The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs has announced that the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC) has disclosed the recipients for the 2024 Living Treasure and Legacy Awards. These awards, integral to the annual MIAC Native Treasures Art Market, recognize the exceptional artistic contributions of Native American artists in the realm of Indigenous arts and culture.
Patricia Michaels from Taos Pueblo has been named as the recipient of the MIAC Living Treasure award for her renowned haute couture designs. Concurrently, Martha Arquero of Cochiti Pueblo is set to receive the 2024 Native Treasures Legacy Award. This accolade acknowledges Arquero's decades-long dedication to creating clay sculptures since the 1960s, according to a press release by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.
"When I got the call from Polly Nordstrand, that I was chosen, I immediately had a flashback to the first years of doing the show on Museum Hill in front of MIAC when it was called Small Treasures," said Michaels. "Wow, what an honor to be amongst accomplished artists. I hope this brings more inspiration for many artists that have been out here and ones yet to come. Taw-aw/Thank you, may we always be bountiful in health, culture, creativity, and business."
"The day I got the phone call about the award, I was drinking coffee and feeling down. Then the phone rang, and I was told about the Legacy Award (for Native Treasures). Oh, my goodness, my spirits lifted, and the news made me so happy," Aquero said.
As part of its mission within the Museum of New Mexico system, MIAC is dedicated to showcasing Native art and material culture. The museum narrates stories from Southwest communities spanning from pre-history to contemporary art according to information provided by MIAC's About section.