The 97th Annual Santa Fe Indian Market Announces Best of Show Winners

SANTA FE, N.M., Aug. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Santa Fe Indian Market is pleased to announce this year's Best of Show, Best of Class, and special award winners in a variety of classifications. For 97 years, Santa Fe Indian Market, the world's largest and most prestigious Indian art market, has awarded Best of Show winners to the nation's most exceptional artists in a variety of juried categories.   

Over 40 judges, experts in various mediums spent all day Thursday, August 16, reviewing and critiquing this year's entries and determining the winners. The announcement of the Best of Show, Best of Class, and Special Award winners was made publicly at the Best of Show Luncheon on Friday afternoon. 

This year's overall Best of Show winner is Kevin Pourier of Standing Rock, South Dakota. The Dobkin Family Foundation generously underwrites the 2018 Best of Show Award of $10,000.

"My work is a belt with portraits of Native women from around the country. During the Standing Rock protests, there was a lot of coverage about men. But the women were there. They were cooking and taking care of the families and then out on the front lines. My wife said, 'you need to create something for the women warriors.' The portraits are carved buffalo horns, used by my Lakota ancestors since the beginning of time," said Mr. Pourier as he accepted the award.

All of the Best of Show winners' phenomenal artwork will be available this weekend during Santa Fe Indian Market on the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe.

This year's Best of Class winners by classification are: 

Class I:  Jewelry   Farrell Pacheco (Santo Domingo Pueblo)

Class II: Pottery   Nancy Youngblood (Santa Clara Pueblo)

Class III: Painting, Drawing, Graphics & Photography   Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe)

Class IV: Wooden Pueblo Figurative Carving & Sculpture   Mavasta Honyouti (Hopi)

Class V: Sculpture   Terresa White (Yup'ik)

Class VI:  Textiles  Nellie Begay (Navajo)

Class VII: Diverse Arts   Kevin Pourier (Oglala Lakota)

Class VIII: Beadwork & Quillwork   Dallin Maybee (Northern Arapaho/Seneca)

Class IX: Youth (artists aged 17 and under)   Isaak Kohlmeyer (Jemez Pueblo)

Class XI: Basketry   Jeremy Frey (Passamaquoddy)

2018 Special Award Winners:

Bernard Ewell Innovation Award   Adrian Pinnecoose 

IAIA Distinguished Alumni Award   Shane Hendren 

Helen Naha Memorial Award for Hopi Pottery   Karen Abeita 

Peter Dechert Award for Excellence in Native Art   Timothy Smith

Western Art Collector Magazine Editor's Choice Award for Excellence   Derek No Sun Brown

Native American Art Magazine Editor's Choice Award for Excellence    Jody Folwell

"Art of Technology" Award (New Award this year)   Darby Raymond-Overstreet 

"Art is a way for countless Native people to support themselves while sharing and celebrating history, tradition and culture. There is no better way to experience this magic than by being at Santa Fe Indian Market," said Ira Wilson, Executive Director of the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA), which produces the Santa Fe Indian Market.

A full schedule of events can be found at www.swaia.org.

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SOURCE SWAIA/Santa Fe Indian Market