The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque is currently hosting the 44th Annual Native American Student Art Show. The art show features the works of Indigenous youth from kindergarten through 12th grade who attend schools all across New Mexico.
The exhibition opened on Nov. 23 and can be seen through Feb. 6.
This year, the show’s theme is “Water is life.”
“For Native American youth in New Mexico, this year’s exhibition activates a responsive avenue to channel their understandings of the vitality and sustaining force of water into innovative and artistic expressions,” a placard in the exhibition room reads.
All of the pieces in the art show are an exploration of what this prompt entails. They range from literal portrayals, which represent the importance of water to Indigenous communities, to abstract interpretations of the theme.
The art show is also a contest, which is judged by multiple individuals and organizations. These include NSRGNTS, a local Indigenous artist collective; Sonny Ray Olguin, a student in the University of New Mexico’s Museum Studies graduate program; and the NM-INSPIRES and CHANGES centers, two organizations based at UNM that focus on the impact of climate change on New Mexico.
The exhibition consists of three different categories: Drawing & Painting/2D, Design & Collage/2D and Sculpture & Ceramic/3D. These categories are further split up by grade, with each group organized into K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.
There are first and second place prizes for each category, as well as an overall Best of Show award.
Artists are able to put their work up for sale, thus making them eligible for the new NM-INSPIRES & CHANGES Purchase Award, courtesy of the aforementioned environmental organizations. One artist in the Drawing & Painting/2D category and one in the Design & Collage/2D category will be awarded this prize.
Additionally, this year marks the debut of the IPCC People’s Choice award. A ballot and ballot box are provided for museum patrons to vote for their favorite artwork, regardless of genre or age categories.
A quote in the exhibition room sums up the 44th Annual Native American Student Art Show: “Water is a mainstay of Native American art. We see the representation of water in beings like the frog, the tadpole and the dragonfly alongside marks of rainfall. In pottery, the water jar is a foundational vessel. On paper, many artists paint images of nearby rivers using watercolor. In both Native American art and life, water is ever-present and carries creative expressions throughout places of home.”
Elijah Ritch is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. They can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
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