News from MIAC/Lab

FEBRUARY 5, 2025

Santa Fe, NM – The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture is proud to announce that Native American basket weaver Auri Poseyesva (Hopi) has been awarded the 2025 Goodman Aspiring Artist Fellowship. The Goodman Fellowship provides financial assistance to emerging artists, supporting their growth and development in their respective fields. 

Poseyesva is a Hopi Yungyapu weaver from the Village of Hotevilla on the Hopi Reservation. Coming from a lineage of skilled basket weavers, she creates intricate Hopi designs featuring rain clouds, words, and Hopi kachinas. Although she began her Yungyapu weaving journey just a year ago, she has already demonstrated significant growth and dedication to preserving this traditional art form. 

“I truly appreciate this recognition. Having only started Yungyapu basket weaving within the past year, I have seen tremendous growth,” said Poseyesva. “I learned the process to benefit my family, my children, and my community to reclaim cultural knowledge. My goal is to pass on this tradition to future generations and ensure that our traditional art continues for years to come.” 

Poseyesva plans to use the fellowship funding to establish a dedicated workspace, allowing her to expand her craft and offer classes to others interested in learning the art of Yungyapu weaving. Currently, she shares a home with her extended family of nine, where her bedroom serves as her workspace. By securing a separate space, she hopes to further develop her craft and contribute to revitalizing this important cultural practice. 

Yungyapu (Hopi wicker baskets) are crafted from natural materials such as Siivapi (Rabbit Brush), Siwi (Dune Broom), and Moho (Yucca), which are harvested locally and dyed using both natural and commercial pigments. These baskets play a vital role in Hopi cultural activities, and Poseyesva is committed to ensuring their continued presence in her community. In 2024, she showcased her work at the Free Indian Market in Santa Fe, NM, further establishing her presence as an emerging artist. 

Poseyesva’s work will be featured in an upcoming exhibition Engaging the Future: The Goodman Fellowship Artists. Engaging the Future features the work and words of eighteen contemporary Native artists at different stages of their artistic journey. 

“MIAC is thrilled to support Auri Poseyesva as the 2025 Goodman Fellow,” said Danyelle Means (Oglala Lakota), Director of MIAC. “Her dedication to preserving and revitalizing the art of Yungyapu basket weaving is truly inspiring. This fellowship will provide her with the resources to further develop her craft and share her knowledge with others. We are grateful to the Goodmans for their continued support of emerging Indigenous artists and their commitment to sustaining Native artistic traditions for future generations.” 

Dr. Malcolm Goodman and his wife, Connie, established the Goodman Aspiring Artist Fellowship in 2016 to provide financial support to emerging Native artists showing exceptional promise in their early careers. MIAC is honored to support this initiative and celebrate the achievements of this year’s recipient.