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]
“You all represent the tip of a centuries-old lineage of creative thinkers and makers who have found ways to create and dream, invent, solve, and bring new paths forward in extremely turbulent times in the past. You represent the present and the connection between the past and the future.”
—Commencement Keynote Speaker and Honorary Doctorate Recipient Dr. Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Cherokee descent) @jeffrune
The 2023 Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Commencement on Saturday, May 13, brought families and friends together for a vibrant intertribal and multicultural celebration of IAIA’s most recent graduates. Making for a spectacular display of tribal sovereignty, flags of tribal nations representing past and current graduates lined the walls of the Performing Arts and Fitness Center gym on the IAIA campus. The ceremony included remarks by IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation) and Board of Trustees Chair Loren Kieve (Cherokee Nation) who presented artist Jeffrey Gibson (Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and Cherokee descent) with an honorary doctorate of humanities on behalf of IAIA, followed by the keynote address by Dr. Jeffrey Gibson, and a speech by 2023 Valedictorian Adensunset Gerart Levy. This year, graduating students from 2022 and 2023 were recognized with 71 degrees and certificates, including 22 master’s degrees, 36 bachelor’s degrees, 3 associate’s degrees, and 9 certificates.
Read the full story and watch a recording of the 2023 IAIA Commencement at www.iaia.edu/2023-iaia-commencement-carrying-connections-forward, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Spend your Friday evening immersed in art with the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) and IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) as we host multiple receptions at various locations in Santa Fe this evening, Friday, May 12—there is something for everyone!
Join us for a public reception from 5–7 pm at @IAIAMoCNA for Inherent Memory and the 2022–2023 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Beyond Reflections. Inherent Memory, guest curated by Melissa Melero-Moose (Northern Paiute/Modoc), features California and Great Basin Indigenous artists, and Beyond Reflections recognizes the talent and artistic devotion of IAIA BFA in Studio Arts students.
Celebrate a major milestone with IAIA as we honor the inaugural graduating cohort of the new MFA in Studio Arts (MFASA) program at the opening receptions for the 2023 MFASA Thesis Exhibition, Beyond Mastery. The receptions will be held in two locations—the Coe Center (1590 B. Pacheco St.) from 4–6 pm, and Container Art Gallery (1226 Flagman Way) from 6–8 pm.
Learn more about the receptions and other events happening in May at www.iaia.edu/celebrate, link in bio.
Photograph of Inherent Memory exhibition by Nicole Lawe (Karuk) ’16, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), IAIA MFA in Creative Writing (MFACW) Graduating Class of 2023, their Mentors, and the Director request the honor of your presence at the annual MFACW Hooding Ceremony featuring Keynote Speaker Luci Tapahonso (Diné). The ceremony, free and open to the public, will be held this evening, Thursday, May 11, 5–6 pm (MDT) in the Performing Arts and Fitness Center on the IAIA campus and livestreamed on the IAIA website and official Facebook page.
This event is a precursor to the 2023 IAIA Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 13, 2023, followed by the 2023 Spring IAIA Powwow. IAIA will honor over 70 graduates this year—including the MFACW graduates and our inaugural MFA in Studio Arts graduates.
Learn more and stream the event at www.iaia.edu/event/2023-iaia-mfacw-hooding-ceremony, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Ethan Nopah (Diné), a thoughtful and introspective junior pursuing his BFA in Cinematic Arts and Technology at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), was recently named the 2023 Student of the Year, an award sponsored by the American Indian College Fund (AICF) (@instacollegefund). Nopah was also recently recognized as one of the outstanding students in Cinematic Arts and Technology at the 2023 Spring IAIA Student Recognition and Awards Luncheon, and in 2022, Nopah was awarded the George R.R. Martin Literary Foundation Proven Storyteller Scholarship. Nopah is from Gallup, New Mexico, where he graduated from Hiroshi Miyamura High School in May 2020. He is currently interning for Stagecoach Foundation (@stagecoachfdn), which has given him an opportunity to witness and participate in the behind-the-scenes aspects and “day-to-day operations” of filmmaking in New Mexico.
