The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) is located in one of the most diverse concentrations of Native peoples in North America, in the heart of the nation’s oldest multi-cultural communities and in one of the largest art markets in the country. The City of Santa Fe’s population is 63,203. The elevation is approximately 6,990.

Situated on 140 acres of land 12 miles southwest of downtown Santa Fe, the IAIA campus environment supports natural plant and wildlife. In each direction, one has breathtaking views of the landscape. To the west are the Jemez Mountains; to the northeast are the Sangre de Christos Mountains, and to the south are the Ortiz Mountains with the Sandia Mountain Range looming behind them.

Currently, the campus is comprised of the following facilities:

Academic Center
Library & Technology Center
Student Housing
Student Life Center
Cultural Learning Center
Facilities Management

The main and west wings of the Library & Technology Center (LTC) opened in January and house the new library, design and motion graphics classrooms for the Visual Communication Degree Program, a 40-seat teaching & video/conference room, a 280-seat lecture hall, and additional classrooms. The LTC will also house Administrative offices that will be completed in 2005. The LTC is a 55,750 square foot, state-of-the-art facility that supports the Institute’s expanded degree programs and is comprised of technology/research and instructional components. The facility enhances the Institute’s ability to better serve students by providing access to the latest technology available and incorporating technology in the classroom setting.

Serving Native students from across the country allows for a unique cultural exchange within the student learning environment. In any given year, there may be up to 112 different tribes represented within the student body. This unique educational aspect is further supported by the Institute’s outreach programs to the 19 New Mexico Pueblos. Because of their close proximity to the campus, students experience first-hand the rich cultures and traditions of the Pueblo People.

Outreach and other activities that benefit students address art and fitness. As a tourist attraction, Santa Fe has much to offer. It is home to the largest annual gathering of Indian artists in the country, the Santa Fe Indian Art Market, held each year in August. A large portion of Santa Fe’s population is comprised of artists. Many are IAIA alumni who have made Santa Fe their home. With 250 art galleries and 12 museums located throughout the City, students have access to a variety of art mediums and are often treated, on and off campus, to art lectures and workshops conducted by alumni and other artists. To help students stay fit, the Santa Fe Ski Basin is located just outside of Santa Fe. Students are also provided free access to the Genoveva Chavez Community Center, a facility that houses a gym, weight room, 3 swimming pools, an ice-skating rink and an indoor walking track. The Institute’s Student Activities Coordinator plans activities that take students not only to every corner of New Mexico, but throughout the country. Student Clubs are also known to take excursions into other countries as well.

At IAIA, all students are equally assured of the best opportunities for critical, professional and cultural development provided from a Native perspective.