Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)

Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) For 50 years, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) has played a leading role in the direction and shape of Native expression.
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The mission of the Institute of American Indian Arts is “to empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and community engagement.” As it has grown and evolved into an internationally acclaimed college, museum and Center for Lifelong Education, IAIA’s dedication to the study and advancement of Native arts and cultures is matched onl

y by its commitment to student achievement and the preservation and progress of the communities they represent.

IAIA is pleased to announce the establishment of the Pueblo Homelands Scholarship Endowment, created through an initial ...
05/27/2026

IAIA is pleased to announce the establishment of the Pueblo Homelands Scholarship Endowment, created through an initial $50,000 gift from IAIA alum, Trustee, and renowned artist Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’07, ’18. The new, standalone endowed scholarship is intended to support undergraduate students at IAIA from the 19 New Mexico Pueblo Nations, the Hopi Nation, and the Ysleta Del Sur Pueblo Nation.

Beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, the fund is designed to support up to four students each academic year, with awards of up to $2,500 per student. The scholarship is intended to grow over time as a source of merit-based scholarship support for generations to come and reflects Simpson’s ongoing relationship with IAIA, including the 2024 dedication of “Heights I” on campus and her service on the IAIA Board of Trustees.

Read more on our website at https://iaia.edu/iaia-pueblo-homelands-scholarship/

Image: Artwork by David Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’17, courtesy the artist; photograph by Jason S. Ordaz.

Now Hiring—Human Resources DirectorThe Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is seeking an experienced and strategic ...
05/22/2026

Now Hiring—Human Resources Director

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is seeking an experienced and strategic Human Resources Director to lead and oversee all HR functions supporting both IAIA and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA). This senior leadership role partners closely with executive leadership to guide talent acquisition, employee relations, compliance, compensation and benefits, workforce planning, and organizational development across the institution.

The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in human resources management, sound judgment, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to fostering an employee-centered and culturally responsive workplace that supports IAIA’s mission and values.

Learn more and apply at https://iaia.edu/about/employment/

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

05/16/2026

Note: This livestream of the IAIA Dance Circle does not include audio.

On Saturday, May 16, from 1–9 pm, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) will hold its annual Spring Powwow, immediately following the 2026 IAIA Commencement Ceremony. With the energy and spirit of the dancers and drum groups, IAIA Powwows are a vibrant display of our Tribal cultures—embodying the IAIA community’s resilience. This free outdoor event is open to the public on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus at 83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87508.

05/16/2026

We invite staff, students, and the public to join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for the 2026 Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 10 am (MDT). The ceremony will take place in the Performing Arts and Fitness Center Gym on the IAIA campus and will also be livestreamed on our website for those unable to attend in person. It will be followed by the 2026 “Honoring Our Graduates” IAIA Spring Powwow in the Dance Circle at the center of campus from 1–9 pm. Both events are free and open to the public.

This year, we are honored to announce that Rosita Worl (Tlingit), PhD, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, will serve as our keynote speaker and will receive an honorary doctorate from IAIA during the ceremony.

“IAIA is proud to celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates and to honor Rosita Worl for her extraordinary leadership, scholarship, and lifelong commitment to Indigenous arts, cultures, and communities,” said Dr. Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), IAIA President. “Her work has strengthened Indigenous cultural vitality and self-determination, and I know her words will inspire the Class of 2025–2026 as they move forward in paths of creativity, service, and leadership.”

Parking for the general public will be available outside the Performing Arts and Fitness Center. A free lunch will be served in the Café Bon Appétit starting at 12 pm.

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) invites staff, students, families, and the public to join the 2026 IAIA Com...
05/15/2026

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) invites staff, students, families, and the public to join the 2026 IAIA Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 10 am (MDT), in the Performing Arts and Fitness Center Gym on the IAIA campus. The ceremony will also be livestreamed on the IAIA website for those unable to attend in person.

This year’s graduating class includes 79 students—51 undergraduates and 28 Master of Fine Arts graduates—representing 55 Indigenous Nations and 16 states, with students ranging in age from 20 to 67. Eighty-two percent of the class is Indigenous, reflecting IAIA’s mission as The University for Indigenous Creative Excellence. Degrees and certificates awarded this year include programs in Cinematic Arts & Technology, Creative Writing, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, Studio Arts, Business & Entrepreneurship, Broadcast Journalism, Cultural Administration, and Native American Studies.

This year, IAIA is honored to welcome Rosita Kaaháni Worl (Tlingit), PhD, president of Sealaska Heritage Institute, as the 2026 Commencement keynote speaker. During the ceremony, IAIA will award Worl an Honorary Doctorate in recognition of her extraordinary leadership, scholarship, and lifelong commitment to Indigenous arts, cultures, languages, and communities.

Following Commencement, the 2026 “Honoring Our Graduates” IAIA Spring Powwow will take place from 1–9 pm in the Dance Circle at the center of campus. Both events are free and open to the public. Parking for the general public will be available outside the Performing Arts and Fitness Center. A free lunch will be served in Café Bon Appétit starting at 12 pm.

For more information and to watch the livestream, please visit https://iaia.edu/event/2026-iaia-commencement-ceremony/

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

05/14/2026

The 2026 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition, “Rebirth: The Stories From Within,” is on view for one more day at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), before closing on May 15, 2026. This exhibition highlights the achievements of graduating BFA students in Studio Arts, Museum Studies, and Indigenous Liberal Studies. We asked the graduates to reflect on what made their journey through IAIA truly remarkable.

