By MK MENDOZA • OCT 22, 2020

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Kim Peone | Colville Confederated Tribes / Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians

Wake Up Call’s MK Mendoza speaks with Executive Director of SWAIA, Kim Peone about the success experienced at this year’s virtual Santa Fe Indian Market, now placing it in the lead as a model for helping artists survive the pandemic. Once again the indigenous community shines with resilience: A moment of poetic justice as we pay homage to a population American history has not only attempted to conquer but all too often criminally neglected.

LISTEN

‘Walk with Pride’, Santa Fe Indian Market Haute Fashion Show documentary (short film) Wins Regional Emmy

Press Release, The Latest / By Jamie Schulze

Walk with Pride, Santa Fe Indian Market Haute Fashion Show documentary (short film)

Wins Regional Emmy

On Saturday, September 19^th, 2020 “Walk with Pride,” a short documentary about the popular Indigenous Fashion Show at the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), was awarded a Rocky Mountain Regional Emmy in the category of Special Event Coverage. The six-minute film was created by videographer Kaela Waldstein of Mountain Mover Media, who worked with SWAIA’s Fashion Show producer Amber-Dawn Bear Robe to highlight the stories behind the featured designers.

Still from the film Walk with Pride ©Mountain Mover Media

According to Bear Robe, “The show highlights Indigenous fashion designers who look to their cultural past to create clothing, jewelry, and accessories that embody the essence of ancestral memory while creative innovative designs representing the now.” In the film, Bear Robe provides an overview of the misconceptions surrounding Indigenous Art and the problematic nature of terms like “traditional” and “authentic” as well as how the show allows a platform for Indigenous designers to express themselves without the limitations that historically have defined them.

Included Indigenous designers are Jamie Okuma, Sho Sho Esquiro, Cody Sanderson, Maya Stewart, Yolanda Skelton, Shane Watson, Decontie & Brown, Pamela Baker, and Adrian Standing Elk Pinnecoose. Along with interviews with some of these designers, models and attendees also lend their voices, and there is a glimpse of World Champion Hoop Dancer Nakotah LaRance’s opening performance. Stunning and vibrant imagery of models walking down the runway wearing each of the designers’ work is shown throughout the video.

Before “Walk with Pride” was submitted for consideration to the Regional Emmys, the film made the rounds in the film festival circuit with 14 screenings across the U.S. Walk with Pride won awards for Best Documentary at Fashion Film Festival Chicago and New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase and was nominated for awards at the Seattle International Film Festival and Borderscene Film Festival.

In 2020, because a large in-person event was not possible, SWAIA and Bear Robe worked with Waldstein to create a virtual fashion event – a series of intimate bio-pics about seven Indigenous Designers, plus a pre-recorded intimate show of local designer Orlando Dugi’s 2020 capsule collection. The video streamed at this year’s Virtual Indian Market to great fanfare.

Bear Robe and Waldstein are currently applying for grants to produce additional films around the theme of how Indigenous designers of today are incorporating contemporary elements into their designs as they honor their cultural heritage(s).

Press release and information courtesy of Amber-Dawn Bear Robe and Kaela Waldstein

https://mountainmovermedia.com/about

Media Inquiries:

METTA

Audrey N Rubinstien

audrey@themettaagency.com

505-490-5029

2020 Virtual Indian Market Winners!

Press Release / By Jamie Schulze

Glenda McKay (Athabascan) wins the 2020 Virtual Indian Market– Virtual Grand Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—August 17, 2020; Santa Fe, New Mexico: SWAIA is pleased to announce this year’s Virtual Grand Award winner, Virtual Indian Market Class Awards and Special Award Winners. For 98 years, Santa Fe Indian Market, the world’s largest and most prestigious Native American art market, has awarded Best of Show winners to the nation’s most exceptional Indigenous artists in a variety of juried categories. Amid this year’s coronavirus pandemic, a virtual Indian market and reimagined awards program were devised to support Indigenous artists and to continue the almost 100-year-old tradition.

Virtual Grand Winning Art- Glenda McKay

Over 40 judges, experts in various mediums, reviewed and critiqued this year’s entries determining the winners. On Saturday, August 15, SWAIA Members with Select/Premium and VIP Access had the opportunity to attend the first-ever, live virtual awards program in “NDN World” on the Vircadia platform. The awards program was sponsored by JoAnn and Bob Balzer and awards were announced in 11 categories, including a newly designated Virtual Grand Award.

