
- Details
- By Native News Online Staff
SANTA FE — The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) will reopen September 16 after closing earlier this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The museum is reopening in compliance with New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s approval.
The MoCNA will reopen at 25 percent capacity—40 individuals—at any given time, according to museum officials.
On Sept. 16, the MoCNA will be open from 12 noon – 5 p.m. Following its reopening, the hours of operation will be Wednesday – Sundays, 12 noon – 5 p.m. Timed tickets will be available for purchase online at iaia.edu/store or in-person at the MoCNA museum store.
The MoCNA released the following protocols it will follow to help to keep its staff and visitors safe and healthy.
A Few Protocols to Ensure a Safe Visitor Experience
- Please self-assess before visiting the museum. Are you exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, difficulty breathing, headache, body aches, sore throat, loss of taste and smell, fever, and chills)? Have you been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19? If you are exhibiting any of these symptoms or have been exposed, please do not visit the museum and reschedule for a later date. If you purchased a ticket online, we will work with you on transferring that ticket to another date or providing you with a refund.
- Respect social distancing and ensure everyone's safety by following all signage and directional arrows within each of our gallery spaces. Please respect our max occupancy signs for each gallery space and please maintain a 6-foot distance or more from other museum guests and staff.
- Following New Mexico's public health order and IAIA's guiding principles, all visitors will be required to wear a face covering that covers the nose and mouth while in the museum.
- Hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the museum for your convenience.
- At the moment, no docent-led group tours or school tours will be provided.
- Please be respectful of our staff and each other. We are here to ensure a safe space for everyone
More Stories Like This
First American Art Highlighted at Artesian Arts FestivalNew Book Features Professional Runner Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone,
Navajo Technical University Rodeo Team Competes at 2025 College National Finals Rodeo
Restoring the Voice of a Leader: Sitting Bull's Songs Reclaimed
New Exhibition of Contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous Art Opens at the American Museum of Natural History
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher