IAIA Together Apart
Keeping the IAIA community connected
#IAIATogetherApart on Instagram
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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 [email protected]
The IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) program is accepting applications for 2023, and the deadline to apply is Wednesday, October 5, 2022 at midnight (MDT). The A-i-R program hosts Native and First Nations artists for variable-length residencies for art-making and interaction with IAIA students, staff, faculty, and the greater Santa Fe arts community. Residencies take place on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Campus in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
For more information about the A-i-R program and to apply, visit www.iaia.edu/artist-in-residence, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Save the date for the 2022 IAIA Powwow on Saturday, October 1, 2022, from 11:00 am–5:00 pm (MDT). This free outdoor event is open to the public on the IAIA Campus at 83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508. Grand Entry begins at noon in the IAIA Dance Circle, and food, drink, and art sales will be provided by the IAIA Community. Visitors may bring their own lawn chairs, and umbrellas and canopies are allowed with available open spaces.
Learn more at www.iaia.edu/event/iaia-2022-fall-powwow/, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), the birthplace of contemporary Native American art, has a slate of exciting and educational events coming up on October 16 and 17. As we continue our celebration of IAIA’s 60-year and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts’ (MoCNA) 50-year anniversaries, we invite everyone to enjoy an art opening for The Stories We Carry with an anniversary cake-cutting ceremony at MoCNA, and a day-long symposium about the history of IAIA on the college’s campus just south of Santa Fe.
Learn more about the MoCNA Opening Reception for The Stories We Carry on Sunday, October 16 from 3:00 pm–5:00 pm (MDT) at www.iaia.edu/event/mocna-opening-reception-for-the-stories-we-carry/, link in bio.
For more information about the IAIA Making History Symposium on Monday, October 17 from 8:30 am–5:00 pm (MDT) and to register for this event, visit www.iaia.edu/event/iaia-making-history-symposium/, link in bio.
Image credit: Denise Wallace (Chugach Aleut), Craftsperson Belt, 1992, ivory, gemstones, silver. IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Collection: AT-58. Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) for our 2022 Open House events this Wednesday, September 21, 2022. This event is the perfect opportunity for anyone interested in IAIA or SFCC to learn about our missions, programs, and all we have to offer to the Santa Fe community.
Join SFCCNM 11 am–3 pm to tour art studios, the SFCC greenhouse, Algae/Biofuels Lab, and view demonstrations of all types including at the planetarium and the Science on Sphere® Theater. Visit the Culinary Arts Garden for free produce and enjoy Frito pies from the East Wing Eatery while grooving to the sounds of DJ Manny Godsey.
Visit IAIA 1–5 pm to tour the campus and attend demonstrations including ceramics/raku firing, painting, glass blowing, fab lab, photography, and more. See Performing Arts, Creative Writing, and Digital Dome performances, or go by the auditorium to see IAIA’s “Making History” documentary film. Stop in to the Library and pick up a few books at the Library Book Sale or pick up official IAIA merch from the Campus Bookstore Sale. Visit the IAIA Land-Grant Garden to meet the IAIA Thunder Bees and participate in amaranth harvesting. Then wrap up the day at IAIA’s Bon Appétit Café where dinner will be served from 4–6 pm for $12 per person.
For the full lists of IAIA and SFCC Open House events, or to tune into the 2022 IAIA Open House livestream, visit www.iaia.edu/about/iaia-2022-open-house, link in bio.
Photograph by Nicole Lawe, Institute of American Indian Arts
This year represented a return to form for the Southwestern Association of Indian Arts (SWAIA) Centennial Santa Fe Indian Market, which had been operating at a reduced capacity for the last two years. More than 800 artists from over 200 tribes across the Americas participated in this year’s event, as did dancers, musicians, and authors, many of whom have ties to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA).
Read about how the InstituteofAmericanIndianArts, IAIAMoCNA, and the greater IAIA Community continued Making History during the 2022 SWAIA SantaFeIndianMarket at www.iaia.edu/iaia-making-history-during-swaias-indian-market/, link in bio.
