Programs
Edited by Mateo James — Founder + Editor of the Silversmith Directory
KITA Scholarship
Keeping Indigenous Traditions Alive. Funding the next generation of Native and Indigenous silversmiths.
The KITA Scholarship — in partnership with CNM's Bench Jewelry program and the Fuse Makerspace — funds Indigenous students learning silversmithing, dance, and the broader traditional arts of the Southwest. KITA covers school tuition, tools, materials, transportation, and lodging — the things scholarships often forget.
Native students often face what seem like insurmountable obstacles in furthering their education. KITA fills the gaps that conventional aid leaves open, allowing students to finish their classes and develop their craft.
The 2025 recipient was Karolina Chapo, a Navajo dancer preserving Diné traditions through movement.
T.Skies Internships
Paid hands-on jewelry-making experience for school credit.
The T.Skies Internship is for students at CNM's Bench Jewelry program and at local Albuquerque high schools — particularly students from Indigenous communities — who would like to earn school credit AND a paid wage while learning real-world experience in a working jewelry studio.
Internship time and credits are coordinated with the school. Students must meet all standards required by their school to apply for the program. The internship is real work in a working studio: you learn by doing, alongside silversmiths who have spent decades at the bench. Most internships shuffle spreadsheets. Ours teaches you to make jewelry that lasts a hundred years.
Live Shows
Watch jewelry being made — live, by the artists themselves.
Our Facebook Live Shows bring Native silversmiths into direct conversation with collectors and the public. The format is deliberately educational: we teach how to identify authentic Native American jewelry, recognize quality, and shop without being deceived in a marketplace full of imports and replicas.
Each show features a guest artist or T.Skies team member presenting one-of-a-kind pieces. Artists set their own prices and keep what they earn. Customers can purchase live during the show or claim pieces afterward through our Inner Circle.
In a marketplace where authenticity is constantly faked, Live Shows are how we keep the conversation honest — and how we ensure Native silversmiths are paid fairly for their work.
Schedule: Friday Jewelry Shows + Saturday Artist Shows weekly, plus occasional special editions for holidays and seasonal drops.
Craft & Cast
Make your own piece by hand.
Through our Craft & Cast workshops, anyone can spend two hours doing something only their own hands can do — carve a piece of jewelry in wax, watch it cast in real silver, bronze, or 14k gold using the ancient lost-wax method, and take home a one-of-a-kind piece.
2-hour guided session. No experience needed. $75 per person. Sessions Thursday 6:30 PM and Saturday 3:00 PM. Group bookings welcome (corporate retreats, family reunions, bachelorette parties, school groups).
Book a Craft & Cast workshop →
How these programs are funded
The Co-Op runs lean — most of our budget goes directly to scholars and interns. Donations from the public and 5% of T.Skies' Signature Collection sales fund the work. Every dollar you give is tax-deductible (we are a 501(c)(3) non-profit) and goes back into KITA scholarships, internship pay, studio operations, and Silversmith Directory research.