Chandler woman organizes annual museum fundraiser

By Jason W. Brooks
Mail | X: @JasonWBrooks2

When the 47th annual S’edav Va’aki Museum Indian Market gets underway this weekend, Katy Shields will be looking to see how many Indigenous cultures are represented.

She’ll also be reminding people that admission to the attached museum is free with the $10 admission to the market.

“The producers and demonstrators we’ll have are all rock stars in their fields,” Shields said. “You’ll see items you won’t find most places, especially here in the Valley, and foods you’ve never heard about.

Shields, a Chandler resident who’s originally from the Chicago area, is on the board of directors for the museum foundation’s 47th Annual Indian Market. She’s the “Indian Market chair,” meaning she organizes the foundation’s only large annual fundraiser.

The event is 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15 at the museum. Formerly known as Pueblo Grande Museum, the city of Phoenix facility is on Washington Street, just southwest of the State Route 143 freeway interchange.

“City facilities like museums aren’t allowed to fundraise, so we have the foundation,” Shields explained. “And there are sponsors, but for the most part, the income from the annual market is a big deal.”

This year, Shields said, organizers are pushing toward a large show. The market is hopefully where more than 100 Indigenous artists will be selling fine art, crafts and cultural items. There will be stage performances, a cultural demonstrator area and food sales.

Shields said she got involved with the museum as a volunteer with school touring groups in about 2016. Her grandparents were avid collectors of Indigenous art.

She said about 4,000 children per year get a tour of the museum, with some being from Chandler. She said the items displayed at the museum are from many different places.

“One of the most powerful experiences was having a little boy take the tour and talk about how his ancestors made the exact work we were looking at,” Shields said.

Shields said some Indigenous artists and demonstrators make much of their income from traveling to shows and selling their work.

“That’s why we try to not only have a very different type of art show, with a lot of variations of art and demonstrations, but also, we try to attract buyers,” Shields said.

Tepary beans are one of the many items found at the annual market that one might not find anywhere else in the Valley, she said.

Anyone who wants more information can leave a message at 602-534-2442 or email market@svmfoundation.org.

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Email Jason W. Brooks at jbrooks@iniusa.org.

Jason W. Brooks
News Editor | Chandler Independent

Jason W. Brooks joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in July 2021 as an associate editor. After a year covering Buckeye, he has covered Chandler since the fall of 2022, in addition to assisting the Daily Independent throughout his time at INI.

Education: University of New Mexico, bachelor of arts in journalism and mass communication, print emphasis, English minor.

Random Fact: He and his siblings witnessed a Space Shuttle launch and landing in the same year in person, on opposite coasts.

Hobbies: Karaoke, bicycling and American Sign Language.

Community: He supports animal shelters.