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Studio Arts

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is the only school in the nation that offers a Studio Arts degree within a diverse Native American learning community. Designed for students interested in pursuing a professional career in the field of fine arts, the Studio Arts program offers an exciting, flexible, comprehensive course of study through exploration of multiple forms of art and contemporary practices. Students develop technical and conceptual skills essential for success as professional artists, or for continuation of study in an MFA program. Not only do students hone artistic skills, but they also gain an awareness of concepts, history, and cultural sensitivities intrinsic to the professional artist.

Our program offers painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, ceramics, jewelry/metals, and digital art. Studio production, critical thinking, and hands-on instruction by dedicated faculty are combined to foster academic development and artistic direction. The Studio Arts faculty works one-on-one with students, sharing knowledge and challenging them to do their best work.

Though there are two-year degree options, Studio Arts is designed as a four-year program, which begins with the fundamentals of visual arts and exploration of multiple art forms, then advances to intermediate studio practice with one or two chosen areas of emphasis. Students are encouraged to develop a broad understanding of the underlying concepts and ideas behind art making as a basis for their individual focus.

Students in the BFA in Studio Arts program spend their senior year creating a coherent body of personal work. Students are challenged to excel through weekly faculty reviews and critiques with guest artists and the arts faculty. Toward the end of the final semester, students celebrate their accomplishments by showing their best work in the BFA exhibition at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts and in the campus Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery.

Our small class sizes, accomplished faculty—over half of whom are Native artists from the US and Canada—exceptional facilities, and top-notch equipment provide an ideal creative learning environment for a future in the visual arts.

Student Artwork

Happenings

List of Events

2024 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition: Origins

Thu, April 11Fri, May 10

2024 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Origins, an exhibition representing the culminating achievements of the Spring graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students.

2024 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition: Origins—Opening Reception

Thu, April 11, 5:30 pm7:30 pm

Join us for the 2024 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Origins, an exhibition representing the culminating achievements of the Spring graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students.

Past Happenings

List of Events

2023 Fall IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition: Liminal Reflections—Opening Reception

Thu, November 16, 2023, 6:00 pm8:00 pm

Join us for the 2023 Fall IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Liminal Reflections, an exhibition representing the culminating achievements of the Fall graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students.

2023 Fall IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition: Liminal Reflections

Thu, November 16, 2023Fri, December 8, 2023

Join us for the 2023 Fall IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Liminal Reflections, an exhibition representing the culminating achievements of the Fall graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students.

2023 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Memoria: Art as Record—Opening Reception

Thu, April 13, 2023, 6:00 pm8:00 pm

Join us Thursday, April 13, 6–8 pm, at the opening reception for the 2023 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Memoria: Art as Record, an exhibition at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery representing the culminating achievements of the Spring 2023 graduating BFA in Studio Arts and BFA in Museum Studies students.

2023 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition—Memoria: Art as Record

Thu, April 13, 2023Sat, May 13, 2023

Join IAIA for the 2023 Spring IAIA Graduating Senior Exhibition, Memoria: Art as Record, an exhibition at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery.

IAIA Fall ’22 Graduating Senior Exhibition: Same World, Different Voices—Opening Reception

Thu, November 10, 2022, 6:00 pm8:00 pm

Join us Thursday, November 10, from 6:00 pm–8:00 pm at the opening reception for Same World, Different Voices.

Crossing the Realm—IAIA 2022 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition Opening Reception

Fri, April 15, 2022, 6:00 pm8:00 pm

The opening reception is on Friday, April 15, from 6–8 pm on the IAIA Campus—light dinner and refreshments served.

Crossing the Realm—IAIA 2022 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition

Fri, April 15, 2022Fri, May 13, 2022

Crossing the Realm, the IAIA 2022 Spring Graduating Senior Exhibition, opens April 15 and runs through May 13, 2022.

IAIA 2021 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition “Reemergence 2021”

Wed, November 10, 2021Fri, December 10, 2021

Reemergence 2021, IAIA’s first in-person senior exhibition since 2019, opens on November 10.

IAIA 2021 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition “A Retrospective of Change”

Fri, April 23, 2021Sun, January 1, 2023

A Retrospective of Change, the IAIA 2021 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition, is available to view virtually.

IAIA 2020 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition “Virtual Reservation”

Mon, November 23, 2020Fri, July 1, 2022

Virtual Reservation, the IAIA 2020 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition is available virtually.

IAIA 2020 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition “Memory Unearthed”

Wed, June 3, 2020Wed, December 1, 2021

Memory Unearthed, the IAIA 2020 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition is available virtually.

