About Us
The Kilgore name in the American Indian Art business has spanned the years and the state of Arizona, recognized instantly among those involved in any way with Native American Indians and their Art. From a small gift shop in Southern Arizona in the 1950’s to the beautiful red rock country of Sedona, to the trading post on the Navajo and Hopi Reservation in Northern Arizona, Margaret and Leonard Kilgore have been involved with Native Art and their makers.
"Margaret, a fourth generation Arizonan, became known for having high quality Navajo rugs, Pueblo pottery, Hopi Kachinas, and Native American jewelry. She encouraged artists and craftsmen to develop higher standards of their art and creativity while educating the public as to the meaning and superior quality of Native American Art. After more than 50 years in the business, Margaret Kilgore developed a following of Indian artists that would ultimately bring hundreds of items over the years directly to her to buy. At their store in Tuba City on the Navajo Reservation, Margaret had a reputation for having the best selection of Native Arts and Crafts among collectors from all over the world. On any given day in the trading post, you might see a German or French tourist watching a Navajo weaver selling her rug to Margaret, both speaking in Navajo. Once the negotiating was done, the Polaroid was brought out and the smiling foreign tourist, Navajo woman, and Margaret would all be holding a corner of the proud weaver’s rug that now would be enjoyed in the far reaches of the Europe.
We hope you will enjoy visiting our family collection at the Kilgore American Indian Art website and will appreciate the uniqueness of each piece and maybe even imagine the man or woman that took the hours upon hours to use their hands and eyes to create them. Thousands of years of traditions passed on to each generation, incorporating their own experiences and talents, makes for creativity and artistry that is unsurpassed by any group of peoples in the world. We have been truly blessed to have shared in the life, the art, and the beliefs of these wonderful Indian people.
The beautiful Native American Art that you see represented here is just a portion of a lifetime of collecting from a vast range of Native American Artists, family estate collections and personal favorites. Margaret and Leonard Kilgore’s children participated in the family businesses at one time or another. The Margaret Kilgore Gallery on Fifth Avenue in Scottsdale, Arizona became another venue to share the knowledge and love for the Native American artistry they were so familiar with and enjoyed. As the focus became featuring well-known artists, such as Jesse Monongye, Larry Golsh, Charles Loloma, Charles Supplee, Loren Phillips, Presley LaFountain, and many others, the gallery also began presenting museum quality prehistoric and historic collections of pottery, textiles and beadwork.
Margaret Kilgore continues to obtain collections and receive visits from her long time Native American friends and collectors from all over the world. Her daughters, Marquetta, Kelly, and Linda have continued on in the business in varying capacities, enjoying relationships with American Indian artists, doing appraisals of American Indian art collections, and never tiring of seeing the newest and the oldest of the incredible field of Native American Art.