IAIA Together Apart
Keeping the IAIA community connected
#IAIATogetherApart on Instagram
Instagram posts that are tagged with the #IAIATogetherApart hashtag are posted here. (Only posts that are public will be displayed, private posts are hidden.) If you’d like to share images or videos, please post them to Instagram using the #IAIATogetherApart hashtag, and please follow Social Media Guidelines with those postings, too.
The pandemic has brought me much sadness, but also blessings. A couple months ago, my family had lost my aunt to Covid-19. When I first heard the news, I cried so many tears for my aunt. I always hoped she was doing well. It had been many years since I've last seen her. The memories of what she looked like, her voice, and smile echoed in my mind and crumbled my heart. I still really miss her as I am writing this. I deeply wish I can see her and hug her. Just seeing my family has brought me so much comfort, and so is living with my boyfriend. Family has never mattered so much more to me during times like this. All I can believe right now is everything will be okay. #iaiatogetherapart
The following letter is a submission from #IAIATogetherApart, set 50 years from now. To see more submissions or submit your own, visit togetherapart.iaia.edu.
Pandemic Letter—April 9, 2020, 1:42 pm, Anonymous
Dear Reader,
I am writing from a world in which there is no shortage of grotesque heaps of hurt. Assuming that hasn’t gone away, maybe you’re sick of being pat on the head. Maybe you’re sick of being at the receiving end of that hurt. Maybe you’re sick of having to explain why it hurts, or maybe you’re just sick. I take it you’ve heard of COVID-19. Perhaps you’ve been a witness to your grandparent or great-grandparent ranting and reeling about the effect it had on their lives, or maybe told the same stories by your parents. They were stories about how hard they had to work to keep their jobs, or how hard they had to work to educate their children by themselves with countless additional responsibilities. Maybe your elders would say things about how they needed to feel privileged that they had a job at all—from home or at risk. They needed to be grateful that they were slaves to capitalism at the desires of the rich. Maybe your grandparents were children when coronavirus initially began. Maybe your grandparents couldn’t graduate college or high school that initial year. They remember watching their parents struggle to provide, struggle to ration food, some not knowing where their money was coming from after being “guaranteed” their position, but laid off nonetheless. The other side of the coin could be stories of how they remember their parents going out, living as-is, shopping constantly, not wearing masks, or gloves, or caring. Maybe they remember losing someone—a parent, a friend, a child? Maybe they were isolated alone, or without resources. You didn’t live through it, but this is not the depression, 9/11, or the recession of yore. This is different. So much about this disease was unforeseen. It was merciless, fast, suffocating, and unpredictable.
(Continued in the comments)
Working from home has been a major test of patience for me. My son’s attitude reminds me of me more and more every day. Likewise, I am reminding myself of my mother more and more every day. What is going on? This feels like the Twilight Zone.
This kid keeps taking his diaper off and flinging it across the room. Have you ever had to clean human feces from the carpet at 9 am, and then have a zoom meeting at 9:15? If so, I’m right there with you. There is crayon scribbled on every surface of this house. You know, at first I told him to stop, but towards the end of the first week I just looked at him and said “don’t you want to go color on the walls some more?” just to buy myself a few minutes of silence. Don’t most two-year-olds nap? Not this guy! And he’s become obsessed with TikTok. Every five minutes it’s “Make a TikTok, Mama!? Make a TikTok!?” We’ve watched so many TikToks now that every now and then he opens the front door and screams “CORONAVIRUS!” à la Cardi B. He’s running through the living room screaming it as we speak. Somehow we’ve watched Cars two-million times in two weeks. Ka-chow! And I caught him eating an ant the other day—he squished it under his finger, stuck his finger in his mouth, then went in for more—and I didn’t stop him. I just sat there in my exhaustion and let it happen. But, hey, it’s protein, right? I guess we’re both coping by stress-eating—I’m already three string cheeses, a row of Oreos, and several fruit snacks deep today. I seriously can’t stop snacking! But I need to be better at practicing self control, because I already had to venture out to the store once this week to replenish our snack stock and while I’ve definitely feared for my life at a Wal Mart before, it just hit different this time, ya know?
