NMDCA News:

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Museum of International Folk Art, and New Mexico Arts proudly invite the public to their annual Community Day Celebration, Gathering Seeds, Tending Roots from 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, on Museum Hill. 

Gathering Seeds, Tending Roots is a celebration of the 20th anniversary of Santa Fe’s UNESCO designation as the first creative city for folk art and craft in 2005. This free, family-friendly event brings together community members, artists, musicians, and cultural leaders for a full day of vibrant programming reflecting how Santa Fe area artists and tradition bearers are addressing the UNESCO sustainable development goal of cultural and climate resiliency through their expressive practices. The 350 cities in the UNESCO international creative cities network work together towards a common objective: placing creativity and culture at the heart of their development plans working at the local level and actively engaging and cooperating at the international level. 

The day will feature: 

Live music & performances by: 

• Zuni Olla Maidens (Zuni Pueblo) 
• Felix y Los Gatos 
• Ailani Swentzell (Kha’p’o Owingeh/Santa Clara) 
• Jordan Wax 
• ¡Viva México! 

Food trucks serving local favorites: 

• Clay Pot 
• Manko! 
• Paleteria Oasis 

Interactive demonstrations and panel discussions with: 

• Raashan Ahmad 
• Reyna Banteah (Zuni Pueblo) 
• Jes Márquez 
• Justin Gallegos Mayrant 
• Jason Garcia (Kha’p’o Owingeh / Santa Clara Pueblo) 
• Diego Romero (Cochiti) 
• Tewa Women United 
• Emily Trujillo 
• Jordan Wax 
• Francisco Uviña-Contreras 
• Vanessa Vasquez Zamora 
• …and more! 

Visitors of all ages will have opportunities to learn about traditional and contemporary foodways, explore storytelling across cultures, and engage with the arts in hands-on and meaningful ways. 

Free admission to the Museum of Indian Arts Culture (MIAC) on Community Day is made possible by the generosity of Carmen and Mike Duffek.

“Understanding and acknowledging cultural resiliency begins with learning who our modern Pueblos, tribes, and Native nations have descended from,” Danyelle Means said, Executive Director of MIAC. “We are grateful to our friends Carmen and Mike Duffek for their dedication to making the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture free and open to all for this year’s Community Day.”

Join MIAC, MOIFA, and NM Arts in celebrating community, culture, and resilience on Museum Hill!  

This event is supported by:  

• Museum of Indian Arts and Culture
• Museum of International Folk Art
• New Mexico Arts
• New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs
• Museum of New Mexico Foundation
• Friends of Folk Art
• AMP Concerts
• City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department
• UNESCO Member of the Creative Cities Network
• Hutton Broadcasting

About the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture   

The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and our donors. The mission of the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology is to serve as a center of stewardship, knowledge, and understanding of the artistic, cultural, and intellectual achievements of the diverse peoples of the Native Southwest.

 About the Museum of International Folk Art   

The Museum of International Folk Art is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the International Folk Art Foundation and Museum of New Mexico Foundation. The mission of The Museum of International Folk Art is to shape a humane world by connecting people through creative expression and artistic traditions. The museum holds the largest collection of international folk art in the world, numbering more than 163,000 objects from more than 160countries. Learn more at moifa.org  

About New Mexico Arts 

The New Mexico Arts Commission is the advisory body for New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs. The Arts Commission, in conjunction with New Mexico Arts, is to stimulate opportunities for artists, arts organizations, and other groups for activities or projects to provide artistic or cultural services to the state, to maintain and encourage artistic excellence, and to promote awareness of and access to the arts for all of the people of New Mexico. Learn more at: nmarts.org