1 See an artist blend memory and tradition. 

The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe opens Jordan Ann Craig: My Way Home, a new exhibition highlighting the work of the Northern Cheyenne artist on Friday. Her work speaks to traditional artistic mediums including beadwork, hide painting, and weaving, combined with a personal and contemporary aesthetic that creates a visual connection between the past and present. “She’s a young artist who is very interested in different styles of painting,” says Manuela Well-Off-Man, head curator at the museum. “She does meticulous research of Cheyenne materials and culture, and that inspires her complex patterns and designs.”

While some of Craig’s large-scale works may feel familiar, Well-Off-Man says the intimate narratives included in the titles make viewers take a deeper look. “She makes these patterns her own,” she says. “The final paintings often have a personal story to them.” For example, the title of the painting feels so good when you braid my hair points to subtler things in the image, like diamonds in the braids. “It represents her memory with the intimacy and closeness you feel when a family member braids your hair, in her case, her mother and her sisters,” adds Well-Off-Man.

Another painting titled Ladybugs Are Birds came from Craig’s encounters with Pueblo pottery, and the abstract animals often involved, especially those in Acoma ceramics. “It’s not only a continuation of abstract art forms in Native American culture,” says Well-Off-Mann, “it’s her very own approach to these artforms, and she makes them personal.”

The second portion of Craig’s exhibition features her dot paintings, which center on New Mexico’s landscapes. Created in collaboration with one of her sisters, the repetitive nature of the works embody traditional practices like beading. “They’re very meditative,” says Well-Off-Man. “She’s continuing a very important art movement, which others here in New Mexico, like Agnes Martin, have undertaken.” See the exhibition through June 29. A reception is held March 21.

Explore creativity at the Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival in Albuquerque. Photograph courtesy of the Albuquerque Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival.

2 Get crafty.

If you’re into fabric and textile art, don’t miss the Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival, taking over Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque Thursday through Saturday. With vendors selling everything from embroidery and quilting machines to patterns and fabric, the festival may inspire you to try something new and provide all you need to achieve it. Enjoy an abundance of beautiful quilts, crocheted items, and other examples of the medium on display and for sale.

South African guitarist Derek Gripper and Iraqi oud player Rahim AlHaj will perform their unique international music during a three-night tour in northern New Mexico. Photograph courtesy of Rahim AlHaj.

3 Enjoy ancient music.

South African guitarist Derek Gripper and Iraq-born oud player Rahim AlHaj kick off a three-night northern New Mexico tour at the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe on Thursday. Produced in partnership with Lensic 360 and ¡Globalquerque!, the duo performs their international string songs at the Taos Center for the Arts on Friday and KiMo Theatre in Albuquerque on Saturday.

AlHaj, a two-time Grammy Award nominee, keeps alive a 5,000-year-old musical tradition that is an important part of his culture. Gripper has spent countless hours translating music written for a Malian kora for a six-string guitar. Now, he tours with songs that wouldn’t be possible to play if not for his dedication and expertise. Find tickets for all three venues here.

Enjoy the acoustics of San Miguel Chapel as cellist Michael Kott and vocalist Laurianne Fiorentino present beryllium tunes in the Elemental Series.

4 Get elemental.

The amazing acoustics at the San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe make it a stunning concert venue. As part of the monthly Elemental Series, which features music inspired by an element from the periodic table, cellist Michael Kott and vocalist Laurianne Fiorentino perform beryllium tunes beginning at 6:30 p.m. Next up are organesson on March 7 and tungsten on April 4.

Diné veteran Nathan Nez showcases his unique blend of traditional ledger art and contemporary graffiti style in the "Golden Songs" exhibition at the Henderson Fine Arts Center.

5 See work by an Indigenous veteran.

Nathan Nez is a Diné veteran who channels his memories of war and stories from his culture into his works. The Henderson Fine Arts Center at San Juan College in Farmington opens Golden Songs, a new exhibition that showcases Nez’s paintings and ledger art, on Friday from 4 to 6 p.m.

Nez’s ledger art stands out in a medium that is traditionally associated with Plains tribes. “He adapted the artform and made it his own, which really drew me in,” says Julie Napientek, gallery coordinator at Henderson Fine Arts Center. Nez also paints with contemporary graffiti influences, telling stories from his Navajo culture. “He’s done a 10-part series showcasing the Navajo story of the two warriors,” says Napientek. “We featured those as the centerpiece of the exhibit.”

For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.