It’s not all bad of course. We’re having fun and goofing around a lot, and most importantly I can tell he’s happy having me home. It’s just hard not really getting a break now and then and a bit isolating.
So check on your friends with kids, guys! We’re not ok!
#IAIATogetherApart
The #IAIATogetherApart website is now live! It was created to give voice to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Community—a voice to help cope with the 2020 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its effects on a community who largely relies on day-to-day physical interaction for learning, mentoring, and communicating. All IAIA Community members are eligible to submit their stories to the #IAIATogetherApart website, which includes staff, faculty, students, alumni, board members, parents and family members, other Tribal Colleges and Universities, AIHEC, and AICF. See togetherapart.iaia.edu/submit for criteria and guidelines.
Stories can be just that, a story, or perhaps a poem, a letter—from one word to 512 words. During this pandemic, the IAIA campus is absent of your voice in its classrooms, hallways, walking paths, dorms, office spaces, buildings, and Café, but don’t let that stop you from vocalizing—share your voice, submit a story to #IAIATogetherApart.
After you submit a story, post a photo or video using your story and the #IAIATogetherApart hashtag here on Instagram for a chance to be featured on IAIA’s social media.
#IAIATogetherApart was conceived and created by IAIA’s offices of Institutional Research (Dr. Bill Sayre, Anita Gavin, Jesse Morris) and Marketing and Communications (Jason S. Ordaz, Nicole Lawe). The website launched on Monday, March 30, 2020. For inquires, please contact togetherapart@iaia.edu.
This #GivingTuesday, you can give the gift of peace of mind to an Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) student by making a donation to the IAIA Scholarship Fund. The IAIA Scholarship Fund helps to reduce the financial burden of school, giving students the opportunity to focus more on their studies and less on how they will pay for it. Currently, over 85% of IAIA students receive some form of financial aid, and these students stay in school at twice the rate as students who do not receive financial support. Scholarships truly are vital to many of our students who may otherwise have to forgo a college education, and with your incredible generosity, we can continue to provide this invaluable resource to IAIA students.
To make a donation, visit www.iaia.wufoo.com/forms/institute-of-american-indian-arts-iaia-donations/ (link in bio).
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
This #SmallBusinessSaturday, you can support small businesses by purchasing handmade items made exclusively by Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) artists through the IAIA 2020 Virtual Holiday Art Market. IAIA holds this art market annually during the holiday season, offering a wide variety of unique handmade items made by the talented members of the IAIA community. This year we have over 40 artists featured, so be sure to visit www.iaia.edu/marketplace (link in bio) to see what our community has to offer.
Photographs courtesy of Terran Last Gun, Emily Peck, Esther Ramirez, Joeseph Arnoux, Linley B. Logan, Lorenzo Cassa (Manuel), Monica Lovato, Penny Singer, Peterson Yazzie, and Shawna Sunrise
Native perspective. Literature. Brilliant. Hand-crafted. One-of-a-kind. Logo wear.
Don’t miss the annual Black Friday sale from Friday, November 27–Sunday, December 6. The Store is offering a 25% discount and free shipping (free shipping for US orders only), or choose local pickup at the Museum Store or Campus Bookstore (please specify location, date, and time in the notes field of the order). Use coupon code “blackfriday” at www.iaia.edu/store (link in bio) to receive the discount.
Purchase the new official Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Pendleton® Blanket that features the art of Bennie Buffalo (Southern Cheyenne)—limited quantity.
One of the best ways to support IAIA is to purchase directly from the IAIA Store. Support the IAIA’s mission, “To empower creativity and leadership in Native Arts and cultures through higher education, life-long learning, and outreach”—make a purchase today.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) will close today at 2 pm (MT) in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. We will reopen on Monday, November 30, 2020.
We wish everyone a happy and safe holiday and—especially during this pandemic—express gratitude for our families, friends, communities, and this beautiful land.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Did you rock your mocs last week for Native American Heritage Month? Here are a few of our Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) community members who participated and used the hashtag #IAIARockYourMocs.
Native American Heritage Month isn’t over though, and the IAIA Native American Heritage Committee invites everyone in the IAIA community throughout the month of November to share their messages of appreciation for their heritage, communities, and IAIA. You can submit text, poems, photos, and videos via social media using #IAIAHeritageMonth and send files directly to nicole.lawe@iaia.edu to see your submission on our social media platforms.
