The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), the University for Indigenous Creative Excellence, seeks a dynamic, engaging, and strategic leader to serve as its next president. IAIA seeks a leader with a deep understanding of complex factors facing higher education at this unique moment, and a steadfast commitment to the mission of serving Indigenous people through higher education and the arts. The president will join the community in a significant moment for the institution and community. This is an exciting opportunity for an inspiring, communicative, and unifying leader who will guide IAIA into the future.

IAIA President

The president will serve as a champion for the Institute, enhancing its reputation on a local, national, and international scale. By building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, the president will foster a culture of collaboration, inclusivity, and mutual respect. The ideal candidate will demonstrate visionary, strategic, and collaborative leadership in higher education or a similarly complex environment. They will possess strong financial acumen, exceptional communication skills, and a proven track record of fundraising success. The president should have a broad understanding of the disciplines at IAIA. The successful candidate will continue to strengthen the resources and support available to students while exhibiting a deep commitment to student, faculty, and staff well-being.

IAIA has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. All inquiries, nominations, and applications should be directed in strict confidence to the firm as indicated at the end of this document.

As IAIA’s chief executive officer, the president is responsible for the overall management and direction of IAIA. As such, the president works with the IAIA’s board of trustees to set the vision and strategic direction. The president oversees an operating budget of approximately $18.5 million and an endowment of $25 million. As a community-centered institution, the president is a present and visible figure on and off campus, fostering strong relationships with constituents, both internal and external. At the same time, the president is the chief fundraiser, developing resources to support IAIA’s continued growth. The president’s direct reports include the provost; vice president of operations; chief advancement officer; chief communications officer; director of sponsored programs; director of the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts; and director of institutional research.

About the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)

Established in 1962, and chartered by Congress in 1987 as a separate, independent institution, the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, known by a shorter name, the Institute of American Indian Arts, or “IAIA,” offers academic excellence to both Native and non-Native populations with a goal of empowering through education, economic self-sufficiency, expression and enhancement of artistic and cultural traditions. IAIA is the only institution of higher learning in the world dedicated to contemporary Native American art and culture. As a 1994 Tribal University and Land-Grant institution, IAIA is also responsible for promoting and strengthening tribal programs in food and agricultural science.

IAIA also operates an acclaimed museum, the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), which is the only one in the world focusing exclusively on exhibiting, collecting, and interpreting the work of Native American artists.

IAIA is the birthplace of contemporary Native American art and has been the educational home for esteemed, innovative artists, writers, filmmakers, performers, scholars and museum professionals and other leaders since 1962. Today, IAIA continues to grow on its 140-acre campus, offering certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs. Its museum, IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, continues to expand its renowned collection of over 9,500 artworks, curating numerous progressive and innovative exhibitions, both traveling and at MoCNA’s location in downtown Santa Fe.

Part of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium, IAIA is a public Tribal land-grant college and the world’s only institution of higher learning dedicated to contemporary Native American art. IAIA offers undergraduate degrees in Cinematic Arts and Technology, Creative Writing, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, Performing Arts, Studio Arts, Native American Art History, and Computer Science; graduate degrees in Creative Writing, Studio Arts, and Cultural Administration; and certificates in Broadcast Journalism, Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native American Art History.

The college serves approximately 700 full-time equivalent (FTE) Native and non-Native American students from 35 states and around the globe, representing nearly 100 federally recognized tribes. IAIA has graduated more than 4,000 students, representing more than 90% of the 562 federally recognized tribes. Supporting the student body includes over 100 faculty and staff members who share their knowledge and experiences. Often artists themselves, the expertise and technical prowess faculty and staff bring daily to campus are essential ingredients in IAIA’s ability to meet its mission.

Strong values make IAIA a place where creativity and scholarship flourish. The community promotes well-being for themselves, each other, and the environment, recognizing that good health and contentment are crucial to success. Their most revered values are:

• Collaboration: Working together for student success
• Excellence: Upholding high standards for students, faculty, and staff
• Creativity: Encouraging bold expression in art and life
• Respect: Fostering the appreciation of cultures, perspectives, and identities through diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
• Integrity: Expecting and honoring reciprocity, accountability, honesty, and responsibility to ourselves, our community, and our world
• Leadership: Cultivating leaders in Indigenous arts, cultures, and communities
• Stewardship: Taking care of IAIA’s material and human resources

Applications, Inquiries, and Nominations

A search committee composed of faculty, staff, students, and board representatives has been formed to conduct the search, assisted by the executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. All inquiries, referrals, and nominations should be directed to Isaacson, Miller. Please send a CV or resume and a letter of interest in strict confidence to: Benjamin Tobin, Becky Piper, and Alaine Small

Views from the 2023 IAIA Commencement Ceremony

Commencement at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is more than just a ceremony, it’s the culmination of years of dedication, creativity, and community. It represents the very essence of what IAIA stands for—empowering Indigenous students through the arts, education, and culture. This momentous event celebrates the hard work and accomplishments of our graduates, each of whom carries forward IAIA’s legacy of artistic excellence and cultural leadership.