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Please join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) artists Leah Mata Fragua (Northern Chumash) and JJ Otero (Navajo and Hopi) on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, for lunch and an artist talk to learn more about their practices and current projects.Lunch is served from 12–1 pm. Located in the CLE Commons in the Center for Lifelong Education (CLE), this event is free and open to the public.
Leah Mata Fragua is an artist, educator, and member of the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini (Northern Chumash) tribe of the Central California Coast. As a place-based artist, her kincentric approach blends shared iconography with personal imagery, emphasizing their interconnected influence. Working with a wide range of materials—from place-based to recycled—Leah explores the relationships between land, kinship, and self. Her practice reflects a commitment to protecting traditional materials and continuing art forms that are vital to her community, while also expanding her individual expression. Leah holds a BA in Anthropology, an MA in Cultural Sustainability, and an MFA in Studio Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Her work is held in the collections of the Autry Museum, Tia Collection, Denver Art Museum, Hood Museum, and numerous private collections. “For this residency at the Institute of American Indian Arts, I propose to engage with the return of salmon following the recent removal of dams in California. This event resonates within California Indian coastal frameworks of relationality and reciprocity. Through a series of paper sculptures, with natural plant dyes designed as an ephemeral installation, I am working to reflect the profound ecological and cultural significance of the salmon’s return. The resulting work will be an installation composed of these sculptural forms, where the interplay of handmade paper, plant dyes, and wood will create a cohesive environment. The installation approach allows for a spatial exploration of form, inviting viewers to engage with the pieces not just as individual objects but as part of a larger, interconnected landscape. By incorporating wood as a core element, the sculptural forms gain stability and context, grounding the installation in a material that signifies connection to place, nature, and traditional practices.”
JJ Otero (Navajo and Hopi) has always viewed life through an artistic lens, even while spending most of his career in the Information Technology field. His creative journey has taken many forms: a successful, award-winning music career, a prolific two-year exploration of acrylic painting, an introduction to the Native art market with his finely crafted cradleboards, and now a deep passion for jewelry making. After working in IT for 25 years, JJ transitioned to the arts full-time in 2016 when he returned to the Navajo reservation to be closer to his elderly parents. During this period of reflection and change, he began working with wood, metal, and tools around the family home. When his sister Cleo asked him to create a cradleboard for her first grandchild, JJ discovered a new calling. That single cradleboard sparked what would become his full-time art career. Social media posts of his cradleboards and cedar boxes soon caught attention, leading friends to encourage him to enter established Native art markets. Today, JJ is recognized for his unique stamping and texturing techniques, as well as for his philosophy that “the moment is perfect and nothing is lacking.” His determination to grow as a metalsmith has made both his work and his presence stand out in the Native art world. “I am really interested in incorporating glass in my jewelry-making process. More specifically, I want to work on making Navajo-style bandolier bags that are adorned with blown glass and sterling silver embellishments. I would also like to use organic glass forms in my jewelry to create a more modern and maybe fine art line of cuffs, pendants, earrings, etc.”
For more information about the IAIA A-i-R program, please contact Maia Filippi, A-i-R Program Manager, at [email protected] or call (505) 424-2369.
If you are an individual with a disability and in need of any auxiliary aid or service to attend events, please contact IAIA’s ADA Office at least seven calendar days before the event or as soon as possible at [email protected] or (505) 424-5707.
https://iaia.edu/event/iaia-a-i-r-fragua-otero-welcome-lunch-artist-talk/
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, NM, United States, New Mexico 87508
