IAIA selects new president, gives update on funding cuts

SANTA FE — The Institute of American Indian Arts Board of Trustees has selected a new president.

On Wednesday, the school announced Shelly Lowe would be taking the reins from President Robert Martin, who is retiring July 31 after 18 years heading the college and four decades in tribal education.

“IAIA is an extraordinary institution dedicated to nurturing creativity, innovation, and leadership within Indigenous communities,” Lowe said in a news release.

Lowe was not made available for an interview Thursday. She most recently served as chair of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and she takes the helm of the small arts school at a time when it is likely facing federal cuts — though not as bad as initially anticipated.

Just over a month ago, IAIA found itself in the crosshairs of a budget proposal that would’ve almost eliminated its federal funding. Now it’s facing an 11% decrease, according to its president.

While the House and Senate appropriations committees still have to finalize the budget for the next fiscal year — and House business is paused — the New Mexico college has received assurances from both political parties that its funding is no longer under threat.

The Santa Fe-based art school serves over 1,000 students and has a staff of over 100 people, 79% and 42% of whom are Native American, respectively. It stood to lose approximately $13.4 million in federal funding in June from its overall budget of roughly $17 million. Now, it will likely see around $2 million of that cut.

“We’re not taking anything for granted. We know that this could be proposed again next year, the Trump administration can propose eliminating our budget again,” Martin, IAIA’s outgoing president, said Wednesday. “But we know that we have the support in Congress, that it will be restored, so we’re optimistic about that.”

According to Martin, one of the key supporters the school has in Congress is U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“The fight to ensure steady funding for the institution remains, but this is an important step forward,” Heinrich said in a statement. “I will keep working across the aisle to secure continued investment in this institution, as it prepares the next generation of Tribal leaders, artists, educators, and cultural stewards.”

Additionally, House Appropriations Chairman U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., who also serves as a nonvoting board member for IAIA and is of Chickasaw descent, promised he’d secure funding for the school, according to Martin. Cole could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The House is frozen until September as Republicans try to block amendments and subpoenas connected to Jeffrey Epstein. Cole’s committee, initially slated to meet Thursday for final markups of the budget, has delayed its meeting due to “changes in the House calendar.”

Still, Martin remains confident that the funding for his institution will be protected, and he also feels the federal government has a responsibility to continue supporting his school and other tribal colleges across the country.

“I was asked by some students at a town hall meeting, ‘Well, can we go out and raise the funds so we don’t need support from the federal government?’” Martin said. “But they have an obligation — we don’t want to let them off the hook for that.”