Artist Rose B. Simpson has received the Santa Fe Mayor's 2026 Award for Excellence in the Arts, adding a civic honor to her growing list of recognitions. Simpson, who is from Santa Clara Pueblo and lives and works there, was cited for her discipline-spanning practice as well as her "leadership, mentorship, and service to emerging generations of artists." Simpson's work moves across sculpture, installation, performance and music, and she has long been an advocate for Indigenous cultural life in New Mexico and beyond. In a 2025 opinion piece for Hyperallergic, she spoke out against efforts by the Trump administration to defund Santa Fe's Institute of American Indian Arts, the school of which she is both an alum and a trustee. "I believe in the power of offering Indigenous people opportunity and space for investigation — both personal and communal," she wrote at the time. She also wrote of her belief "in the power of collective strength to lift the voice of our people, to claim our rightful position as leaders of creativity and aesthetic expression." The Santa Fe Mayor's Award places an official stamp on a career that has combined studio practice with institutional advocacy, and it underscores the artist's role as a bridge between Pueblo traditions and contemporary art discourse. The honor arrives as Simpson's profile continues to rise nationally. Her public stands on funding for Indigenous art education and her sustained mentorship work have made her a prominent voice in debates about who gets to shape the future of American art, and the mayor's award recognizes both the artwork itself and the community-building that surrounds it.