Renowned photographer to receive honor during Opening Night Vernissage
Scottsdale Art Week presented by Scottsdale Ferrari will honor acclaimed artist and photographer Cara Romero, of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, as the recipient of its inaugural “Indigenous Artist of the Year” award during the Opening Night Vernissage of the second-annual Scottsdale Art Week, set for 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2026, at WestWorld. Tickets and passes are on sale now, with early bird pricing available for a limited time and a variety of options available to enjoy the four days of festivities:
First Look: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2026
$100 Early Bird Pricing
$120 Standard Pricing
First Look offers collectors an exclusive VIP opportunity to acquire works for their collections, with early access to the fair. Guests will be among the first to explore thousands of works presented by leading international galleries in an intimate setting, well before the public opening.
The ticket includes admission to the fair and cultural programming events for one person on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Opening Night Vernissage: 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2026
$150 Early Bird Pricing
$200 Standard Pricing
Be among the first to experience the excitement of Scottsdale Art Week at the exclusive Opening Night Vernissage — an elegant evening celebrating art and community. Stroll through the aisles and discover exceptional works for sale from leading international galleries. Guests will enjoy entertainment, an award ceremony and a lively art-loving crowd. A no-host bar and dining options will be available for purchase.
Ticket includes admission to the fair and cultural programming events for one person on Friday, Saturday AND Sunday as well.
Public Days: (Single-Day General Admission)
$40 Early Bird Pricing
$50 Standard Pricing
This ticket includes Admission to the Fair and Cultural Programming Events for one person on Friday, Saturday OR Sunday during regular fair hours.
Choice of Day:
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, March 20
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, March 21
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, March 22
Weekend General Admission:
$80 Early Bird Pricing
$100 Standard Pricing
For guests who wish to return to the fair on multiple days, this ticket includes daily admission for one person on Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday during regular fair hours. Enjoy cultural programming events at the fair all weekend as well.
Student General Admission:
$20 Early Bird Pricing
$25 Standard Pricing
This ticket includes discounted admission for students on single-day entry to the fair and cultural programming events for one person on Friday, Saturday OR Sunday. Must show valid student ID at entrance of the fair.
Choice of Day:
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Friday, March 20
11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, March 21
11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday, March 22
Visit ScottsdaleArtWeek.com/tickets for full details and tickets.
The Opening Night Vernissage, presented by Gila River Resorts & Casinos and benefiting the Phoenix Art Museum, will take place from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Thursday, March 19, 2026, and acknowledge Romero as its first official honoree. Event organizers will announce additional award recipients in various categories in the coming months, building anticipation ahead of the four days of art, culture and connection.
Romero, who owns Santa Fe, New Mexico’s Cara Romero Gallery, has become one of the most revered indigenous artists of her generation. Her work, which blends fine art with editorial photography, has appeared in more than 10 museum group exhibitions over the last year, including Romero’s first-ever museum solo exhibition at Dartmouth College’s Hood Museum in Hanover, New Hampshire.
The exhibition, called “Panupunuwugai,” takes its name from a Chemehuevi word that conveys both “light emerging, like the sun rising over mountains,” and “infusing the inanimate with spirit or living light.” The exhibition will make its way to the Phoenix Art Museum starting Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, and will be available for viewing when Scottsdale Art Week opens.
Like much of Romero’s work, the exhibit challenges outdated views regarding Indigenous decline and pushes back on stereotypes about Native American identity. A recent Forbes magazine article stated, “Her images are typically celebratory, taken in color and depict Native Americans outside of traditional regalia, forcing non-Native viewers to see and acknowledge Native people as contemporary and vibrant, in opposition to the sepia-toned, stoic, posed Native portraits customary to previous centuries.”
This powerful storytelling is among the reasons Scottsdale Art Week selected Romero as the recipient of this award.
“This award celebrates more than my work,” Romero said. “It’s also an acknowledgement of my community, our stories and our culture, and it’s a tremendous honor to be a part of Scottsdale Art Week alongside so many talented Indigenous artists.”
Scottsdale Art Week established the Indigenous Artist of the Year award to recognize artists whose
works highlight indigenous identity and offer insight into Native life today.
“Last year, we gave the Arizona Artist of the Year Award to Dine’ weaver Melissa Cody, and while we will continue to give that award annually, we decided to add a new award exclusively for Indigenous artists,”said Scottsdale Art Week Co-Owner Trey Brennen.
“Being in the Southwest, we feel it’s increasingly important to honor the wonderful work being done by members of the indigenous communities around us. We look forward to honoring Cara with our first-ever Indigenous Artist of the Year Award.”
This year’s Scottsdale Art Week celebration, set for March 19 – 22, 2026, at 16601 N. Pima Road in Scottsdale, Arizona, will expand upon the success and size of last year’s inaugural event, which drew more than 14,000 attendees and 100+ galleries from across the globe. This year, 120 galleries will participate, with galleries from 10 countries already committed.
Jam-packed with cultural programming, immersive exhibitions and other exclusive events and opportunities, Scottsdale Art Week 2026 will also include experiences hosted in partnership with premier Arizona arts institutions like Phoenix Art Museum, Heard Museum, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and ASU Art Museum, many of which played an instrumental role in making the inaugural edition of Scottsdale Art Week such a resounding success.
In addition to her own gallery, the Hood Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum, Romero has also exhibited her work at The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Crystal Bridges Museum, The Figge Art Museum, The San Diego Museum, The Zimmerli Art Museum, The Autry Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, among other major art institutions.
The team behind Scottsdale Art Week has also announced dates for the next three editions, each taking place Thursday – Sunday on the following dates:
- 2027 – March 18 – 21
- 2028 – March 23 – 26
- 2029 – March 22 – 25
For more about Cara Romero, visit CaraRomero.com.
For more information on Scottsdale Art Week or to purchase tickets, visit www.scottsdaleartweek.com.