Vanna Curated Living in Santa Fe brings art, culture, and human connection together in a gallery space built around meaningful experiences. Curated objects, artist gatherings, shared meals, and personal stories give the gallery a warm sense of community while honoring creativity, heritage, and everyday living.

A Look Inside Vanna Curated Living in Santa Fe

Sunshine warms iron tools and old currencies from Africa, geometric black-and-white textiles and pillows, creamcolored hanging lights, and sculptures of women in repose. The collection of art and objects is curated by Vanna’s owner, Nelly-Joy Irakoze, a multi-hyphenate powerhouse whose roles coalesce around her effortless ability to bring people together.

This natural gift is on full display during a dinner at Vanna. She invited colleagues like videographer Corey Stein who helps with her social media, and artists including Maria Joseph Evans, who made some of the dishes on the dinner table, to enjoy a vibrant fall menu from Vinaigrette. No matter how Irakoze had met the diners around the dinner table, they all shared one characteristic: they had become cherished friends.

Nelly-Joy Irakoze’s Journey to Santa Fe

The Burundi-born host and curator came to Santa Fe over 20 years ago, seeking a degree in massage therapy. And, like many who fall in love with the Sangre de Cristos and magenta sunsets, Irakoze never left. “I felt like I had been here before,” she says. “I saw the mountains and the lands, I went to Taos Pueblo, and saw the cooking, the beans, the corn, and it felt like Africa. It felt like home.”

When she settled in Santa Fe, Irakoze opened a bed and breakfast—Irakoze BnB—where she cooked for guests, enchanted by the act of welcoming a group of strangers to her table. Many of them sat, shared a muffin or a slice of quiche, and left with plans to keep in touch.

Later, she worked as the gallery manager for Casa Nova, which occupied the same space that is now Vanna. Working in retail taught her other skills – how to buy, curate, and work with clients. “I was getting all the tools to be able to have Vanna,” she says. “This opening feels like a return. I’ve been here, and I’ve been doing all the things to show up with strength.”

Vanna as a Gallery and Creative Salon

Being a conduit for human connection remains the focus of Irakoze’s work, and Vanna is the space she needs to achieve this. “This is a gallery with one of a kind pieces, but I am going to bring something that’s missing: a salon.”

Expect gatherings at Vanna at least two times a month. Performances will feature musicians each full moon, while mid-month salons offer artists an opportunity to share their stories and inspirations. “I will host writers, artists, and performers and give them the space to show what they can do, and talk about themselves,” Irazoke says of her plans.

She wants customers at her gallery to have an understanding about the artists they are supporting; she wants them to know the person behind the work, and the artists to know themselves more deeply for having shared their stories at her table. “I want to help these artists thrive,” Irakoze explains. “I want them to be seen.”

African Art, History, and Ancestral Connections

While Vanna’s calendar of collaborations remains focused on highlighting artists living and working in 2026, there’s deep history and ancestry present. Many of the pieces Irakoze stocks come from African countries like Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Côte d’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast).

They’re ancient things: hand trowels shaped like long-necked birds; little leaf-like shovels adorned with spiral handles; rattles made from a big iron hoop from which a collection of smaller hoops hang. They are utilitarian but full of beauty. “I am a Tutsi survivor,” Irakoze says. “There’s a part of being a survivor that is moving into thriving. I am welcoming my ancestors.”

Art Designed to Be Used and Experienced

The artwork in Vanna reinforces a beautiful way of living. Many of the pieces are meant to be used and touched; sat upon and held. They’re not pieces that live in cases, or on a wall in a stagnant way. They’re part of the daily rhythm of life.

Hosting gatherings in which people connect is a part of that beautiful way of living, an ancient way that both honors ancestors and welcomes new connections, transforming strangers into friends.

Who Was There

• Nelly-Joy Irakoze & Vanna (her ‘fur baby’)
• Allan Will
• Taphne Lux
• Latondra Newton
• KB Thomason
• Ria Leigh
• Luna Van Arsdale
• Corey Stein
• Maria Joseph Evans

What They Ate

Special thanks to Erin Wade, chef-owner of Vinaigrette, who whipped up an autumnal inspired feast for Nelly-Joy and her guests.

I Yam What I Yam: a zesty mix of greens, pancetta shards, mapleglazed shoestrings, with pomegranate seeds, and a maple mustard vinaigrette.

The Harvest Moon: a chicken-centric salad of kale, shaved red onion, thinly slice green apple, ricotta salata, pulled roast chicken with crispy crackling, sage croutons, and a lemon drop vinaigrette.

Simple Brussels Sprouts Slaw: sprouts, Tuscan kale, chopped walnuts, pecorino cheese, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Story by Maria Manuela
Photography by Tira Howard
Food by Vinaigrette

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