
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, April 13, 1995                   TAG: 9504200009
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: E-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DALEVILLE GALLERY DEALS IN `UNIQUELY AMERICAN' ART MIMI EUBANK STAFF WRITER

It was the words of a Creek Indian woman that convinced Linda Anderson to abandon her work as a civil servant and open an art gallery. Anderson had worked for the U.S. Army for 14 years when her friend told her: "Linda, you don't want to work for the government. Why don't you open a gallery."

Anderson took her friend's advice, and now, eight years after opening the Amerind Gallery, Anderson says she is the only merchant of American Indian and western fine art in southwestern Virginia. First-time buyers and regular collectors come from as far as Arizona to browse Anderson's selection of fine art.

Anderson, who was an art history major at Memphis State University, first became interested in American Indian goods during her travels out west.

When her parents learned of their daughter's dream, they offered her a deal. If she would operate the family businesses in Daleville while they maintained the ones in Clifton Forge, they would help her open a gallery. Anderson agreed, and now runs the gallery from the same building that houses Anderson Family Pools and Anderson Monument Co. Inc.

The family businesses provide the "bread and butter" that make the gallery possible, said Anderson.

Her main interest lies in artwork rather than jewelry or clothing. Although she sells traditional and contemporary silver jewelry, "I'm more into fine art than handicraft," she said.

The walls of the gallery are bedecked with original and limited edition paintings and hand-painted masks of fierce warriors. Floor cases display tiny figurines, or kachina dolls, and colorful sculptures.

Baskets are a popular item among some collectors, said Anderson, because of the enormous amount of time and effort that goes into weaving them. The materials are cured slowly and then woven by hand into baskets large and small.

Anderson encourages her customers to consider buying baskets. She says it's an endangered art in which younger tribal members have little interest, leaving the tedious work to the hands of the elders.

Anderson says many of the people who come into the shop know very little about American Indian artistry. She tries to educate them about the tools, material and traditions behind her merchandise.

A lot of her customers, however, are traveling collectors who know of Anderson's gallery by word of mouth, or learn about it from her advertisements in national magazines such as "Southwest Art" and "Native Peoples."

Anderson travels twice a year to trade shows to buy artwork for the gallery. Other times, artists seek her out to sell their wares.

She has even established a working relationship with a few of the artists, such as the Lelooskas of the Northwest Coast tribe. Some of her favorite works come from this renowned family of artists.

Anderson is proud of her gallery. But she's even prouder of the contributions American Indians made and still make to American artistry, for it is their work that is "truly, uniquely American," she said.

Amerind Gallery at 885 Roanoke Road (U.S. 220) in Daleville. The number is 992-1066.

by CNB