“I come from a family that taught me the importance of the balance and harmonies of life through our culture. For my third year at IAIA, I hope to connect and collaborate with other potential filmmakers and artists like myself, with the greatest goal in mind: to create something that adds to and enriches the experience of being our own individual selves and a part of something greater; to give back to our people and to the world that we come from.” —Ethan Nopah (Diné)
Nopah’s film, BIG, SMALL, SCARED, AT EASE, will be shown at the 2023 IAIA Student Filmmaker Showcase this evening, Wednesday, May 10, at 7 pm, at the Violet Crown in Santa Fe. The screening will include the year’s best short live action, documentary, and animated films, followed by a director’s Q&A and an awards ceremony.
Read the full story at www.iaia.edu/ethan-nopah-dine-selected-as-the-2023-iaia-student-of-the-year, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
IAIA graduating senior, Alica Sheyahshe Mteuzi (Caddo, Cheyenne & Arapaho), is exhibiting her short film HADAYA at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) through May 14, 2023.
Inherent Memory and 2022–2023 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Beyond Reflections—Reception on Fri, May 12, 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Title: Hadaya
Medium: Short Film
Genres: Anti-government, guerrilla warfare, liberation, revolution
Film Length: 21:39
Written & Directed by Alica Mteuzi. @alicamteuzi
Director of Photography - Zachary Huber @lets_goof
Music by Delbert Anderson @delbertanderson
Art Director - Bright @avisualcompany
Co-Executive Produced by Sheila Rocha @sheila9054
STARRING
Tessema Meredith as Hadaya
Montana Miller as Wauneka
Leandro Pita as Bobby @el.pitabread
Xia Herndon as Zoe xiia.later
Cheryl Dawson as Hikima @cheryldawson980
Rebecca Yvette Cruz as Mikiya
Avery Hale @n8vrunr
Midnite Lujan @midnitelujan
Isaiah J St. Cyr @isaiah_stcyr
and George Justice
As part of the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts’ (MoCNA) ongoing programming for Rick Rivet: Journeys, Mounds and the Metaphysical, please join us on Wednesday, May 3, 2–3 pm (MDT) for a livestreamed conversation with @IAIAMoCNA Chief Curator Dr. Manuela Well-Off-Man and Rick Rivet (Sahtu-Métis). They will talk about Rivet’s creative process and the recurring themes in his works.
Learn more and register for the livestream event at www.iaia.edu/event/a-conversation-with-mocnas-chief-curator-dr-manuela-well-off-man-and-rick-rivet, link in bio.
Image: Rick Rivet (Sahtu-Métis), Amundsen – 14/12/1911, 2011, acrylic on canvas. Image courtesy of artist.
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) this evening, Thursday, April 13, 6–8 pm, at the opening reception for “Memoria: Art as Record.” This exhibition at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery represents the culminating achievements of the Spring 2023 graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students. The reception will be open to the public, and a light dinner and refreshments will be served.
After the opening remarks in the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery at 6 pm, be sure to go by the Auditorium for a film screening by Alica J. Mteuzi (Caddo, Cheyenne, and Arapaho) at 6:30 pm, followed by a fashion show by Jennifer Benally (Oneida Nation and Diné) in the CLE Commons from 7–7:45 pm. Other locations outside of the gallery space include Jontay Kahmakoatayo (Plains Cree) in the Academic Building Hallway, Hannah M. Wolfe-MacPike outside the Dance Circle near the Crest Pole, and Monique Holiday (Diné) in the Sculpture Gallery at the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building. The rest of the “Memoria: Art as Record” artists include Paige Busick (Chickasaw), Shannon Christy Hooper (Fallon Paiute Shoshone), Derrell Lopez (Diné), Monica Silva Lovato (San Felipe and Santo Domingo Pueblo), Emily Schuyler (Oneida Nation of the Thames), and Brian Taaffe (Taos Pueblo), whose work will all appear within the gallery space. A map and schedule will be on hand.
Learn more at www.iaia.edu/memoriaartasrecord, link in bio.
Photographs by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is pleased to announce the Chihuly Scholarship, underwritten by the Dale and Leslie Chihuly Foundation in memory of IAIA alum, glass artist Tony Jojola (Isleta Pueblo) ’76. The generous four-year full-ride scholarship will cover tuition, room and board, programmatic expenses, and experiential learning opportunities for an incoming Indigenous student within any full-time undergraduate major at IAIA who demonstrates exceptional talent and innovation.
