Author: FAAM Staff

Now that 2020 is safely behind us, we can reflect back on the year that was defined by a global pandemic, devastating fires and storms, and racial tensions. Amid all of the sorrow and challenges, however, Native artists and arts organizations met the challenges of the year head-on, giving us several shining moments to celebrate as we look back. 1. Virtual Pivot As the gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic hit in mid-March, and art event after event was canceled and museums and galleries shuttered, artists and organizations quickly developed new means of connecting online. Racing Magpie in Rapid City hosted…

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Native American Community Development Institute (NACDI) announced the virtual opening of Bring Her Home: Sacred Womxn of Resistance. This year’s exhibition is the third installment of the Bring Her Home exhibition series organized by All My Relations Art gallery and will be exhibited from December 2020 – February 2021. All My Relations Arts is an initiative of NACDI, who organized this third exhibition of this series in partnership with the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center, and Minnesota Indian Sexual Assault Coalition curated by Reyna Hernandez (Ihanktonwan Dakota). “My hope for this exhibit is to highlight empowered work…

Northern Paiute Painter and Draftsman Interview by Melissa Melero-Moose (Northern Paiute/Modoc) This interview appeared in FAAM No. 2, Spring 2014 PYRAMID LAKE, 40 miles northeast of Reno, Nevada, is home to the ancient cui-ui fish, the oldest reliably dated petroglyphs in North America, and the Pyramid Lake Paiute tribe. Pyramid Lake is also home to its very own Ben Aleck, a Pyramid Lake Paiute tribal member and a lifelong artist. Proficient in both drawing and painting, Ben creates works inspired by the beautiful landscape of his home and his people, the Paiutes of Northern Nevada. Ben attended the California College…

Issue No. 27, Summer 2020 Click here to purchase a digital copy for $7 from Issuu. To purchase a print copy, select your location: Locations US, New Mexico $9.74 USD US, other than NM $8.99 USD Canada $9.99 USD International $15.92 USD Features Native Art World Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic by various authors, 18–33 Point of Contact: The Art of Quillwork Then and Now by Matthew Ryan Smith, PhD, 34–39 Returning Home: Comanche Homecoming at Sultan Park Photo essay by Ben Norberto III (Comanche) Text by Juanita Pahdopony (Comanche), 40–45 SWAIA Selects Kim Peone to Be Executive Director: A New…

By MaryAnn Guoladdle Parker (Kiowa) We have seen those photos being passed around on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter about people creating beautiful beadwork imagining their state or providence where they live or where their people are from. This trend was started by CeeJay Johnson (Dakota/Tlingit) of Kooteen Creations, who wanted to create something that would help our Native community pass the time while we are all in quarantine. My friend Chelsea Herr (Choctaw Nation) participated in this challenge. Chelsea recently earned her doctoral degree in Native American art history and joined the Gilcrease Museum team as their curator of Indigenous…

Creating During a Planetary Pandemic By Staci Golar Janie Reano (Kewa Pueblo) represents the fourth generation of her family to participate in the annual Santa Fe Indian Market. She follows in the footsteps of her mother Rose Reano, grandmother Clara Lovato Reano, and great-grandmother Monica Silva Lovato. Janie’s mother has participated in the Indian Market for more than 50 years and Janie is going on more than 30 years as an Indian Market artist, herself. Both create jewelry using time-honored materials and techniques such as intricate heishi (small hand-carved beads, usually made from shell or stone) and mosaic inlay. Janie’s Indian…

All images courtesy of SWAIA. Grand Award Winner  Glenda McKay (Ingalik Athabascan), Harpoon Head with Sheath and Emergency Whistle Classification I. Jewelry Farrell Pacheco (Kewa Pueblo), The Daughters of Mother Earth Classification II. Pottery Shirley M. Brauker (Little River Ottawa), Missing Sisters Classification III. Paintings/Drawings/Graphics/Photography Everton Tsosie (Navajo), The Last of the Pure Classification IV. Pueblo Wooden Carvings Ronald Honyumptewa (Hopi), The Message from a Butterfly Classification V. Sculpture Ira Lujan (Taos Pueblo), Parrot Classification VI. Diverse Arts Glenda McKay (Ingalik Athabascan), Harpoon Head with Sheath and Emergency Whistle Classification VII. Textiles Lola Cody (Navajo), Two Gray Hills Navajo Rug…

By Michelle J. Lanteri During this year’s Santa Fe Indian Market (SFIM), Native artists propelled their artworks into the digital sphere. Two- and three-dimensional media transformed into digital photographs for two purposes—to represent artworks for sale on the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) website and to interact with audiences within NDN World, an online meeting place available to all SWAIA members. The Santa Fe Community Convention Center turned virtual within NDN World, where SWAIA artists, members, partners, and sponsors gathered for this year’s live events taking place between August 1 and 31, like the Virtual Awards Preview and Ceremony.…

Hello, my name is MaryAnn (Guoladdle-Davilla) Parker! I am from Anadarko, Oklahoma, but more specifically I grew up in Hog Creek just outside of Anadarko. I currently live in Oklahoma City with my husband Dallas and our girls. I graduated from Oklahoma City University with my bachelor of art degree in American history. I am the new circulations manager here at FAAM. I also work at the First Americans Museum as the curatorial administrative assistant. I have previously worked at the Oklahoma City Indian Clinic as a mentor. FAAM: You served as Kiowa Tribal Princess and Miss Indian Oklahoma City…

National Call for Video Dance Submissions for Denver Art Museum’s 31st Annual Friendship Powwow Museum to present powwow celebration in virtual format for the first time: The 31st Annual Denver Art Museum Friendship Powwow WHEN: Sept. 12, 2020, 11:00 a.m. WHERE: Streaming on the museum’s Facebook page and YouTube account Experience the vitality of the 31st annual Friendship Powwow on Sept. 12, 2020, one of the Denver Art Museum’s (DAM) longest-running events, now taking place virtually. Hosted in collaboration with members of the local Native community, we are excited to accept national video dance submissions for the first time ever…