Smithsonian Journeys Experts
Brian Vallo
Brian Vallo is a member of the Pueblo of Acoma tribe in New Mexico. With 30 years’ experience working in areas of museum development, cultural resources management, historic preservation, the arts, and tourism, Brian has dedicated his career to promoting Native American arts and culture as well as advocating for the protection of sacred sites and repatriation of ancestors and items of cultural patrimony held in museums and private, federal, and state institutions. He recently completed a 3-year term as Governor of his tribe. A self-taught painter, Brian is inspired by his culture and the landscape of Acoma which influence his multimedia paintings.