Scottsdale Art Week, formerly Scottsdale Ferrari Art Week, is packing a major punch this year for Arizona-based collectors and beyond. The high-end fair is a celebration of the Southwest, showcasing the histories and cultures of the Navajo, Apache and Hopi tribes who first occupied this land. And while the fair includes some historic pieces, it’s all about the contemporary art.
Cara Romero (Chemehuevi), Water Memory, 2015, archival photograph. © Cara Romero. Courtesy the artist
Taking place at WestWorld of Scottsdale, the 2026 Scottsdale Art Week will have 124 booths representing 16 countries in a massive warehouse-style exhibition space.
“There are a lot of really cool Native programs,” says Josh Rose, fair consultant. The inaugural Indigenous Artist of the Year Award will be going to renowned Chemehuevi photographer Cara Romero, who has also taken a booth at the 2026 fair. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a gallery owned by an Indigenous woman has taken a booth at a major art fair, so that’s huge,” Rose says. Starting at the end of February, Romero will also have a traveling solo show at Phoenix Art Museum titled Cara Romero: Panûpünüwügai (Living Light), which will overlap with Scottsdale Art Week.
Fritz Scholder (Luiseño, 1937-2005), Indian with Feather, 1968, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 40 in. Courtesy Mark Sublette Medicine Man Gallery.
An aerial view of Scottsdale Art Week’s expansive showroom.
“She was very excited about going to Phoenix because this is the largest institution in the approximate range of where her tribe is from in Southern California,” Rose adds.
Another major artist who will be exhibiting at Scottsdale Art Week this year is multi-faceted Tohono O’odham artist Thomas “Breeze” Marcus. “He’s curating a group show of contemporary Indigenous art, and it’s going to have some pretty incredible names. He’s also going to paint live during opening night,” says Rose. “He’s kind of become the Phoenix artist…He did that mural at the Scottsdale Museum of the West, and he’s doing this huge mural project for the City of Phoenix, so to have him involved just strengthens what we’re trying to do.
“And then of course Medicine Man Gallery will probably bring Native American artists...Larson Gallery will have some Fritz Scholders. Deep West will bring Randy Barton and Orlando Allison.”
Guests at the first Scottsdale Art Week in 2025
While a VIP and press preview takes place Thursday, March 19, the public portion of the fair officially kicks off on Friday, March 20, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and continues through Sunday, March 22, closing at 5 p.m.
“On Friday we’ve decided it’s going to be a ‘design day,’ which means we’re inviting interior designers, architects [and other designers] for a reception around 5. [We’ll have] guest speakers Tyler and Naiomi Glasses, talking about their journey in the art world, as well as their two collaborations with Ralph Lauren,” Rose says. “There’s going to be quite a bit of Native representation throughout the fair. The way I see it, we are in the Southwest, so we need to be the fair in North America that shines a light on this.”
Native American Art magazine is a proud sponsor of Scottsdale Art Week. —
March 19-22, 2026
Scottsdale Art Week
WestWorld of Scottsdale 16601 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
www.scottsdaleartweek.com
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