Established in 2016, the Keshi Foundation is a public, nonprofit organization that provides sustainable pathways to promote Zuni arts, education, and economic development while respecting the traditions and lifeways of the Zuni People.
Interior: displays at the Museum of Zuni Art
In 2016, the Keshi Foundation (TKF) was created as a public charity 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. It continues with an all-volunteer staff offering sustainable pathways and opportunities to benefit the people of Zuni Pueblo, NM, through their arts and education.
The Zuni Shows were TKF's first efforts to better represent fine Zuni artwork, enabling it to be shown more widely than other shows permitted. The two successful Zuni Shows in Santa Fe benefited 250 artists and families. Widening our focus, we asked what TKF might accomplish to help 11,000 Zunis living in the Pueblo make every day a Zuni Show in the Zuni Pueblo.
At the request of the Zuni Tribal Council and concerned Zuni artists, The Keshi Foundation (TKF) sponsored a series of meetings in 2018 to learn what the Zuni Community considered effective ways to expand economic opportunity in the Zuni Pueblo. The highly constructive discussions led to the formation of ZART, the Zuni Artist Resource Team in Gallup, NM.
With seed money from Keshi, Inc. and other donors, the Keshi Foundation Board and Advisory Committee review relevant and culturally appropriate projects and support and channel funds to those causes. With the utmost respect for the Zuni People and their vital input and collaboration, TKF serves as an outreach organization that receives, considers, and selects individual and group needs in the pueblo and assists in meeting them.
A museum of Zuni art has been part of The Keshi Foundation’s plans since 2018, when we held community engagement conversations in Zuni Pueblo with Zuni artists, educators, tribal officials, and elders.
The discussions identified Zuni priorities, including retention and cross-generational transmission of Zuni art, language, and traditions. As a result, a museum and educational component was included in our plans as a longer-term goal.
The unexpected happened when donations of Zuni artwork were made as the initial inventory for the ZARTeam website, which included many museum-quality pieces.
The generosity of those donations accelerated our timeline, enabling us to open the museum earlier than anticipated. These works are accessible to the Zuni community and other visitors and are not available for purchase.
Sarah Leekya, 1930 - 2017
Scott Nadler
Vice President
Scott is the Principal and Founder of Nadler Strategy LLC, based in Santa Fe NM. Scott has over 40 years of experience with a wide range of economic development, sustainability, and business activities. His experience includes working with government, for-profit firms (including private equity), non-profit organizations, and impact investment. He is also a Senior Fellow with the Global Environmental Management Initiative. Scott has also taught at Northwestern University in both undergraduate and MBA programs. His blog on “Practical, sustainable strategy” can be found here.
Bronwyn Fox
President
Bronwyn spent several formative years living in Zuni Pueblo, which she considers the most life-defining of all her experiences. She is currently the owner/chief steward of Keshi, the Zuni Connection, a gallery in downtown Santa Fe, founded in 1981 as a co-operative by Zuni artists and schoolteachers, a group that included Bronwyn's mother, Robin Dunlap.
Keshi's mission is one grounded in the principles of Fair Trade. Bronwyn considers herself fortunate to work with what she is passionate about: authentic and beautiful Native American art.
Meet our team
Peter Kahn
Peter has a decades-long career as an entrepreneur, award-winning graphic designer and photographer, retailer, Realtor, and non-profit executive director. Always seeking to better understand the human condition, he habitually studies many things and looks for ways to analyze, synthesize, and apply appropriate solutions when needed.
Laurel Wyckoff
Secretary/ Treasurer
Laurel Wyckoff attended Trinity College of Music in London and graduated from Philadelphia Musical Academy with a bachelor’s degree in music performance. For two decades, she was principal flutist with Relâche, a new music ensemble based in Philadelphia. She directed a community music school in Media, PA, for a couple of years before becoming director of programs for the Montana Arts Council. After serving as Louisiana’s Assistant Secretary for Cultural Development, she moved to New Mexico to be near her family. Most recently, she managed community engagement and educational activities for New Mexico PBS for fourteen years before retiring in 2024.
Robin Dunlap
Robin was a teacher in Zuni Pueblo and a founding member of the cooperative Keshi, Inc., formed in 1981. Robin has been involved with Zuni artists since 1980 and continues to promote them and their beautiful artwork through Keshi Foundation projects and programs.