Junior Indigenous Art Exhibition
Please take time to enjoy the 23 art pieces submitted to the 2024 Junior Indigenous Art Exhibition and Competition. This is the fourth year of the competition and online exhibit, though MNA has been championing youth art since our early days nearly 100 years ago. This year we are pleased to share these pieces during Youth Art Month.
The Museum of Northern Arizona wants to thank the students who shared their art and the teachers and parents who encourage these wonderful young artists. We could not hold this event without the talented young artists who sent in their work.
It was a pleasure to view and read about the submitted artwork. Award decisions were made considering style, technique, and creativity. Thank you to the judges, Janet Yazzie, Jonah Hill, and Curtis Quam, for making these difficult decisions.
Jr. Indigenous 2024 Award Winners
1st Young Adult 2D Fine Arts – Grace, Katasha Davis, 18
2nd Young Adult 2D Fine Arts (tie) – Future Dancer, Justine Sloan, 16
2nd Young Adult 2D Fine Arts (tie) – Angwusi (Crow Warrior Kachina) flying over the fields in the beautiful colorful sky, Micah Virgil Butler, 14
1st Youth 2D Fine Arts – The Navajo Lady Who Touched the Hopi Sun, Shaunale K. Sloan, 11
2nd Youth 2D Fine Arts – Long Walk, Kennedy R. Belone, 11
1st Young Adult Cultural Arts – Diné Princess, Jeweliena Tony, 16
2nd Young Adult Cultural Arts – My Great, Great, Great Kinyaaaaanii Grandmother, Isaac Naataanii Nelson, 16
1st Youth Cultural Arts – Onii, Taylen Polelonema, 11
Curtis Quam, Museum Technician and Cultural Educator of the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center shared, “Each artist is an important part of keeping our identities going.” Quam added that he hopes the young artists continue expressing themselves through art and said, “Talent is a part of it, but also never stopping.”
History
Visitors view the 1960 Junior Indian Art Show exhibition.
The tradition of an annual youth art show goes back to 1931, when Museum of Northern Arizona co-founder and Curator of Art Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton started an annual exhibit to encourage Arizona school students to showcase their artwork. As the years progressed, the show focused on children from schools on the Navajo, Hopi, and Havasupai reservations. MNA has more than 250 pieces of artwork in its collection that were originally displayed during the years of the show, which ended in 1974, according to records. The museum continues to encourage young artists through these pages and awards given at its annual Heritage Festival.
View Past Junior Art Exhibitions
2023 Junior Art Entries
2021 Junior Art Entries