Jackson Clark II, owner of Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, died on Thursday at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs after suffering a stroke. He was 75 years old.
Friends and family of Clark said he was kindhearted and cared deeply for Native American people and culture.
An obituary for Clark said he was recognized by artists, dealers and collectors throughout the Native art world for his commitment to preserving and promoting Native arts, particularly Navajo weaving.
Teresa Begay of Burnham, New Mexico, said in a written statement Clark “had a rare gift for building real, lasting relationships” in and outside of work.
Clark respected Navajo culture through his words and actions alike – “whether it was savoring a hot bowl of steamed corn mutton stew or quietly helping elders by hand-delivering firewood in the cold,” she said.
“To our family, Jackson wasn’t just a friend – he was family,” she said. “Like a son to our mom and dad. A brother to us. An uncle to our kids. He stood by us during our hardest days, and all we can hope is that he felt the same love and support from us in his own.”
She said Clark will always be a member of her family, forever loved and never forgotten.
“My brother was just the most wonderful, gracious, caring, generous person I’ve ever known, and I’m just very grateful for the time we spent together,” Antonia Clark, Jackson’s sister, said.
Clark hugely impacted the Native artist community, Jeanette Dale, a Navajo silversmith in Farmington, said. He expanded the business opportunities of weavers, pottery makers and other artists.
Dale would refer people to the Toh-Atin Gallery in Durango, telling them the owner was a good guy who appreciated Native artwork.
She said she last spoke to Clark on Monday. He informed her he had suffered a minor stroke and doctors were to perform tests and assess his health. She recalled telling him to get better, and that’s the last conversation she had with him.
The only thing she resents, she said, is the belief held by some that Clark did not value Native culture and was exploiting it for the profit of his business.
Toh-Atin Gallery has been the subject of controversy for its depiction of a Native American on a large sign outside the gallery called the Chief. Some people said Clark wasn’t helping Native artists, he was promoting his business. But Dale said she never saw it that way.
She said Clark helped Native artists pay their bills and put food on their tables, he appreciated the artists and their work, and she appreciated him in kind.
When she sees a sign like the Chief, she assumes it’s advertising Native artwork. The Chief isn’t making fun of Native culture, it’s promoting it, she said.
Toh-Atin Gallery Hopi staff member Paulita Lomaomzaya said in Clark’s obituary that Clark held an unwavering love and devotion to families in need that has not gone unnoticed.
“He has built mountains of riches in the next life with all the unselfish ways he’s helped people,” she said.
Clark performed winter clothing drives, hauled firewood and raised money for water projects and animal rescues in Southwest tribes, including the Navajo reservation, the obituary said.
“Jackson was the most joyous friend anyone could have. He relished every moment and could find humor in almost any event. He will be sorely missed,” James Foster, longtime friend of the Clark family, said.
Mary Jane Clark, Clark’s mother and former matriarch of the Toh-Atin Gallery, died in April 2023 after suffering a stroke. She and her husband formed Toh-Atin Trading Co., which eventually merged with Jackson David Trading Co. and became the Toh-Atin Gallery.
Clark is survived by his sister, Antonia, of Durango; his two sons, Edward and Nick Clark of McNeal, Arizona and Boise, Idaho, respectively; five grandchildren, Aidan, Gabby, Owen, Sawyer and Stetson; nephews J.R. and Jeff Starns; and his partner, Kristine McCann, and her daughter Darcy of Santa Fe.
A memorial service will be at a date and place to be determined. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Center of Southwest Studies, 1000 Rim Drive, Durango, or the Navajo Water Project by the nonprofit DigDeep.
cburney@durangoherald.com
