Dear Graduates,

I praise you for your commitment, passion, sacrifice, and persistence in completing your education. You are warriors who will take your knowledge, wisdom, and skills forward as you go to graduate school, go to work as artists, filmmakers, writers, scholars, or professors, or return home to be of service to your families and communities.

The 2023 Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) Commencement photographs by Tira Howard are now available on her website, including candid shots and formal portraits. You can order prints and merchandise directly on the website, and as a courtesy, IAIA will mail one 8 x 10-inch archival print of your portrait with your diploma to the address we have on hand. For any questions, please contact Melanie Buchleiter at melanie.buchleiter@iaia.edu.

You are the manifestation of IAIA’s mission to empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts and cultures, and I wish you continued success in your future endeavors.

Thank you, and have an enjoyable summer,

Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee)
IAIA President

If you missed the commencement, read the 2023 IAIA Commencement—Carrying Connections Forward recap and watch the video on the page.