Mariano Lake students showcase art, puppets, Hogan model at Gallup show

A traditional Navajo Hogan model, handmade sock puppets and student artwork from Mariano Lake Community School went on display in downtown Gallup, giving young artists from Smith Lake and Pinedale a public stage at ART123 Gallery.

The work was part of gallupARTS’ 12th Annual Youth Art Show, which ran from March 14 to April 4 at the gallery on 123 W. Coal Ave. in Gallup. gallupARTS said the annual show is one of its major community arts programs and reaches more than 20,000 county residents and artists each year through more than a dozen programs.

At Mariano Lake Community School, the show was more than an art assignment. The Bureau of Indian Education-operated school serves students in kindergarten through 6th grade and says its mission is to foster learning with compassion and service in a safe and protective environment. Its vision emphasizes cultural values alongside college and career readiness, a message reflected in the students’ work at the Gallup exhibit.

Ms. Hunkus’ kindergarten and first-grade classes were among those finishing pieces for the show, underscoring that the display included some of the youngest students at the school. The Hogan model stood out as a culturally rooted project, connecting classroom learning with Navajo tradition in a setting where families from across McKinley County could see it alongside the students’ more playful sock puppets and other artwork.

The exhibit also highlighted how Mariano Lake is blending cultural instruction with modern classroom tools. The school says it uses a Strategic Transformation of Education Plan and maintains a 1:1 student-laptop ratio, part of an effort to support student learning while keeping traditional values central.

ART123 Gallery has become a regular venue for that kind of visibility. The rotating space on Coal Avenue opens a new solo or group show each month and also hosts artist talks, demonstrations, workshops and classes, making it one of Gallup’s most active public arts spaces. For Mariano Lake families, the youth show offered something beyond a gallery wall: a public recognition that students from the school’s rural communities are creating work rooted in identity, skill and pride.