John Boomer was born in California on on October 6, 1945. He remained in California until he graduated from California State University at Chico with a BA in psychology. In 1968 John moved to the Navajo reservation to become a teacher. It was while teaching that John gained interest in sculpting and began to teach himself how to work with wood. Claro Walnut, Black Walnut, Cedar-Juniper, and Birds Eye Maple are some of the first types of wood John learned to sculpt. His media interest grew to works in Granite, Basalt, and Marble. John loved to work with these materials because of there color, texture, hardness, and smell. In 1972 John began work as a full time artist. Living on the reservation, the people around him were traditional Navajos; a timeless humanity and serenity came through. The women in particular seemed to be the very mothers of the earth, calm, yet proud and enduring. The wood, especially the Cedar-Juniper, seemed to suggest these traditional women in there long dresses and blankets. These women became a very strong theme in John's work. After ten years of sculpting his interests were turning to the construction of painted wall pieces. He chose wood for the constriction and different colors of sand for the paint. He sometimes highlighted with acrylic and oil paint to incorporate more brilliant colors. Even after 30 years as a self taught artist, John is still searching and expanding his art concepts with new vision, techniques, and materials.

1974 - Phoenix Art Museum Biennial, Phoenix, Az

1976 - Southwest Biennial, Museum of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM

1982 - "Allen Houser Selects", Santa Fe Festival of the Arts, Santa Fe, NM

1991 - Featured Artist, National Orchestral Association, Auction. New York City, NY

1992 - "Miniatures 1992", Albuquerque Museum

1992 - National Invitational Gallery Fair, Mendocino, CA

1993 - One Man Show, Sculpture and Wall Constructions, Stetter Gallery, Phoenix, AZ

1993 - One Man Show, "Spirit Callers", Merging One Gallery, Santa Monica, CA

1996 - North American Sculpture Exhibition, Golden, Co

1997 - Featured Artist -Paintings and Sculpture, Glenn Green Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

1998 - Three Person Show with Michael Lewis and Charles Malory, Gallup Culture Center, Gallup, NM

1998 - Coffee House Show, Paintings, Gallup, NM

1999 - Donation of Sculpture to NM Symphony Wine and Art Auction

1999 - One Man Show - "Earth Paintings" New Territory Art Space, Sedona, AZ

2001- Grand Opening - Alan Houser, Doug Hyde, John Boomer, Figarelli Fine Art, Scottsdale, AZ

2002- One Man Show "Fresh Mud" Gallery 211, Gallup, NM

2003 - Dedication of "Birth of a Dream" Bronze Sculpture for The Albuquerque Museum

2003 - One Man Show "Faces" Gallery 211, Gallup, NM

1983 - Artspace Magazine, Winter Issue, Review of One Man Show at Dewey Gallery

1983 - South West Art Magazine, Feature Article by David Bell September Issue

1988 - Fine Woodworking Magazine, " Carvings From the High Desert" Article by Invitation of the Editor

1988 - Fine Woodworking Magazine, Review of Third Annual Western Invitational

1991 - Impressions Magazine, November-December Featured Article, Japan

1993 - Masters of American Sculpture- One Hundred Year Survey by the National Sculpture Society. Abbeville Press, NY

1996 - Best of Acrylic Painting, Rockport Publishing, Rockport, MA