Our Next Guest Needs No Introduction

The School for Advanced Research cultivates casual conversation and in-depth discussion through a series of live artist talks on Instagram.

- ALYSSA M. TIDWELL

Step into the artist’s studio, take a look around. What catches your eye? Remnants of dried clay and mineral paints from a recent pottery session, a large palette of intermixing oil paints near a canvas that’s ultimate vision has yet to be realized. A block of wood waiting to be carved, or threads on a loom. And what of the artist occupying the space? What would they divulge to you—in what ways might they open up about their unique artistic processes, and about their lives?

This year is different in a lot of ways. The sorts of in-person interactions we’re used to having, especially around Indian Market and Santa Fe in August, are not possible in our current environment, and we’ve had to adapt. The School for Advanced Research in Santa Fe has created a series of informal interviews that will take place in a virtual format through Instagram Live with 10 esteemed Native artists who are both past SAR artist fellows and are affiliated with the 2020 Virtual Indian Market. “As we were developing the program, we realized we couldn’t do all the other programs we’d normally do in person, the outreach we’d normally do. We became increasingly aware of the obstacles the artists would be facing,” says Elysia Poon, Indian Arts Research Center director at SAR. “Artists Live on Instagram,” which begins August 3 with jeweler Nanibaa Beck, will be held on a weekly basis through September 28, capping off with multi-faceted artist Jason Garcia.