2023–2024 IAIA College Catalog Cover

I am pleased to welcome you to the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), and I appreciate the decision you have made to continue your education at our college. IAIA is a fine arts college chartered by the United States Congress to “empower creativity and leadership in Indigenous arts and cultures through higher education, lifelong learning, and community engagement.”

IAIA’s commitment to offering high-quality programs is validated by our accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a national accreditor. We offer associate and bachelor’s degrees in Cinematic Arts and Technology, Creative Writing, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, Performing Arts, and Studio Arts. We also offer certificates in Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native Art History, and low-residencies in Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Master of Fine Arts in Studio Arts, and Master of Fine Arts in Cultural Administration.

In 2022, IAIA celebrated the college’s 60th anniversary and the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts’ (MoCNA) 50th anniversary with the theme Making History. As we welcome you to the 2023–2024 academic year, we continue to make history as we develop, expand, and learn together. We look forward to 2023 as the year we will graduate our first class of students from the MFA in Studio Arts program, continue development of the IAIA Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts (RCCNA)’s physical location, and install additional solar panels and electric vehicle charging stations on campus as part of our ongoing commitment to our environment.

As a 1994 Tribal College and Land-Grant institution, IAIA is also responsible for promoting and strengthening tribal programs in food and agricultural science. We accomplish this through programs in education, extension, research, and community outreach.

IAIA also operates a museum, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), located adjacent to the Santa Fe Plaza, which is the only one in the world focusing exclusively on exhibiting, collecting, and interpreting the most progressive work of Native American artists. The Museum’s collection of over 10,000 contemporary Native artworks, housed on the college campus, is the largest and most noteworthy collection in the world.

IAIA values the diversity reflected in our community of students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to promoting tolerance and acceptance along with fostering a culture of inclusion and empowerment for all.

Thank you for joining the IAIA community. The IAIA administration, faculty, and staff are committed to providing you with the support you need to achieve your academic goals. We wish you the best of luck at IAIA.

Wado, (Thank You)

Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation)
IAIA President