The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) in Santa Fe is a cultural treasure that showcases the work of Native and Indigenous artists. Founded in 1962, IAIA was established to provide professional training and formal education in the arts to Native and Indigenous People, empowering them to tell their own stories and thrive in the arts and culture fields.
The museum serves as a safe and supportive space for Native creatives, allowing them to focus on their art and personal expression without the need to constantly explain or defend their identity. Artist Rose B. Simpson, a Santa Clara Pueblo alumna and trustee of IAIA, highlights the importance of being in a community of Native artists who understand and share similar experiences.
IAIA challenges traditional narratives that often relegate Native and Indigenous People to the past, offering a platform for contemporary Native artists to showcase their work and tell their own stories. Through exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach, the museum aims to celebrate, support, and amplify the voices of historically underserved communities.
Despite the long history of disinvestment in cultural institutions that serve communities of color, MoCNA stands as one of the few museums dedicated solely to Native arts in the United States. With a rich collection of contemporary Native art and a commitment to fostering a sense of pride and belonging among its students and visitors, IAIA continues to be a vital cultural hub for Native and Indigenous People.
Through its exhibitions, programs, and educational initiatives, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts remains a beacon of creativity, resilience, and cultural pride for Native and Indigenous artists and communities across the United States. The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) has a rich history that dates back to 1992 when it moved from the Institute’s campus to the Santa Fe Federal Building downtown, where it still stands today. In 2009, the museum changed its name to the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, and in 2020, it received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums. Situated in the heart of Santa Fe’s tourist economy, the museum plays a crucial role in enhancing and expanding its mission to “elevate contemporary Indigenous art through exhibitions, collections, programs, partnerships, and new research.”
When Lloyd “Kiva” New (Cherokee) and Dr. George Boyce co-founded the Institute of American Indian Arts, they envisioned a Native formal education that opposed the prevailing pressure to assimilate into mainstream culture. New emphasized the importance of honoring unique cultural traditions creatively as a pathway to a meaningful and productive life. He criticized the US government for its failure to acknowledge the humanity of Native Americans, rooted in a policy of coercive acculturation that aimed to erase their identity.
The establishment of IAIA in the context of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) history reflects a broader effort to educate Native Americans to leave reservations. The school was founded as an arts-related vocational academy for students aged 15 to 22, with a curriculum focused on cultural difference as the basis of free expression. This approach aimed to preserve Native values while empowering students to create art in a contemporary context that recognized their unique heritage.
Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer, the Curator of Collections at MoCNA, highlights the radical shift in aesthetic principles at IAIA. Students were encouraged to create works that reflected a contemporary, personal expression drawing inspiration from their Native heritage, other cultures, and American modern art movements. This departure from the dominant “Studio Style” painting of the 1930s, promoted by Dorothy Dunn at the Santa Fe Indian School, marked a significant shift in Native art practice.
Overall, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts plays a crucial role in promoting and preserving Indigenous art and culture. Through its exhibitions, collections, programs, and partnerships, the museum continues to elevate contemporary Indigenous art and provide a platform for Native artists to express their unique voices and perspectives. Rooted in her conflation of Native art traditions into a single, fixed aesthetic, the paintings developed in this style appear two-dimensional, illustrative, and idealized, providing no temporal, spatial, or social context. Some might describe these scenes as “timeless,” but Elissa Wheeler, the museum store manager, sees the prevalence of this style now as pernicious, leaving little room for the full breadth of Indigenous artistry: “People are coming to Santa Fe to see the stereotypical noble Native on horseback with the sunset behind him.” Wayne Gaussoin (Diné, Picuris, and French Descent), the museum educator, describes this style as “the romanticized imagery Americans have been told by mainstream media and Disney and even history books.”
Jewelry, paintings, and tapestries that showcase these severely limiting views continue to be desirable to consumers, and thus financially advantageous to makers. According to the New Mexico Tourism Department, direct visitor tourism in 2023 generated $8.6 billion. It also indicates that for the city of Santa Fe, visitor spending generated an estimated $811 million in state and local tax revenue. As estimated by the tourism board, these figures make New Mexico the third-largest art market in the country, second only to New York and San Francisco. The largest contributor to this status is the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts’s (SWAIA) annual Indian Market. Ordaz attests that it is “the biggest [market] for Native and Indigenous People in the world.” SWAIA itself claims that over 100,000 people attend the Indian Market each year and generate more than “$160 million annually in revenues for artists and the community.”