“I remember I filled out the application right out of high school, but I never turned it in. I ended up going to a different school, but I came back here because I wanted to learn more about casting. I was only going to take one course, but some of the other students, friends, and family were asking if I was going to get a degree. I needed a master’s degree, but I decided to finish the BFA to return to where I started, with my original intent of learning more about metals. I think I gained general skills in metals that I’ll use for the rest of my life.” —Patrick Willinik (Diné)

For more information about “Rebirth: The Stories From Within,” please visit https://iaia.edu/event/2026-spring-iaia-graduating-senior-exhibition/

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

Applications are now being accepted for the George R.R. Martin Literary Foundation Scholarships, established by Santa Fe...
05/14/2026

Applications are now being accepted for the George R.R. Martin Literary Foundation Scholarships, established by Santa Fe resident and novelist George R.R. Martin to support and encourage IAIA storytellers.

These scholarship opportunities are available to eligible Cinematic Arts and Technology majors and undergraduate Creative Writing majors who demonstrate a passion for storytelling. IAIA is seeking students with strong voices in any genre, including drama, comedy, romance, adventure, sci-fi, horror, and more, who have something meaningful to say about their experiences with life, relationships, society, and the world we live in.

Scholarship opportunities include:

Newcomer Scholarship—$5,000
For incoming freshman or transfer students

Proven Storyteller Scholarship—$5,000
For students with sophomore status or above

Master Storyteller Scholarship—$15,000
For students with sophomore status or above

Applicants must submit a writing sample, a letter of recommendation, a character reference, and a short bio. Native preference applies, but non-Native students may also apply. The scholarships are not need-based; however, receiving the scholarship may affect other need-based financial aid. Students with questions about financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Director, Scott Whitaker, at [email protected].

The deadline to apply is Monday, June 29, 2026, at 5 pm (MDT).

Learn more and apply at https://iaia.edu/2020-george-r-r-martin-literary-foundation-scholarships/

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

IAIA Assistant Professor in Art History Jon Carver is deepening a scholarly practice that moves across art history, poli...
05/12/2026

IAIA Assistant Professor in Art History Jon Carver is deepening a scholarly practice that moves across art history, political theory, Indigenous governance, and the living histories carried by objects. As an Elinor Ostrom Fellow through the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, Carver recently completed a paper exploring Ostrom’s Nobel-recognized work on common-pool resources alongside pre-Platonic Greek thought and governance practices of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, tracing how ideas of cooperation, shared stewardship, and collective responsibility appear across time and place while recognizing that Indigenous nations have long put these principles into practice.

That research moves directly into Carver’s IAIA classrooms, where photographs, field experiences, and conversations with students become part of a shared encounter with history, and where he teaches art history as something concrete and alive—the study of material culture, places, stories, and ideas—reflecting, “I learned so much from my students,” and valuing how they connect art history to their own interests and carry that work into contemporary Native art.

Read more on our website at https://iaia.edu/faculty-spotlight-jon-carver/

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

A Message from IAIA Chief Communications Officer—May 2026 IAIA NewsletterToday in Santa Fe, temperatures are expected to...
05/12/2026

A Message from IAIA Chief Communications Officer—May 2026 IAIA Newsletter

Today in Santa Fe, temperatures are expected to reach around 80 degrees, and across the high desert, the warmth of late spring is bringing new growth into view. At IAIA, that same sense of growth reflects our mission to empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts, scholarship, and cultures, and it is made visible each spring as students reach the culmination of their studies at our annual Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 16. This is a season of achievement, celebration, and transition, honoring the work of our graduates and the community that has helped carry them forward. In the May newsletter, you will find a glimpse of the people, programs, and momentum shaping this season at the University for Indigenous Creative Excellence.

Read the May newsletter and subscribe at https://iaia.edu/communications/newsletter/

Image: Robyn Tsinnajinnie (Diné), “Back Home” (detail), 2025, acrylic on wall, photograph by Jason S. Ordaz.

05/11/2026

The 2026 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition, “Rebirth: The Stories From Within,” is on view for a few more days at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), before closing on May 15, 2026. This exhibition highlights the achievements of graduating BFA students in Studio Arts, Museum Studies, and Indigenous Liberal Studies. We asked the graduates to reflect on what made their journey through IAIA truly remarkable.

“My name means ‘she who holds on to things and takes care of them.’ IAIA has given me a unique experience—attending a Tribal arts college with Native teachers and peers, and I felt really supported with my resources and mentorship. For my museum studies thesis, I’m studying the evolution of beadwork and the factors that led to its change. And for my studio arts degree, I’m looking at how personal experience shapes the narrative of beadwork. So, I feel like the museum background really provides a lot of historical context and helps me better validate and place my artwork in a more contemporary setting.” —Alice Crazy Bull (Rosebud Sioux Tribe)

For more information about “Rebirth: The Stories From Within,” please visit https://iaia.edu/event/2026-spring-iaia-graduating-senior-exhibition/

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

05/08/2026

The 2026 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition, “Rebirth: The Stories From Within,” is on view for one final week at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), before closing on May 15, 2026. This exhibition highlights the achievements of graduating BFA students in Studio Arts, Museum Studies, and Indigenous Liberal Studies. We asked the graduates to reflect on what made their journey through IAIA truly remarkable.

“The way the school changed me was that I think it made me more creative… I met a lot of people from a lot of different Tribes that I didn’t really know really existed, and I made a lot of friends from different places. And I think it was a lot of fun being here.” —Silver Wolf (Seminole Tribe of Florida)

For more information about “Rebirth: The Stories From Within,” please visit https://iaia.edu/event/2026-spring-iaia-graduating-senior-exhibition/

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

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