Craft in America on PBS Highlights IAIA’s Role in Shaping Contemporary Indigenous Art

Image: *Craft in America West* poster image courtesy *Craft in America*

Craft in America on PBS Highlights IAIA’s Role in Shaping Contemporary Indigenous Art

For Immediate Release
November 24, Santa Fe, New Mexico

For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Jason S. Ordaz, Chief Communications Officer, Office of Institutional Communications, at jason.ordaz@iaia.edu.

This December, Craft in America begins a journey around the United States with the hour-long episodes East and West, premiering on PBS on Friday, December 19, 2025, at 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm (MST) (check local listings), and streaming starting November 24, 2025, on the PBS app, www.pbs.org/craftinamerica, and www.craftinamerica.org.

East and West are part of a four-episode series (North and South will premiere in winter 2026), which is part of Handwork 2026, an expansive, year-long collaboration among art and culture organizations, educators, and makers that reflects the diversity of craft over the past 250 years.

The West episode features the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)—highlighting our campus, students, alum, faculty, and leadership, as well as distinguished voices such as former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna and Jemez Pueblo), internationally recognized artist, IAIA alum, and Trustee Rose B. Simpson (Santa Clara Pueblo) ’07, ’18, President Emeritus Dr. Robert Martin (Cherokee Nation), and many others.

The film honors IAIA’s more than 60 years of creative roots and our position as the birthplace of contemporary Indigenous art.

Dr. Shelly C. Lowe (Navajo), IAIA President, said, “IAIA’s creative roots go back over 60 years, and many important Indigenous artists have found their start at our university. Seeing this legacy reflected in Craft in America’s thoughtfully presented West episode, I am deeply grateful for PBS’ and Craft in America’s commitment to telling this story.”

Craft in America is the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated documentary series that explores the beauty, significance, and relevance of handmade objects and the artists who create them.

“It was very important for our series to include the Institute of American Indian Arts in our retrospective on the West for the Handwork 2026 project—we believe IAIA is one of the most important institutions in the country. The creativity we witnessed there is inspiring and hugely influential, and it was a great honor for us to film at IAIA during Dr. Robert Martin’s final year as president. We spent nearly two years being guided on our journey by Jason Ordaz, IAIA Chief Communications Officer, and IAIA staff, who opened doors and worked in depth with Craft in America Executive Director Carol Sauvion, and me on this important episode on the West,” said Patricia Bischetti, Executive Producer and Director.

“The Craft in America crew of six was here on campus for three days filming in various classrooms, during commencement, and through interviews with trustees, our president’s cabinet, alum, staff, faculty, and students,” said Jason S. Ordaz, IAIA Chief Communications Officer. “It was a pleasure and privilege to help shepherd this important film into being.”

Viewers who want to learn more about IAIA and its mission can go to www.iaia.edu for a wealth of information about its programs. Visitors can arrange a trip to the IAIA campus and explore contemporary Native art at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA), located in the city’s historic downtown.

The Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)—the University for Indigenous Creative Excellence—is widely regarded as the preeminent higher education institution dedicated to the study of contemporary Native American and Alaska Native arts. IAIA offers undergraduate degrees in Cinematic Arts and Technology, Computer Science, Creative Writing, Indigenous Liberal Studies, Museum Studies, Native American Art History, Performing Arts, and Studio Arts; graduate degrees in Creative Writing, Studio Arts, and Cultural Administration; and certificates in Broadcast Journalism, Business and Entrepreneurship, Museum Studies, and Native American Art History. Recent partnerships, such as those with AMC, The Walt Disney Company, Nike, Ralph Lauren, the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), and NBCUniversal Media, help students leave lasting footprints in the creative community. Among its many illustrious alums and former staff are two U.S. Poet Laureates: Joy Harjo (Mvskoke Nation) ’68, US Poet Laureate from 2019 to 2022, and Faculty Emeritus Arthur Sze, the current and 2025 US Poet Laureate. IAIA serves approximately 500 full-time equivalent (FTE) Native and non-Native students, representing nearly 100 federally recognized Tribes. IAIA is among the leading art universities in the nation and is fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).