grandmother turtle

in collaboration with Laura Tohe and Nora Naranjo-Morse

Debuting November 2026

12' H x 6' W x 4' D

Grandmother Turtle: Grandmother Turtle reflects a tapestry of human-environment relationships across time, taking the form of the endangered and Western native Desert Tortoise. Contemporary laser-cutpetroglyphs are designed by renowned artist Nora Naranjo-Morse, Kha'p'o Owenge (Santa Clara Pueblo) member. They speak of present-day native life, of evolving stories and connections to a changing world, expressed through a modern reimagining of traditional symbolism. Current Arizona and previous Navajo Nation Poet Laureate, Arizona State University Professor Emerita, Diné and Laguna Pueblo member Laura Tohe further illuminates this theme, her words becoming a lyrical thread winding through the etchings on the grandmother turtle’s shell, tracing the journey of grandmother turtle from the ancestral past, to a present

shattered, to a future of hope. Emily Nicolosi from In Theory Art Studios provides the canvas for these journeys through a powder-coated steel Desert Tortoise, and interactive projection mapping further exploring our connections to the natural world.

Physical description

Grandmother Turtle is a 7’ H x 6’ L x 4’ W powder-coated steel, internally lit sculpture of a Desert Tortoise. Its shell is covered with contemporary laser-cut petroglyphs designed by renowned artist Nora Naranjo Morse, and poetry from current Arizona and previous Navajo Nation Poet Laureate and Arizona State University Professor Emerita,

Laura Tohe. The images and words speak of evolving stories and connections to a changing world. Set to run automatically, the art’s resting state will have LEDs that gradually shift between colors, and projection mapping that unveils natural motifs (water, sky, forest, desert) and can be manipulated by participants through an interactive pedestal with dials. 

Physical Description. Powder-Coated (Dichroic) Steel, RGB LEDs