“Beauty comes within from ourselves, the land, our People, and the Universe, which is why I must paint.” -Monique Holiday

Monique Holiday is a Diné painter whose work reflects interconnected energies between the land, her heritage, animals, and universe. She works primarily with acrylic, digital paints, watercolor, and oil. As a child during the 1990s, Monique enjoyed watching her father, Leland Holiday, as he painted and carved his Navajo folk art. After learning a few Art lessons from her dad, Monique kept drawing and painting throughout her K-12 years. Representing Bloomfield High School, Holiday competed in a Young at Art! competition against 94 high school students across the the Four Corners region. She won 1st place overall with her tribute painting to Jean-Michel Basquiat in 2014. That same year, she became a representing Artist at Toh-Atin Gallery alongside her father for a future decade. In 2023, Holiday graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Studio Arts Painting from the Institute of American Indian Arts. The following year, she received her Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts from San Juan College. Holiday is pursuing her Master’s degree in Teaching at the Fort Lewis College Graduate Program. Monique also served four years showcasing hundreds of diverse artists across the Four Corners region, including Indigenous Nations, as a gallery assistant. She has been recently promoted as an Art Coordinator for the San Juan College Art Gallery. With her Master’s degree, Monique plans to become an Art Teacher and teach within her community. Her work has been acquired by private, national, and international collectors.