Santa Fe Indian Market announces this year’s Best of Show, Best of Class and Special Award winners in a variety of classifications. For 99 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 artists in a variety of juried categories.
Thirty experts in various media spent all day Thursday, August 19, reviewing and critiquing this year’s entries to determine the winners. The announcement of Best of Show and Best of Class winners was made public at the Best of Show Luncheon on Friday afternoon.
This year’s overall Best of Show winner is Rhonda Holy Bear’s (Cheyenne River Sioux) Doll, “Lakota Honor- Sees the Horses Woman.”
All Best of Show winners’ phenomenal artwork will be available this weekend during Santa Fe Indian Market— beginning with the Sneak Preview on Friday night from 2:00-4:00 p.m. at the Santa Fe Convention Center. This is the public’s first opportunity to see this year’s award-winning artwork. The General Preview, 4:30-6:30 p.m., immediately follows the Sneak Preview.
This year’s Best of Class winners by classification are:
Class I: Jewelry
Denise Wallace (Chugach Sugpiaq)
“Origins, Roots and Sources”
Class II: Pottery
Robert Patricio (Pueblo of Acoma)
“Raining Dawn to Dusk”
Class III: Painting, Drawing, Graphics & Photography
Thomas Tapia (Pueblo of Tesuque)
Watercolor, “Buffalo Elk Dance”
Class IV: Wooden Pueblo Figurative Carving & Sculpture
Arthur Holmes Jr. (Hopi)
Carving, “Broken Arrow”
Class V: Sculpture
Raymond Chee Sr. (Navajo/Diné)
Sculpture, “Healing into the Night”
Class VI: Textiles
Tyler Glasses (Navajo/ Diné)
Weaving, “Poncho for Days”
Class VII: Diverse Arts
Dana Warrington (Menominee/ Potawatomi)
Taxidermy, Otter wearing leather, quillwork, beadwork, lapidary, silver, weaving and feathers.
“Defending the Homeland”
Class VIII: Beadwork & Quillwork
Rhonda Holy Bear (Cheyenne River Sioux)
Doll, “Lakota Honor-Sees the Horses Woman”
Class XI: Basketry
Jeremey Frey (Passamaquoddy)
Double wall ash basket, “Malsom (Wolf)”
Class IX: Youth (artists aged 17 and under)
Aydrian Day (Anishinaabe, Lakota, Hochunk)
Beaded elk hide bag, “Mishkiikii Ode (Medicine of the Heart)”
2021 Special Award Winners:
Indigenous Collections Grand Award:
The Winner of this award will be announced at the end of August at swaia.org.
Special Youth Awards:
2nd Place Youth: Kiiyaanni Reeves (Navajo/ Diné)
3rd Place Youth: Mosgadace Casuse (Anishinaabe/ Navajo (Diné)
The 99th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market will take place on Saturday, August 21 and Sunday, August 22 in downtown Santa Fe from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available at Swaia.org.
