From Bull Riding to Metalsmithing: Shane Hendren’s Journey to Master Jeweler

The Educational Path

Shane’s artistic journey formally began at the Institute of American Indian Arts, where he earned a degree in Museum Management while developing a foundation in metalsmithing and silversmithing. The metals classes provided a solid technical foundation and revealed the limitless possibilities of noble metals.

After IAIA, he worked at the prestigious Museum of the American Indian in New York City, gaining professional experience in cultural institutions. But the pullback to the West proved strong. He enrolled at the University of New Mexico, completing a BFA in all disciplines in 1993, a rare achievement demonstrating proficiency across painting, sculpture, film, dance, metal arts, pottery, and ceramics.

“I did it all, and I did it all well,” Shane notes without false modesty. The multidisciplinary education matters. It demonstrates both capability and curiosity, as well as a willingness to engage seriously with varied media and approaches. Many artists specialize early. Shane took longer, exploring broadly before committing to jewelry.

At UNM, he built his first spurs from scratch for a metal sculpture class. The project required defending spurs as art during critiques. The prevailing belief held that functional objects couldn’t be art. Shane successfully argued otherwise through copious research about cowboy arts and their long traditions.

This debate about art versus craft, function versus aesthetics, continues in jewelry. Shane’s position remains clear: context matters, but excellence transcends category. A beautifully made functional object deserves recognition as art if it demonstrates vision, skill, and authentic expression.