Juan Lucero, originally from New Mexico and now living in the Twin Cities, is a dedicated father of three and husband to a strong Dakota woman. He is a member of the Isleta Pueblo where he was raised and has been involved in the arts for almost 20 years. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Museum Studies and is currently pursuing his master’s in the same field. Lucero takes pride in his relationships with artists and art professionals in his communities. Throughout his career, he has held various positions including purchaser, seller, curator, and storage technician of Native art. His previous roles include serving as the Mdewakanton Native Fellow at Mia, where he curated the show Parska/Shada in the fall of 2021 and co-curated the reinstallation of the Native American galleries. Additionally, he co-curated Painted: Our Bodies, Hearts, and Village at the Colby College Museum of Art, on view from May 2023 to July 2024. Currently, Juan Lucero works as an independent Native art curator, Native artist advocate, and museum consultant.