This year’s Virtual Indian Market Best of Class winners by classification are:

Virtual Indian Market Jewelry Award

Farrell Pacheco (Santa Domingo) “The Daughters of Mother Earth”

Virtual Indian Market Pottery Award

Shirley M. Brauker (Little River Band of Ottawa) “Missing Sisters”

Virtual Indian Market 2D—Paintings/Drawings/Graphics/Photography Award

Everton Tsosie (Navajo) “The Last of the Pure”

Virtual Indian Market Pueblo Wooden Carvings Award

Ronald Honyumptewa (Hopi) “The Message from a Butterfly”

Virtual Indian Market Sculpture Award

Ira Lujan (Taos Pueblo) “Parrot”

Virtual Indian Market Textiles Award

Lola Cody (Navajo) “Two Gray Hills Navajo Rug”

Virtual Indian Market Diverse Arts Award

Glenda McKay (Athabascan) “Harpoon Head with Sheath and Emergency Whistle”

Virtual Indian Market Beadwork/Quillwork Award

Bill Mendoza (Oglala Lakota) “Elk Medicine – Teachings of Lakota Love and Commitment”

Virtual Indian Market Basketry Award 

Teresa Secord (Penobscot) “1920 Replica Woven Glove Box”

Virtual Indian Market Youth Award

TobieMae Patricio; 15-years- old (Acoma Pueblo) “Hunting Canteen”

Virtual Grand Award  

Glenda McKay (Athabascan) Diverse Arts: “Harpoon Head with Sheath and Emergency Whistle”

Special Awards Winners:

Elaborate Face Masks Award:  Cristal Ratt (Algonquin) “Kiga Jabwiimin”

Solidarity in our Current Times Award:
Shirley M. Brauker (Little River Band of Ottawa) “Missing Sisters”

Executive Director’s Award: Honoring Your Mother and Father”

Beverly Bear King Moran (Standing Rock Sioux) “Seen by her Nation”

To view the entire award’s video, HERE.

From August 8-12, SWAIA members were given access to a digital exhibit of all art submitted by Virtual Indian Market artists for consideration, as well as the ability to cast a vote for People’s Choice. The winner will be announced on August 25, 2020.

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About Virtual Indian Market:
Virtual Indian Market is a SWAIA initiative to support Native arts by establishing a global presence for artists through virtual platforms. Virtual Indian Market is supported by the Clark Hulings Fund, ArtSpan, and other organizations that have helped connect SWAIA with innovative marketing efforts designed to expand the organization’s existing marketplace. For complete information visit, www.swaia.org

About SWAIA’s Virtual Awards Program:

All Virtual Market artists were eligible to compete by submitting works digitally. From those images, judges selected the top five contenders in each of the ten classifications. Those were delivered to Santa Fe for in-person, socially distanced judging. The finalists competed for the top prize of $2,500 in their classification and then for the Virtual Grand Award ($10,000), along the lines of Best of Show in the traditional market. Three Special Awards were also given; $500 for “Solidarity” and “Elaborate Masks” and $1,000 for the Executive Director’s Award, “Honoring Your Mother and Father.”

The National Museum of the American Indian Presents a Native Cinema Showcase Selection at the 2020 Virtual Indian Market

Press Release / By Jamie Schulze

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—August 17, 2020; Santa Fe, N.M.: The Southwestern Association of Indian Art is pleased to announce, Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian will present a Native Cinema Showcase selection during this year’s Virtual Indian Market. The film, More than a Word is directed by Kenn and John Little (Hunkpapa Lakota) and the film will be accessible via americanindian.si.edu on August 28 and 29, 2020.

More Than a Word analyzes the Washington football team and their use of a derogatory mascot. Using interviews from both those in favor of changing the name and those against, this documentary presents a deeper analysis of the many issues surrounding the Washington team name.

Photo Courtesy Kenn + John Little

NATIVE CINEMA SHOWCASE: MORE THAN A WORD

August 28, 2020 | 5 p.m. Mountain Time, 7 p.m. Eastern

August 29, 2020 | 1 p.m. Mountain Time, 3 p.m. Eastern

(USA, 2017, 70 min.)

Free and Open to the Public.

Follow this Link

Special support for More Than A Word is provided by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Additional support provided by the New York State Council on the Arts under Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s Regional Economic Development Council Initiative, and by The Walt Disney Company.

MEDIA INQUIRIES:

Audrey N Rubinstien | M E T T A
audrey@themettaagency.com 505.466.6992 or 505.490.5029

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About the Museum

The National Museum of the American Indian is committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere—past, present and future—through partnership with Native people and others. For information about the museums, including hours and directions, visit americanindian.si.edu. Additional information is on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SWAIA Develops “NDN World:” A Virtual 3D World Showcasing Native Art

Press Release, The Latest / By Audrey Rubinstein

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.

