The Poeh Cultural Center is excited to announce the opening of My Hands Are Tied, a solo exhibition by Rhiannon Skye Tafoya (Santa Clara Pueblo/Eastern Band of Cherokee). Skye’s work beautifully combines traditional and contemporary techniques like printmaking, digital design, and basketry, showcasing the vibrant stories and colors of her culture.

Tafoya holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and a Master of Fine Arts in Print Media from Pacific Northwest College of Art, in Portland, Oregon. She has achieved recognition for her work, and her most recent awards include: In These Mountains Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeship Grant, North Carolina Arts Council (2024-25); Artist Book Production Grant, Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, New York (2024); Artist Fellowship, Kala Arts Institute, Berkeley, California (2023-24); Emerging Traditional Artist Grant, South Arts, Atlanta, Georgia (2023); and Juror’s Choice Award, Focus on Book Arts, Forest Grove, Oregon (2021)

According to Tafoya, “My Hands Are Tied… is reminiscent of my personal connection to basketry in Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo. In each of my tribal communities, I have learned the intricacies of basketmaking because it provides a tie to the land and people. My paper-weavings are an approach to basketry from a printmaking perspective.”

The opening reception will be on Friday, October 25 at 5pm, and the exhibition will close on February 21, 2025. For more information contact Daniel McCoy at 505-455-3533 or Rufina Abeita at 505-455-4561.