Image: Ribbon Short Dress, 2016 by Jamie Okuma (Luiseño, Shoshone-Bannock, and Wailaki) j.okuma, photograph by Nicole Lawe (Karuk)
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Fall 2022 Continuing Education course schedule is now available including art, business, and creative writing classes, and we are adding new courses regularly. We have come a long way over the past few years and continue to provide public programming that reflects IAIA’s mission and vision, “To empower creativity and leadership in Native arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and outreach.”
Sign up for a course now at www.iaia.edu/cecourses, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is proud to sponsor the upcoming CloudTop Comedy Festival’s Indigenous Showcase —A Celebration of New Mexico’s Indigenous Comedians, which will take place on September 16, 2022, at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market in the Santa Fe Railyard. The comedians are IAIA alum Adrianne Chalepah (Kiowa and Apache), Ricardo Caté (Kewa Pueblo), Cory Herrera (Cochiti Pueblo), and Josh Fournier (Diné).
Learn more about CloudTopComedy Festival and the Indigenous Showcase at www.cloudtopcomedy.com/indigenous-showcase, link in bio.
Images courtesy of CloudTop Comedy Festival
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) would like to thank our generous sponsors, donors, artists, and art collectors who came together for an important fundraising event and auction at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe on August 17. This extraordinary event raised vital funds for student scholarships while celebrating IAIA’s sixtieth anniversary and the fiftieth year of IAIA’s Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA). The event reached beyond La Fonda’s ballroom and across continents to raise over $834,000 for student scholarships—and we continue to receive contributions for this annual initiative supporting student success.
As IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation) said in a recent op-ed published in the Santa Fe New Mexican, “the Scholarship Event is one of the most important events we hold all year. […] We depend on scholarships […] because we want our students to graduate debt free, and it’s motivating for them to know that somebody cares enough to invest in their futures.”
To further extend the impact of the event, the online auction at www.iaia.edu/bid will remain open until September 1 at 5 pm (MDT). Every auction purchase supports student scholarships—follow the link in our bio to bid now. Every gift of support, regardless of its size, makes a difference for our students.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Today is the last chance to bid in the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Making History online auction. IAIA’s online auction features 60 works of contemporary Indigenous artworks created by IAIA’s talented alumni and artist community, including this “Thunderbird Fetish Olla” glass piece by Adrian Wall (Jemez Pueblo) ’14, Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo) ’76, and Jody Naranjo (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’90. The online auction closes tonight, Wednesday, August 17 at 11:30 pm (MDT), shortly after the live event concludes.
“Thunderbird Fetish Olla” is is based on one of Jojola’s olla designs, and inspired by the work of legendary glass artist Dale Chihuly, who helped establish IAIA’s glass program. Tony Jojola, a renowned glass artist in his own right, was one of the first IAIA students to study under Chihuly. Tewa potter Jody Naranjo is known for the sgraffito patterns she carves into her hand-coiled pots—an element the collaborators incorporated into their glass olla by carving a strip of symbols she designed. Wall added a series of sculpted glass fetishes around the neck of the vessel. “From Chihuly teaching in the 70s until now, the history of glass at IAIA is really profound. It’s exciting to be part of this project and help bring it full circle,” says Wall. “IAIA has a legacy of producing some amazing artists, and the financial support that the auction pieces provide is invaluable.”
Visit www.iaia.edu/bid (link in bio) now to register and bid on items, and together we can help IAIA students by providing much-needed scholarship support.
Filmed and edited by Frosley Fowler (Diné) '16
“Student scholarships. I was dependent on them. They supported my journey through IAIA, and they were vital. Now, look at me and my peers. If we hadn’t had that support, we wouldn’t be on the journey we’re on and making the change we’re making.”—Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’18
Bidding is open for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Making History online auction. IAIA’s online auction features 60 works of contemporary Indigenous artworks created by IAIA’s talented alumni and artist community, including this collaborative mixed-media piece, “In This Together,” by IAIA alums Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’18, April Holder (Sac and Fox Nation) ’08, and Marty Two Bulls Jr. (Oglala Lakota) ’11. The online auction closes Wednesday, August 17 at 11:30 pm (MDT), shortly after the live event concludes.
