The Artists are Everything

We are very proud of the connections we have made since we started putting this magazine out in 2016. We have worked with and know the top art dealers and galleries from all corners of the market, auction specialists from all the best auction houses, seasoned collectors who buy art at high levels and some of the best museum curators in the world. Many of these people have not only been sources in our coverage of the market, but they have contributed articles, allowed us to publish excerpts from their new books, invited us into their homes to photograph their collections, and worked closely with us as we produce new features and sections. These are the best people to know when writing about Native American art.

But the artists are on another level entirely. The artists are the reasons we do this. It’s their careers that fill our pages, it’s their work that we’re all so excited to see, and it’s their voices that ring out as you look through this magazine. Nowhere is this more clear than our issue dedicated to the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market. We reach out to every artist included in this issue, and every one of them devotes their time and resources to send us images of their work or studio, sit for an interview or add context to their artwork. As is often the case, many of these artists are also juggling full-time jobs, elderly family members in their care, young children and busy lives. Time is at a premium, but they make time because they live for their art.

Native American Art is excited to share so many artist stories in this special issue for the Heard market. But this is just a drop in the bucket. There are so many more out there. We hope this issue makes you want to seek out these artists—the ones in these pages and not—so you can see the art they create and hear their stories.

It all comes back to the artists and their contributions. We couldn’t do it without them.