Museum of International Folk Art | August 2026

Museum of International Folk Art
A Year of Connection, Creativity and Community

This year, MOIFA's exhibitions demonstrated how folk art connects communities across generations and continents.

Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa welcomed thousands of visitors while showcasing the extraordinary gift of the David Arment Southern African Collection, one of the most significant collections of South African telephone wire art. Beyond the galleries, the exhibition sparked new relationships with artists, scholars and cultural organizations in South Africa, supported educational programming for learners of all ages, and inspired the production of a documentary film exploring the art form's cultural significance and will be traveling across the U.S.

Appearances Deceive: Embroideries of Policarpio Valencia offered a rare and intimate look at the life and artistic contributions of Valencia, whose embroidered textiles examine themes of morality, mortality and spirituality with a distinctive blend of humor and depth. Working closely with Valencia's descendants, the museum translated historic Spanish-language documents into English, developed new interactive exhibition components and hosted public conversations honoring the enduring tradition of colcha embroidery in northern New Mexico. These efforts have strengthened relationships within the Hispanic folk art community and laid the groundwork for an upcoming publication exploring Valencia's life, artistry, and lasting influence, generously funded by the Dorothea and Leo Rabkin Foundation.

Sandroing: Tracing Kastom in Vanuatu in the Mark Naylor and Dale Gunn Gallery of Conscience created new connections across oceans through research, collaboration and cultural exchange. Newly identified collection objects opened fresh avenues of scholarship while partnerships with cultural practitioners brought demonstrations of sand drawing, mat weaving, music, dance and storytelling to museum audiences, offering visitors an immersive introduction to the rich cultural traditions of Vanuatu.

Other major exhibitions included Truths Be Told: Artists Activate Traditions, which invites us to consider how traditions can function productively as agents of debate, awakening, change, cultural revitalization and imagining a better future. Programming includes a two-week residency with Colectivo Subterráneos, a printmaking collective from Oaxaca, that includes partnerships with Palace Press/New Mexico History Museum, the Maxwell Museum/UNM, Institute of American Indian Art, and Capital High.

I Am Clay: Acoma Life in Figures opened in June, the result of a collaboration with cultural advisors from Acoma Pueblo, features historic figurative pottery from MOIFA's collection, important loans from the School of American Research, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and a private collection, alongside newly commissioned works by artists working in this tradition today. The exhibition reflects a remarkable partnership with co-curator Brian Vallo and the Haak'u Museum that continues to strengthen relationships between the museum and Pueblo communities.

After nearly a decade in development, Alexander Girard’s Imagined Worlds was published, exploring how Girard’s extraordinary folk art collection and vernacular traditions inspired his groundbreaking design work, with the Museum of International Folk Art at the heart of his story. This beautifully illustrated volume was made possible through the generous support of the International Folk Art Foundation, Friends of Folk Art, and donors to the Girard Campaign and Girard Legacy Endowment Fund, whose philanthropy also continues to support Girard-related programming and collections stewardship.

Learning Beyond the Museum Walls

Education remains at the heart of MOIFA's mission.

Throughout the year, families gathered for hands-on programs inspired by global traditions, including Family Mornings, Lunar New Year celebrations that welcomed more than 1,100 participants, Make & Take workshops, Día de los Muertos activities, and Nowruz celebrations. These experiences invited visitors of every generation to create, learn and celebrate together.

The museum’s outreach programs extended far beyond Santa Fe. The traveling bi-lingual exhibition, Alebrijes: A Linares Family Tradition, opened at the Mexican Consulate in Albuquerque on Cinco de Mayo and will travel to the Taylor Mesilla Historic Site, Farmington Museum and the Artesia Museum of Art in the coming years.

Piñatas – A Mexican Art of Paper and Paste exhibition and community piñata workshops reached Spanish-speaking audiences through the New Mexico State Libraries including the Southside Library in Santa Fe, Embudo Library, Roswell Library and others, while 365 Folk Art To Go kits were distributed to schools, libraries and community organizations serving both rural and underserved communities throughout the state and into southern Colorado.

Looking Ahead

Every exhibition, educational program, conservation project and community partnership reflects the generosity of supporters like you.

Your investment allows the Museum of International Folk Art not only to preserve extraordinary artistic traditions worldwide but also to ensure they remain living, evolving expressions of culture that inspire curiosity, understanding and connection.

Thank you for being part of this important work. Together, we are preserving cultural heritage, expanding access to arts education, and building a more connected and compassionate world through folk art.