Simpson says, “I thought really deeply about how we all are incredibly vital voices for this collective chorus of expression. We are all very different in our voices, but each one is vital. I really think about how much I value my peers, my contemporaries, the people I went to school with, and the conversations and the communities we were building in the classroom and outside the classroom—how grateful I am for their work in the world and how grateful that I am that IAIA provided the platform for this incredible community that we have. This piece honors how all our voices together create a chorus that is vital for IAIA’s note, the tone, the sounds that we make. I look through the history of IAIA, and I’m a descendent of IAIA people.”
Visit www.iaia.edu/bid now to register and bid on items, and together we can help IAIA students by providing much-needed scholarship support.
Filmed and edited by Frosley Fowler (Diné) ‘16
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and AMPConcerts this evening, August 15, 2022, at 6 pm (MDT), for a free show at the Santa Fe Plaza, located in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico. The Indigenous Showcase, sponsored by IAIA, will feature performances by local Indigenous musicians Joe Tohonnie Jr. and the White Mountain Apache Crown Dancers and Ailani, and readings by IAIA alums Sharon “DezBaa’” Henderson (Diné) ’21 and Chelsea T. Hicks (Osage) ’20.
Photograph of Lindy Vision performance during the 2021 Indigenous Showcase by Jason S. Ordaz
Are you ready for the 2022 IAIA Student and Recent Graduate Art Market?
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) under the IAIAMoCNA portal for this annual art market, held August 20–21, from 8 am–5 pm (MDT) alongside SWAIA’s one-hundredth annual SantaFeIndianMarket. IAIA students and recent graduates will be showing work in this year’s Art Market, and proceeds from booth fees will go to the IAIA Museum Club.
Learn more at www.iaia.edu/event/2022-iaia-student-and-recent-graduate-art-market/, link in bio.
“This is a unique story, and a specific story, that I feel can only be told from an Indigenous person’s perspective and a curatorial perspective that is very much involved with the artists and designers that are included in this show. There are all these histories, nuances, and stories that have not been written about—that have not come to the surface.”—Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika Nation)
Join IAIAMoCNA for the “Art of Indigenous Fashion” exhibition opening on Friday, August 19, from 5–7 pm (MDT), which offers insights into the approaches and perspectives of Indigenous designers beyond the visual and material qualities of their work.
“Art of Indigenous Fashion” guest curator, InstituteofAmericanIndianArts Art History instructor, and SWAIA SantaFeIndianMarket Fashion Show director Amber-Dawn Bear Robe (Siksika Nation) invites guests to celebrate the creativity and excitement of style by showing up and showing out. “I’m encouraging people to come in their finest, to come in their bling, to get outrageous with their style and fashion, and to have fun with this show,” says Bear Robe. Guests at the reception will include designers featured in the exhibition and presenting their work at SWAIA, actors from the Showtime television series Dark Winds, and in-demand fashion models, including actress, model, and activist AshleyCallingbull (Enoch Cree Nation), who, in 2015, became the first Indigenous person to win the Mrs. Universe pageant.
Learn more and watch the full video at www.iaia.edu/show-up-and-show-out-at-the-art-of-indigenous-fashion-opening-reception-at-mocna/, link in bio.
Bidding is now open for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Making History online auction. IAIA’s online auction features 60 works of contemporary Indigenous artworks created by IAIA’s talented alumni and artist community, including this Hero and Legends Cape by IAIA alum Wendy Ponca (Osage) ’78. The online auction closes Wednesday, August 17 at 11:30 pm (MDT), shortly after the live event concludes.
Declared a Hero and Legend of Osage County by the Osage County Historical Society (OCHS) in 2020, Ponca is an Oklahoma-based artist, educator, fashion designer, and community leader. Ponca is also considered a hero among the students and faculty who studied and worked with her during her nearly two-decade career as an instructor at IAIA.
When asked to contribute artwork to IAIA’s 60-year anniversary scholarship fundraiser art auction, Ponca drew inspiration from her OCHS award in creating the Hero and Legends Cape. “I chose this title because I think everyone who graduates from IAIA is a hero and a legend,” says Ponca, who believes that today’s Indigenous students face challenges that render scholarship support essential to their academic success.