For more information about Native American Heritage Month activities at IAIA, visit www.iaia.edu/heritagemonth.
Photographs by Jason S. Ordaz, thepuebloheroine, deancetancikala, rowieshebala_poetry, crashbear, dezbaa, keyyyayo, winokayepa, and ziaqueenbees
“Virtual Reservation,” the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) 2020 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition, is now available virtually at www.iaia.edu/event/iaia-2020-fall-senior-graduating-exhibition-virtual-reservation/ (link in bio). Due to the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and closure of the IAIA campus, “Virtual Reservation” is the second virtual exhibition presenting graduating seniors’ work in the digitally-rendered IAIA Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery. Utilizing the skills of faculty, staff, and students from across the campus to transform physical works into digital formats, graduating seniors are able to present their final projects in virtual reality, adding to the next generation of contemporary Native voices in art and museum studies.
“Virtual Reservation” is a culmination of the student’s final semester, where they worked closely with advisors, faculty, staff, and colleagues to create and articulate their conceptually driven body of artwork and research-based museum exhibitions. This exhibition represents a capstone to their course of study, as well as their academic experience.
Seniors:
• Brittney Beauregard
• Patrick Bednark
• Nick Begay (Diné)
• Zachariah Castiano (Diné)
• Sicily Summer Dietz
• Marissa Irizarry (Ihanktonwan Dakota/Taino)
• Bryson Meyers (Chippewa/Cree/Oglala/Dakota)
• Jacob Elias Olascoaga (Tlingit/Mescalero Apache)
• Noah Pino (Navajo Nation/Fort Peck Assiniboine Sioux Tribes)
• Juan Rivera
• Tasha M. Sanchez (Zuni)
• Faithlyn Seawright (Chickasaw/Choctaw)
• Beau Tsa-To-Ke (Kiowa)
• Krista Vanderblomen (Prairie Band Potawatomi)
• Joshua Wesley Wells
For more information or sales inquires, please contact Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery Director Mattie Reynolds (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) at (505) 428-5813 or at mattie.reynolds@iaia.edu.
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Library and Land Grant Programs for a virtual watch party of “Gather,” as part of the IAIA 2020 Virtual Open House and Native American Heritage Month. The watch party will begin this evening at 7 pm MT.
“Gather” is an intimate portrait of the growing movement amongst Native Americans to reclaim their spiritual, political, and cultural identities through food sovereignty, while battling the trauma of centuries of genocide.
This is a free event, the link to register is available on the Virtual Open House page (link in bio).
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) 2020 Virtual Holiday Art Market, is now live at www.iaia.edu/marketplace for all of your holiday shopping needs. This is a great opportunity to purchase handmade items made exclusively by IAIA artists. In a time when small businesses are once again closed due to the latest statewide closures, it is especially important this year to shop small and shop local.
IAIA holds this art market annually during the holiday season, offering a wide variety of unique handmade items made by the talented members of the IAIA community. Despite the unconventional nature of this year’s market, it is our hope that we are able to highlight a more extensive selection of artists from our community than ever before, and ensure that there truly is something for everyone.
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for the 2020 Virtual Open House on Monday, November 16, 2020 through Friday, November 20, 2020. This event is free and open to the public with exclusive content launching daily, including various live streamed events.
Live streamed activities include a live bronze pour in the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building on Monday 10 am–12 pm, a live Indigenous Studies lecture with Dr. Porter Swentzell—the topic for the week is on the territorial period in New Mexico (1848–1912) as it relates to Pueblo peoples—on Monday 1–3:30 pm, a live Admissions Q&A session on Thursday 4–5 pm, and more. Other content will include webinars, virtual tours of the IAIA campus, panel discussions, demonstrations in the Fitness Center, IAIA Artist-in-Residence presentations, Native American Heritage Month celebrations, the annual Holiday Art Market featuring art made exclusively by IAIA community members, and student work including Performing Arts performances, Cinematic Arts and Technology work, Creative Writing readings, and student exhibitions. A full schedule will go live at www.iaia.edu/about/iaia-virtual-open-house/ on Monday, November 16, 2020 at 9 am.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the general public to visit IAIA’s beautiful campus—virtually—and discover more about our mission, programs, and the creative talents of our amazing faculty and students.”—IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation)
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Veterans Day this year is on Wednesday, November 11—it’s a holiday in which we take time to celebrate and honor the duty and sacrifice of persons who have served in the United States Armed Forces. It is due to their commitment that we continue to enjoy this country’s freedoms that we all treasure. Please join me in expressing gratitude to all veterans, and especially to the members of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) community for their service.
