Frank Patania Jr.: Renowned Santa Fe & Tucson Silversmith (Part 2) - Epi. 108, Host Dr. Mark Sublette

Frank Patania Jr. owner of the Thunderbird shop of Santa Fe and Tucson, and the son of Frank Patania Sr. tells the second half of his 87-year story in this edition of the Art Dealer Diaries Podcast. Frank and I spoke for almost 3 hours so this is a two-part podcast with the first portion of the story appearing in episode 107. Part two focuses on Frank Patania Jr's own career and the process behind some of his most important works. We hear about Frank using styrofoam to cast a 9ft tall cross in aluminum and passing the literal and figurative torch to his son Sam the third generation Thunderbird silversmith. I wanted to explore Frank Patania Jr's career and life experiences in Santa Fe and Tucson and the influence he had on the Patania family legacy and what is considered now to be Southwest jewelry. If you are a Patania collector or someone who's very interested in the history of southwest silversmithing, particularly in Santa Fe and Tucson, this podcast is one you will definitely enjoy.