Scottsdale Art Week presented by Scottsdale Ferrari will honor acclaimed artist and photographer Cara Romero, of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, as the recipient of its inaugural \u201cIndigenous Artist of the Year\u201d award during the Opening Night Vernissage of the second-annual Scottsdale Art Week, set for 6 p.m. \u2013 9 p.m. Thursday, March 19 at WestWorld. The Opening Night Vernissage is an elegant evening celebrating art and community. Guests are invited to stroll through the aisles and discover exceptional works for sale from leading international galleries, plus entertainment, an award ceremony and a lively art-loving crowd.<\/p>\n
The Opening Night Vernissage, presented by Gila River Resorts & Casinos and benefiting the Phoenix Art Museum acknowledges Romero as its first official honoree. Event organizers will announce additional award recipients in various categories in the coming months, building anticipation ahead of the four days of art, culture and connection.<\/p>\n
Romero, who owns Santa Fe, New Mexico\u2019s Cara Romero Gallery, has become one of the most revered indigenous artists of her generation. Her work, which blends fine art with editorial photography, has appeared in more than 10 museum group exhibitions over the last year, including Romero\u2019s first-ever museum solo exhibition at Dartmouth College\u2019s Hood Museum in Hanover, New Hampshire.<\/p>\n
The exhibition, called \u201cPanupunuwugai,\u201d takes its name from a Chemehuevi word that conveys both \u201clight emerging, like the sun rising over mountains,\u201d and \u201cinfusing the inanimate with spirit or living light.\u201d The exhibition will make its way to the Phoenix Art Museum starting Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, and will be available for viewing when Scottsdale Art Week opens.<\/p>\n
Like much of Romero\u2019s work, the exhibit challenges outdated views regarding Indigenous decline and pushes back on stereotypes about Native American identity. A recent Forbes magazine article stated, \u201cHer images are typically celebratory, taken in color and depict Native Americans outside of traditional regalia, forcing non-Native viewers to see and acknowledge Native people as contemporary and vibrant, in opposition to the sepia-toned, stoic, posed Native portraits customary to previous centuries.\u201d<\/p>\n
This powerful storytelling is among the reasons Scottsdale Art Week selected Romero as the recipient of this award.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis award celebrates more than my work,\u201d Romero said. \u201cIt’s also an acknowledgement of my community, our stories and our culture, and it\u2019s a tremendous honor to be a part of Scottsdale Art Week alongside so many talented Indigenous artists.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scottsdale Art Week established the Indigenous Artist of the Year award to recognize artists whose works highlight indigenous identity and offer insight into Native life today.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, we gave the Arizona Artist of the Year Award to Dine\u2019 weaver Melissa Cody, and while we will continue to give that award annually, we decided to add a new award exclusively for Indigenous artists,” said Scottsdale Art Week Co-Owner Trey Brennen.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing in the Southwest, we feel it\u2019s increasingly important to honor the wonderful work being done by members of the indigenous communities around us. We look forward to honoring Cara with our first-ever Indigenous Artist of the Year Award.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Scottsdale Art Week celebration, set for March 19 \u2013 22 at 16601 N. Pima Road in Scottsdale, Arizona, will expand upon the success and size of last year\u2019s inaugural event, which drew more than 14,000 attendees and 100+ galleries from across the globe. This year, 124 galleries will participate, with galleries from 18 countries committed.<\/p>\n
Jam-packed with cultural programming, immersive exhibitions and other exclusive events and opportunities, Scottsdale Art Week 2026 will also include experiences hosted in partnership with premier Arizona arts institutions like Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and ASU Art Museum, many of which played an instrumental role in making the inaugural edition of Scottsdale Art Week such a resounding success.<\/p>\n
In addition to her own gallery, the Hood Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum, Romero has also exhibited her work at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Crystal Bridges Museum, The Figge Art Museum, The San Diego Museum, The Zimmerli Art Museum, The Autry Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other major art institutions.<\/p>\n
The team behind Scottsdale Art Week has also announced dates for the next three editions, each taking place Thursday – Sunday on the following dates:<\/p>\n
2027 \u2013 March 18 \u2013 21<\/p>\n
2028 \u2013 March 23 \u2013 26<\/p>\n
2029 \u2013 March 22 \u2013 25<\/p>\n
For more about Cara Romero, visit CaraRomero.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n For more information on Scottsdale Art Week or to purchase tickets, visit www.scottsdaleartweek.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n