44th Annual Native American Student Art Show

By Asis Lopez, PhD
Published 12/17/24

The Community Engagement Core of the NM-INSPIRES (New Mexico Integrative Science Program Incorporating Research in Environmental Sciences) and CHANGES (Climate and Health Allied Network for Geospatial and Environmental Science) Centers joined the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) for the 44^th Annual Native American Student Art Show in partnership with Michelle Lanteri, PhD, the Museum Head Curator, and Alejandra Cortes, the Museum Educator. Collectively sponsoring three awards, both Centers judged and purchased three (3) pieces of art that address environmental health concerns and improve climate resilience.

The 44^th Annual Native American Student Art Show Opening Ceremony and Reception took place at the IPCC Artists Circle Gallery on November 23^rd, 2024 from 1 to 4 pm. The exhibition will run from November 23^rd, 2024 to February 6^th, 2025. This year’s theme was “Water is Life”, where students explored what it means to them. There was a total of 196 art pieces from students k-12 in New Mexico. Mallery Quetawki, CEC Artist, and Asis Lopez, PhD, CEC Research Scientist 2, judged and selected three (3) pieces of art.

The NM-INSPIRES and CHANGES Purchase Awards were Makeda Casiquito (Jemez Pueblo, Native American Community Academy, 12^th grade), Kristian Lucero (San Felipe Pueblo, San Felipe Elementary, 7^th grade), and Pierce Spitty (Mescalero Apache, Mescalero Apache School, 4^th grade).

Sarah J. Blossom, PhD, and José M. Cerrato, PhD, the NM-INSPIRES and UNM CHANGES Directors, respectively, were present at the Opening Ceremony and Reception to greet and award the student awardees. The certificate was created by Asis Lopez with the artwork of Levi Roy (@leviroycreations), an Artist-in-Residence through the A Science Communication Pilot Project, granted by the Center for Native Environmental Health Equity (National Institute of General Medical Sciences Grant - P50 MD015706) ran by Mallery Quetawki. Levi’s art is an example of community art that NM-INSPIRES plans to utilize for community communication.

The art from the artists, Makeda Casiquito, Kristian Lucero, and Pierce Spitty, will be used in our materials that we use to communicate to community (social media, website, brochure, calendar, etc.) The art will be credited to the artists with their name, grade, and tribe when the art is used.

NM-INSPIRES and CHANGES are two (2) Centers at the University of New Mexico (UNM) where our goals are to share how air, water, land, and climate affects our health. We do this by listening and having honest talks about what is important to our communities. One way we do this is by using Indigenous art in science communication when reporting back to community.

To learn more about the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC) and the IPCC 44^th Annual Native American Student Art Show, please visit their websites:

https://indianpueblo.org/ & https://indianpueblo.org/native-american-student-art-show/.

About the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s Native American Student Art Show (text from the IPCC)

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s Native American Student Art Show is a tradition nearly as old as the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center (IPCC). We founded the show in 1979, because we recognize that the creativity of our children leads us into a vibrant future full of imaginative possibilities. Our youth are the bearers of our culture and have unique and honest perspectives to share. Through their participation in the IPCC’s Native American Student Art Show, they have an artistic opportunity to express their perspectives in visual forms and delve into their understandings of this year’s theme through a story-driven approach.