Grand Canyon Conservancy Announces Celebration of Art Award Winners

Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon Conservancy, the official nonprofit partner of Grand Canyon National Park, is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s 18th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. Invited artists developed their works live at the South Rim of Grand Canyon during the week of September 21–27, 2026. 

This year’s winning artists are:

Best of Show Award

1^st Place: Dan Namingha, Santa Fe, New Mexico
2^nd Place: Matagi Sorensen, Santa Fe, New Mexico
The award is selected by a panel of judges and recognizes the entire body of work an artist has produced for the event. This year’s judges were Mary Kershaw, Executive Director and CEO, Museum of Northern Arizona, and Jihan Gearon, Exhibitions & Programs Coordinator, Creative Flagstaff & Coconino Center for the Arts.

National Park Service Award 

1^st Place: Michelle Condrat, Salt Lake City, Utah
2^nd Place: Jared Yazzie, Tempe, Arizona
New this year, this award winner is determined by National Park Service employees recognizing work that offers a compelling interpretation of Grand Canyon and inspires greater appreciation for the park. This year's judges were Valerie Butterfield, Museum Curator and Cultural Resources Manager, and Carmen Kraus, Visual Information Specialist. 

Artists’ Choice Award

1^st Place: José Ygnacio Bermúdez (posthumous)
2^nd Place: TIE Jared Yazzie, Tempe, AZ and Jose Luis Nunez, San Diego, CA
The award is chosen by Celebration of Art participating artists for the individual who embodies the spirit of the event, combined with effort, skill, and creativity.

The Celebration of Art Exhibition and Sale is open to the public at Kolb Studio through March 31, 2027. Kolb Studio operation hours may be found here.

Online sales of artwork may be found here.

The theme of this year’s exhibit is Earth-Mapping, inviting artists and visitors to think about Grand Canyon through relationships among landscape, geology, ecology, atmosphere, time, and human perception. The theme has given participating artists a centering lens for their work while giving visitors another way to engage with and interpret Grand Canyon. 

Proceeds from the sales of the artwork during Celebration of Art support a fund for a dedicated art and exhibition venue at Grand Canyon National Park. A venue location has been identified at Park Headquarters and a planning committee is in the process of developing the site. 

Thank you to our 2026 Celebration of Art sponsors and artists:

Presenting Sponsors: Dave and Lynn Rahn

Kaibab Sponsors
Delaware North Parks & Resorts  
Nigel and Jeanne Finney      

Coconino Sponsors
Pam and Andy Kerr 
The Picerne Family
Stephen and Elizabeth Watson
Xanterra Travel Collection                                                                             

Vishnu Sponsors
Kathy Duley and Carroll Huntress
Teresa Gavigan and Larry Besnoff        
Mike Loven
Loven Contracting         
Red Feather Lodge, Grand Canyon

2026 Artists
José Ygnacio Bermúdez (b. Havana, Cuba 1922-d. Phoenix, AZ 1998)
Elizabeth Black, Boulder, CO
John D. Cogan, Farmington, NM
Michelle Condrat, Salt Lake City, UT
Bill Cramer, Prescott, AZ
Cody DeLong, Bonfim, Porto, Portugal 
Monica Esposito, Grand Junction, CO 
Linda Glover Gooch, Mesa, AZ
Estephania González, Tempe, AZ
Tim McDavid, Houston, TX 
James McGrew, Lake Oswego, OR 
Dan Namingha, Santa Fe, NM
Daniella Napolitano, Phoenix, AZ
Natalya Nez, Ramah, NM
Jose Luis Nunez, San Diego, CA 
Matagi Sorenson, Santa Fe, NM 
Dawn Sutherland, Tucson, AZ 
Paula Swain, Decatur, NE 
Priscilla Tacheney, Prescott Valley, AZ 
Jared Yazzie, Tempe, AZ