Monroe Gallery of Photography is honored to announce an important exhibition featuring a photography series by artist Eugene Tapahe titled Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project. The exhibit opens July 5, 2025, with an artist’s talk at 5:30 p.m. Space is limited please arrive early.
The exhibit will continue during the renowned Santa Fe Indian Market weekend, the world’s largest Native American art market, August 16 and 17, and conclude on September 14, 2025.
Eugene Tapahe is a contemporary artist inspired by his Diné (Navajo) traditions and modern experiences. He is originally from Window Rock, Arizona. Tapahe has loved photography since the first time he picked up a camera, and realized the special gift for telling stories through his art. He has a deep desire to continue photographing the lands his ancestors once walked.
Art Heals: The Jingle Dress Project originated from a dream Tapahe had during the COVID-19 pandemic, inspiring him to unite the land and people through the healing power of the Ojibwe jingle dress dance during uncertain times of illness and social differences. Since then, Tapahe has traveled thousands of miles documenting family members and friends dancing the healing honor dance in National Parks and Monuments, honoring the places where their ancestors once lived. Tapahe describes the images as “incredibly powerful and spiritual. Looking at them, I still can't believe I took these photographs. I believe this project is larger than myself, and I hope that when people view them, they feel the same way – that we are all blessed to be in the presence of such beauty.”
The Jingle Dress Project has brought healing to Tapahe’s family, friends, and ancestors and garnered national and international recognition for its unifying effect on communities. The images have raised awareness of many Native American issues, such as land acknowledgment, women’s rights, and, most importantly, the epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW).
