Velma (Diné) is Naasht’eezhi Tabaha (Zuni Edgewater) and born for Todich’ii’nii (Bitter Water). Her maternal and paternal grandfathers are Tl’izilani (Many Goats) and Kinya’aanii (Towering House). Velma is from Tonalea, Arizona. She is the oldest of five children. Her parents are Laverne Marks and Larry Kee. Velma grew up on the Navajo reservation and now resides in Mesa, Arizona with her family.  She is a textile artist, writer of poetry and short screenplays, and a teaching artist. Velma is a graduate of Arizona State University with a BA in English Literature and a minor in American Indian studies. This is her third year as a recipient of the Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship with the Heard Museum. In addition to this, Velma teaches Diné weaving workshops with organizations such as the Heard Museum, the Phoenix Indian Center, the Sacred Youth Foundation, and local school districts. Velma’s weavings have been shown as part of the exhibitions: Connective Tissue: New Approaches to Fiber in Contemporary Native Art; Color Riot! How Color Changed Navajo Textiles; WOVEN: The Art of Contemporary Native Weaving; and WEAVE: construct. code. connect.

Photo Credit: Kevin Whitney Russell