Maria & Modernism Exhibition Celebration

Robert Mirabal – Ancient Seed Preservation, Sustainability and the Pueblo Way 

Acclaimed Taos Pueblo musician, composer, actor, author, flute maker and farmer Robert Mirabal presents an engaging presentation about the importance of seed preservation, food justice and sustainability told through story, history, movement and flute music. Q+A following the workshop. 

Dr. Betsy Fahlman – Maria + Modernism Scholar Talk 

Since 1988, Betsy Fahlman, who is a Professor of Art History, Arizona State University, 1988-present, and since 2016 Adjunct Curator of American Art at Phoenix Art Museum. She is a specialist on American modernism, and has a strong interest in the historical women artists of Arizona. 

Charles King – The Polychrome Pottery of Maria Martinez & San Ildefonso Scholar Talk 

Charles King is an author and gallerist.  He has written five books on Pueblo pottery, including “Born of Fire: The Life and Pottery of Margaret Tafoya”, “The Art and Life of Tony Da”, “Spoken Through Clay”, and “Virgil Ortiz: Revolution”.  He has had his galleries in Santa Fe and Scottsdale for 28 years.  He has been a judge at Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Indian Market and Fair, and Gallup Ceremonials.  He was on the Board of Directors for SWAIA and IACA. 

Xico Inc. –  Free Screenprinting Activity – Special Maria Martinez Design! 

Xico is a non-profit multidisciplinary arts organization created in 1975 by a group of local Arizona Chicano and Native American artists. Xico’s mission is to promote Latino and Native American culture through the arts. Make sure to stop by their booth to participate in a live screenprinting activity where you can take home a bandanna featuring one of Maria’s designs! We want to thank Maria’s family for the permission to use this special design. 

Josiah Enriquez – Debut of the 2024 World Champion Hoop Dancer 

Josiah Enriquez, representing the Pueblo of Pojoaque in New Mexico, is of Navajo, Isleta, and Pueblo descent at 21 years old. He began engaging in traditional ceremonies and dancing at the age of 3. Not until around 8 or 9 did he start hoop dancing, inspired by Nakotah Larance, his grandmother, and Valentino Rivera. The Lightning Boy Foundation’s children have also motivated him. Teaching has deepened Josiah’s understanding of hoop dance, enriching his connection to the art. Alma Garcia and Roman Enriquez are his parents, supporting his dedication to preserving and sharing his cultural heritage. 

Chef Ray Naranjo of Manko Foods – Food Demo & Special Guest Dish in the Café 

Chef Ray Naranjo, a Native American with roots from both the ancient Puebloans of the Southwest and the Three Fire Tribes of the Great Lakes, believes in the preservation of the foodways and ancestral knowledge of his people and strives to continue on this path. With the use of modern and ancestral cooking techniques, he pushes the limits of what is known, unknown, and forgotten about the Indigenous food culture of North America. Chef Ray earned a degree in culinary arts and has more than twenty-five years of experience in the modern restaurant industry, working in kitchens in exclusive hotel and casino resorts in the Southwest and wearing titles ranging from executive chef to food and beverage director. Chef Ray has also been presented with several awards in New Mexican cuisine, with a focus on the chiles of New Mexico. 

Native Guitars Tour Artists 

The Jir Project  

The Jir Project Band has won steadily escalating acclaim for their multi-dimensional Blues-Rock performances and have a steady fan base through the southwest region. Their sophomore release, “Sun Child” garnered a North American Indigenous Image Award for Outstanding Blues Album. They’ve earned ovations from music devotees along their tour through the southwest and are embarking on new frontiers. 

Ailani  

AILANI IS A 20-YEAR-OLD SINGER-SONGWRITER/PRODUCER WITH MULTIPLE RELEASES. AILANI IS LOCATED IN COLORADO. AILANI’S MUSIC HAS A HEARTFELT INDIE POP-ROCK FEEL. SHE HAS FOUND THAT MAKING MUSIC IS HER MOST MEANINGFUL WAY OF SELF-EXPRESSION. 

Cloud Eagle Seasonal Dance Group  

The Seasonal Dance Group was formed in 1990 to promote our cultures and languages of Jemez and Zuni.