Our Partners

SWAIA / SOUTHWEST ASSOCIATION FOR INDIAN ARTS

The SWAIA Mission: To bring Native arts to the World by inspiring artistic excellence, fostering education and creating meaningful partnerships.

Originally created as a means to preserve and promote Native art, Santa Fe Indian Market (and with it, it’s organizer, the Southwest Association for Indian Arts) grew from a small indoor exhibition into the largest juried Native art show in the world, attracting over 100,000 visitors each August and generating millions in economic impact.

Under the stewardship of pioneering figures like Amelia Elizabeth White, Margaret McKittrick, and Lloyd Kiva New, Indian Market became an artist-led event, shifting from museum control to direct artist sales, ensuring economic empowerment and creative autonomy for Native artists. By the late 20th century, SWAIA expanded its mission beyond preservation to fostering innovation and contemporary Native art.