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SWAIA Develops “NDN World:” A Virtual 3D World Showcasing Native Art
If you haven’t heard of NDN World yet, don’t worry, you will soon. In March, the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts, the non-profit that produces the 99-year-old Santa Fe Indian Market, embarked on a project with consulting partners, the Clark Hulings Fund and Free Agent Source to create a virtual gathering space. The virtual space, named NDN World, is the location of this year’s Santa Fe Indian Market Best-of-Show Awards.
“Those of us working on the SWAIA project love it so much we hope to do more projects like this. Implementing virtual collaboration and expo space on the Vircadia platform for organizations and corporate clients is a growing practice area,” said Steve Pruneau, co-owner of Free Agent Source, responsible for consulting operations.
NDN WORLD—3D, modeled after the Santa Fe Convention Center with design elements such as a kiva fireplace from the La Fonda Hotel and textiles modeled from images of Shiprock Santa Fe’s collection, now exists on the open source Vircadia Platform. Vircadia is an online metaverse: participants can connect and create with others in an immersive and interactive virtual world.
NDN World demonstrates the non-profit’s commitment to the future, embracing new ways of showcasing Native art and entrepreneurship in an increasingly digital world. “I think it is amazing that a Native American art festival is stepping into the virtual world. All of the collaborators on this year’s Virtual Indian Market are setting the bar, embracing the future,” said Elizabeth Hulings, founder of the Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists.
SWAIA’s Executive Director Kim Peone (Colleville Confederated Tribes/ Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians) has a history of organizational leadership and enacting change. She is the first woman to lead SWAIA in the organization’s almost 100-year history. Her goals for SWAIA are both immediate and long term.
“I immediately recognized the potential in creating a virtual space to showcase the best in Native art, to educate visitors about the North American Indigenous Nations and to gather with people from around the world,” said Executive Director Kim Peone.
Join This Year’s Virtual Experiences:
On Saturday, August 15, SWAIA Members with Select/Premium and VIP Access will have the opportunity to attend the first-ever, live “In World” virtual awards program sponsored by JoAnn and Bob Balzer. Awards will be announced in 11 categories, including a newly designated Virtual Grand Award.
- Jewelry
- Pottery
- 2-D
- Pueblo Wooden Sculptures
- Sculpture
- Textiles
- Diverse Arts
- Beadwork/Quillwork
- Basketry
- Youth
- Virtual Grand Award
Special Awards will be presented in the following categories:
- “Elaborate Face Masks”
- “Solidarity in our Current Times”
- “Executive Director’s Award: Honoring Your Mother and Father”
The Virtual Awards Program will begin In World at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 15, or visitors with Select/Premium and VIP access can watch the live-streamed event at SWAIA.org
August 22: SWAIA Gala and Benefit Auction
The Gala begins at 3:00 p.m. MST followed by the Benefit Auction at 4:00 p.m.
For additional information on how to install Vircadia software on a Mac or PC and an ‘In World’ user experience guide, visit swaia.org. SWAIA will offer technical support to members throughout the month of August, Monday to Friday, 12:00 pm (Mac Users) and 2:00 pm (PC Users).
PRESS INQUIRIES
Press interested in previewing NDN World, please contact Audrey Rubinstein to join an In-World Press Preview.
505.466.6992 or 505.490.5029
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About Virtual Indian Market:
The Indian Market 2020 (The Virtual Edition) is Delivered By Close Collaboration Between the SWAIA, the Clark Hulings Fund, ArtSpan, Vircadia and Madpipe.
SWAIA Develops “NDN World:” A Virtual 3D World Showcasing Native Art Read More »
Support of CommUNITY Learning Network during 2020 Virtual Market
Community Learning Network Mobilized Volunteers and Interns to
Help SWAIA Artists Create Websites
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 1, 2020; Santa Fe, NM: Community Learning Network (CLN) mobilized an informal and formal network and coordinated more than 40 interns and volunteers (meet a few of them here) from a range of partner organizations including Stonehill College, Villanova University, University of Portland, University of New Mexico, and Santa Fe Community College (SFCC), as well as interns from the PROTEC (www.protecsantafe.com), hosted through SFCC Continuing Education and Contract Training program and supported by the County of Santa Fe.
The CLN interns and volunteers were introduced to the SWAIA juried artist and SWAIA staff, matched with artists, and then worked one-on-one with the artists by phone, text, email, and zoom to help them build and launch their website, establish and/or connect PayPal payment processing, and engage with promotions and social media opportunities.
CommUNITY Learning Network supported this initiative thanks to support from New Mexico TechWorks and the “1000 Website in 1000 Days” project, the TechHire working group of the Opportunity Santa Fe Birth to Career program at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the Pueblo Connect initiative supported by the National Science Foundation, the Internet Society and Internet Society New Mexico Chapter, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Major Subcontrators Consortium and New Mexico Community Foundation, New Mexico Gas Company, New Mexico Oil and Gas Association, Verizon, Facebook Career Connections pilot training and paid internship program with support from New Mexico Workforce Solutions, Nusenda, and the City of Santa Fe Office of Economic Development.