• Patrick Collins (Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan), IAIA Student, United States Marine Corps
• Lisette Irizarry (Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux of Montana), IAIA Student, United States Navy
• Melanie Buchleiter, Interim Registrar, United States Marine Corp Reserves
• Doug Bootes (Saponi Descendant), Adjunct Faculty
Wishing you a happy and safe holiday,
Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation)
IAIA President
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, registration is now open to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) community for IAIA Rock Your Mocs 2020—the first 50 to sign up will receive a t-shirt. The link to register is available via IAIA email.
Once registered, take a picture while Rocking Your Mocs November 15–21, 2020, and use the hashtags #IAIARockYourMocs and #IAIAHeritageMonth—and don’t forget to tag studentactivities_iaia.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for the 2020 Virtual Holiday Art Market, going live in conjunction with the IAIA Virtual Open House on Monday, November 16, 2020, and continuing through the holidays at www.iaia.edu/marketplace.
IAIA holds this art market annually during the holiday season, offering a wide variety of unique handmade items made by the talented members of the IAIA community. Despite the unconventional nature of this year’s market, it is our hope that we are able to highlight a more extensive selection of artists from our community than ever before, and ensure that there truly is something for everyone. This is a great opportunity to shop for gifts made exclusively by IAIA artists!
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for the 2020 Virtual Open House, Monday, November 16 through Friday, November 20—with exclusive content presented every day. The annual Open House features exhibitions and demonstrations of all types throughout the campus, with open studios and classrooms, allowing guests to discover more about our mission, programs, and community.
This year however, “visitors” will be able to take virtual tours of the campus, view a live bronze pour, attend live class sessions, join our student panel, purchase art from our community members, and more—all from the comfort of their home.
Register for the event now at www.iaia.edu/openhouse to be entered in a drawing for special prizes!
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
It‘s Election Day and today we are looking to the future—if you haven‘t already voted, get out there and ensure that your voice is heard! If you are registered to vote in the state of New Mexico, do not forget the New Mexico GO Bond C and Library Bond Issue B.
NM GO Bond C will provide funding to New Mexico‘s colleges, universities, and specialty schools ensuring students have the resources they need to get an education and succeed with no tax increase. It is also a good way to help revitalize our state‘s economy. NM GO Bond C will include $700,000 for the development of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts (RCCNA), with the mission of “Uniting Art, Artists, and Archives.”
Library Bond Issue B will provide $9,500,000—which includes $3 million each for public, academic, and public school libraries, and $500,000 for tribal libraries. Academic libraries will receive much needed funding to support the success of college and university students in New Mexico by providing 24/7 access to quality resources and information.
Vote for higher education!
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
On Wednesday, October 28, 2020, the Institute of American Indian Arts’ (IAIA) accrediting organization, The Higher Learning Commission, approved the school's application to launch an MFA Program in Studio Arts. This change is effective immediately, and the application process for the degree program will soon be available.
Studio Arts has been the primary focus of IAIA's Academic Programs for more than 50 years. Since IAIA opened its doors as a high school with a fine arts focus, students have engaged with nearly every artistic medium including painting, ceramics, jewelry, sculpture, printmaking, design, and photography. Almost from the start, potential students inquired when IAIA would be offering an MFA Program in Studio Arts—now the school can fulfill those requests.
Similar to the IAIA MFA in Creative Writing Program, the IAIA MFA in Studio Arts Program will be Low-Residency—with two intensive on-campus residency periods per year (Summer and Winter)—on the IAIA campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At the end of each nine-day on-campus residency, students will be paired with a Master Artist Mentor with whom they will work one-on-one, virtually, during the following 16-week semester. The mentorships are complemented by a series of online Art History courses as well as the intensive residencies offering artist lectures, professional workshops, exhibition and peer critique of work, and an opportunity to engage with a diverse community of artists. Students can graduate with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Studio Arts with the following areas of emphasis: Integrated Practice, Studio Arts 2D Practice, and Studio Arts 3D Practice.
