Phoenix, Arizona’s Heard Museum was unusually lively for a Wednesday, vibrant and filled with shapes and colors, many of which seemed to reflect the art in the museum. The oranges, pinks, blues and purples in paintings like Linda Lomahaftewa’s Sustenance were echoed in the bright museum courtyard, where two busloads of kids mingled with people sipping coffee in the desert sun.
The museum’s showcase exhibit — “Space Makers: Indigenous Expression and a New American” — was elegantly displayed in the Virginia G. Piper Grand Gallery. “Space Makers” celebrates the so-called “Indian Space Painter” movement, a mid-20th century experiment in abstract art that was initially popularized by non-Indigenous artists who drew their inspiration from Native art and design. The movement in turn played a role in the evolution of many notable Native artists like Lomahaftewa, Benjamin Harjo Jr., George Morrison, Courtney Moyah and many others.


The exhibition shows how the history and development of Indigenous art has changed over the years, as Native artists and creators redefined and reclaimed what it means to be Native and to create.
Christopher Green noted that the art was deliberately arranged to emphasize the complex relationship between the Native and non-Native artists, showing how their artwork intertwined and grew, ultimately creating what Green calls a “new modern American art that was different from European art.”
“Through our art, we exhibit processes: there’s plant life in them; there’s wildlife; and this brings everyone back to our role in being land stewards. We’re just doing it in a different way now.”
The Heard Museum is a private, not-for-profit institution dedicated to traditional and contemporary Native art. Along with its permanent collection and special exhibitions, it hosts the annual Indian Fair and Market, a juried art fair and festival that brings together the world’s best Native artists every March.
Phoenix is home to a variety of spaces for artists and art-lovers alike, including the Native Art Market in downtown Phoenix, which enables Native people to gather in community and share laughs, love and wisdom regardless of their home or tribal affiliation.

Denise McClellan, Navajo Expressions Arts and Crafts
“We still live on Navajo, and we feel like we play important roles in bringing awareness to our natural environment,” said Denise McClellan of Navajo Expressions Arts and Crafts. “Through our art, we exhibit processes: There’s plant life in them; there’s wildlife; and this brings everyone back to our role in being land stewards. We’re just doing it in a different way now.”
McClellan comes from a long line of silversmiths, including her son, husband, mother and grandfather. The family hails from Cameron, Arizona, and has long been part of the region’s greater Indigenous arts and craft scene. Their values — self-sufficiency, sustainability and community — align with those of the Native Art Market, whose owner and founder, Denise Rosales, McClellan holds in deep esteem.

Two years ago, McClellan’s grandmother gave her a hand-woven rug and told her how proud she was of her, praising the work her family was doing in displaying the significance of their history and culture to the world. “She told me, ‘Just be happy when you’re showcasing art,’” she said. “‘Your jewelry is living. It all comes from Mother Earth, and this is very important and essential; they’re living just like we are.’”
McClellan’s love of community has made her own job even more meaningful, giving her a chance to connect with people from all over the world.
“It’s humbling when we come across people from a different nation,” McClellan said. “We have the same experiences and commonality. It brings us together and unifies us in very spiritual ways, and that’s something you can’t buy.

Jamal-Isaac Jones, Indigenous Enterprise
Jamal-Isaac Jones’ colorful yellow and silver regalia fluttered as he performed a traditional grass dance to celebrate the new downtown location of the outdoor Native Art Market.
Jones, who is originally from Blue Gap, Arizona, near Chinle, has been dancing since he was 5. His mother’s and father’s families were dancers as well, but they stopped dancing and only resumed it after Jones’ younger brother was born. Jones’ brother saw a video at school about Native American powwows and dancers and announced that he wanted to do that, too. His enthusiasm helped spark the whole family’s return to dancing.
Jones said he initially felt forced to participate because of his brother, but the resulting years of practice saw his skill improve to the point where he is now able to dance for a living. This is something he feels very lucky and grateful for, as he now understands the importance of expressing his heritage and dancing for those who cannot dance.
“Being mixed, people didn’t think I was Native American,” Jones said. “People thought I was Black — my dad’s Black. So now that there was a struggle for me. People say you’re this, or you’re not that; I had to correct a lot of people. Now I can understand, but when you’re growing up as a kid? It’s a lot different than being an adult, especially if you know who you are.”

Milton John, Rainbow Springs Arts & Craft
Milton John was happy to talk about his paintings, explaining to a curious viewer that it was mist, not smoke, that was coming from the mouths of the Yeibichai dancers in his images. The Yeibichai traditionally dance during cold weather, he explained, and have only their dress, their jewelry and the white paint on their face and body to keep their bodies warm.
John was inspired to paint by his older brother, and today, after working as a welder for 30 years, he is finally able to support himself with his artwork.
“A lot of people come to me about the story behind it and also all the symbols that I put on there,” John said. “The elders, they come in here and they stand before the painting, and some of them cry, and I just let them be until they’re done. And there’s a lot of the younger generation who come, and they’re really inspired by the work.”
“If I tell you the story, you’ll probably know it forever. The story is not going to stop, it’s always going to go on and on.”
John said that some younger people know about the Yeibichai’s significance in Navajo culture, while others are just now learning about it. John’s own work has helped teach both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people about the deeper meaning behind these ceremonies and how they keep Navajo culture and traditions alive.
“If I tell you the story, you’ll probably know it forever,” John said as he pointed to his chest. “Keep it in here, it’s always going to be there, always. The story is not going to stop; it’s always going to go on and on.”