Visit www.iaia.edu/bid (link in bio) now to register and bid on items, and together we can help IAIA students by providing much-needed scholarship support.
Filmed and edited by Frosley Fowler (Diné) ‘16
With so many Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) alumni giving back during this landmark year, Monte Yellow Bird Sr. (Arikara and Hidatsa) ’78, also known as Black Pinto Horse, is one of many going above and beyond. An active IAIA Foundation Board member, Yellow Bird Sr. is contributing collaborative and solo art pieces to both the live and online auctions.
“IAIA Family,” Yellow Bird’s collaborative piece, is the result of an ambitious undertaking. Yellow Bird, an accomplished ledger artist, is collaborating with ledger artist and illustrator Don Montileaux (Oglala Sioux) ’66 and current IAIA student James Black (Cheyenne) on a cross-generational piece by artists from three different decades of IAIA’s history.
“Don is a prominent and diverse artist and a ledger artist as well. He’s a Lakota from South Dakota who went to school at IAIA in the 1960s, and James is an up-and-coming artist,” says Yellow Bird. “Together, we’re sharing three pieces of our experiences of what IAIA has to offer to the world.”
Yellow Bird believes donating to IAIA scholarships is a wise investment in a life-changing educational opportunity for Indigenous students. “We talk about Ivy League schools as the best. In my mind, IAIA is an Ivy League school. It’s the most prestigious institute of its kind in the world,” he says.
The live auction of this and other collaborative pieces by prominent IAIA artists will take place on Wednesday, August 17, beginning at 7:45 pm (MDT). Bidders can participate live in Santa Fe, NM, at La Fonda on the Plaza or through online, phone, or absentee bidding. Our Making History online auction (which includes Yellow Bird’s solo piece) begins on August 8 at 10 am (MDT) and closes at 11:30 pm (MDT) on August 17. You can view the auction artworks and place your bids online or select from the “Buy it Now!” options.
Register to bid, sign up for free online access to the auction, or purchase one of the few seats left to attend in person at La Fonda on the Plaza at www.iaia.edu/support/2022-iaia-making-history-scholarship-event/, link in bio.
Image: Monte Yellow Bird Sr., Don Montileaux, and James Black, “IAIA Family,” 2022, image courtesy of the artists
Two outstanding students in the Institute of American Indian Arts’ Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing (MFACW) program have been awarded scholarships of $10,000 each from Warner Bros. Discovery Access wbdaccess. The Warner Bros. Discovery Access Scholarship is annually awarded to second-year Indigenous MFACW students with a concentration in Screenwriting. The scholarship committee recognized Cressandra Thibodeaux (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians) and Sabrina Saleha (Diné) for their promising TV pilot screenplays and commitment to advancing visibility, opportunities, and intellectual property rights for Indigenous people in the television and film industries. As Warner Bros. Discovery Access Scholarship winners, these talented women will use their award funds to reach their educational and professional goals as screenwriters.
Read the full story at www.iaia.edu/two-iaia-master-of-fine-arts-in-creative-writing-students-awarded-warner-bros-discovery-scholarship/, link in bio.
Photographs courtesy of the artists
Collaboration. Excellence. Creativity. Respect. Integrity.
These are the core values of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), and we are looking for driven individuals who share this passion. Available openings include Provost, Accounts Payable and Payroll Specialist, Recruiter, and more.
Learn more about careers at IAIA and apply at www.iaia.edu/about/employment/, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason. S Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) alums and rising contemporary art stars Cannupa Hanska Luger (Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara, and Lakota) ’11 cannupahanska and Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’18 rosebsimpson were recently profiled in The New York Times Magazine. Both are multidisciplinary artists whose work across sculpture, installation, and performance breaks far free of stereotypical nineteenth-century definitions of “Native American Art” and demonstrates the fierce criticality, fearless experimentation, and thoughtful reflectiveness that former IAIA President Lloyd Kiva New encouraged in founding the school. Their NYT Magazine profiles include interviews with the artists, and Luger’s features photographs by fellow IAIA alum Cara Romero (Chemehuevi Indian Tribe) ’05 cararomerophotography.