“As the birthplace of Contemporary Native Arts, Studio Arts has been the flagship program for IAIA since its inception—and the offering of this graduate program is another milestone in the evolutionary development of IAIA's mission and programs.”—IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation)
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
Alumni Spotlight—Tony Abeyta (Navajo) ’86
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) alumnus and artist Tony Abeyta graduated from IAIA in 1986 with an Associate of Fine Arts degree, received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Maryland Institute College of Art, a Master of Fine Arts from New York University, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from IAIA in 2013. He also attended schools in Southern France and Florence, Italy.
Known for his contemporary mixed media paintings, he is most inspired by the New Mexico landscape. Abeyta’s work is included in multiple collections—including the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, Boston Fine Arts Museum, Heard Museum, New Mexico Fine Arts Museum, Denver Art Museum, Crocker Museum, the Autry Museum of the American West, and the Eiteljorg Museum—as well as several other public and private collections. A few of his awards include the 2012 “New Mexico Governor’s Excellence in the Arts” Award, the 2012 “Native Treasures Living Treasure” by the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and the 2018 “Gene Autry Memorial Award” from the Autry Museum of the American West. He lives and works in both Santa Fe, NM and Berkeley, CA.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
Due to inclement weather conditions, in-person classes at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) will be closing this afternoon at 3 pm, Monday, October 26, 2020. Inclement weather delays and closings impact only face-to-face class meetings—online classes will continue to meet as scheduled.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
#FlashbackFriday to the 2018 Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Holiday Art Market. IAIA holds this art market annually during the holiday season, offering a wide variety of unique handmade items made by the talented members of the IAIA community. This year however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the 2020 IAIA Holiday Art Market will be going virtual on Monday, November 16, 2020. Despite the unconventional nature of this year’s market, it is our hope that we are able to highlight a more extensive selection of artists from our community, and ensure that there truly is something for everyone.
The registration for vendors is currently open and free of charge. All that participants need to sign up is an email, up-to-date contact information, a functioning e-commerce site, and to be an IAIA community member which includes students, alumni, faculty, and staff members. To register as a vendor, visit www.iaia.edu/2020artmarketsignup.
For those who do not have a website and would like to build one to participate in the market, the Office of Institutional Advancement (OIA) will be offering classes through Continuing Education (CE) to help participants learn how to build and maintain their own e-commerce site. To sign up for these classes, visit www.iaia.edu/outreach/continuing-education (link in bio) or email IAIA Alumni Relations Officer Roanna Shebala (Diné/Zuni) at alumni@iaia.edu of you have any questions.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Alumni Spotlight—David Bradley (Chippewa) ’79
Artist and IAIA Alumnus David Bradley is known for his artwork that often conveys a political message concerning Native Americans. He has played a significant role not only in the advancement of Native American art, but also in the struggle for Native American rights. As a young man, Bradley joined the Peace Corps, living in Guatemala where he learned a new life outlook—“an experience with essentials”—that allowed him to better understand his heritage and “changed him forever.” After returning from the Peace Corps, he was drawn to the Southwest and attended IAIA, where he graduated first in his class with an AFA in sculpture, and then received his BA in Fine Arts from the College of Santa Fe in 1980. He also studied at the University of Arizona, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from IAIA in 2016.
Bradley has called his life and his art a symbolic vision quest. His work often expresses his philosophical and political ideas. As a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Bradley strongly believes that Natives need to reclaim their own identity and work politically to assure they will survive as a distinct culture.
Bradley has received numerous awards and fellowships, including recognition as the first artist to win the top awards in both the Fine Art categories of painting and sculpture at the Santa Fe Indian Market. Bradley has exhibited his work throughout the nation at some of the preeminent museums in the country.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
This week is #NationalCollegiateAlcoholAwarenessWeek, which aims to bring attention to issues posed by excessive drinking among college students. It’s no secret that partying and excessive drinking are often thought of as a part of college culture—and this year, with the added stresses that have come with COVID-19, we understand that the motivation to drink can be overwhelming. The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) wants to aid our students in making healthy choices, and provides multiple programs campus-wide to support the health and well being of our students. We encourage all students to utilize these services as needed.
