Jihan Gearon is a Diné and Nahiłii (Black) painter from Old Sawmill, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation. She is Tódích’ií’nii (Bitter Water Clan), born for Nahiłii, and her maternal grandfather is Tł’ashchí’í (Red Bottom Clan). Working primarily in acrylic, Jihan creates paintings that emerge from dreams, meditation, sacred places, and Indigenous ways of knowing. Her work … Read more
Karen Begay learned to build traditional Navajo hogans from her grandfather,Tsinijinnie Nez Begay, who also taught her songs, prayers, ceremonies, and how to live off the land. While she has been building for many years, during the pandemic, she started building hogans for unsheltered Dine families. To her knowledge, she is the only female hogan-builder … Read more
Ruben Urrea Moreno is a multi-disciplinary Chicano artist born and raised in South Tucson, Arizona. His work focuses on narratives of human rights, political plights, and his own Mexican and indigenous heritage. His early artistic experience began with several years of being a member at Raíces Taller Gallery and Workshop. Professionally, Ruben has been a … Read more
“Hello, my name is Mark Talayumptewa. I learned silver work through the mentorship of Gerald Lomaventema and Jerolyn Honwytewa. They both have shared their knowledge and experience, and I am grateful for the time they took to teach me the step-by-step processes of the art. They encouraged me to try, improve, and continue my efforts. Silversmithing … Read more
“I learned my art form as a little girl growing up watching my parents. My dad is a wood carver, he makes kachinas and my mom is a painter. My dad told me that in creating art I would have to speak to people and tell them what my pieces are about. Each piece I … Read more
“Greetings! My name is Homer Marks Jr. I am a carver/artist of Native American ancestry that is tied to the Hopi Tribe (Roadrunner & Greasewood clan) & the Tohono O’odham Tribe. I reside in a very small community 25 miles south of Sells, Arizona, located on the Tohono O’odham reservation with my family. I am married, a … Read more
“Hello, my name is Yvette Talaswaima. I am Qäö- Wungwa (corn clan) from the village of Musungnovi on Second Mesa. I have 3 daughters and 3 grandsons. I learned my art form from my husband Gerald Lomaventema in 2003. Gerald use to work at the Hopi Co-Op Guild and when it closed he started working out … Read more
Hello, my name is Jerolyn Honwytewa. I am Corn clan (Qáö’wungwa) from the village of Mishungnovi. I am a Hopi Silversmith, as well as a traditional Hopi sifter basket weaver. Growing up I had watched my mother and father make Hopi overlay-style silver work. We would travel to various art shows around the Southwest. Seeing the … Read more
“My name is Elena Mendez I am from the Tohono O’odham tribe. I grew up in a little farming town called Stanfield, Arizona, and was the only female in my family; I have three brothers. Times were hard for my father when we had rainy days and he’d be out of work. So my mother continued the … Read more
“I learned my art form at a young age from my mom, dad, and my grandma. I started by picking yucca and devil’s claw with my grandma when I was four or five. We’d go out to different villages where it’s growing and I’d help. Later on, as I grew a little bit older my mom … Read more