Artist Bio

Kayla Wanatee is an Inter-Disciplinary Artist from the Meskwaki tribe in Tama, Iowa whose medium interests include painting, jewelry, prints, beadwork and sewing. As a thread she holds on to a woodland tribal aesthetic, striving to represent her people in a good way and to bring them pride and honor.

Her art journey began with watching her grandmother creating beautiful beadwork. She grew up knowing that she descended from creators of beautiful things and that she too had that gift. Before coming to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) to pursue a career in Studio Arts. Wanatee was heavily involved in her home community of the Meskwaki Indian Settlement as the Meskwaki Elders’ Circle Coordinator and attending traditional ceremonies.

During her time at IAIA, Wanatee has held membership and leadership roles with Student Government as a Senior Class Representative, President of the Hand game Club, and assisted as a student representative on multiple committees. Wanatee has also exhibited at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery, which led to one of her pieces moving forward to win 1st in Textiles in the Traditional division of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium Art Competition. Her dedication to her fine art education also placed her in nominations by the studio arts faculty, one that sent her to attend the Marist Study Abroad program in Florence and Venice, Italy.