DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Scholarship Fund
THE INSTITUTE of American Indian Arts (IAIA) recently announced the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship will provide financial support for an Indigenous female artist enrolled in the MFA in Studio Arts Program at IAIA.
“Her discipline and ambition in producing images of Indigenous women in her community provide a vision that drives us to increase their representation within the art world,” reads the scholarship flyer. DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo (Taos Pueblo/Dine) was poised to take over the art world. A painter since the age of 2, DeAnna fell in love with the family business. DeAnna’s work often featured women from her Taos Pueblo community, always depicted in celebration, and often in a japanese anime style on ledger paper. It’s her traditional motifs blended with a touch of pop culture which compelled her friends and fellow artists to call her style “Nann’s style.”
Last time Tempo spoke with the artist, she had just completed her first room mural (Rm 407) at the Nativo Lodge, where her father, Taos Pueblo Painter David Gary Suazo, still continues to paint. Back then, she told Tempo she was still experiencing an “artistic high” from the project. DeAnna did always seem most at peace while she was creating something. A friend and fellow tour guide at Taos Pueblo said, “She was always in a sketchbook, working on her next masterpiece.”Tempo spoke with Mario Caro, Director of MFA in Studio Arts at IAIA, “Even before she applied, we knew she had great aspirations. She reached out early during the application process to make sure she was following the process.”
Indeed, before pursuing her MFA in Studio Arts, DeAnna had already made some major moves in the realm of art; the young artist had showcased her work in big shows such as SWAIA’s Indian Market, The Heard Museum Indian Fair and Market and was the 2020 featured artist at the LA Skins Fest. “She had just graduated and had been an honors student as an undergraduate here at IAIA. Her portfolio was very
strong, as was the rest of her application,” said Caro.
The establishment of the DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Scholarship is not only a way to commemorate the life and work of the artist, it also perpetuates DeAnna’s generosity. A supporter of the arts herself, now through her scholarship, DeAnna’s support for Native women in the arts will continue. “And she is very much with us today,” said Caro. “In fact, our inaugural Master’s Thesis Exhibition — featuring work from the graduating class that was her cohort — will be dedicated to her.”
DeAnna’s family is excited about the establishment of the scholarship. It wasn’t long ago that DeAnna and her father had been planning something similar. “Before she passed, we were talking about doing a small scholarship for the Pueblo, so this is a way to make up for that,” said DeAnna’s father. DeAnna’s academic prowess and ambition was easily seen in the work the young artist produced. The new scholarship will provide an avenue for another female Native artist to pave her own way. “She was all about education and she would’ve been a strong supporter of this scholarship,” said DeAnna’s father.
The scholarship is now open to donations. The scholarship will help benefit a female Indigenous artist enrolled in the MFA in Studio Arts program at IAIA. There is a preference for Pueblo and Dine artists to apply, but the scholarship is open to all nations of Indigenous People.
The DeAnna Autumn Leaf Suazo Memorial Scholarship is the first memorial scholarship of its kind, “It’s not the first memorial scholarship, but it is the first earmarked to support a Native woman artist attending the MFA in Studio Arts at IAIA,” said Caro. It is the hope of IAIA that those people who knew DeAnna and her work will be compelled to contribute to her legacy by making a donation to the scholarship, thus continuing DeAnna’s goal of supporting Native women artists pursuing a graduate education.
According to a press release, the first recipient of the scholarship will be awarded in Fall 2023. The amount of the award will depend on the amount of donations received. Both IAIA and the Suazo family hope that the scholarship will become endowed, which puts the current goal for donations at $100,000. “Anybody can donate. Anywhere from $10 on up, there’s no cap, anyone can donate whatever amount they want. All those small donations add up,” said DeAnna’s father.
“DeAnna was immensely loved by her family and people. She was on the brink of an artistic coming-of-age that was no less immense. I hope that all of that love and promise will find somewhere to grow in this world,” said DeAnna’s studio professor Sara Siestreem. DeAnna’s impact on the art world will continue to be felt through her memorial scholarship. “Although she was with us only a short time, she inspired all of us with her talent and discipline,” said Caro.