attracts about 250,000 visitors a year. The Heard is an affiliate in the Smithsonian Affiliations program. The director of the museum from January 2010 through July 2012 was Dr. Letitia Chambers, the first Heard director to be of American Indian descent. From August 5, 2013 to February 27, 2015, the museum was led by James Pepper Henry, a member of the Kaw Nation of Oklahoma and the Muscogee Creek Nation. The museum is now led by David M. Roche, who began his tenure January, 2016. The museum is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museums program. Festivals The Heard hosts the annual El Mercado de Las Artes, usually in November, with strolling mariachis and artwork by Hispanic artists from Arizona and New Mexico including santos, pottery, colcha embroidery, furniture making, painting, printmaking and silver and tinwork. The Heard also hosts the annual World Championship Hoop Dance Contest, typically held in early February. The Hoop Dance Contest is held in the outdoor Libby Amphitheater in front of the museum. The Annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, a juried art fair and festival, has been held yearly since 1958. The Indian Fair and Market is held annually in March draws in 15,000 visitors and features over 600 Native American artists, and includes a juried competition for the best artwork of the fair appropriately called "Best of Show." Approved artists compete in eight classifications: Jewelry and Lapidary Work; Pottery; Paintings, Drawings, Graphics, Photography; Wooden Carvings; Sculpture; Textiles/Weavings/Clothing; Diverse Art Forms; Baskets. The judges of this competition come from a diverse range of occupations including experienced artists, museum curators, gallery directors, and art collectors. All have in-depth experience in judging artwork, and the majority of these judges come from American Indian tribes. Awards and cash prizes are given for Best of Show, Best of Division (first and second place), and an additional Conrad House award. The judges also confer a Judge's Choice ribbon and an Honorable Mention ribbon. See also List of historic properties in Phoenix, Arizona References External links Landmarks in Arizona Phoenix Points of Pride Smithsonian Institution affiliates Institutions accredited by the American Alliance of Museums Museums in Phoenix, Arizona Art museums established in 1929 Native American museums in Arizona Art museums and galleries in Arizona 1929 establishments in Arizona