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) ...

Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for the 2022 IAIA Honorary Social Powwow on Saturday, May 14, 2022, from 12–4 pm (MDT) in the IAIA Dance Circle as we honor our graduates immediately following Commencement.

The 2022 IAIA Commencement Ceremony is by invitation only and will be livestreamed from Facebook and the IAIA website along with the powwow—however, we invite all to join us in person on the IAIA Campus as we dance and celebrate at the powwow.

IAIA students and alumni, there are still vendor spots left for those who would like to have a booth. For more information and to receive an application, please email Student Success Advisor Ryan Young (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) ‘19 at [email protected]

Learn more at www.iaia.edu/event/2022-iaia-commencement-ceremony/, link in bio.

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

Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Department of Cinematic Arts & Technology in partnership with StagecoachFdn and the JeanCocteauCinema for the tenth annual IAIA Student Filmmaker Showcase at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe, New Mexico on Thursday, May 12 at 6:30 pm (MDT).

This showcase features a selection of films produced during the 2021-2022 academic year, including senior projects. A Q&A with the filmmakers and presentation of the Audience Award will follow the screening.

Learn more at www.iaia.edu/event/iaia-tenth-annual-student-filmmaker-showcase/, link in bio.

Image created using original photograph by Lonnie R. Begaye (Diné) ‘21 lonnie_ron98 ...

Please join us in celebrating a new collaboration between the Institute of American Indian Arts’ (IAIA) Land-Grant and the Jane Goodall Institute’s (JGI) USA Roots & Shoots programs. Together, IAIA and JaneGoodallInst RootsAndShoots teams will expand their essential work in Indigenous communities. The private launch event for the partnership will be livestreamed to Facebook and the IAIA website from the IAIA campus on Thursday, May 12, 2022 from 5–7 pm (MDT). The event will feature several special guest speakers, including Dr. Jane Goodall herself.

Learn more and tune into the livestream at www.iaia.edu/rooted-in-traditional-indigenous-ways-of-knowing-a-collaboration-between-iaia-and-the-jane-goodall-institute-usa/, link in bio.

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

Are you signed up for the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) monthly newsletter?

Opt in now and be the first to hear about recent news and past, current, and upcoming happenings at IAIA like this week‘s events at IAIA including the 2022 IAIA Commencement Ceremony and Graduation Powwow, the IAIA and Jane Goodall Institute partnership launch event, the tenth annual Cinematic Arts & Technology Student Showcase, and so much more!

View the May 2022 newsletter and join the mailing list to never miss an update at www.mailchi.mp/iaia.edu/iaia-newsletter-may-2022, link in bio.

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

Have you reserved your tickets for “Sneaky,” presented by the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Performing Arts Department?

This student production dedicated to Assiniboine playwright, William S. Yellow Robe Jr., is tonight and tomorrow night, May 6–7 at 6 pm (MDT), in the IAIA black box theater, and there are tickets still available. Each evening performance kicks off with Yellow Robe’s one-act play, “Sneaky,” and continues with a series of short plays and vignettes by Yellow Robe and IAIA students.

Please join us in celebrating his work and the artistic excellence of IAIA’s Performing Arts students. To learn more and reserve tickets for this free event, visit www.iaia.edu/event/iaia-performing-arts-presents-sneaky-perf-1/, link in bio.

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

Please join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) virtually for the 2022 IAIA Commencement Ceremony and Graduation Powwow on Saturday, May 14, 2022, at 10 am (MDT).

Due to the ongoing pandemic, the Commencement Ceremony and Powwow are by invitation only and not open to the general public—however, a livestream of the event will be available on the IAIA website and official Facebook page.

Learn more about this event at www.iaia.edu/event/2022-iaia-commencement-ceremony/, link in bio.

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

#MayTheFourthBeWithYou!

Here is a throwback to “Indigenous Futurisms: Transcending Past/Present/Future,” a past exhibition from the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) IAIAMoCNA which included plenty of #StarWars inspired artwork.

