Santiago Romero (Cochiti & Taos Pueblo). Courtesy photo
SFIM News:
SANTA FE — Santa Fe Indian Market is pleased to announce the 2025 Best of Show, Best of Classification, and Special Award winners. Since 1922, Santa Fe Indian Market, the world’s largest and most prestigious Native North American art market, has awarded Best of Show winners to exceptional Native North American artists in a variety of juried classifications.
Over 60 judges and 120 volunteers, experts in various media, convened Thursday, Aug. 14, to review, assist and critique this year’s entries and determine the award winners. The announcement of the Best of Show, Best of Class, and Special Award winners were announced at the Best of Show Ceremony on Friday afternoon.
2025 Best of Classification Winners:
Class I: Jewelry
Winner: Janalee Valencia (San Felipe Pueblo)
Title: Untitled—reversible mosaic inlay necklace
Dimensions: 16”
Materials: Black lip mother of pearl, Serpentine, Kingman turquoise, orange spiny oyster, mother of pearl, white clam, shell lapis, stones cut individually, sanded and polished
Class II: Pottery
Winner(s): Chris Youngblood and Jennifer Tafoya (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Title: Clash of the Titans
Dimensions: 9” x 10”
Materials: Hand dug Santa Clara Pueblo clay, hand-coiled and built, hand carved, stone
polished, traditional firing, hand-etched, natural pigment paints.
Class III: Painting, Drawing, Graphics & Photography
Winner: Santiago Romero (Cochiti & Taos Pueblos)
Title: Pastel Arches-painting
Dimensions: 48″ x 60”
Materials: oil on canvas
Class IV: Wooden Pueblo Figurative Carving & Sculpture
Winner: Robert Albert (Hopi)
Title: “White Cloud Clowns Jumping off Clouds”
Dimensions: 48” x 15” —12” diameter base
Materials: cottonwood root and acrylic paint
Class V: Sculpture and Best of Show
Winner: Regina Free (Chickasaw)
Title: Windswept (Bison)- Mixed media 3D sculpture
Dimensions: Body- 24” x 48” x 8 feet
Materials: foam, felt, paper towels, plaster, acrylic, air dry clay, watercolor, fabric dye, (natural and commercial dyes) reclaimed driftwood, weathered metal sheeting. Wood frame.
Class VI: Textiles
Winner: Lola Cody (Diné)
Untitled—Two Grey Hills Navajo Rug
Dimensions: 8” x 15”
Materials: All-natural churro wool and colors undyed.
Class VII: Diverse Arts
Winner: Virgil Ortiz (Cochiti Pueblo)
Title: Aeronaut Pilot— Revolt 1680-2180
Dimensions: 23 inches x 22 x 17”
Materials: High fire ceramic and glass – 3 glass pieces: two shoulder armor and one helmet. 1 ceramic main character.
Class VIII: Beadwork & Quillwork
Winner: Jackie Bread (Blackfeet Nation)
Title: His Stories Became Legend—
Dimensions: 27” x 10 1/2″
Materials: Fabric, Wool trade cloth, Size 15,13 and 11 cut and seed beads, crystals, pearl discs, freshwater pearls, ribbon, Flat style beadwork, lane and edge stitch.
Class IX: Youth (Artists aged 17 and under)
Winner: Naats Tla’a (Tlingit/ Haida)
Title: Just a Kid Learning to Weave with My Ancestors in My Heart
Dimensions: 5” x 3” x 3”
Materials: Red and yellow cedar bark, black cod leather, salmon vertebrae, brain tanned smoked caribou leather, mother of pearl, river stone, ermine tail, tanned Alaskan black cod skin using egg yolk. Artist harvested Sockeye Salmon and processed vertebrae used as beads. Traditional Tlingit weaving.
Class XI: Basketry
Winner: Theresa Secord (Penobscot Nation)
Title: Wabanaki Summer”
Dimensions: 8” x 6 ½”
Description: The basket’s colors represent the Maine woods; blue sky, water, clouds, sun and berries.
Materials: Hand pounded and split ash wood, braided sweetgrass, a traditional Penobscot barrel form woven on my great grandmother’s form from the 1800s.
2025 Special Award Winners
Bernard Ewell Innovation Award: Osceola Red Shirt “Protect Your Children” Sculpture Trade Roots Excellence in Lapidary: B.L. Tom
Excellence in Traditional Pueblo Pottery: Suyma Maho
Anita Da Young Potter Award: Xavian Suazo
Mark Tabo Pottery Award: Garrett Maho
Sarafina Tafoya Award: Daniel Begay
Dominique Toya Award: Robert Patricio
Excellence in Contemporary Hopi Carvings: Robert Albert
Excellence in Contemporary Hopi Carvings: Edward Seechoma
Tony Da Memorial Award: Jonathan Naranjo
Margaret Tafoya Memorial Award: Lorraine Gala-Lewis
Make Me Smile Youth Award: Aydrian Day
IAIA Alumni Award: Emmet Navakuku
The Native American Art Magazine Award of Excellence: Carol Emarthle Douglas Santa Fe Indian Market’s Best of Show Ceremony was sponsored by JoAnn and Bob Balzer and the Best of Show Luncheon was sponsored by the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). SWAIA is grateful for these generous contributions. The complete awards list will be posted on the SWAIA website this week.
“We are grateful for the continued support of our volunteers, sponsors, judges and the dedicated SWAIA artists who make the Best of Show the world’s finest Native American awards program.” Jamie Schulze said.
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 North 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 cultivates excellence and innovation across traditional and non- traditional art forms and develops programs and events that support, promote and honor Native American artists year-round. swaia.org