One such department is the Prevention Program. Our campus prevention program is here to support our Tribal Arts College with a wide array of alcohol and substance use prevention activities, suicide prevention training, health education, and community resources to ensure the safety, success, and well being of our college community.
Programs are designed to promote realistic estimates of your peers’ and your own substance use, to increase your success and health, to reduce your risk, and to help achieve a thriving campus community free from the negative consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD). To learn more about the IAIA Prevention Program, visit www.iaia.edu/student-life/prevention/, or follow them at IAIA_Prevention.
Likewise, the IAIA Counseling Program is available to enrolled students as a student support service, and immediate family members living on campus may also qualify for services. These services include individual trauma-informed therapy, expressive arts, art therapy, talk therapy, and body-centered modalities to address a wide array of concerns that are common to the college experience. The Counseling Program also hosts an expressive arts group, “Well Being Through Expressive Arts,” every Wednesday at 4 pm (MDT). This group is open to all students, faculty, and staff—the Zoom link to join is available via IAIA email. To learn more about counseling at IAIA, visit www.iaia.edu/student-life/counseling/.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
In honor of #IndigenousPeoplesDay, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is featuring an alumni every day this week as part of our ongoing Alumni Spotlight Series. IAIA’s mission “to empower creativity and leadership in Native Arts and cultures through higher education, life-long learning, and outreach,” is more than a statement—it is the on-going objective of all that we do. These alumni embody our core values, and help to further our mission from an Indigenous perspective.
Alumni Spotlight—Patricia Michaels (Taos Pueblo) ’89
IAIA Alumna Patricia Michaels is an accomplished and respected haute couture fashion designer whose one-of-a-kind pieces transcend cultures and defy fashion trends. In 2012 she was featured on Bravo’s Emmy Award-winning “Project Runway” Season Eleven, where she won the first runner up title. Following her run on the show, she was asked back to be in “Project Runway Allstars” Season Four. Michaels was the first Native American contestant to compete on the show, and wanted to set an example and be a voice for Native American youth. She was also the first Native American to have a collection at the Lincoln Center during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City.
Michaels has received several awards during the span of her career, including the “Arts and Design Award” from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Board of Directors, “2013 Taos Citizen of the Year Award,” “Letter of Recognition of Achievements” by the New Mexico State Senator's Office and Senator Tom Udall, as well as multiple awards from SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market including “Best of Classification in Textiles,” first place in “Garments,” and first place in “Contemporary Fashion and Accessories” in 2011. She now runs her company, “PM Waterlily,” where she continues to design high-end and limited edition fashion using organic materials and hand-dying techniques while practicing cultural sustainability. She is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
In honor of #IndigenousPeoplesDay, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is featuring an alumni every day this week as part of our ongoing Alumni Spotlight Series. IAIA’s mission “to empower creativity and leadership in Native Arts and cultures through higher education, life-long learning, and outreach,” is more than a statement—it is the on-going objective of all that we do. These alumni embody our core values, and help to further our mission from an Indigenous perspective.
Alumni Spotlight—Santee Frazier (Cherokee Nation) ’06
IAIA Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing Director and author Santee Frazier received his BFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts, and his MFA from Syracuse University. Frazier is the author of poetry collections “Aurum” (University of Arizona Press, 2019) and “Dark Thirty” (University of Arizona Press, 2009), and his poems have appeared in “Ontario Review,” “American Poet,” and “Prairie Schooner,” among others. He has received fellowships from the Lannan Foundation, the School for Advanced Research, and the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
Effective tonight—Thursday, October 15, 2020 at 11:59 pm Hawaii Standard Time (HST)—the United States Census Bureau will halt the count for the 2020 United States Census. If you have not completed your census yet, don’t miss your opportunity to do so! Ten minutes right now will help sow the seeds for our future and determine where billions of dollars in federal funding will be distributed.