This exhibition highlights artworks that present the future from a Native perspective, and illustrates the use of cosmology and science as part of tribal oral history and ways of life. The works in this exhibition create awareness about how cultural knowledge and tribal philosophies are connected to the universe, science, and the future.

Learn more about “Indigenous Futurisms” on this #StarWarsDay at www.iaia.edu/event/indigenous-futurisms-transcending-past-present-future/, link in bio.

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

Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) virtually on Wednesday, April 27 from 12:15–1 pm (MDT) for the first installment of the IAIA Alumni Voices speaker series with traditional woodcarver, jeweler, and designer Nathan Paul Jackson (Chilkoot-Tlingit) ’63.

IAIA, the birthplace of contemporary Native American art, has been the educational home of esteemed, innovative artists, writers, filmmakers, performers, and leaders since 1962. In IAIA Alumni Voices, we will hear first-hand stories about former students’ experiences through the decades. Please join us for these engaging and provocative livestreamed discussions to learn how, since its inception, IAIA has been Making History.

IAIA Alumni Voices happens on the last Wednesday of each month. The event will be livestreamed on the IAIA website and Facebook page. Each session will include a Q&A period. Learn more at www.iaia.edu/event/iaia-alumni-voices-nathan-paul-jackson/, link in bio. ...

Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for a session of poetry, prose, and more presented by IAIA’s powerful, innovative, and vital student voices. These readings from “Burn to Emerge”—the 2022 edition of the annual student Anthology of multidisciplinary art and writing—will take place on Tuesday, April 26, from 2–3 pm (MDT) both in-person on the IAIA Campus and virtually on IAIA‘s website and official Facebook page.

Visit www.iaia.edu/event/burn-to-emerge-2022-student-anthology/ (link in bio) to livestream this event and view previous editions of the IAIA Anthology.

Image design by Shantel Chee and Nami Okuzono ...

We’re thrilled to announce that the InstituteofAmericanIndianArts (IAIA) is partnering with JaneGoodallInst (JGI) RootsAndShoots to support the efforts of young changemakers in Indigenous communities of Northern New Mexico. As part of this exciting new partnership, JGI will be offering a summer internship to one IAIA student and five to eight mini-grants to local Indigenous youth. As Jane always says, every individual makes an impact. By combining our efforts and centering Indigenous ways of knowing, we multiply that impact in vital ways.

Seen here is a lovely photo of two visionaries—Dr. Jane Goodall and Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee), President of IAIA.

Learn more about the partnership at www.iaia.edu (link in instituteofamericanindianarts bio).

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

**THE APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2022.**

The IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) program is accepting applications for the Fall 2022 semester. 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, or follow the link in our bio.

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

In its ongoing mission “to empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous Arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and outreach,” the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is pleased to announce the formation of a new partnership with the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) calarts. The partnership will allow the schools to collaborate and influence each other through student and faculty exchanges.

“CalArts is at the beginning of a process of Indigenization,” says Dr. Chad Hamill, CalArts President’s Fellow for Indigenous Arts and Expression. “We're looking to learn from IAIA how best to approach that.” While IAIA can provide guidance to CalArts in its Indigenization efforts, CalArts, located in the Greater Los Angeles area, will offer IAIA students accessibility to cutting-edge art-making technologies.

Felipe Colón (Laguna Pueblo), IAIA Academic Dean, explains the history that has led to this partnership saying, “IAIA has long had informal community connections with CalArts through our students, alumni, and faculty. Through this partnership, we will build a reciprocal and collaborative relationship for the future.”

CalArts is a private, nonprofit interdisciplinary art institute offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in traditional and digital media arts, filmmaking, performance, and music. The school has deep ties to animation and film studios, theatrical and music industries, and experience design companies.

For now, the agreement is in its exploratory stages. Its structure will form organically over time and in response to the needs and desires of both communities.

Read the full story at www.iaia.edu (link in instituteofamericanindianarts bio).

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

Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) for an opening reception for “Crossing the Realm,” the IAIA 2022 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition. The reception is on Friday, April 15, from 6–8 pm in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery on the IAIA Campus—light dinner and refreshments will be served. The event will also be live streamed on the IAIA website and Facebook page.

