it was with a small retail space in front. I so decided to make a new journey from being a show artist to now owning a small brick and mortar boutique.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

Once I had opened my store, i was able to keep my doors open with my shows, however, i needed to fill the space with displays and lights and jewelry cases. So i bit the bullet and used the money that i had from selling my house in the move. It was a very good decision and i do not regret it once. It seemed to be fate. the money was there when i needed it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marcoarviso.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marcoarvisojewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/marco.arviso/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@marcoarvisojewelry

Image Credits
Darklisted photography, Janet Yazzie