Museum of Indian Arts and Culture | March 2026

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture has secured an additional $150,000 distribution from the Susan S. Martin Charitable Giving Fund. Of that total, $100,000 will support archival initiatives and $50,000 will support programming. With this significant investment, the Museum is currently at 196% of its fundraising goal for FY26.

In January, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture hosted The Atlantic’s national “Across America” tour, featuring dialogue between Atlantic writers and planetary scientist Nina Lanza in conversation with the exhibition Makowa: The Worlds Above Us. The event elevated MIAC’s role as a forum where Indigenous knowledge and contemporary science intersect.

Makowa will travel in 2027 to the New Mexico Space History Museum and the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, expanding its statewide reach.

Several major exhibitions are in development for 2026:

Stars, Stripes, and First Americans (May 2026), examining Native artists’ complex engagement with the American flag.

Santa Fe Indian Market Best of Show (August 2026), exploring the evolution of artistic excellence through SWAIA’s 104-year history.

Native Dimensions, opening at the Governor’s Gallery at the State Capitol (May–September 2026), bringing MIAC’s contemporary collection into one of New Mexico’s most visible civic spaces.

Winter programming drew strong participation through seasonal celebrations, Sunday Fun Days, pottery demonstrations, and programs connected to Makowa.

A new March partnership with we.grow.eco will bring four elementary schools to MIAC for papermaking workshops and exhibition tours, supported by the School Bus Fund. Transportation assistance and provided lunches ensure access for students who otherwise might not be able to visit.

MIAC is also renewing its outdoor education space in partnership with Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps youth crews. Improvements will support expanded summer programming and the development of an education garden.

MIAC continues advancing Native-led consultation and repatriation work through the Cultural Stewardship Fund in preparation for updated federal NAGPRA requirements and the 2029 compliance deadline. This work remains a central institutional priority.

Bill and Uschi Butler recently donated three major bronze sculptures by Eddy Shorty, Joe Cajero, and Allan Houser to MIAC’s permanent collection, significantly strengthening its holdings in modern and contemporary Native sculpture.

Lastly, I will be departing MNMF on March 6 to assume a new role as Campaign Director at Girls Inc. of Santa Fe, helping them fundraise to build a large new facility on Rufina St. It has been a genuine privilege to work with you all in support of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture over the last five years. The impact you have created at MIAC and in our community is truly remarkable and inspiring to witness. I sincerely hope to see you all around Santa Fe and would love to stay in touch!