“Crossing the Realm” is a culmination of the students’ final semester, where they worked closely with advisors, faculty, staff, and colleagues to create and articulate their conceptually driven body of work. This exhibition represents a capstone to their course of study as well as their academic experience, and runs through May 13, 2022.

Participating Students: Victoria Canby (Diné), Shan Ching Lu, Monika Guerra (Mexican-American), Arielle Mills, Michelle Preslik, Derek Santos (Oglala Lakota)

Learn more at www.iaia.edu/event/crossing-the-realm-iaia-2022-spring-graduating-senior-exhibition-opening-reception/, or follow the link in our bio.

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

IAIA shoots for the Moon—lands on Mars!

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is thrilled to announce our newest and most exciting venture—the IAIA Indigenous Arts Space Academy (IASA). We proudly declare that the sky is no longer the limit in this first-of-its-kind program!

IASA is a high-residency, low-gravity Artist-in-Residence program that offers artists, writers, filmmakers, astrologers, and performers the opportunity to ponder the state of our global community from an extraterrestrial perspective through the gift of time and (outer) space. At our Mars-based IASA studio, artists can find the pin-drop silence they need for focused work and creative exploration, because in space no one can hear you hammer, type, paint, dance, sing, or scream.

Construction of our on-campus, LEED-certified (Leaders in Exiting Earth’s Domain) launchpad begins soon, and we anticipate our first Mars mission to be all-systems-go on April 1, 2025. The launchpad and a state-of-the-art ARTstronaut Training Center will be located in the southeast corner of the IAIA campus just off Avan Nu Po Road.

Interested artists should submit a portfolio of five to ten examples of their work, a CV, a statement explaining how their time at IASA will benefit their practice, and a doctor’s note certifying their fitness for space travel. The selection process will occur in two phases. A jury of curators, art historians, engineers, and astronauts will review the applications and choose three semi-finalists to undergo ARTstronaut training. From those three, one finalist will be chosen for IASA’s literally out-of-this-world creative experience.

For more information, please consult a calendar. Happy #AprilFools Day! While we will not actually be sending anyone into space, we hope this silly message encourages you to dream big, invest in your limitless potential, and imagine possibilities that stretch beyond the stratosphere!

Download the IASA logo at www.iaia.edu/iaia-shoots-for-the-moon-lands-on-mars/, link in bio. ...

Happy #WorldPoetryDay!

On Wednesday, March 2, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) held a small private ceremony for United States Poet Laureate, author, musician, and IAIA Alumna Joy Harjo (Mvskoke Nation) ’68. Now serving her third consecutive term as United States Poet Laureate, joyharjoforreal was in town to speak at the New Mexico Museum of Art newmexicoartmuseum to share poetry inspired by the revitalization of the exhibit, “Here, Now and Always.” One of its core permanent exhibitions, “Here, Now, and Always,” has been reimagined and will reopen this summer at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC) indianartsculture.

Before the speaking engagement, IAIA community members gathered in the Anne and Loren Kieve Gallery at IAIAMoCNA to honor and sing for Harjo, who has served as an inspiration to Indian country and an exemplary ambassador to the InstituteofAmericanIndianArts throughout the years. “It means so much to me to be here because I wouldn’t be here without this community, and without this place,” stated Harjo. “It’s not just about me, but we’ve all come up together in this story. For all of us, every one of us, it’s about love. It’s really about love that moves through me, from my ancestors, relatives, and teachers—and we have many teachers. Some of them are the trees, some of them are each other, and some of them are our children. This honoring is on behalf of all of those teachers. The friendships are everything, and it’s all part of the story.”

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

Applications for the new Master of Fine Arts program—MFA in Cultural Administration (MFACA)—are currently open! Last week the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) announced that the MFACA had been approved for accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The application process has now opened and the deadline for the inaugural cohort is fast approaching on Friday, April 1, 2022 at 5 pm (MDT).

