Meet Our Grantee Partner: Northwest New Mexico Arts Council
The Northwest New Mexico Arts Council supports the literary and performing arts, STEAM education, and other enrichment for people of all ages.
From left, Navajo poets Venaya Yazzie and Gloria Tacheene with Shawn Landon, student poet from Navajo Prep, and Landon Succo, a senior at Navajo Prep. Photo courtesy of Northwest New Mexico Arts Council.
Mission: Support and advocate for the visual, literary and performing arts. Seek to develop and provide education and recognize the diversity of all cultures and support all traditions and art forms equally and enthusiastically.
The Northwest New Mexico Arts Council was established in 1988 to address low literacy numbers in the rural communities of San Juan County, New Mexico. The Arts Council was reorganized in 1996 to expand beyond the literary arts to include a bilingual poetry and storytelling program that incorporates science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM). A board membership model was created to support the expanded vision and promote community networking. The organization currently has a membership of 120 volunteers who network, coordinate resources, and partner with community organizations in the region.
The Arts Council provides programming for young children, students, seniors, artisans, filmmakers, and other creatives. It serves many poets and storytellers who are Navajo or Spanish speakers, providing a platform to help them keep their stories and traditions alive through writing, art, and performing. Programs and events include art walks, fine arts shows, Navajo poetry, storytelling, jazz performances, and festivals.
The Arts Council’s residencies and summer camps work within middle and high schools to provide support to bilingual poets, storytellers, and artists. Participants create zines and murals and explore STEAM activities. The Arts Council also partners with a community organization to provide entrepreneurial mentorship to students at Aztec High School. Its annual Children’s Bilingual Book Festival includes storytelling, a film festival, and a theater production where students and sometimes parents have the opportunity to share their work.
The Four Corners connecting Northwest New Mexico with Utah, Arizona, and Colorado. Photo courtesy of Northwest New Mexico Arts Council.
There is no word for “poetry” in Navajo. The closest translation, “Saad ak’e’elchi,” is loosely translated to English as “words or (talk) that is fancy.” Northwest New Mexico Arts Council believes in supporting poetry because it can heal, evoke good memories, and create new ones in a community impacted by COVID deaths and gun violence. The Arts Council works directly with students from Navajo Preparatory School (Navajo Prep), the only Navajo-sanctioned, college-preparatory school for Native Americans in Navajo Nation. Students are given the chance to share their personal stories or poetry on stage, often for the first time, leading to a shared emotional experience for the students and audience members.
Receiving Equity in Verse grants from the Poetry Foundation in 2023 and 2024 helped Northwest New Mexico Arts Council increase mentorship for students throughout San Juan County and continue to sustain arts programming in the community. The grant also helped support a therapeutic model for publishing art and poetry for Navajo families who are still recovering from the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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