Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology
is a museum
of Native American
art and culture located in Santa Fe, New Mexico
. It is one of eight museums in the state operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
and is accredited by the American Association of Museums
as part of the Museum of New Mexico system. The museum and its programs are financially supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is dedicated to the accurate and culturally-sensitive presentation of southwestern Native American cultures. Its mission statement emphasizes its intention to work closely with the Native communities of the region.
As the state repository for archaeological materials, the Museum has the responsibility to care for and maintain all artifacts excavated on state-owned land. Its Archaeological Research Collection contains artifacts numbering between 5 and 10 million. (As these artifacts are stored as "bulk" collections, and not catalogued individually, an exact count is unknown.
The Buchsbaum Gallery of Southwestern Pottery, which contains nearly 300 ceramic
vessels created by artists of the Pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona
. Objects on display range the from those created near the inception of pottery
-making in the Southwest
up to the present.
Here, Now & Always, a major exhibition that documents the Southwest’s indigenous communities and their challenging landscapes. Here, Now and Always includes more than 1,300 objects from the Museum’s collection accompanied by poetry, story, song and scholarly discussion.
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
is a museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
of Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
art and culture located in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. It is one of eight museums in the state operated by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is an executive branch agency of the New Mexico state government. Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the department oversees the state museum, monument, arts, library, heritage preservation, and archaeology programs. Some 550 employees,...
and is accredited by the American Association of Museums
American Association of Museums
The American Association of Museums is a non-profit association that has brought museums together since its founding in 1906, helping develop standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and advocating on issues of concern to the museum community...
as part of the Museum of New Mexico system. The museum and its programs are financially supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is dedicated to the accurate and culturally-sensitive presentation of southwestern Native American cultures. Its mission statement emphasizes its intention to work closely with the Native communities of the region.
The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology, through close collaboration with Native Communities, commits to respect Indigenous traditions and to inspire appreciation of the unique cultures of the Southwest.
The museum pursues collection development and preservation; conducts public education and outreach; facilitates research; and creates interpretive exhibitions of the arts, cultures, and histories of the American Southwest.
History
The following description of the museum's history is from the museum's Web site: http://www.indianartsandculture.org:
In response to unsystematic collecting by Eastern museums, anthropologist Edgar Lee HewettEdgar Lee HewettEdgar Lee Hewett, D.Sc., was an archaeologist/anthropologist active in work on the Native American communities of New Mexico and the southwestern United States, and most famous for his role in bringing about the Antiquities Act, a pioneering piece of legislation for the conservation movement...
founded the Museum of New Mexico in 1909 with a mission to collect and preserve SouthwesternSouthwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
Native American material culture. Several years later, in 1927, John D. RockefellerJohn D. RockefellerJohn Davison Rockefeller was an American oil industrialist, investor, and philanthropist. He was the founder of the Standard Oil Company, which dominated the oil industry and was the first great U.S. business trust. Rockefeller revolutionized the petroleum industry and defined the structure of...
founded the renowned Laboratory of Anthropology with a mission to study the Southwest's indigenous cultures. In 1947 the two institutions merged, bringing together the most inclusive and systematically acquired collection of New Mexican and Southwestern anthropological artifacts in the country.
The Laboratory's collection continued to expand but was largely unavailable to the general public for lack of adequate exhibition facilities. In 1977, the New Mexico legislature appropriated $2.7 million for the design of a new Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. The MIAC opened ten years later in 1987, immediately adjacent to the Laboratory, as the 31000 square feet (2,880 m²) exhibition facility for the Lab's extensive collections.
In the following years, planning began for additional exhibition and collections storage space in the 21000 square feet (1,951 m²) Amy Rose Bloch Wing and the revolutionary new exhibition Here, Now & Always, which opened in August, 1997. This groundbreaking permanent exhibition, developed by a core curatorial team composed of Southwest Indian peoples and museum professionals, incorporates the voices of more than 75 Native Americans. Here, Now & Always tells the rich, complex and diverse stories of Native Americans in the Southwest through their own words and some 1,300 objects drawn from the Museum's collections.
Collections
Object collections at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture are divided administratively into "Individually Catalogued Collections," which include typological collections of Southwestern textiles, pottery, baskets, jewelry, contemporary art, and artifacts chronicling the everyday life of New Mexico's long period of human habitation.As the state repository for archaeological materials, the Museum has the responsibility to care for and maintain all artifacts excavated on state-owned land. Its Archaeological Research Collection contains artifacts numbering between 5 and 10 million. (As these artifacts are stored as "bulk" collections, and not catalogued individually, an exact count is unknown.
Exhibitions
The Museum has a regularly changing schedule of temporary exhibitions, which draw on the strengths of its collection. Long-term exhibitions on view at the museum include:The Buchsbaum Gallery of Southwestern Pottery, which contains nearly 300 ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
vessels created by artists of the Pueblos of New Mexico and Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. Objects on display range the from those created near the inception of pottery
Pottery
Pottery is the material from which the potteryware is made, of which major types include earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. The place where such wares are made is also called a pottery . Pottery also refers to the art or craft of the potter or the manufacture of pottery...
-making in the Southwest
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
up to the present.
Here, Now & Always, a major exhibition that documents the Southwest’s indigenous communities and their challenging landscapes. Here, Now and Always includes more than 1,300 objects from the Museum’s collection accompanied by poetry, story, song and scholarly discussion.