The census is a simple count of everyone in the United States, regardless of age, immigration status, or any other factor, and a census under count means cuts for Title I schools and school food programs, cuts for firefighters and first responders, less funding for improving roads, and reduced access to health care for the next ten years. It also impacts our political representation. It is critical that all voices are heard.
The census is important. Your responses are secure. Time is running out. Count everyone in your household today at www.2020census.gov.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
In honor of #IndigenousPeoplesDay, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is featuring an alumni every day this week as part of our ongoing Alumni Spotlight Series. IAIA’s mission “to empower creativity and leadership in Native Arts and cultures through higher education, life-long learning, and outreach,” is more than a statement—it is the on-going objective of all that we do. These alumni embody our core values, and help to further our mission from an Indigenous perspective.
Alumni Spotlight—Charlene Teters (Spokane) ’86
IAIA alumna, former Academic Dean, award-winning artist, educator, and activist Charlene Teters earned an AFA from IAIA, a BFA from the College of Santa Fe, and an MFA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. In addition, she was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Mitchell College in New London, CT.
She first gained national prominence as a graduate student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she led protests against the degrading depictions of Native Americans, which has led to a strong upswing in efforts to eliminate these mascots in the United States. This history of her activism is the subject of a nationally-aired award-winning documentary “In Whose Honor?” by Jay Rosenstein. She was one of the driving forces behind the recent decision to rename the Washington Football Team.
As an artist, Teters has a history of producing politically-impactful installations. During the 1999 SiteSantaFe Biennial “Looking for a Place,” artists were invited to participate with works focusing on place. Teters had observed that the Obelisk at the Santa Fe Plaza, which was partially inscribed with the term “savage Indians,” had been modified when someone chiseled away the word “savage.” Teters created her own obelisk which only contained the word “savage,” and placed it near the plaza. Her perspective on this installation is that it was not created to be confrontational—merely to spur discussion on the topic.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)
The twelfth annual SantaFeIndieFilmFest (SFiFF) begins today and the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is pleased to present the Indigenous Film Program. Running October 14-18, 2020, this year the film festival will take place at Motorama.SantaFe drive-in theater as well as virtually through the Virtual Film Festival.
The 2020 Indigenous Film Program includes the following selections:
• Indigenous Narrative Features—“Monkey Beach” directed by Loretta Todd, “Rustic Oracle” directed by Sonia Bonspille Boileau, “Juliana and the Medicine Fish” directed by Jeremy Torrie
• Indigenous Documentary Features—“My Dear Mother” directed by Paul-Anders Simma, “My Blood Is Red” directed by Various, “We Are Unarmed” directed by Gwendolen Cates
• SFiFF Indigenous Short Film Program—“Blackwater” directed by Boise Esquerra, “Border Nation” directed by Jason Jaacks, “Future Ancestor” directed by Josue Rivas, “Invasion: The Unist'ot'en's Fight for Sovereignty” directed by Michael Toledano and Sam Vinal, “Now Is The Time” directed by Christopher Auchter, “Nuxalk Radio” directed by Banchi Hanuse, “Tarcila: Indigenous Solutions to Climate Change from Peru” directed by Sarah Kuck, “Without A Whisper—Konnón kwe” directed by Katsitsionni Fox
• New Mexico Features: Indigenous Films—“Seekers” directed by Aurore Vullierme, “FUKRY” directed by Blackhorse Lowe
• New Mexico Shorts: Indigenous Films—New Mexico Narrative Short Program (“4 Years to Infinite” directed by Jordana Bass, “Part of a Balanced Breakfast” directed by Jordan Rae Herron, “They Return” directed by Lonnie R Begaye), New Mexico Documentary Short Program (“Lloyd ‘Kiva’ New: An American Entrepreneur” directed by Nathaniel Fuentes)
• 2020 IAIA Student Short Program—“Sister” directed by Jedadiah Richards, “Tomena” directed by Gary Medina Cook, “Sage Me Not” directed by Erik Sanchez, “The Show” directed by Leroy Grafe, “Broduce” directed by Carrie Dada
For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.santafeindependentfilmfestival.com.
Photograph from “Invasion: The Unist'ot'en's Fight for Sovereignty” directed by Michael Toledano and Sam Vinal
VISIT THE COVID-19 PAGE
View the COVID-19 resource page on the IAIA website.