Museum of Indian Arts and Culture | November 2025

October was a dynamic and celebratory month at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. The museum welcomed over 600 visitors for its Indigenous Peoples’ Day Celebration, which coincided with the opening of Essential Elements: Art, Environment, and Indigenous Futures—a powerful exhibition in the new JoAnn and Bob Balzer Native Market and Contemporary Art Gallery exploring environmental change through Native art.

Additional October highlights included a successful Tribal Consultation VIP Event, a Makowa Star Party that featured live music, food trucks and telescope viewing, hands-on workshops in mediums including cyanotypes, and a full day of public programming on October 25 including exhibition tours and a Native Narratives lecture featuring Jeanine Belgodere, Associate Professor at the University of Le Havre (France). These events and exhibitions reflect MIAC’s commitment to culturally grounded, community-centered programming and to deepening relationships with Tribal partners, donors, and museum members alike.

As we approach the end of the calendar year, trustees are encouraged to support or promote MIAC’s two most urgent fundraising priorities:

  • The Cultural Stewardship Fund, which supports travel, honoraria, and hospitality for in-person Tribal consultations across exhibitions, collections care, and programming. Our goal is to raise $30,000 this fiscal year.
  • The School Bus Fund, which makes it possible for students from across New Mexico—especially from rural or underserved districts—to visit the museum and participate in hands-on learning opportunities. Our goal is to raise $10,000 this fiscal year.

Your support helps ensure MIAC remains a model for inclusive, Indigenous-led museum practice. Gifts of all sizes make a lasting impact and are deeply appreciated.

To make a gift or learn more, please visit museumfoundation.org/give-miac.

Upcoming events at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture:

  • Sunday, November 16 (11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.) – Zine Workshop with Andi Murphy (Diné): Create a zine focused on Indigenous foodways and conservation in the Education Classroom.
  • Wednesday, November 19 (11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) – Pottery Demonstration with Clarence Cruz (Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo) in the Buchsbaum Gallery of Southwestern Pottery
  • Saturday, November 29 (12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.) – Curator‑Led Tour of Makowa: The Worlds Above Us with Marlon Magdalena (Jemez Pueblo)
  • Wednesday, December 17 (11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.) – Pottery Demonstration with Jerry Dunbar (Ysleta del Sur Pueblo) in the Buchsbaum Gallery.
  • Mid‑December (Date TBD) – Annual Holiday Winter Stroll: An afternoon/evening holiday celebration on Museum Hill, jointly hosted by MIAC and the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA), featuring performances, ornament‑making, hot cider, farolito lighting, and more.

To support MIAC’s Exhibition Development, Education and Tribal Consultation Funds, please contact Lauren Paige at [email protected], or by phone at 505.982.2282