Please join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) artists JJ Otero (Navajo and Hopi) and Summer Zah (Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, and Choctaw) on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, for lunch and an artist talk to learn more about their practices and current projects.
Lunch is served from 12–1 pm. Located in the CLE Commons in the Center for Lifelong Education (CLE), this event is free and open to the public.
JJ Otero (Navajo and Hopi) has always viewed life through an artistic lens, even while spending most of his career in the Information Technology field. His creative journey has taken many forms: a successful, award-winning music career, a prolific two-year exploration of acrylic painting, an introduction to the Native art market with his finely crafted cradleboards, and now a deep passion for jewelry making. After working in IT for 25 years, JJ transitioned to the arts full-time in 2016 when he returned to the Navajo reservation to be closer to his elderly parents. During this period of reflection and change, he began working with wood, metal, and tools around the family home. When his sister Cleo asked him to create a cradleboard for her first grandchild, JJ discovered a new calling. That single cradleboard sparked what would become his full-time art career. Social media posts of his cradleboards and cedar boxes soon caught attention, leading friends to encourage him to enter established Native art markets. Today, JJ is recognized for his unique stamping and texturing techniques, as well as for his philosophy that “the moment is perfect and nothing is lacking.” His determination to grow as a metalsmith has made both his work and his presence stand out in the Native art world. “I am really interested in incorporating glass in my jewelry-making process. More specifically, I want to work on making Navajo-style bandolier bags that are adorned with blown glass and sterling silver embellishments. I would also like to use organic glass forms in my jewelry to create a more modern and maybe fine art line of cuffs, pendants, earrings, etc.”
Summer Zah (Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, and Choctaw) was born in New Mexico, where her creative journey began at an early age through traditional practices such as loom-work and beading. These foundations in Native artistry nurtured her love for making and shaped the way she approaches her work today. Summer went on to complete her undergraduate studies at the University of Oklahoma in 2023, earning degrees in Printmaking and Native American Studies. Her art is known for its bold social commentary about Native American identity and representation, drawing deeply from her Navajo, Jicarilla Apache, and Choctaw heritage. Using a striking balance of earthy tones and vibrant colors, combined with Indigenous iconography and text, she creates works that are both visually powerful and conceptually layered. As a conceptual artist, Summer reflects on the misperceptions and challenges faced by Native peoples, addressing biases from both within Indigenous communities and from outside perspectives. In doing so, she also examines her own evolving thought process as an artist and individual navigating these spaces. “The artistic discipline I intend to engage with will be Printmaking, Paper Weaving, and experimenting with installation mediums such as scent, video projection, and different organic materials.”
For more information about the IAIA A-i-R program, please contact Maia Filippi, A-i-R Program Manager, at
bWFpYSAhIGZpbGlwcGkgfCBpYWlhICEgZWR1 or call (505) 424-2369.
If you are an individual with a disability and in need of any auxiliary aid or service to attend events, please contact IAIA’s ADA Office at least seven calendar days before the event or as soon as possible at
YWRhb2ZmaWNlIHwgaWFpYSAhIGVkdQ== or (505) 424-5707.
https://iaia.edu/event/iaia-a-i-r-otero-zah-welcome-lunch-artist-talk/
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