Speaking of Romero and Simpson, both are contributing works to IAIA’s upcoming Making History Scholarship Auction. Cara Romero has donated a print of her panoramic Making History photograph, which features instructors, artists, and staff representing IAIA’s six decades of existence, including Luger, Simpson, and Romero herself. Rose B. Simpson is working with fellow alums Marty Two Bulls Jr. (Oglala Lakota) ’11 mtwobullsjr and April Holder (Sac and Fox Nation) ’08 aeon_fluxus to produce what is sure to be a stunning mixed-media collaboration.
Follow the links in our bio to learn more about the IAIA Making History Scholarship Event and Auction and to read the articles on these IAIA alumni who are “Making History.”
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
IAIA Continuing Education (CE) seeks beginner and experienced instructors to propose and offer online and in-person classes for Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) students, alumni, and community members. IAIA Continuing Education is committed to providing comprehensive training and adult education for the advancement and growth in workforce skills, lifelong learning, and empowerment through community-based learning opportunities. Continuing Education programming can include courses, workshops, training sessions, conferences, and symposia formats. Learn more about Continuing Education and its mission “to offer IAIA students and community members a wide variety of workshops and seminars, from an Indigenous perspective, that supplement and enhance creative, cultural, and historical learning” at www.iaia.edu/outreach/continuing-education, link in bio.
For more information or to request a course proposal form, contact IAIA Continuing Education Manager Patty Armstrong at [email protected]
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Co-founder and longtime President of the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), Lloyd Kiva New, once predicted, “Indian art of the future will be in new forms, produced in new media and with new technological methods. The end result will be as Indian as the Indian.” Daveishena Redhouse (Diné) is among the current IAIA students fulfilling this prediction today. She has become the first Indigenous student to learn how to use Vicon’s motion capture technology for animation.
Redhouse can see the way towards a future where Indigenous stories are told by Indigenous artists “the right way,” with respect and proper representation—and where Indigenous creators get credit for their work. “Our voices will be heard, and we can correct those wrongs and stereotypes that Hollywood has perpetuated.”
Read more about Vicon Motion Systems, Ltd. viconmocap and how Redhouse plans to use this new technology on the IAIA campus at www.iaia.edu/iaias-new-motion-capture-studio-skyrockets-creative-possibilities, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Construction and renovations have been completed on a portion of the IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts (RCCNA) in the Academic Building on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus. The project, managed by Larry Mirabal, IAIA’s Vice President of Operations, added 9,400 square feet to the Academic Building. The addition added eight new office spaces, a fabrication lab, a conservation lab, a science lab, and a film studio. Additionally, the printmaking and photography studios were expanded. This initiative parallels IAIA’s commitment to students and higher education, making room for future educational and research activities.
To learn more about the IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts, visit www.iaia.edu/research-center, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Tomorrow is the deadline to apply for two significant scholarships for Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) students seeking degrees in Cinematic Arts & Technology or certificates in Broadcast Journalism—the George R.R. Martin Literary Foundation Scholarships and NBCUAcademy Scholarship. These valuable scholarships offer incoming, transfer, and continuing IAIA students opportunities to advance their career goals while making a college education more affordable.
Friends and current students Adensunset Gerart Levy and Erik S. Sanchez (Shoalwater Bay Tribe) are both past recipients of George R.R. Martin scholarships whose educational and creative experiences have benefited significantly from the aid they received. Levy received a Newcomer scholarship in 2019 for a three-act play he revised into a screenplay. He says that receiving the scholarship helped him decide to attend IAIA and focus on film. After studying performing arts in high school, Levy says choosing to major in Cinematic Arts & Technology “was a paradigm shift” he was encouraged to make by receiving the scholarship. The award helped him pay tuition and confirmed that he was on the right path.
