ASU grad showcases family, cultures in library art exhibit

If you told Mirra Keeto seven years ago that she would learn to speak Italian, she wouldn’t have believed it.

When Keeto (Diné and Akimel O’odham) started at Chandler Gilbert Community College, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to major in. On a whim, she took “Renaissance through Modern Contemporary Arts,” a course that inspired her to study art history and Italian.

After Keeto transferred to Arizona State University in 2022, she continued to pursue art history and took Italian to fulfill the language requirement. She enjoyed the classes, faculty and students so much she decided to pursue a second degree.

“I remember telling my mom I wanted to take Italian classes, and she was so supportive,” Keeto said. “I don’t know anyone else who is Indigenous who speaks Italian.”

Keeto graduated from ASU’s Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in spring 2025, earning two bachelor’s degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in art history, and a Bachelor of Arts in Italian.  

While at ASU, Keeto took a course from Renzo Baldasso, a professor who became a mentor and helped her realize that she wanted to specialize in Italian Renaissance art.

“I remember taking extensive notes, watching his lectures, and I really enjoyed the content. A few weeks into the semester, I sent an email to him to introduce myself — in Italian! He responded with gratitude at the kind message and thus began our friendship.”

During her time at ASU, Keeto connected with many individuals in the Italian department in the School of International Letters and Cultures, including Antonella Dell'Anna and Chiara Dal Martello, but it was an independent study with Associate Teaching Professor Enrico Minardi that brought the idea of an art exhibit to fruition. Keeto has always made art for herself or her family, and Minardi challenged her to create artwork from her research on Italian art and culture.

Drawing from inspirations ranging from Italian Renaissance to Italian pop culture, Keeto thought about her family and her own cultural background.

“The exhibit is in the Labriola Center, an Indigenous library and archive, and I would like to include things from my background, not just Italian. It turned into both things — inspiration from Italian research and then family,” Keeto said. “It is connecting two distinct cultures that you wouldn’t think could be connected.”

The title “I Am A Line of Words” comes from a poem by John Trudell, a leader, author, activist and musician in the American Indian Movement. One day in the Labriola Center, Keeto picked up Trudell’s book  “Lines from a Mined Mind” and started reading one of the poems.

“In the poem, John talks about who he is as a person, and how the lines are him, and that really hit home for me,” Keeto said.

Keeto works in a variety of mediums, including screen printing, charcoal and pencil, and learned oil painting, the same medium as the Italian artists she studied.

“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve always had a fascination with Leonardo da Vinci,” Keeto said. “His entire life, work ethic and philosophy of painting really make me think about the technical aspects of art making, and how you have to get everything right the way the eye sees.”

Artworks include inspiration from Italian fashion houses and coffee culture, an interpretation of Ira Hayes — a member of the Gila River Indian Community who fought in WWII, most famously at Iwo Jima — and a mixed-media artwork of Tom Torlino, a Diné student who attended the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.

Keeto comes from a family of artists, and it was important to bring her culture and community into the exhibit, including pieces from her own family.

“I did this exhibition to honor my family members who shaped me into the person I am today. For me, this whole exhibition represents the becoming of the self. Coming to terms with your identity and culture, and being proud of where you come from. But also being open to other people’s perspectives and cultures,” Keeto said.

It is also a culmination of her experiences at ASU.

“Taking a class on a whim, even if it’s not required for your degree, opens you up to a different path and perspective.” 

Keeto offers advice for students who are still working toward graduation:

“Have an open heart and open mind, and don’t forget where you come from. A degree isn’t just a piece of paper; it’s something you put your heart and soul into. You put your determination and will to overcome challenges and difficulties in your life."