The MFACA curriculum is focused upon the respect of community-based traditions and the support of community-led growth and preservation of language, art, history, and policies. We fully support students seeking administrative skills involving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage. We require students to have leadership qualities, the ability to integrate multi-perspective ideas and visions into positive action, projects, policies, and procedures, and for students to allow communities to make their own decisions for cultural support systems.

Learn more and apply at www.iaia.edu/new-master-of-fine-arts-in-cultural-administration-announced/, link in bio.

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

IAIA Alumni Spotlight—Robyn Tsinnajinnie

Work. That’s what Robyn Tsinnajinnie (Diné) ’20 does day in, day out.

Tsinnajinnie graduated in 2020 at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and while she felt excited that she earned her degree from IAIA, it was bittersweet because she couldn’t celebrate the momentous occasion with anyone due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Tsinnajinnie, who is from Torreon, New Mexico, a small town near Chaco Canyon, says that earning a high school degree is a big achievement back on her reservation. “I’m proud to have earned my college degree, and I know that it is encouraging for other members of my community,” says Tsinnajinnie. “My favorite part of being at IAIA is the relationships with my peers and the faculty and staff. I got to work with artists in totally different mediums and disciplines. Those experiences have helped me feel more comfortable connecting with people.”

She’s been working in MoCNA’s Collections on campus for over three years, first as a student-worker and now as a part-time employee. “Working with Curator of Collections Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer (Hopi/Choctaw) has opened a lot of opportunities for me.” Her second job is one such opportunity, where she works part-time as a conservation assistant with Steven Prins and Company, a Santa Fe art conservation studio. “I get to fix canvases, stretcher bars, and currently, I am repairing an old fresco painting on stone. I also get to ‘in-paint’ sections of paintings where the paint is completely missing, and that’s a lot of fun.”

Her third job, arguably her most important, is her career as a painter. She’s been hard at work since 2020, working on her art. You can see her work in-person at MoCNA in the mural exhibition Robyn Tsinnajinnie and Austin Big Crow: The Holy Trinity through December 31, the Harwood Art Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in ENCOMPASS: A Multi-Generational Art Event, March 7–April 14, and K Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York, in their Emerging Artists series, starting March 18. Can’t wait to see her work? Visit her Instagram page sanftmutig_one.

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

IAIA Alumni Spotlight—Sharon Henderson

For IAIA Alumna Sharon Henderson (Diné) ’21, storytelling is in her DNA, and she explores this side of herself through a multitude of mediums.

When Henderson first took an interest in the film industry, she had no idea what her journey had in store. So, as she started auditioning for roles, she took screenwriting and filmmaking classes here and there to learn more about the process. Fast forward five years, and she has an MFA from IAIA’s MFA in Creative Writing (MFACW) program with a double major in Screenwriting and Creative Nonfiction. However, screenwriting is just one piece of the puzzle for her as a storyteller.

Henderson now has a budding film career. In the five years since she began acting on the side, Henderson is now a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) actor. She recently landed her first guest star recurring role on the upcoming AMC television thriller, Dark Winds, premiering in 2022. You can also see her in Jesse Eisenberg’s directorial debut, When You Finish Saving The World, starring Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard, which premiered virtually at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022.

Henderson also works behind the camera. After landing a role in a period piece, she voiced concerns about the attire chosen for the Navajo actors—it was not authentic. This experience led to further work as a Costume Stylist and Designer on other productions, including an ad for the Nike N7 Collection and a feature film. Her short film, Wish, was also officially selected for the Emerging Filmmakers Program in the 2021 LA Skins Fest and the Animalis Fabula Film Festival, where it was awarded “Best of the Fest” for Outstanding Short Narrative in January 2021.

Sharing knowledge and education is critical to Henderson as she learns more about the ins and outs of the film industry. She now acts as a mentor for True Kids 1 and Film Prize Jr., non-profit organizations that make film and media more accessible to the youth. In reconnecting with herself as a storyteller, she wants to aid others in finding their voices again. For Henderson, it’s not about what you can do—it’s about what can’t you do.

Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz ...

IAIA Alumni Spotlight—Angelica Gallegos

When it comes to higher education, it would seem the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) was only the beginning for IAIA Alumna Angelica Gallegos (Chicana) ’15. Since graduating with a BFA in Museum Studies, Gallegos has gone on to pursue two additional degrees—an MA in History at Arizona State University, which is nearly complete, and a BFA in Chicano Studies at the University of Texas at El Paso. After completing her degree in Museum Studies, she recognized the interconnectedness of knowledge and decided to further her education to support her interests. As a first-generation college student and mother, Gallegos hopes her passion for education and lifelong learning inspires her son to discover who he is, contribute to his community, and know that he can achieve anything with hard work, determination, and compassion.

As IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) Assistant, Gallegos combines what she learned from IAIA with new knowledge she has acquired to contribute to the community in a meaningful way. The Museum Studies program at IAIA provided Gallegos with a better understanding of the relationship between museums, institutions, public programming, and the community. She enjoys working with the Artists-in-Residence and learning about their practice, techniques, and who they are as individuals. With the connections made between the IAIA community and artists from across the nation and Canada, the A-i-R program has allowed Gallegos to embrace her passion for community and public programming. As she goes on, she hopes to continue to apply her knowledge and skill sets for community collaboration.

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

IAIA Alumni Spotlight—Dr. Elizabeth Kianu Stahmer, DAOM

Since graduation, IAIA alumna Dr. Elizabeth Kianu Stahmer, DAOM (Wyandotte, Cherokee, Blackfeet) ’18 fell into a unique opportunity working at Stagecoach Foundation, Inc., and it wasn’t long before she was cast in a lead role as the Executive Director in 2019.

Founded by Game of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin and scientific innovator David Weininger, stagecoachfdn is a non-profit organization based in Santa Fe, NM. The organization brings productions to the state, manages a production building and prop warehouse, develops industry training programs, and creates work opportunities for locals in the booming television and film industry.

As a graduate of the Indigenous Liberal Studies program, Dr. Stahmer credits understanding where you stand and how you engage with other people in a respectful and honorable way as a strong backbone of the program. She believes that the education she received from IAIA helped to prepare her for her current role as Executive Director—engaging with different communities requires integrity, diplomacy, and respect—and she applies this every single day in leading a non-profit.

Under Stahmer’s leadership, Stagecoach Foundation has developed high-caliber immersive training programs taught by industry leaders that truly mirror what it is like to be on a real set. So much so, that New Mexico IATSE Local 480, the local union chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) approved these training programs and considers them as work experience. Stagecoach Foundation also recently worked with The WB television series, Roswell, and Stahmer facilitated a season finale event with producers, directors, and New Mexicans who worked on set—which includes IAIA students and alumni.

Stagecoach Foundation provides opportunities for interns and mentees from IAIA and other local schools, and some of these IAIA community members have gone on to start exciting new careers in the film industry. Dr. Stahmer is proud to see IAIA students and alumni gain hands-on experience as they jump into the workforce.

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

IAIA Alumni Spotlight—LaShawn Medicine Horn

Over the past two years, IAIA Alumna LaShawn Medicine Horn (Yankton Sioux) ’19 has been making her mark as a tattoo artist. Upon graduation from IAIA, she began a year-long apprenticeship learning the ins and outs of tattoo artistry and is now a fully licensed artist who hopes to contribute to the elevation of the art form.

A studio arts major whose primary area of study was mixed media and installation work, she set out to expand her abstract paintings to new mediums, and the human canvas presented an exciting new challenge. Her studio arts background and education serve as a solid foundation that directly translates to her career in the tattoo industry—examples of both are available on her online portfolio _lashawnrose.

As she further evolves as a tattoo artist, her goal is to continue to merge her fine arts training with this centuries-old art form. She aims to take up space via exhibitions and pop-ups in institutions where tattoos have not traditionally been considered fine art.

Medicine Horn works out of The Dungeon Tattoo & Piercing in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she is available for appointments.

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