​   ​​​​LAS Comadres gallery -  Taos, NM.

             Take home some Taos color

Copyright Las Comadres Gallery. All Rights Reserved.

                                       MINNA  WHITE  

As the artist behind LANA  DURA LLC, I wet-felt wool using only fiber from Navajo-Churro sheep, a rugged, historic breed which voyaged with the early Spanish explorers to the Southwest in the 1500s.   The rugged Churras walked with the explorers.  As the first domesticated fiber animals they were a unique asset for native peoples, an enthralling fiber ‘on the hoof’  as well as a protein source.

These heritage sheep have fabulous wool, yielding a diverse, sophisticated contemporary color palette mirroring the colors of the Southwest: white, taupe, hues of brown, lavender-gray and natural black.  From this magical fiber I produce one-of-a-kind functional art: pot holders, placemats and coasters, floor rugs and wall art.

My early working years, based in New England, I produced documentary films initially for PBS for over twenty years (NOVA, ODYSSEY, THE RING OF TRUTH and other series) as well as IMAX/OMNIMAX films.  During these years I earned two graduate degrees and eventually worked as the Policy Analysts for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture.  In Vermont I ran a fiber-washing business then quenching a life-long yearning, entered the U.S. Peace Corps. 

After my Peace Corps years in the South Pacific I moved to Taos, NM where, as “Lana Dura,” I paint with wool producing felt.

 The sheep themselves and the incredible landscapes of northern New Mexico support my creativity.  I am inspired by the wool artistry of earlier craftspeople and the historic value of wool.

“Lana” is a Spanish word meaning “wool” and “dura” is a reminder of the durability of wool products.

LANA DURA’s goal throughout is GIVING SHEEP A JOB!

  MINNA WHITE