Erik S. Sanchez is entering his final semester at IAIA this fall. He was awarded a Proven Storyteller scholarship last year. Sanchez has used his funds for research materials—including several movie streaming service subscriptions—and to cover household bills which has lessened his stress levels. Sanchez says that his time spent watching movies has helped him identify the genres and styles he prefers and develop a vision for his future projects. The “comfortable financial space” the scholarship created allowed him to focus exclusively on his studies and maintain a 4.0 GPA.
These scholarships are intended for individuals whose dedication to story-telling—especially Indigenous people telling Indigenous stories—is manifested through film, video, and other broadcast media. The deadline is Friday, July 22, 2022, at 8 am (MDT)—follow the link in bio to learn more and apply today.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) on Friday, July 22, 2022 from 5–7 pm (MDT) for “Finding the Center: Selected Works From the MFASA Class of 2023.” Presented by the IAIA Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts (MFASA) program, this is an exhibition of work as part of the MFASA 2022 summer residency, which will be made public for one day in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery on the IAIA campus at 83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
Participating MFASA Artists:
• Amanda Beardsley (Choctaw, Chickasaw, Laguna, Seneca, Mescalero Apache, Hopi, and German)
• Madelynn Boyiddle-Schoel (Kiowa, Western Delaware, and Scotch-Irish)
• Nika Feldman
• Angélica M. García
• Shane Hendren (Navajo)
• Susanna Mireles-Mankus
• Margarita Paz-Pedro (Mexican-American, Laguna Pueblo, and Santa Clara Pueblo)
• Dominick Porras
• Carmen Selam (Yakama and Comanche)
• Joseph Seymour, Jr. (Squaxin Island and Pueblo of Acoma)
For more information about the MFASA summer residency, visit www.iaia.edu/event/finding-the-center-selected-works-from-the-mfasa-class-of-2023/, link in bio.
Image: still from “Simulation: Voladores,” 2021, 3D animation by Dominick Porras
Join the InstituteofAmericanIndianArts (IAIA) and the SantaFeBotanicalGarden on August 31 from 6:30–8 pm (MDT) as we welcome Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), acclaimed author of “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants.” Dr. Kimmerer will give a public presentation from the IAIA campus, and while the in-person event is sold out, guests can tune into the event via livestream on the IAIA website and the official IAIA Facebook page.
Dr. Kimmerer, a botanist, embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers, a sentiment reflected in traditional Indigenous farming practices. IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation) says that “Dr. Kimmerer’s approach to Indigenous land practices and ethics aligns with IAIA’s philosophy of incorporating ancestral knowledge with Western techniques to help sustain our communities’ livelihoods for future generations.”
Dr. Kimmerer’s visit to Santa Fe is generously underwritten by the Institute of American Indian Arts, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Paul Eitner and Denise Roy (in association with the Santa Fe Botanical Garden), and other supporters in the community.
Learn more and tune into the livestream at www.iaia.edu/event/talk-with-author-dr-robin-wall-kimmerer/, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
The IAIA Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts (MFASA) program presents “Finding the Center,” a series of public talks by prominent Indigenous scholars and artists, as part of its 2022 summer residency.
The hour-long talks will be livestreamed July 18–22 on the IAIA website and the official IAIA Facebook page, with the exception of Sky Hopinka’s presentation, which will be in person at the CCASantaFe at 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87505.
MFASA Public Talks:
• July 18, 4 pm (MDT): Raymond Boisjoly (Haida)—Livestream
• July 19, 5 pm (MDT): Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation and Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians)—In-Person at CCA
• July 20, 10 am (MDT): Nora Naranjo Morse (Santa Clara Pueblo)—Livestream
• July 20, 2 pm (MDT): Ashley Holland (Cherokee Nation)—Livestream
• July 22, 10 am (MDT): Will Wilson (Diné)—Livestream
Additionally, the opening reception for the exhibition by the first-year MFASA students, also titled “Finding the Center,” happens on Friday, July 22, 5–7 pm (MDT), in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery on the IAIA campus at 83 Avan Nu Po Road, Santa Fe, NM 87508.
Learn more at www.iaia.edu/mfasa-public-talks-finding-the-center/, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
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View the COVID-19 resource page on the IAIA website.