Museum of International Folk Art | August 2025

Reception for the Upcoming Exhibition, Truths Be Told: Artists Activate Traditions, and Current Video Installation in the SITE International Exhibition, Compound Eyes of Tropical.

Please join us for a special reception on August 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. to learn about the upcoming exhibition, Truths Be Told: Artists Activate Traditions, by Laura Addison, curator of European & American folk art collections at the Museum of International Folk Art, and go on an exclusive private tour of the installation that includes Zhang Xu Zhan's stop motion video, Compound Eyes of Tropical, 2024 (Animal story series), which is part of SITE SANTA FE’s 12th International exhibition. The reception will include wine and delectable hors d’oeuvres by High Desert Cuisine. This event is generously underwritten by Elaine and Ken Cole, Maria and Edward Gale, and Courtney and Scott Taylor.

Photo by Chloe Accardi

Between the Lines | Prison Art & Advocacy and Moving Arts Española Digital Media Showcase on Saturday, August 30, from 1 to 4 p.m., MOIFA will host a special reception and film screening featuring a youth driven digital media project, panel conversation, musical performances, 3D art installation and curated food, in collaboration with Moving Arts Española (MAE), and in conjunction with the current exhibition, Between the Lines: Prison Art & Advocacy. This is a culmination of an 11-month partnership with Moving Arts Española that involved “art as medicine” ideation, story boarding video montages and filming at relevant sites in their community to help tell an authentic story about their experiences growing up in Española.

Summer Internships | For the second year, the MOIFA education department led a summer internship in partnership with a Santa Fe Public School Work-Based Learning program involving three high-school students. The program benefited the interns as well as the museum. The interns assisted with at least eight hands-on art programs and numerous public programs, including treasure hunts and tools for teachers, both onsite at the museum and offsite, giving them meaningful experiences in the field of museum work and in particular museum education.

Wrapping Up MOIFA’s First Summer Research Fellowship Addison Nace, a Ph.D. candidate in Design Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Santa Fe native, was the first MOIFA Folk Art Fellow. On July 27, she presented her work that involved studying Mayan textile traditions in Zinacantán, Mexico, and Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, as models for economic development and cultural preservation. We are grateful to the International Folk Art Foundation and Susan Goldstein and Steven Goldstein, M.D. The fellowship provided an honorarium, travel and housing support, and access to MOIFA’s collections, library, and archives.

Planning for Expansion | Planning continues for a feasibility study for a capital campaign to expand the footprint of the museum by activating the use of a newly acquired property adjacent to the museum at 706 Camino Lejo. While still in the conceptual phase, plans for the site include a flexible Education and Engagement Center for youth and adult learning, special events, and artist residencies. The on-site guest house will also be used by MOIFA and DCA divisions for short-term housing of collaborators such as visiting curators, scholars, and artists. MOIFA staff are working closely with the DCA Office of the Secretary, DCA Facilities Management, MNMF, and IFAF leadership to evaluate potential uses. The next step is to hire an architecture and design firm to develop a site activation plan and a long-term master plan—laying the foundation for a possible capital campaign in conjunction with MOIFA’s 75th anniversary in 2028.

Support MOIFA | Your generosity makes these programs and partnerships possible. To learn more about giving opportunities, please contact Laura Sullivan at laura@museumfoundation.org or 505.216.0829. Thank you for helping MOIFA connect people through the power of folk art.