Registration for NAASA25 now live!

It’s time to register for NAASA25! Here is our eventbrite link to register for both in person and online participation. Please note that online participation includes pre-conference webinars, the Keynote presentation and the business meeting, but does not include any of the in-person conference sessions. Below are the links to renew your membership, register for the event, and secure a room at our conference rate:

NEW: Eiteljorg Fellowship Celebration and Exhibition Preview: https://eiteljorg.org/fellowship-registration/

Membership renewal: Membership Registration

Event registration link: https://NAASA25.eventbrite.com

Marriott room block link (reserve before Sept 7 to secure this rate): https://book.passkey.com/go/NAASA2025November

We can’t wait to see you in Indianapolis starting Wednesday, Nov 5!

Travel Awards for NAASA 2025 – apply by August 8!

The NAASA Board is pleased to announce the opening of the 2025 Travel Award applications to support members attending in-person this year’s conference in Indianapolis from November 5-7.  We welcome applications from artists, students, independent scholars, junior faculty members and adjunct/part-time instructors, Indigenous community members, knowledge keepers, and others without institutional support for professional travel at this year’s conference. We also recognize that a number of institutions have cut funding for travel this year, so we welcome all who are planning to present in person at this year’s conference to apply with expressed financial need. 

Awardees will receive a check at the conference for a total of $1,000. Each award also includes complimentary registration for the conference and a ticket to the banquet on Friday evening, where awardees will be recognized publicly. Awardees will need to complete their own travel and housing arrangements to Indianapolis, as well as membership registration. Award checks will be distributed in-person at the conference (must be present to receive the check; no receipts required).

Through the generosity of our membership and the Terra Foundation, we are able to offer twenty-seven general awards including four named awards honoring Kate C. Duncan (supporting a scholar pursuing an academic career in Native American art), Oscar Howe (supporting a member from the Northern Plains or whose work focuses on the Northern Plains), Allan Houser (for a Native student), and Richard Conn (supporting an emerging artist, museum professional, or scholar).

TO APPLY:
1. Applicants must be members of NAASA. https://nativearts.org/membership/membership-registration/
2. Applicants must include a cover letter expressing financial need and a CV.
3. If presenting a paper, include a copy of paper abstract, session title, and name of session chair.
4. Applicants for the Allan Houser Award must include a certification of tribal affiliation with a U.S. or Canadian Tribe/Band/Nation/Pueblo and verification of current enrollment in a program of higher education (undergraduate or graduate) in a field related to Native American art. This may include a copy of current registration, student ID card, etc. Please also indicate projected graduation date or expected degree in cover letter.
5. Applicants must NOT have received a NAASA Travel Award to attend either of the past two in-person conferences (2019 in Minneapolis or Halifax in 2023).

SUBMISSION: Email all materials (cover letter, CV, and other documents, as necessary) to Emily Moore, Chair of the Travel Awards Committee at: [email protected] by August 8, 2025

MORE INFORMATION: See the NAASA website: (http://nativearts.org/awards/travel-awards) or email Emily Moore, Chair of the Travel Awards Committee at: [email protected]

Call for Session Proposals for NAASA 2025!

Mark your calendars for NAASA 2025 to be held in Indianapolis IN Nov 5-7, 2025. The Eiteljorg Museum of Native and Western Art will be hosting our gathering and we are excited to be collaborating with them!

Submit your proposals for sessions here or by posting this link in your browser (https://forms.gle/ZLFsd5ozQoqPzmtK7). Session proposals are due by Feb 17th Feb 24th 11:59 pm PST. (deadline has been extended!)

Proposed sessions may focus on a particular body of material and present perspectives for further understanding of a topic. We are open to receiving proposals in the fields of contemporary and customary art, or interdisciplinary panels that encourage interdisciplinary dialogue among artists, art historians, anthropologists, collectors, and museum professionals.

Session Organizers are responsible for soliciting a core group of speakers for their sessions.  It is not necessary to have all presenters confirmed at this time; however, please note the names of potential speakers under consideration and their topics.  Please bear in mind individual speakers can participate in one session only (though they may Chair a second session). 

The NAASA board recognizes the importance of collaboration with Indigenous artists and community members in much of the research presented at our conferences. At our Halifax gathering, we received helpful feedback and critique that community collaborators were not present, even though their work was. We take this seriously and as a board, encourage the session organizers to consider this in their session proposals and when considering individual papers. 

When including community collaborators, their participation can take  many forms:  in-person at the conference, a pre-recorded video embedded in the talk, a statement that the speaker can relay during the session, or an acknowledgment of permission from community members to share the research. Unfortunately, due to prohibitive costs, we will not be able to Zoom speakers into sessions at the Indianapolis conference.

A call for individual papers will be sent out after the sessions are accepted and confirmed.

Questions should be directed to John Lukavic (jlukavic at denverartmuseum dot org) and/or Miranda Belarde-Lewis (mhbl at uw dot edu).