"I taught at IAIA in its early years and have remained an advocate for the school and its rich programming ever since. Leslie and I want this scholarship to enable an emerging artist to focus entirely on the development of their practice, and we are thrilled to play a role in their creative journey.”—Dale Chihuly
Read the full story at www.iaia.edu/the-institute-of-american-indian-arts-announces-the-chihuly-scholarship, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is proud to announce the addition of another program to IAIA’s expansive academic roster, this time focused on Health and Wellness Management—the Bee Well Program which offers a BS in Bee Therapy. Housed in a building called the HIVE (Healthy Individuals Vibing Energetically), construction of the building is slated for late spring on the northeast end of campus, and the academic track will include classes such as Ultraviolet Vibrational Spectroscopy, Bee Hear Now Meditation, Floral Arrangement 101, and Ecstatic Waggle Dance I, II, and III.
“The vision for the Bee Well Program, not dissimilar to the actual vision and five eyes that bees have, has five core values—bee present, bee well, bee productive, bee positive, and get busy like a bee. I’m excited for our Bee Well program to get off the ground, and I am confident the program will be accredited—there is no need for a plan bee.”—Dr. Robert Martin, IAIA President
To celebrate the launch of our new program, IAIA is pleased to offer two 4:01-minute recordings of symphonic bee music to help our students focus on their studies, available digitally and through a special-edition vinyl record, “The Bee Side,” available at the IAIA Bookstore. The record drops on Record Store Day, April 22.
The day of the drop, the performers will be available for a fan meet-and-greet and special bee sting therapy session upstairs in the Center for Lifelong Education (CLE) Residence Center. (We ask that individuals sensitive to bee stings wear a beekeeper suit for entry, with respect to IAIA’s health and safety regulations. As a precaution, the Office of Santa Fe Emergency Response will be present with EpiPens.)
As part of their senior thesis work, Bee Well students will undertake a semester of study at the new colony at IAIA’s Indigenous Arts Space Academy (IASA), the program that launched last year on April 1, 2022—April Fools’ Day! Un-bee-lievable? We are only pollen your leg!
To apply for the Bee Well Program please visit www.iaia.edu/beewellprogram.
Photograph: Architect rendering of the HIVE building on the IAIA campus
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) on Thursday, April 13, 6–8 pm, at the opening reception for “Memoria: Art as Record,” an exhibition at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery representing the culminating achievements of the Spring 2023 graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students. “Memoria: Art as Record” will feature both conceptually and traditionally informed bodies of work and research developed during the student’s final semester of study and academic experiences. The reception will be open to the public, and a light dinner and refreshments will be served.
Participating students include Jennifer Benally (Oneida Nation and Diné), Paige Busick (Chickasaw), Monique Holiday (Diné), Shannon Christy Hooper (Fallon Paiute Shoshone), Jontay Kahmakoatayo (Plains Cree), Derrell Lopez (Diné), Monica Silva Lovato (San Felipe and Santo Domingo Pueblo), Alica J. Mteuzi (Caddo, Cheyenne, and Arapaho), Emily Schuyler (Oneida Nation of the Thames), Brian Taaffe (Taos Pueblo), and Hannah M. Wolfe-MacPike.
Learn more at www.iaia.edu/memoriaartasrecord, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
From March 4–7, IAIA students, staff, and faculty attended the 2023 American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Conference at the Albuquerque Convention Center. The @AIHEC Conference is a major event in Indian Country open to students from the 37 AIHEC member tribal colleges and universities across the United States. Twenty-one individual students and two teams from IAIA won thirty-three awards and were particularly well-represented in the art and film categories. Davieshena Redhouse (Navajo Nation) won four awards—the most awards for an individual student—and Sareya Taylor (White Mountain Apache Tribe and Navajo Nation) was crowned Ms. AIHEC, scoring a major win for IAIA.
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) today at 12 pm (MDT) as we celebrate our 2023 AIHEC award winners! The event will be livestreamed for our off-campus community members at www.iaia.edu/event/2023-iaia-student-aihec-conference-awards, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Please join us in welcoming IAIA Student Alica Mteuzi (Caddo, Cheyenne, and Arapaho) ’23 as one of the folks working behind-the-scenes of our official IAIA social media accounts. As part of IAIA’s student-worker program, the IAIA Communications division hired Alica to manage comments and make posts, photographs, and videos during the Spring 2023 semester. Welcome, Alica!
