Swaia - Indian Market

Bernstein comes to SWAIA as former Board of Directors member (1990-1996 and 2002-2007) in addition to his volunteering as judge, evaluator, and receiver at the Santa Fe Indian Market for the past 25 years. He is a curator at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. From 1997 to 2005, Bernstein served as the Assistant Director for Cultural Resources at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian. Previously he was the Director and Chief Curator at Santa Fe's Museum of Indian Arts and Culture; his directorship oversaw the building and installation of the Bloch Wing and the permanent exhibition, "Here, Now and Always." He has also held positions at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the University of New Mexico's Maxwell Museum of Anthropology. He has published and curated exhibitions widely on American Indian art. He and his wife, Landis Smith, have two children, Elliot and Isabel. E-mail: bbernstein@swaia.org

(Diné)
"Nez" comes to SWAIA from the world of anthropology/archaeology. As one of a small handful of Native Archaeologists, Nez has helped move the field away from mere "things" and towards a focus on the People of the past. For 15 years he worked in the cultural resource world for dozens of western tribes, but the longest was with his native tribe, the Navajo Nation. His journey brought him to Santa Fe in 2000, where as a curator at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, he became active in the world of Native art and began volunteering at SWAIA. He brings to SWAIA a breadth of knowledge of Native history and tradition from the ancient past to the living present and remains active in both the Native and anthropological communities. He also serves on the Navajo Studies Board of Directors and is a bead worker, flintknapper, and jeweler. E-mail: jtorresnez@swaia.org

(Taos Pueblo)
I come to the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts with a strong Museum background. Working in the museum field gave me the opportunity to travel across the country and into South Africa. I have worked with many artists, writers and curators as a professional, friend and colleague. Along with all this experience and travel, I have maintained very strong ties with my family and my community of Taos Pueblo.
I began my career with the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian from an internship and became a Curatorial Assistant. I have also worked in Taos, New Mexico at the Millicent Rogers Museum, returned to Santa Fe to work at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and I was the Museum Registrar at the Museum of Contemporary Native Art, formerly the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum before coming to SWAIA. My professional experience ranges from Collections Care to Conservation and Preservation. As an independent researcher, I was able to curate exhibitions, and assist with publications about Native American artists. My knowledge of the arts and Native America has strengthened the foundation of my experience and professional career. E-mail: privera@swaia.org

(Nambe / Laguna Pueblo)
Gala oversees SWAIA programs including business seminars, youth and fellowship programs, nonprofit and other specialty booths.  She also manages all market logistics for booth setup and layout, securing vendor contracts, and working with Santa Fe City officials to finalize entire set up of Indian Market and SWAIA's Winter Showcase.  She attended Haskell Junior College in Lawrence, KS.  Prior to her employment with SWAIA in 1992, she worked in office management at KBAC, KLSK and KBOM radio stations in Santa Fe. She is a member of and resides at Nambé Pueblo.  Caren is an artist, as well, and creates a variety of traditional Pueblo textiles and attire.  In her spare time, she is also an aspiring entrepreneur and promotional manager for Shades of the Southwest, a Native-owned and operated screen printing business.  She has worked for SWAIA for 18 years. E-mail: cgala@swaia.org

James comes to SWAIA with 15 years of experience in business management for both the non-profit and for-profit sectors. She has a background in development, especially grant writing and reports, and will be graduating in May 2006 with a BA in Humanities from the College of Santa Fe and is currently a graduate student at Regis University in the Masters of Nonprofit Management program. She also holds an AA from Santa Fe Community College in Fine Art (with a concentration in painting) and has taught arts and crafts for over 20 years, specializing in the fiber arts. Cheryl was blessed with a mentorship in which she worked closely with a Navajo silversmith over a period of several years. She notes that this experience embedded into her a being a love of Native American arts. She has lived in Santa Fe for over 8 years and loves its diverse culture.E-mail: cjames@swaia.org

Gabe Gomez is poet, music journalist and PR man originally from El Paso, Texas. He received a BA in creative writing from the College of Santa Fe and an MFA in creative writing from St. Mary's College of California. He has taught English and Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans, Tulane University, the College of Santa Fe and the College of Contemporary Indian Arts (IAIA). His poetry, prose and essays have been published in various literary journals and anthologies. His first collection of poetry The Outer Bands won the Andres Montoya Poetry Prize and was published in 2007 by the University of Notre Dame Press. He is the host of a live music show, "Live at 2nd Street Brewery," which airs on 98.1 Radio Free Santa Fe. E-mail: ggomez@swaia.org

Whitney Stewart came to SWAIA with a background in Product and Graphic Design. Studying at Parsons Paris School of Design, Glasgow School of Art and Parsons the New School for Design in New York she relocated to the Santa Fe area in 2007 as an escape from city life. She moved to an organic farm in Nambe and assisted a friend in opening a local start-up restaurant. Whitney has since worked in the gallery business and has started her own freelance graphic design firm. She has now happily settled at SWAIA after starting full time in the fall of 2009. Email: wstewart@swaia.org

Lopez joined SWAIA with nearly sixteen years of experience working in administrative/office manager roles in banking, accounting, civil and structural engineering, GEO testing, and with construction and development companies. An added bonus for SWAIA is her several years experience in working with the public. Lopez has lived, worked and grown up with American Indian culture and enjoys working at SWAIA to help carry on native traditions. E-mail: slopez@swaia.org

(Diné)
Melanie Yazzie is Special Projects Manager at SWAIA. She coordinates a wide array of projects and events, including SWAIA's Ford Foundation Advancing the Dialogue grant. She also assists in the writing of grants, marketing material and website information. Melanie brings 6+ years of experience in cultural entrepreneurial development to SWAIA. She also has extensive experience in Native American student and academic support services, and is a painter and a writer. In addition to her work at SWAIA, Melanie is currently a PhD student in American Studies at the University of New Mexico. She holds a M.A. in American Studies from Yale University. Email: myazzie@swaia.org

(Zuni)
Gomeo came to SWAIA first as a volunteer with the Native American Clothing Contest (NACC). He now serves as the executive assistant and helps with the volunteer program and is the staff liaison for the NACC. He is also a jeweler specializing in inlay work. Email: gbobelu@swaia.org