While IAIA’s college and museum seek to support the financial health and well-being of its students, faculty, and staff, it also looks to help them thrive in other ways. The concern here is not only with gaining academic credentials that have purchase in the places outside of Native life, but with new ways of thinking and making. The key staff members of the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts are concerned with providing the tools that Natives can use to flourish. The starting point for them is education.
One of the most important opportunities the museum provides Native and Indigenous artists is the yearly show of work by students graduating with a bachelor’s degree in the Fine Arts. Gaussoin describes the exhibition as a “huge opportunity for students to show their work in a very recognized museum,” adding that he knows from experience that “it’s kind of challenging and daunting for art students, Native and non-Native, to get your work out there and seen.”
Simpson, who was one of the select artists chosen for the Whitney Museum of American Art’s biennial in 2024, recalls that MoCNA “was one of the first places where I showed my work. It’s one of the places that holds space for certain creative processes that other museums don’t necessarily have time or space for.”
“Most importantly, I understand that it’s right downtown, so lots of passersby will walk into the museum and see what’s going on there,” she continues. “For the student community, it’s also really important to see what’s going on there and the collections and the shows … to see yourselves in a professional space for the first time.” The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) serves as a bridge between theoretical concepts and tangible reality for Native artists. The transition from classroom discussions to museum exhibitions represents a significant shift, allowing artists to showcase their work in a professional setting. This hands-on experience is crucial for artists to develop their art practice and explore new possibilities.
MoCNA also plays a vital role in facilitating the transfer of knowledge across generations and communities. Patsy Phillips, the museum director, highlights the importance of this generational exchange, emphasizing the need for community centers and museums to preserve and share Indigenous knowledge. This transfer of knowledge is essential for the sustainability of Indigenous cultures and traditions.
Furthermore, MoCNA extends its reach beyond national borders by showcasing international Indigenous artists. Exhibitions like “Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology” bring together artists from various countries, offering a global perspective on Indigenous experiences. By featuring diverse voices and perspectives, MoCNA contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of Indigenous art and culture on a global scale.
At the same time, MoCNA remains rooted in its commitment to the current generation of Native Americans. Felipe Colón, the IAIA provost, emphasizes the museum’s role in perpetuating Native culture, going beyond mere preservation to actively contribute to its continuation. This focus on perpetuation reflects MoCNA’s dedication to supporting Indigenous artists and communities for generations to come.
In summary, MoCNA serves as a catalyst for change, transforming pathways for Native artists and communities. Through its exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives, the museum embodies New’s vision of Native culture as a source of inspiration and empowerment. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, tradition and innovation, MoCNA opens up new possibilities for Indigenous artists and paves the way for a more inclusive and diverse art world. The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is not just a repository of artifacts from the past, but a living testament to the vibrant and evolving cultures of Indigenous peoples. This institution is dedicated to preserving the rich artistic traditions of Native communities while also fostering the growth and development of new generations of artists.
One of the key initiatives of the museum is to incorporate the artwork created for exhibitions into educational curricula. By doing so, they are able to pass on traditional knowledge and cultural practices to the next generation of artists and cultural practitioners. This ensures that Indigenous art forms continue to thrive and evolve, rather than being relegated to the status of static relics from the past.
The importance of Indigenous art in the broader context of American art history cannot be overstated. As Navajo Diné artist Tony Abeyta points out, Native art is an integral part of the American art story, with a rich and complex history that predates colonial contact. By recognizing and celebrating this history, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is helping to reshape the narrative of American art, showcasing the diversity and richness of Indigenous cultures.
The museum acts as a bridge between past and present, tradition and innovation. It brings together artists from diverse tribal backgrounds, speaking different languages and practicing unique art forms. By nurturing and supporting these artists, MoCNA is helping to ensure that Indigenous art continues to thrive and evolve, adding depth and richness to our understanding of Native and Indigenous life.
In a world that often seeks to marginalize and erase Indigenous voices, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts stands as a beacon of hope and resilience. By preserving and promoting Indigenous art, the museum is not only preserving cultural heritage but also empowering future generations to carry on these important traditions. This work is essential in ensuring that Indigenous art remains a vital and vibrant part of the American cultural landscape for generations to come. The Benefits of Regular Exercise
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