MIAC | August 2024

This is an exciting month for the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture! The stunning new JoAnn and Bob Balzer Native Market and Contemporary Art Gallery will be opening to the public with the exhibition Driving the Market: Award Winning Contemporary Native Art. The inaugural exhibition, curated by Elisa Phelps and Danyelle Means, will celebrate the award-winning artists integral to notable Native art markets hosted across the country. All MNMF Trustees have been invited to a special preview party on Thursday, August 15 from 5:00 to 9:30 pm. The event in co-hosted by SWAIA and will include live music and refreshments.

The addition of this exciting new gallery would not be possible without a $500,000.00 gift from JoAnn and Bob Balzer in 2021. To ensure the gallery’s continued success, Bill and Uschi Butler established the Friends of MIAC Endowment Fund. We welcome your contribution to this endowment to help increase its value and annual distribution to the museum to support the growth of this exciting new space for contemporary Native art. To make a contribution, visit museumfoundation.org/give-miac/, mail a check or call me at 505.982.2282 to make a gift over the phone.

The Driving the Market exhibition will expand the definition of Native art to include work in new mediums and non-customary styles reflected in the evolving market categories and awards. In addition to works of art ranging from customary pottery and beadwork; to cutting edge fashion, digital art, and diverse art forms; the exhibit will include a video wall featuring interviews with artists and others sharing their perspectives on the role art markets, including tribal and regional markets, play in honoring and promoting contemporary Native art. A highlight of the exhibition is a fully decorated 1974 Triumph TR6 convertible collaboratively created by twelve esteemed Native artists, originally an auction item for SWAIA.

In other news, MIAC is excited to bring back the annual Breakfast with the Curators series August 9-16.  Four events will feature breakfast with VIP guests at Weldon’s Museum Hill Cafe followed by a special gallery tour. Admission is $35 for MNMF members and $40 for non-members. Breakfast is included in the price. To purchase tickets and see the breakfast lineup, visit https://my.nmculture.org/overview/37112. Use promo code MNMFMEMBER for your $5 off admission.

To support MIAC’s Exhibition Development Fund and/or Education Fund please contact Lauren Paige at lauren@museumfoundation.org, or by phone at 505.982.2282