Alica Mteuzi is a filmmaker, visual artist, and writer who draws inspiration from her experiences growing up during the crack, urban Indian, suburban garage hacker eras of Silicon Valley. She is an enrolled member of the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma and a direct descendant of the stolen children of Alkebu-lan (Afrika). Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Mteuzi combines Black and Indigenous pasts and futures to create an amalgamation of being, joy, and struggle.
Mteuzi is the creator of A Former Member of The Black Panther Party for Self Defense (2017), a short film about activist Cheryl Ann Dawson and her involvement with the most influential Black Power organization of its time. Mteuzi also directed Rezd Out (2022), a rez-comedy short written and directed by an all-Black and Indigenous woman-led team. Rezd Out won the second place Audience Choice Award at the 2022 IAIA Filmmaker Showcase, and the film was an official selection at the 2022 High Desert Screening Film Festival in Albuquerque, NM. Presently, Mteuzi studies digital arts and creative writing at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) in Santa Fe, NM.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Visit with IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) artists for a free dinner in the Academic Building on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus this evening, Tuesday, March 21, from 5:00–5:45 pm, followed by a tour of the artist’s studio space from 5:45–7:00 pm. The locations of each artist will be Delbert Dale Anderson (Diné) in the Sewing Studio in the Performing Arts and Fitness Center and Joe “Tipi Joe” Lanceley (Mistawasis First Nation Treaty 6) in the Artist-in-Residence Studio in the Academic Building. Free and open to the public.
Learn more about this event and other upcoming happenings at www.iaia.edu/happenings (link in bio).
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 like @InstituteOfAmericanIndianArts’ big wins at the 2023 American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) Conference, the Dr. Robert Martin Scholarship for Leadership, the senior exhibitions at @IAIAMoCNA and the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery, and so much more!
Follow the link in our bio to view the March 2023 newsletter and join the mailing list.
Photograph by Nicole Lawe (Karuk), Institute of American Indian Arts
The Institute of American Indian Arts’ MFA in Creative Writing program (MFACW) has partnered with Fine Arts Work Center (FAWC) @fineartsworkcenter to create and fund two scholarships for IAIA Indigenous writers. The scholarships will allow the writers to attend FAWC’s 2023 Summer Workshop program.
“While students at IAIA benefit from working in an Indigenous community, all writers must eventually become comfortable publishing their stories for a broader audience. I’m excited about our new partnership with the Fine Arts Works Center because it will encourage our students to travel to Provincetown, MA, to attend workshops in a diverse community. Receiving feedback from new cultural perspectives, they will refine their voices and see their work anew. They will meet the larger literary community, gain greater visibility, and move closer to their dreams of publication.”—MFACW Director Deborah Jackson Taffa (Quechan and Laguna Pueblo)
Follow the link in our bio at @instituteofamericanindianarts to read the full story.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
IAIA students and coach Quintana getting after it at AIHEC basketball practice.🏀⛹🏽♀️⛹🏽♂️
🎥Filmed & edited by IAIA Graduating Senior Class 2023, Alica Mteuzi (Caddo, Cheyenne & Arapaho) @alicamteuzi
Visit with IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) artists during our January Open Studios event on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus on Monday, January 30, 3–5 pm. The locations of each artist will be Nanibah Chacon (Diné) in the Artist-in-Residence Studio, Academic Building, Laura Ortman (White Mountain Apache) in the in the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building, and Matagi Sorensen (Yavapai Apache) in the Jewelry Studio, Academic Building. Free and open to the public.
Learn more about this event and other upcoming happenings at www.iaia.edu/happenings (link in bio).
The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is looking to hire driven individuals who support IAIA’s mission—to empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and community engagement.
Available openings include an Advancement Alumni and Constituent Relations Manager, Communications Writer, Conference Services Manager, Museum Educator, Assistant to the Faculty, and many more. Learn more about careers at IAIA and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) and apply at www.iaia.edu/about/employment, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason. S Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
#BehindTheScenes
Photoshoot with IAIA Student Derrell Lopez (Navajo) ’23 @derrell.lopez and former IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) Jordan Ann Craig (Northern Cheyenne) @jordananncraig.
