Modesto Bule, Yoem Yo’owe, Yaqui Elder. 2025 Modesto Bule, born in Vicam, Rio Yaqui, Sonora, Mexico, is a member of the Yaqui Tribe of Sonora and a recognized Pahko’ola Yo’owe, or elder Pascola, in Yaqui communities across Arizona and Mexico. From childhood, he was immersed in ceremonial traditions alongside his father, Juan Bule, a Moro … Read more
Delwyn Tawvaya, Hopi Silversmith. 2025 Delwyn Tawvaya, a Hopi silversmith from the Snow Clan of Soongöpavi Village, Second Mesa, carries forward the tradition of Hopi Overlay silverwork taught to him by his mentor, Gerald Lomaventema. Actively involved in Hopi ceremonial life, Delwyn balances farming, fatherhood, and silversmithing, creating jewelry that reflects Hopi symbols and spiritual … Read more
Lorenzo Shirley, Navajo Silversmith. 2025 Lorenzo Shirley, a full-blood Navajo silversmith from the Wide Ruins Chapterhouse area, learned traditional techniques from his grandfather and continues to create jewelry using tufa casting, sand casting, and lapidary. His first completed piece was a silver squash blossom necklace, and today he works from his family’s land near Klagethoh, … Read more
David Olarte, Afro-Latin Salsa Dancer. 2025 David Olarte, a first-generation Colombian-American artist based in Phoenix, specializes in Afro-Latin salsa and contemporary couple dancing. He grew up learning salsa and cumbia from his family, later training with world-renowned instructors and founding Stilo Dance Company, which has earned international acclaim. Through teaching, choreography, and community socials, David … Read more
Raymond Malelo and Georgette Tabu, Congolese Gospel Music and Song. 2025 Raymond Malelo and Georgette Tabu, Congolese musicians now living in Tucson, share traditional gospel music rooted in Central African rhythms and harmonies. Their music sustained them during 19 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp and continues to bring joy and resilience to their community … Read more
Dr. Ihor Kunasz, Ukrainian Pysanky Artist. 2025 Dr. Ihor Kunasz, born in France to a Ukrainian mother, has carried forward the ancient tradition of pysanky – eggs decorated with beeswax and dye (batik) He learned by candlelight from his mother and has shared this art for decades, teaching family, community members, and now his apprentice, … Read more
Tammy Kelly, Quilter and Fiber Artist. 2025 Tammy Kelly, of Irish and Scottish descent, has lived in northern Arizona for over forty years, where the landscape inspires her quilting and fiber arts. A self-taught quilter, she has published patterns and books, exhibited internationally, and taught quilting across cultures and generations. Tammy now mentors her former … Read more
M. Fumie Craig, Origami Artist. 2025 M. Fumie Craig, also known as M, is an American of Japanese and Black/Creole heritage. Based in Tucson, she has dedicated her life to origami as a way to connect cultures, generations, and communities. She first learned to fold paper cranes from her aunt in Tokyo and later co-founded … Read more
Deborah Brooks, Passamaquoddy Basket Weaver. 2025 Born and raised on the Indian Township Reservation in Maine and now a resident of Chandler, AZ, Deborah Brooks carries forward the Passamaquoddy tradition of basket weaving taught to her by her mother, grandmother, and aunt. For over 30 years, she has prepared black ash and sweetgrass from ancestral … Read more
Bryce Antone, Tohono O’odham Burden Basket Maker. 2025 Bryce Antone, a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation from the community of No:ligk, creates traditional Giho, or burden baskets, that symbolize strength, responsibility, and cultural continuity. Inspired at age ten by his uncle’s basket-making, Bryce has since dedicated himself to preserving and teaching this practice through … Read more