St. Michael Indian School is proud to recognize the outstanding achievements of our art students, who recently took part in the Heard Museum Youth Art Show & Sale in Phoenix, Arizona. Under the guidance of their art teacher, Ms. DeChilly, students traveled to the Heard Museum to showcase their work alongside hundreds of talented young Native artists from across the Southwest.
This annual event is one of the most anticipated youth art showcases in the region, celebrating the creativity, cultural heritage, and artistic traditions of Native students in grades 7 through 12. For many of our young artists, this was not only an opportunity to display their work in a professional museum setting, but also a valuable chance to see how their artistic voices connect to a wider community of Native youth who share similar stories, traditions, and inspirations.
A total of 28 SMIS students entered their artwork into the competition, making this year one of our strongest showings yet. Upon entering the Heard Museum, students were welcomed into a space dedicated to uplifting Native voices and preserving indigenous artistry. Their creations were professionally judged and exhibited in the historic Monte Vista Room, offering them the rare and inspiring experience of seeing their artwork displayed in a museum gallery.
The Heard Youth Art Show features an extraordinary range of artistic categories, reflecting both traditional practices and contemporary forms of expression. Students competed in eight major divisions including:
Basketry
Beadwork
Collage & Mixed Media
Computer-Generated Art
Cultural Items
Drawings & Graphics
Jewelry & Lapidary
Paintings, Photography, Pottery, Weaving & Textiles
These categories allowed students to explore generational techniques, experiment with modern tools, and express their identities through a wide variety of materials and styles. Whether working with natural fibers, digital programs, or traditional crafting methods, each student embraced the challenge with creativity, passion, and determination.
We are especially proud to recognize the students who successfully sold one or both of their artworks during the show:
Bella Bahe, Tyler Begay, Nevaeh Chee, Cashton Curley, Shaa’tohi Henio, Shiloh Henio, Aiyanna Lee, Ezekiel Littlesky, Lyndol Pahe, Bailey Skeet, and Twila Smith.
In addition to their museum exhibition experience, the trip included an exciting hands-on-screen printing workshop with Jared Yazzie, founder and designer of the Indigenous streetwear brand OxDx, Students learned the full process of screen printing from preparing designs to pulling ink across the screens and each student created their own custom screen-printed shirt to take home.
St. Michael Indian School congratulates every student who participated. Your creativity courage, and dedication reflect the strength and beauty of our school community. We also offer our sincere appreciation to Ms. DeChilly for her leadership, passion, and commitment to inspiring our young artists.
Here is a list of all the students who got awards:
Cashton Curley – 1st Place in Division 1 jewelry
Aiyanna Lee – 1st Place in Division 1 weaving/textiles
Christopher Nez – 1st Place in Division 1 cultural items & judges’ choice
Shiloh Henio – 2nd Place in Division 2 weaving/textiles
Leonna Slim – 2nd Place in Division 2 painting
Ezekiel Littlesky – 2nd Place in Division 2 mixed media & judges’ choice
Kendall Nelson – 3rd Place Division 1 panting
Kanani Yazzie – 3rd Place in Division 1 mixed media
Kristen Charley – 3rd Place in Division 2 jewelry
We look forward to seeing how these talented students continue to grow, create, and inspire others. Congratulations to everyone who earned an award and participated.