“To empower creativity and leadership in Native Arts and cultures through higher education, life-long learning and outreach.”
For 50 years, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) has played a leading role in the direction and shape of Native expression. As it has grown and evolved into an internationally acclaimed college, museum and Center for Lifelong Education, IAIA’s dedication to the study and advancement of Native arts and cultures is matched only by its commitment to student achievement and the preservation and progress of the communities they represent.
Our vision is to be the premier educational institution for Native arts and cultures.
As such, we dedicate ourselves, our curriculum, our facilities, and our energies to preparing our students for success and leadership which reflects Native cultures and values.
We accomplish this through culturally-based programs that fulfill the physical, social, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual needs of our students. Through innovative teaching, critical inquiry and intergenerational learning, we offer the highest quality educational programs designed to instruct and inspire.
As a 1994 land-grant institution, we provide training and outreach that promotes tribal sovereignty and self-determination.
Above all, we are a national institute of excellence and an example of all that can be accomplished in furthering, supporting and nurturing contemporary Native arts through exhibitions, research, indigenous exchange, and other educational programs which build and sustain our core values.
We believe in: Collaboration, Excellence, Creativity, Respect, and Integrity.
