IAIA Commencement Photo and Caption

Photo and Caption

For Immediate Release

Contact:

Eric Davis, Marketing & Communications Director

505.424.2351, or [email protected]

Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)

2018 Graduation Ceremony

76 Degrees and Certificates Conferred on May 12, 2018

SANTA FE, NM: May 14, 2018.

The Institute of American Indian Arts held their 2018 commencement ceremony at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 12, 2018.

IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee) conferred 76 degrees on the graduating students, including student speaker Vivian Carroll (Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma) for the undergraduates, and Rose Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) for the MFA students. Commencement speaker, IAIA Alumna and noted poet, Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota), BFA '09, provided stories from her experience at IAIA and words of encouragement for the future to the assembled.

Additionally, an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities degree was conferred upon renowned artist and IAIA Alumnus George Rivera (Pojoaque Pueblo), AFA '84.

Shown below (R to L) are: Bryson Meyers (Chippewa-Cree/Dakota/Lakota) Procession Leader; Carmen Henan (Eastern Shoshone), Dean of Students; Loren Kieve (Cherokee), Board of Trustees Chair; IAIA President Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee); George Rivera (Pojoaque Pueblo); Jon Davis, Director of the MFA Program; Layli Long Soldier (Oglala Lakota); and Academic Dean Charlene Teters (Spokane), along with the 2018 graduates.

IAIA Commencement Procession.
Photo by Jason S. Ordaz. Courtesy of IAIA.

Offering undergraduate degrees in Studio Arts, Creative Writing, Cinematic Arts and Technology, Indigenous Liberal Studies, and Museum Studies -- a minor in Performing Arts -- an MFA in Creative Writing -- along with certificates in Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native American Art History -- IAIA is the only college in the nation dedicated to the study of contemporary Native arts. The school serves 517 full time equivalent (FTE) Native and non-Native American college students from across the globe. IAIA is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission -- and is the only college in New Mexico accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design.

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About IAIA -- For over 50 years, the Institute of American Indian Arts has played a key role in the direction and shape of Native expression. With an internationally acclaimed college, museum, and tribal support resource through the IAIA Land Grant Programs, IAIA is dedicated to the study and advancement of Native arts and cultures -- and committed to student achievement and the preservation and progress of their communities. Learn more about IAIA and our mission at www.iaia.edu .

The Institute of American Indian Arts Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization. To make a donation on-line, please click here -- or call toll free: 1.800.804.6423.