IAIA Alumni Council

IAIA Alumni Council The elected 7-member Alumni Council represents the interests of IAIA alumni. The councilors are elec IAIA alumni are an important part of our extended family.

IAIA has graduated more than 3,800 students, representing more than 90% of the 562 federally-recognized tribes. More than 20% of IAIA alumni have gone on to earn a graduate degree. Many alumni enjoy successful careers in the arts right here in Santa Fe. Being an alumnus is to be part of an illustrious creative community. One of the best ways to tap into that community and make it stronger is to stay involved. It’s a chance to network, renew old friendships and start new ones.

Tomorrow at the IAIA Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery Feb 4 , 4:00-6:00. “Ripple Effect” exhibition includes artists fro...
02/03/2026

Tomorrow at the IAIA Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery Feb 4 , 4:00-6:00. “Ripple Effect” exhibition includes artists from the A.I.R program.

Congratulations to IAIA alum Crisosto Apache on becoming Colorado’s Poet Laureate!
02/02/2026

Congratulations to IAIA alum Crisosto Apache on becoming Colorado’s Poet Laureate!

Thanks to all our alumni who came out and supported the 2025 IAIA Holiday Art Market!
12/13/2025

Thanks to all our alumni who came out and supported the 2025 IAIA Holiday Art Market!

The IAIA Alumni Council thanks Guido Lambelet for his dedication and work to the IA community. Happy Retirement Guido!!!...
07/07/2025

The IAIA Alumni Council thanks Guido Lambelet for his dedication and work to the IA community. Happy Retirement Guido!!! 👏🏽👏🏽 Guido Lambelet, Café Bon Appétit’s just-retired executive chef at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), has been feeding students here for 15 years. Chef Lambelet has been a familiar and comforting figure at IAIA when it was at the College of Santa Fe Café from 2002 to 2009, and at the IAIA campus from 2010 until his retirement in 2025. The Swiss-born chef explains that he helmed food services through the agency until the College of Santa Fe closed in 2009 and then returned with Bon Appétit when IAIA began its incarnation on the campus where it is today.

Although Chef Lambelet has officially retired as of late May 2025, students will see him in the kitchen once a month on a Thursday when he helps cook up meals for the non-profit “Friday Night Dining,” an organization where Lambelet and his wife are the volunteer chefs. They offer a sit down, three-course meal to low-income seniors in Española, with the help of volunteers. “The students at IAIA are people who spent the last 15 years eating the food I have prepared,” Lambelet explains. “I have a lot of friends here at IAIA.”

Read the full story at https://iaia.edu/chef-guido-lambelet-retires/

Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts.

The IAIA Board of Trustees has named IAIA Faculty Emeritus Stephen Wall (White Earth Nation) as interim president, effec...
06/24/2025

The IAIA Board of Trustees has named IAIA Faculty Emeritus Stephen Wall (White Earth Nation) as interim president, effective upon Dr. Robert Martin’s (Cherokee Nation) retirement July 31, 2025. Wall will assume presidential duties until the Board of Trustees completes the search for his replacement.

Wall was conferred the title of IAIA Faculty Emeritus in 2019, after teaching for 14 years in the Indigenous Liberal Studies Department. He was also named IAIA Faculty of the Year in both 2009 and 2017.

Wall has served as a Tribal Justice Specialist, Chief Judge for the Mescalero Apache Tribal Court, Behavioral Health Coordinator for the Tohono O’odham Nation Health Department, Community Alcoholism Prevention Team Member for the Albuquerque Area Indian Health Board, Research Analyst for the American Indian Law Center at UNM, and Cultural Studies and Political Science Instructor at Fort Lewis College, as well as offering other numerous Tribal law consultations, presentations on culture and history, and publications in those areas. Wall has a Juris Doctorate from the University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Fort Lewis College.

In a recent article published in the Tribal College Journal, Wall wrote, “We live in a society in which the arts and humanities are more essential than ever and are needed to mediate the inhumanity of uncontrolled technological development…The arts and humanities can reconnect people to our shared humanity. For Indigenous communities, the shock of dehumanization has been a part of our history. Tribal colleges and universities provide the mechanism for exploring this history and reconnecting with Indigenous ways of life and values needed to strengthen our humanity.”

Stephen Wall’s appointment as interim president starts on August 1, 2025.

https://iaia.edu/stephen-wall-named-interim-president-of-the-institute-of-american-indian-arts/

Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts.

Happy Earth Day!!!! Let’s continue to take much care in our Mother Earth by keeping her clean. 🌎🌳🌱❤️
04/22/2025

Happy Earth Day!!!! Let’s continue to take much care in our Mother Earth by keeping her clean. 🌎🌳🌱❤️

The Institute of American Indian Arts Alumni Council has sent a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Burgum, urgin...
02/18/2025

The Institute of American Indian Arts Alumni Council has sent a letter to Department of Interior Secretary Burgum, urging the rescinding of the recent Reduction in Force at Haskell Indian Nations University (HINU) and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI). We stand strong in solidarity with our fellow Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) and call for the protection and support of these critical institutions that serve Indigenous students and communities. IAIA Alumni Council is united in ensuring that HINU and SIPI continue to thrive as pillars for education, culture, and opportunity.

The IAIA Alumni Council proudly welcomes fellow alumnus Karl Duncan (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and San Carlos Apache) an...
01/17/2025

The IAIA Alumni Council proudly welcomes fellow alumnus Karl Duncan (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and San Carlos Apache) and Lily Hope (Tlingit) as the newest members of the IAIA Board of Trustees!

Dear IAIA Community, On behalf of the IAIA Alumni Council, we want to express our committed support for the Institute of...
04/25/2024

Dear IAIA Community,

On behalf of the IAIA Alumni Council, we want to express our committed support for the Institute of American Indian Arts community, especially during challenging times.

Recently, we were made aware of certain incidences and grievances reported by students against IAIA administrators. We understand that current measures are being taken by the administration, staff, faculty, students, and the Associated Student Government to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Ensuring student safety is paramount, and we stand in solidarity with current students, faculty, and staff to prioritize measures that promote a safe and communicative campus environment. We recognize the importance of fostering an atmosphere where everyone feels respected, supported, and able to thrive academically, creatively, and personally.

The Alumni Council is actively engaged in advocating for resources and initiatives that enhance campus safety and promote equity, justice, and open communication between students and administrators. We are dedicated to collaborating with IAIA leadership, students, and community stakeholders to implement meaningful solutions and support initiatives that prioritize accountability, safety, and the well-being of all.

As alumni, we hold a deep appreciation for the unique cultural and educational environment that IAIA provides, and it is our hope, as a council and as individuals, that the community can find peace and healing at this time.

We remain committed to our alma mater and its mission to empower Indigenous artists and scholars. Together, let us foster a community that values diversity, respects individual perspectives, and stands together in solidarity. Let us be good relatives to one another and strive to represent ourselves and our communities in the best way possible.

In solidarity and support,

IAIA Alumni Council

Alli Moran, President
Amber Morning Star Byars, Vice President
Blue Tarpalechee, Treasurer
Alberta Nells
Undrell Person
Keena Numkena
Russell Frye

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Santa Fe, NM
87508

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