#Repost @derrell.lopez
・・・
This past weekend I had a fun photo shoot with the all so amazing @jordananncraig in her studio space. Lots of fun and laughs while capturing these images! Put this together to show some of the images, I’ll be posting more so keep a lookout! #filmphotography #analog #fujifilm #kodak
Visit with IAIA Artist-in-Residence (A-i-R) artists for a free dinner in the Academic Building on the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) campus on Tuesday, January 24 from 5:00–5:45 pm, followed by a tour of the artist’s studio space from 5:45–7:00 pm. The locations of each artist will be Nanibah Chacon (Diné) in the Artist-in-Residence Studio, Academic Building, Laura Ortman (White Mountain Apache) in the in the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building, and Matagi Sorensen (Yavapai Apache) in the Jewelry Studio, Academic Building. Free and open to the public.
Learn more about this event and other upcoming happenings at www.iaia.edu/happenings (link in bio).
The Campus Bookstore would like to welcome Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) students to the Spring 2023 semester at IAIA! The bookstore is your on-campus resource for textbook rentals and eCampus order pickup and assistance. The store is also a great place to pick up art supplies, snacks, energy drinks, books from IAIA’s family of amazing writers, and branded merchandise. Stop by and check out the new hoodies, sweaters, keychains, and the IAIA student-designed special edition Thunderbird stickers! Pin up a haiku about winter with your name and student ID on the cork board inside the Campus Bookstore and be entered into a raffle for free IAIA branded merchandise. The drawing will be held at the end of January.
The IAIA Campus Bookstore is open Monday–Friday, 10 am–4 pm and closed for federal holidays (non-semester hours may vary). For questions or more information, you can contact the bookstore at (505) 428-5984 and [email protected], or IAIA Stores Assistant Manager Colin Rayn Fraser at (505) 428-5935 and [email protected]
Photograph by Nicole Lawe, Institute of American Indian Arts
Felipe J. Estudillo Colón (Laguna Pueblo) has been selected for the newly created Provost position at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Colón served as the IAIA Academic Dean from 2020–2023 and transitioned into the IAIA Provost position on January 9. In this new position, Provost Colón is responsible for the Academic and Student Services divisions, all three Master of Fine Arts programs, and the IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts.
“As inaugural and founding Provost for the Institute of American Indian Arts, I am excited to step into this role during a transformative period of investment in student success. I look forward to working with the IAIA Community and its stakeholders to grow community, collaboration, and communication, and to optimize work for the achievement not only of our mission but also to benefit our students and their goals.”—Provost Colón
Read the full story at www.iaia.edu/felipe-colon-selected-as-iaia-provost, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Join the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) from Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13, 2023, as the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFACW) program presents an Evening Reading Series featuring program mentors and Lannan Visiting Writers. Each evening will engage its audience with poetry, memoir, or fiction from some of today’s most vibrant and vital writers.
• January 9, 6 pm–7:15 pm (MST): Screening of Reservation Dogs with Migizi Pensoneau (Ponca and Ojibwe)—CLE Commons
• January 10, 6 pm–7:15 pm (MST): Readings by Pam Houston, Esther Belin (Diné), and Keenan Norris—CLE Commons and livestream
• January 11, 6 pm–7:15 pm (MST): Readings by Bojan Louis (Diné), Toni Jensen (Métis), and Safia Elhillo—CLE Commons and livestream
• January 13, 6 pm–7:15 pm (MST): Readings by Kelli Jo Ford (Cherokee Nation), Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota), and Raquel Gutiérrez—CLE Commons and livestream
Learn more and tune into the livestreams at www.iaia.edu/mfacw-evening-reading-series/, link in bio.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
Our students said it best—the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is a place full of creativity, empowerment, collaboration, and possibility. IAIA offers undergraduate degrees in Cinematic Arts and Technology, Creative Writing, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, Performing Arts, and Studio Arts; graduate degrees in Creative Writing (MFACW), Cultural Administration (MFACA), and Studio Arts (MFASA); and certificates in Broadcast Journalism, Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native American Art History.
Visit www.iaia.edu/admissions (link in bio) to learn more and apply today!
From all of us at the Institute of American Indian Arts—the President, Trustees, Staff, and Faculty—may peace be with you and your family today and throughout the New Year.
The IAIA campus will be closed during the holidays December 22–January 3, however, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) will be open. (The Museum will be closed December 24–25 and on January 1.) Museum admission can be purchased online or in person at the Museum Store.
Photograph by Jason S. Ordaz, Institute of American Indian Arts
VISIT THE COVID-19 PAGE
View the COVID-19 resource page on the IAIA website.