Avatars visiting NDN World in the Vircadia Multiverse

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.

audrey@themettaagency.com

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’s Fashion Show is Now Virtual

Press Release, The Latest / By Audrey Rubinstein

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—August 5, 2020; Santa Fe, NM—The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts is pleased to announce this year’s Virtual Fashion Show premiering at SWAIA.org—August 10 through August 16, 2020. SWAIA’s annual Fashion Show is produced by Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika Nation) showcasing the best of North American Indigenous fashion.

“Indigenous fashion is continually changing, reflecting current culture and environment. This year’s designers reflect innovation and creative strength, grounded in diverse Native cultures across North America,” said Bear Robe.

Designer spotlights will feature the following designers in the process of making and presenting new designs:

Aug 10 Skawannati (Mohawk)

Aug 11: Korina Emmerich (Coast Salish Territory, Puyallup)

Aug 12: Catherine Blackburn (Dene)

Aug 13: Sage Paul (English River First Nation)

Aug 14: : Delina White (Ojibwe)

Aug 15: Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo)

The Main Fashion show on Sunday, August 16, includes the streaming of all participating designer spotlights, concluding with designer Orlando Dugi’s debut of an exquisite New Capsule Collection for the SWAIA 2020 fashion show. The fashion film short can be seen Sunday, August 16, 2020, at 2 p.m. on the SWAIA virtual market platform followed by a live Q & A steaming with the artist.

For Media Inquiries and Images:

Audrey Rubinstein
505.466.6992 or 505.490.5029 (cell)

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About Virtual Indian Market:

Virtual Indian Market is a SWAIA initiative to support Native arts by establishing a global presence for artists through virtual platforms. Virtual Indian Market is supported by the Clark Hulings Fund, ArtSpan, and other organizations that have helped connect SWAIA with innovative marketing efforts designed to expand the organization’s existing marketplace. For complete information visit, www.swaia.org

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About Amber-Dawn Bear Robe:

Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, from Siksika Nation, Alberta, Canada, achieved an MA in American Indian Studies and a second MA degree in Art History, both from the University of Arizona. Currently, she is Assistant Faculty of Art History in the Museum Studies department at the Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe, NM. Bear Robe is presently curating an exhibition about Indigenous representation; writing a paper on the Indigenous Printmaking movement in central Canada in the 60’s-70’s for the Mackenzie Art Gallery, Saskatchewan, Alberta; producing the annual Indigenous fashion show for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA); sitting on the curatorial committee for Vital Spaces, Santa Fe, NM; and an acting trustee for two organizations: the Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) board and the Wheelwright Museum. Previously, she was Director/Curator of Urban Shaman: Contemporary Aboriginal Art, Winnipeg, Canada.  

Support of CommUNITY Learning Network during 2020 Virtual Market

Press Release, The Latest / By Jamie Schulze

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

SWAIA & the Clark Hulings Fund Create Virtual Indian Market

Press Release / By Audrey Rubinstein

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.

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SWAIA Launches Global Native American Art Marketplace With Help From the Clark Hulings Fund & Artspan

Press Release, The Latest / By Audrey Rubinstein

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

Santa Fe Indian Market Welcomes New Director

Press Release / By Audrey Rubinstein

Kim Peone will be the first Native American woman in SWAIA’s history to serve as Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—April 16, 2020; Santa Fe, NM: After a nationwide search, SWAIA’s Board of Directors (www.swaia.org) 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 99^th 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 with lessons learned.”

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MEDIA CONTACT: Amanda Crocker, acrocker@swaia.org

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. SWAIA plays an ongoing role in supporting Native American arts and culture year-round, cultivating excellence and innovation across traditional and non-traditional art forms and developing programs and events that support, promote, and honor Native artists.

Peek inside our Official Guide

SOUTHWESTERN ASSOCIATION for INDIAN ARTS

Press Release

Wake Up Call’s MK Mendoza speaks with Executive Director, Kim Peone

Indigenous Resilience Transforms Into Success and Poetic Justice at Virtual Santa Fe Indian Market

LISTEN

‘Walk with Pride’, Santa Fe Indian Market Haute Fashion Show documentary (short film) Wins Regional Emmy

Walk with Pride, Santa Fe Indian Market Haute Fashion Show documentary (short film)

Wins Regional Emmy

2020 Virtual Indian Market Winners!

The National Museum of the American Indian Presents a Native Cinema Showcase Selection at the 2020 Virtual Indian Market

SWAIA Develops “NDN World:” A Virtual 3D World Showcasing Native Art

“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.

SWAIA’s Fashion Show is Now Virtual

Support of CommUNITY Learning Network during 2020 Virtual Market

SWAIA & the Clark Hulings Fund Create Virtual Indian Market

SWAIA Launches Global Native American Art Marketplace With Help From the Clark Hulings Fund & Artspan

Santa Fe Indian Market Welcomes New Director