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IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Selected as No. 3 Museum by USA TODAY

Feb 27, 2023

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is pleased to share that USA TODAY 10Best named the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) number three in the Readers’ Choice contest for Best Art Museum in the United States. A panel of experts was selected by USA TODAY and partnered with 10Best editors—together, they selected the top twenty nominees, and the top ten were determined by popular vote.

We thank everyone who believes in MoCNA’s mission “to elevate contemporary Indigenous art through exhibitions, collections, programs, partnerships, and new research” and took the time to cast a vote for us.

The top ten winners in the category Best Art Museum are as follows:

  • Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, Michigan
  • American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland
  • IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
  • Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
  • National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming
  • Newfields, Indianapolis, Indiana
  • Booth Western Art Museum, Cartersville, Georgia
  • Heard Museum, Phoenix, Arizona
  • Getty Center, Los Angeles, California
  • Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico

To learn more about the top ten Best Art Museums, visit USA Today 10Best.

“We are honored that USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice recognizes the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) as the third Best Art Museum in the USA. The acknowledgment is not about competition but about recognition of dedicated and committed staff who elevate contemporary Indigenous arts in all we do.”
Patsy Phillips (Cherokee Nation)

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Director

Hours

Mon, Wed–Sat
10 am–5 pm
4:15 pm (last admittance)
*Fri (free admission)

Sunday
11 am–4 pm
3:15 pm (last admittance)

Current and Upcoming MoCNA Exhibitions

A listing of current and upcoming exhibitions at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA).

List of Events

The Stories We Carry

Fri, September 30, 2022Mon, September 29, 2025

The Stories We Carry features contemporary jewelry created by more than 100 Indigenous artists across decades stewarded by the MoCNA permanent collection.

Our Stories

Mon, January 1, 2024Mon, September 29, 2025

Our Stories is a companion to The Stories We Carry exhibition, located adjacent to the Kieve Family Gallery.

Inuk Silis Høegh: Arctic Vertigo

Fri, February 2Sun, July 14

Inuk Silis Høegh: Arctic Vertigo analyzes the Inuit artist’s experimental and interdisciplinary art practices, while challenging stereotypes and addressing environmental issues.

Womb of the Earth: Cosmovision of the Rainforest

Fri, February 2Fri, July 19

Womb of the Earth: Cosmovision of the Rainforest gives Brazilian Indigenous female artists an opportunity to share their art with a wider audience and to voice their concern about challenges their communities face.

2023–2024 IAIA BFA Exhibition: Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures

Fri, March 1Sun, June 9

Indigenous Presence, Indigenous Futures aims to show how IAIA’s BFA seniors honor the future as much as the past.

IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts