The 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, August 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
Description: 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 Pueblo)
Title: Pastel Arches
Dimensions: 48″ x 60”
Materials: oil on canvas
Description: The painting represents the morning sunlight at dawn when approaching the summit. The time of morning prayer inspired by the color palette of Maynard Dixon.
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.
NOTE: This piece took the artist two years to complete
Class V: Sculpture
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 (Navajo)
Untitled—Two Grey Hills Navajo Rug
Dimensions: 8” x 15”
Materials: All-natural churro wool and colors undyed.
All the wool churro wool from the artist’s flock. Artist raised and sheared sheep, hand spun and cleaned wool.
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.
Description: A pilot character from 2180 visits from the past and present time to collect our traditional ways– to preserve.
Class VIII: Beadwork & Quillwork
Winner: Jackie Bread (Blackfeet Nation)
Title: His Stories Became Legend— Kanai Warrior (Weasel Tail)
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)
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”
Materials: Hand pounded and split ash wood, braided sweetgrass, Jere a traditional Penobscot barrel form woven on my great grandmother’s form from the 1800s.
Description: The basket’s colors represent the Maine woods; blue sky, water, clouds, sun and berries.
2025 Special Award Winners
Bernard Ewell Innovation Award: Osceola Red Shirt (Oglala, Lakota)
Trade Roots Excellence in Lapidary Award: B.L. Tom (Navajo Nation)
Excellence in Traditional Pueblo Pottery: Suyma Maho (Hopi)
Anita Da Young Potter: Xavian Suazo (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Mark Tabo Pottery Award: Garrett Maho (Hopi)
Sarafina Tafoya Award: Daniel Begay (Navajo Nation)
Dominique Toya Award: Robert Patricio (Acoma Pueblo)
Excellence in Contemporary Hopi Carvings: Robert Albert (Hopi)
Excellence in Contemporary Hopi Carvings: Edward Seechoma (Hopi)
Tony Da Memorial Award: Jonathan Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo)
Margaret Tafoya Memorial Award: Lorraine Gala-Lewis (Pueblo of Laguna)
Make Me Smile Youth Award: Aydrian Day (Ho-Chunk)
IAIA Alumni Award: Emmet Navakuku (Hopi)
The Native American Art Magazine Award of Excellence: Carol Emarthle Douglas (Northern Arapaho and Seminole )
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).
“We are grateful for the continued support of our volunteers, sponsors, judges and the dedicated SWAIA artists who make SWAIA’s Best of Show the finest Native arts awards program,” said Executive Director, Jamie Schulze.