Chaco America, Jacob Thomas Frye (Tesuque Pueblo), 18“ x 16”, Earthenware clay, stone polish, 08 kiln fired, commercial jet black

IAIA 2019 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition

Wed, November 13, 2019Tue, December 10, 2019

Thirteen, the IAIA 2019 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition, opens November 14 through December 10.

IAIA 2019 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition

Fri, April 19, 2019, 11:30 am2:00 pm

In April, seventeen seniors from the Studio Arts and Museum Studies programs will present their senior projects in the IAIA 2019 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition.

IAIA 2018 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition

Thu, November 15, 2018Tue, December 11, 2018

In November, eleven seniors from the Studio Arts and Museum Studies programs will present their senior projects in the IAIA 2018 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition.

IAIA 2018 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition “Semblance”

Thu, April 12, 2018Sat, May 12, 2018

In April, ten seniors from the Studio Arts BFA degree program will present their senior projects in “Semblance”—IAIA 2018 Spring Senior Graduating Exhibition. The senior graduating exhibition showcases the final projects of studio arts seniors.

IAIA 2017 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition—Opening Reception

Fri, November 17, 2017, 6:00 pm8:00 pm

Senior exhibitions located at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery and the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building Gallery. Exhibitions will be on display from November 17–December 5, 2017. Free and open to the public—refreshments served during the opening reception.

IAIA 2017 Fall Senior Graduating Exhibition

Fri, November 17, 2017Tue, December 5, 2017

Senior exhibitions located at the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery and the Allan Houser Haozous Sculpture and Foundry Building Gallery. Exhibitions will be on display from November 17–December 5, 2017. Free and open to the public—refreshments served during the opening reception on November 17, 6:00 pm–8:00 pm. The senior graduating exhibition showcases the final projects of […]

Guiding Statement

The Studio Arts Department is guided by the principle that cultural, historical, conceptual, and critical awareness are fundamental in the lives of professional artists. We instill this knowledge in our students while also providing them with the ideal situation for finding their individual artistic direction and developing skills and techniques. This inclusive approach empowers students to create unique art that not only has sophisticated aesthetics, but the capacity to impact society.

Philosophy

We recognize that each student brings unique energy, experience, vision, dedication, and creative expression to the Studio Arts program. The focus of our program is to help each student develop their own expressive abilities through creative inquiry and professionalism. Our approach is to provide a curriculum that challenges students to develop their own creative solutions.

Goals

  • To prepare students to think critically, forming the foundation of a creative practice
  • To expose students to fundamental concepts through diverse art forms in order to gain knowledge and experience in their pursuit of success
  • To develop students’ abilities in visual problem solving, translating verbal concepts into visual art for communicating personal artistic expression
  • To enable students to perform at a high level of technical proficiency in their chosen medium
  • To create pathways for graduates as innovators and leaders in the art world

Learning Outcomes

Students in Studio Arts will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the fundamental concepts of art and design
  • Analyze works of art within a historical, contemporary, and cultural context
  • Develop works that demonstrate personal expression
  • Demonstrate competencies in a chosen medium
  • Develop professional practices towards a studio arts career

Careers and Educational Pathways

Our program is dedicated to educating exceptional students who will continue IAIA’s 60-year legacy of influencing the Native art world. We prepare individuals to become self-employed studio artists, arts educators, and creative leaders in the arts. Many of our Studio Arts graduates earn MFA degrees from prestigious graduate programs and exhibit their award-winning work nationally and internationally.

Facility

The Academic Building has several studios including jewelry, digital fabrication laboratory, ceramics, printmaking, photography, painting, and drawing, plus the Balzer Contemporary Edge Gallery. The Houser Haouzous Sculpture and Foundry Building has 18,000 square feet of studio space, including a wood shop, a stone shop, a metal shop for welding and blacksmithing, a slurry room, a glass studio, and an outdoor foundry and courtyard work area.

Jewelry Studio

The Jewelry Studio is laid out with specific rooms for hammering and raising as well as buffing and polishing. There is also an outside demonstration area for forging and blacksmithing. The jewelry and metals studio also works in conjunction with the Fab Lab.

The Jewelry Studio includes:

  • Band saw
  • Two drill presses
  • High speed drill press
  • Blacksmithing forge
  • Photography station
  • Polishing stations
  • Ultrasonic drill
  • Lapidary stations
  • Soldering stations
  • 14 workstations with Foredom
  • 48″ shear
  • 18″ shear
  • Beverly shear
  • Drawing bench
  • Three kilns
  • Vacuum casting systems
  • Hydraulic forming systems

Fabrication Lab (Fab Lab)

The Digital Fabrication Laboratory (Fab Lab) allows computer facilitated fabrication. The Fab Lab can be used to create two- and three-dimensional works.