Extra special thanks and acknowledgement to Elizabeth Eppley, the AmeriCorps Vista member that worked with CommUNITY Learning Network as an Economic Development Coordinator thanks to support from the North Central New Mexico Economic Development Department.
Eppley did an outstanding job coordinating the volunteer efforts. She has continued to support SWAIA artists by creating weekly Facebook posts featuring the work and websites of SWAIA artists, plus she coordinated a virtual meetup with three of the artists on zoom during Global Entrepreneurship Week in November 2020 (www.gewsantafe.com)
For More Information about CommUNITY Learning Network, please visit: https://www.communitylearningnetwork.org
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A Tremendous Start to Virtual Indian Market!
Thanks to all of YOU, Virtual Indian Market has started off with a bang! We have already received feedback that speaks to the importance of supporting artists during these uncertain times:
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As a former SWAIA Board member, I must say how impressed I am by the organization’s dedication to its artists and members, especially during this challenging time. The virtual market is creative and and so important to Native American art, perpetuation of Native American culture, and truly is representative of our shared human spirit!
I wish you all safety, good health, prosperity and a successful Virtual Indian Market!
— Governor Brian Vallo, Acoma Pueblo
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As a first time SWAIA Indian Market artist, I wasn’t sure initially how my work would be received. Today, the opening day of the Virtual Indian Market 2020, I have sold three sculptures and two drawings. It is so gratifying to know that people appreciate the work, and even more so that I can be a part of the amazing Indian Market community. During the time of COVID-19 it is a blessing to be able to focus my energies not on fear and anxiety but rather on creating things that make the world a more beautiful place.”
— Joshua Hinson, Participating Artist
A Tremendous Start to Virtual Indian Market! Read More »
SWAIA & the Clark Hulings Fund Create Virtual Indian Market
New Mexico arts leaders respond to cancellations— create new platforms for Native artists
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—May 7, 2020; Santa Fe, NM: Santa Fe Indian Market and the Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists (CHF) are pleased to announce a significant collaboration aimed at providing opportunities for Native artists to showcase and sell artwork amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
The like-minded organizations, both based in New Mexico, are jointly committed to providing artists with the training and support they need to be economically successful. SWAIA’s mission, in addition to producing the Santa Fe Indian Market, is creating economic and cultural opportunities for Native American and First Nations artists.
“The partnership with the Clark Hulings Fund arrives at a moment when SWAIA is approaching our centennial year—establishing new methods of assisting Native artists and preparing them for success in the next 100 years. We are fortunate to receive the expertise of the Clark Hulings Fund, which offers extensive art-business programming to communities,” said SWAIA’s Executive Director Kim Peone.
In addition to aiding individual Native artists, the affiliation will increase SWAIA’s organizational capacity, providing greater support and year-round economic opportunities to Native artists. This August, Indian Market’s awards program and other beloved events will be transitioned to a virtual platform. Audiences and collectors will have the opportunity to participate online at the world’s largest and most prestigious juried Native art market. The virtual platform will also accommodate more artists than the physical Market which is constrained by limited space in downtown Santa Fe. Therefore, artists who were juried in in 2020 but on the waitlist for a booth, will have the chance to participate.
“With many summer art markets cancelled, we are thrilled to create a virtual Indian Market. The hundreds of artists who participate will not face an economic catastrophe on the heels of a medical one. Now, thanks to the work we are undertaking with SWAIA, artists will be able to showcase and sell their work virtually.
Beyond the emergency response, our collaboration also affords the Clark Hulings Fund the occasion to help Indian Market artists—and SWAIA as an organization— develop healthier, more sustainable business models. With our help, Native small businesses will be positioned to thrive over the long-term, economically and artistically. It feels good to be able to step up and deliver valuable assistance at this moment,” said Elizabeth Hulings, Executive Director of the Clark Hulings Fund.
Specific event details and programming will be posted to the SWAIA website (www.swaia.org) as they are available.
Media Contacts:
Amanda Crocker: 505.982.4526 acrocker@swaia.org (SWAIA PR/Marketing Director)
Audrey Rubinstein: 505.466.6992 audrey@themettaagency.com (Consultant Publicist)
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About SWAIA:
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is a non-profit organization supporting Native American arts and culture. It creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market, the biggest and most prestigious Indian art event in the world since 1922; cultivating excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms; and developing programs and events that support, promote, and honor Native artists year-round. swaia.org
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About the Clark Hulings Fund: The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists (CHF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes the legacy of American painter Clark Hulings (1922 – 2011) by equipping working visual artists to be self-sustaining entrepreneurs. Founded in 2013, CHF showcases Hulings’ life and work as an example to today’s artists and offers them a comprehensive art-business education so that they can thrive as he did. We deliver a suite of integrated learning services continually, both virtually and in-person, via live events, digital channels and portable media formats to build professional networks of opportunity.
