ZUNI, NM (Mar. 19, 2025) — On Friday, March 28, 10 Emerging Artist Apprentices from the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project will showcase and sell their artwork at the Ancestral Rich Treasures of Zuni (ARTZ) Cooperative Gallery. The showcase is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. and is open to the public.
The showcase concludes the students’ 10-week apprenticeship, made possible with support from the Bezos Family Foundation and First Nations Development Institute, which focused on the ancient art of Zuni Pueblo embroidery. One top student will continue pursuing Pueblo stitching through the youth project’s intensive Advanced Artist Apprenticeship program.
The top four students will participate in the 14th Annual Pueblo Fiber Arts Show at the Buffalo Thunder Casino Resort in the Pueblo of Pojoaque, roughly 15 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. Scheduled for Saturday, May 10, the show is hosted by the New Mexico Pueblo Fiber Arts Guild in partnership with the Poeh Cultural Center and the School for Advanced Research (home to the Indian Arts Research Center), and it will be a first-time experience for ZYEP art students.
According to ZYEP Art Coordinator Elroy Natachu Jr., this type of stitching involves a limited amount of thread or yarn to create a pattern. The artist works much as a painter does, going line by line, and a single mistake can shift the entire design.
“This type of embroidery involves a single-line stitch in terms of pattern, which the students had to wrap their brains around, because it can get confusing,” explained Natachu, who served as co-instructor alongside Kandis Quam, ZYEP art leader. “There is a steep learning curve with this knotless technique. You have to learn where you are in the pattern and think two steps ahead — managing yarn tension, sight reading, remembering numbers.”
Over time, as the students mastered the basics, they started developing their own problem-solving methods. Natachu said the studio often would fall silent as each student engaged in deep work.
“They would go from being loud and boisterous to being in the zone,” he remembered. “Then, when they took breaks, they would talk to their fellow students. The ones who got the hang of it quickly would see classmates struggling and offer advice. It was helpful for building camaraderie.
“They formed what essentially was a communal embroidery group,” he added. “They discussed patterns and colors, they learned how to tackle problems, and toward the end, they were much more comfortable with one another.”
The apprentices range in age from 14 to 22, and each will be showcasing one to three pieces at the ARTZ Cooperative Gallery on March 28. The items will be available to the public for purchase through a cash-only sale.
Natachu observed that Pueblo textiles are in high demand in the Zuni community, so it is critical for the next generation to learn how to make them.
“These color and pattern formations were common knowledge in our community, but over time, we lost artists, and the knowledge base was not passed down,” he said. “So, we have to re-teach where the art form came from, how it evolved and where it is going.
“We’re sharing the philosophy and thought processes as well as the history, because our cultural norms and societal views become evident when you break down why things are done a certain way,” he continued. “The students knew that Pueblo embroidery is important to our culture, but they didn’t know how and why.”
Throughout the apprenticeship, instructors Natachu and Quam created an environment of open knowledge sharing. He said they wanted to make sure students were not afraid to ask questions and wouldn’t worry about being looked down upon for the knowledge they might or might not already have.
“There is no one true way to be Zuni,” he noted. “So it was important for us to have a space that was open-minded and accepting of multiple views and explanations.”
Natachu is already preparing for ZYEP’s next Emerging Artist Apprenticeship, which kicks off in May. Led by Zuni artists Breydon Othole and Mia Sutanto, this cohort will focus on two-dimensional painting with acrylics and graphic-art elements.
Registration details for this apprenticeship will be available in early April. Interested community members are advised to keep an eye on the ZYEP website and follow the youth project on social media for updates.
To learn more about the Zuni Youth Enrichment Project and its programs, and for information about making donations, partnering with ZYEP, and volunteering, call (505) 782-8000 or visit zyep.org. And, to stay up to date on the latest news and events, follow the nonprofit youth organization on Facebook (/zuniyouthenrichmentproject), Instagram (@zuniyouthenrichmentproject), YouTube (/ZuniYouth), and TikTok (/zyep09)
Founded in 2009, the nonprofit Zuni Youth Enrichment Project is dedicated to promoting resilience among Zuni youth so they will grow into strong, healthy adults who are connected with Zuni traditions. ZYEP fulfills its mission by providing positive role models, enriching programs, and nurturing spaces that contribute to the healthy development of Zuni youth. ZYEP strives to provide every child with the encouragement and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