The lab includes:

  • Epilog Helix laser cutter
  • Z-Printer 3D printer
  • DWS stereo-lithography 3D printer
  • CNC mill
  • CNC lathe
  • Three PC work stations
  • Maxiem water jet cutter

Ceramic Studio

The Ceramics Studio is composed of a main workroom with multiple storage areas, dedicated rooms for glazing and for kilns, and an outside workspace with a separate building housing large gas kilns.

Ceramics studio includes:

  • Plasterwork area
  • Glaze room
  • Eight electric kilns
  • Alpine HF gas kiln
  • Laguna raku kiln
  • Wheel throwing area with six wheels

Printmaking Studio

The Printmaking Studio is equipped with a separate washout room for screens and a large format printer for experimental work in screen-printing and other methodologies.

The Printmaking Studio has:

  • Apple MAC computer
  • Epson V500 scanner
  • Epson Stylus 9800 large format printer
  • Takach lithography press
  • Takach etching press
  • Light tables
  • Drymount press
  • Lawson exposure units
  • Screen-printing washout

Photography Studio

The Photography Studio has two fully equipped darkrooms, two film-changing rooms, and a printer lab with 48″ Epson printer as well as Apple MAC work stations with two smaller Epson printers and scanners. The photo section has a separate lighting studio setup for portraiture and studio shoots.

The Photography Studio includes:

  • Eleven Apple MAC computers
  • Epson R2400 printer
  • Epson Pro 9880 large format printer
  • Epson V750 Pro and V700 scanners
  • Light tables
  • Drymount press
  • Two color enlargers
  • Eight black and white enlargers
  • Portrait studio with lighting setups
  • Light kits
  • Large format camera systems
  • Medium format camera systems

Painting Studio

The Painting Studio offers a top-notch work space for students and visiting artists. The studio consists of the Painting and Intermediate Painting Studio (2,556 sq. ft.) and the Advanced Painting Studio (1,990 sq. ft.), which offers an individual workspace for each student. Together, the two studios make up a total of 4,546 square feet of studio space. 

The Painting Studio has:

  • Industrial paint spray booth, manufactured by Global Finishing Solutions at 6’ W x 6’ D x 7’ H
  • Double sinks with hot and cold water
  • 60″ Sharp flat screen monitor for PowerPoint or video presentations
  • Metal easels for each student
  • Raw canvas supplied for class work
  • Gesso supplied for class work

Drawing Studio

The Drawing Studio offers 1,404 square feet of working space, including:

  • Metal easels
  • Drawing benches
  • Numerous inanimate objects for drawing projects and exercises
  • Life-sized skeleton

Wood Studio

The Wood Studio has a wide selection of hand tools as well as portable and stationary power tools for woodwork, including:

  • SawStop table saw
  • Scroll saw
  • Panel saw
  • Jointer
  • 10″ Planer
  • 20″ Planer
  • Drill press
  • 14″ band saw
  • 20″ band saw
  • Chop saw
  • Assorted hand tools for carving
  • Assorted portable power tools

Stone Studio

The Stone Carving Studio has equipment to sculpt stone of multiple scales, including:

  • Pneumatic stone tools
  • Hand tools
  • Power saws
  • Assorted grinders
  • Drills
  • Polishing systems

Metal Studio

The Metal Studio and Foundry has an array of equipment and space for metalwork of multiple scales, including a wax room, mold room, and slurry room for bronze casting. The Metal Studio has both inside and outside bays, with full systems for TIG, MIG and gas welding. There is also the basic setup for cold glasswork and three kilns for casting and slumping glass.

The Metal Studio includes:

  • Bronze furnace
  • Burnout kiln
  • Wax fabrication room
  • Slurry room
  • Mold preparation room
  • Divestment area with blast cabinets
  • Two Paragon glass kilns
  • One Skutt glass kiln
  • Glass-cutting band saw
  • Drum polisher
  • Flat lap polisher
  • Assorted glass tools
  • Dayton welder
  • Metal-cutting band saw
  • Portable metal-cutting band saw
  • Metal-cutting chop saw
  • Three Miller plasma cutters
  • Four torch welding setups
  • Tube benders
  • 48″ Brake
  • Three slip rollers
  • 48″ hydraulic shear
  • Beverly shear
  • Power hammer
  • Angle grinder
  • Two sandblasting cabinets
  • Three gas forges
  • 20″ drill press
  • Forklift
  • Overhead hoist
  • Three MIG Welders
  • Two TIG Welder
  • Five layout and work stations