SWAIA & the Clark Hulings Fund Create Virtual Indian Market Read More »
SWAIA Launches Global Native American Art Marketplace With Help From the Clark Hulings Fund & Artspan
SANTA FE, N.M., June 29, 2020 (Newswire.com) –The Southwestern Association for Indian Art (SWAIA) is pleased to announce additional details about their partnership with the Clark Hulings Fund, which will launch the 2020 Virtual Indian Market on Aug. 1, 2020, while providing business training and support to Native artists. A further collaboration with Artspan.com is producing e-commerce websites and a global marketplace where visitors can easily find, experience and acquire the world’s best Native American art.
The Clark Hulings Fund (CHF) has arranged for SWAIA to work with a third partner, Artspan, to provide websites to SWAIA artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. The CHF will deliver hands-on training to the artists, not only to help create top-notch e-commerce sites but also to teach digital sales and marketing strategies and how to employ them effectively.
Artspan is currently working with SWAIA and the Clark Hulings Fund to create websites for SWAIA artists throughout the U.S. and Canada. These individual artist websites will be integrated into a central Native American Art Marketplace opening August 1.
Artspan was the first website company to focus on artists, artisans and photographers. It will provide Native American artists with individual websites. The artwork on the sites will provide the inventory for an Art Marketplace which will stand in for the Santa Fe Indian Market.
The cancellation of this year’s physical Santa Fe Indian Market, the most important juried Native art market to both artists and collectors, will now be accessible virtually year-round at the Artspan SWAIA Marketplace. Buyers will be able to purchase artworks directly from an artist’s website and through the Native American Art Marketplace— and artists will have a robust set of tools and platforms with which to run their businesses online.
Virtual Indian Market will be live at swaia.org from August 1 through August 31—offering engaging programming and fan favorites like the Native American Clothing Contest, and a re-imagined awards program. Individual artist websites will be live for one year, with the option for artists to renew the e-commerce sites to market and sell work.
“SWAIA’s goals are both immediate and long-term,” says Executive Director Kim Peone (Colville Confederated Tribes / Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians). “Our first objective is to launch a solution-based platform to meet the economic needs of our artists. Longer-term goals will position SWAIA as a technology leader and innovator, able to offer increased services and support to Native artists.”
For virtual market updates, events and a growing list of participating artists, please visit: www.swaia.org.
MEDIA CONTACT: Audrey Rubinstein | 505-490-5029
audrey@themettaagency.com
About SWAIA: The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) is a non-profit organization supporting Native American arts and culture. It creates economic and cultural opportunities for Native American artists by producing and promoting the Santa Fe Indian Market, the biggest and most prestigious Indian art event in the world since 1922. www.swaia.org
SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET WELCOMES NEW DIRECTOR
Kim Peone will be the first Native American woman in SWAIA’s history to serve as Executive Director
After a nationwide search, SWAIA’s Board of Directors is proud to announce the selection of Kim Peone as its new Executive Director. Peone is an enrolled member of the Colville Confederated Tribes of Washington and currently resides in Santa Fe.
“The Board is excited by the impressive background Peone brings to SWAIA to lead Indian Market through our Centennial year (2022) and into the next century. Peone’s 30 years of experience in Indian Country, astute business and financial background, as well as great managerial and leadership skills were a perfect fit for SWAIA’s needs going forward,” said Board Chair Tom Teegarden.
Peone’s father Richard (Eastern Band of Cherokee), and mother Annabelle (Colville Confederated Tribes), met while attending the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, and started a family. Peone was born in Santa Fe— a city known as an American Indian art mecca.
Kim Peone’s career has taken her across Indian Country from coast to coast, serving tribes and tribal entities in numerous professional capacities. Most recently, Peone was the CEO/CFO of an extremely successful tribal corporation in Washington State. Her full circle journey has led her back to Santa Fe to pursue professional opportunities. Her expertise is building accountable, sustainable, and disciplined Native organizations that exceed expectations of key stakeholders.
The Board has an ambitious vision for the future of SWAIA, building on past successes and taking the organization to new levels of impact that benefit Native artists. Part of SWAIA’s mission is to form solid partnerships to ensure the long-term sustainability of the organization; this aligns with Peone’s leadership philosophy.
“It was a tough decision to postpone the 99th Indian Market this year in the wake of COVID 19, especially given the economic impact on our artists and the event’s $165 million-dollar impact on the economy of northern New Mexico,” said Traci Rabbit, artist and Board member. “We must move forward, and I am confident Kim’s background and abilities will successfully lead SWAIA into the future. There are many challenges ahead for organizations like SWAIA, and the Board is committed to ensure that its legacy and influence will not only withstand those challenges, but emerge stronger.”
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MEDIA CONTACT: Amanda Crocker
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