‘KEEPERS OF THE LAND’ BOOK SIGNING WITH JOY HARJO AND DANA TIGER
Saturday, August 16, 2025 | 1:00 - 2:00 PM
Keepers of the Land Exhibition, La Fonda on the Plaza – Lumpkins Ballroom (2nd Fl), 100 E. San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM
We’re honored to welcome Joy Harjo, 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate, and celebrated Muscogee artist Dana Tiger for a special appearance at the Keepers of the Land exhibit inside La Fonda on the Plaza as part of Sovereign Santa Fe, held during the Santa Fe Indian Market weekend.
A limited number of signed books by Tulsa Artist Fellowship Awardee Alum Joy Harjo will be available, including For a Girl Becoming, a radiant celebration of growth, belonging, and connection to the natural world, and Harjo's latest release, Washing My Mother’s Body: A Ceremony for Grief. This intimate and powerful book offers a moving reflection on love, loss, and the sacred ritual of saying goodbye—and features soulful watercolor illustrations by Dana Tiger.
Celebrate the power of Indigenous storytelling and art with two visionary Muscogee women.
Co-presented by Tvlse Studios and Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Keepers of the Land is a group exhibition curated by Carly Treece of Tvlse Studios, taking place August 15–17, 2025 in the Lumpkins Ballroom at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe, NM. The show is part of Sovereign Santa Fe, held during Santa Fe Indian Market weekend—the largest Native art market in North America and the most important Indigenous art event in the country. Keepers of the Land is made possible with support from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the Tulsa Artist Fellowship.
The market draws over 100,000 visitors annually, including curators, gallerists, museum professionals, academics, collectors, and artists from across the globe. In 2023, a Māori gallery from New Zealand acquired one of my pieces for exhibition abroad. The next year, the Speed Art Museum purchased three works from two participating artists. Collectors from across the world attend this event, creating real visibility for Oklahoma-based artists.
This exhibition will feature work by 20+ Indigenous artists from across Oklahoma, including two Tulsa Artist Fellows, Shane Brown and Joy Harjo, exploring themes of land, memory, and survivance through diverse forms of contemporary visual storytelling. Artists represent multiple practices and Tribal Nations, all rooted in Indian Territory.
Keepers of the Land Exhibition, part of the Sovereign Santa Fe Art Expo at Indian Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM daily August 15-17, 2025, at Lumpkins Ballroom in La Fonda on the Plaza.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Joy Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee Nation and a Tulsa Artist Fellowship alum. She served three terms as the 23rd U.S. Poet Laureate (2019–2022) and is the winner of the Poetry Society of America's 2024 Frost Medal, Yale's 2023 Bollingen Prize, and a National Humanities Medal. She is the author of ten books of poetry, including Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years, two memoirs (Crazy Brave and Poet Warrior), plays, children’s books, and nonfiction. Her many honors include the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the Ruth Lilly Prize, the Wallace Stevens Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. As a musician, she has released seven award-winning albums, including I Pray for My Enemies. Harjo edited When the Light of the World Was Subdued, Reinventing the Enemy’s Language, and Living Nations, Living Words, the latter a companion to her Poet Laureate project. She has served as a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, chaired the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation board, and is the first Artist-in-Residence at Tulsa’s Bob Dylan Center. Her latest book, Washing My Mother’s Body: A Ceremony for Grief, was released in spring 2025.
Dana Tiger is an internationally celebrated, award‑winning artist and a proud citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, with Seminole and Cherokee ancestry. Born into a family of remarkable creativity, she experienced a profound loss at age five when her father, the artist Jerome Tiger, passed away. To connect with him, Dana immersed herself in his artwork and later honed her craft under her uncle, Johnny Tiger Jr., further deepening her cultural and artistic roots. Renowned for her evocative watercolors and acrylics, Dana’s paintings honor the strength, resilience, and spirit of Native American women. Her work is featured in galleries, universities, Native institutions, and government buildings nationwide, and appears on the cover and throughout Washing My Mother’s Body: A Ceremony for Grief—the recently published book by U.S. Poet Laureate and Tulsa Artist Fellowship alum Joy Harjo. Beyond her visual work, Dana is a dedicated advocate for Native artists and communities. She was inducted into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001. She is also the central figure of Tiger, a short documentary directed by Oklahoma filmmaker Loren Waters, which received the 2025 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing. The film captures Dana, her family, and the revival of the iconic Tiger T‑Shirt Company.
ABOUT TVLSE STUDIOS
Tvlse Studios is an Indigenous and womxn-owned art studio located on the Mvskoke Reservation in Tulsa, OK. Our mission is to amplify Indigenous art and stories, with a focus on supporting Indigenous Women artists and creators. At Tvlse Studios, we believe art is a powerful vessel for storytelling, connection, and change. Through exhibitions, workshops, and collaborations, we foster an inclusive space where creativity thrives and voices are heard without censorship. Explore our gallery, discover the works of emerging and established Indigenous artists, and join us in celebrating the vibrant traditions and contemporary expressions of Indigenous culture. Let’s shape the future of art, together.
VISITOR EXPERIENCE
La Fonda on the Plaza offers several accessibility features to support all guests. The hotel includes wheelchair-accessible entrances to the lobby, dining areas, and other common spaces, as well as a wheelchair-accessible elevator for navigating between floors. Accessible parking is available in the hotel’s garage, with the entrance located at 100 E. San Francisco Street. Parking is $30 per day for overnight guests and includes in-and-out privileges. Valet service is available upon request. Please note that many nearby paid parking lots and garages only accept cash.
During the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Plaza area becomes especially busy. Many streets are closed to vehicles to accommodate vendor booths, and traffic and parking delays are common. We recommend parking away from the Plaza and walking in, or using public parking garages. Please allow extra time if you plan to drive.
The “Keepers of the Land” exhibit is located on the second floor in the Lumpkins Ballroom. Guests may use the hotel’s accessible elevator to reach the space.
For more information, visit lafondasantafe.com or call 505.982.5511.