Does the School just support work on the Southwest and just archaeology?
No, the School's Resident Scholar and Advanced Seminar programs support work from
throughout the world, in all of the anthropological sub-disciplines and through all human
time periods. The School's J.I. Staley Book Prize
covers work by anthropologists who have worked throughout the world. The School's Indian Arts Research Center focuses its work on the artists
and art of the American Southwest.
What kinds of classes are offered at the School of American Research?
SAR does not offer a regular curriculum of classes throughout the academic year for
students. However, there are various educational opportunities for members and the general
public, such as lectures and tours of the collections. Check the What's
New? and Membership sections for upcoming events.
Why didn't I receive my copy of the newsletter or the calendar or some other
piece of information?
We strive always to keep our lists of members and friends of the School up to date but
sometimes we fall a bit behind. Please advise Janet Stoker (stoker@sarsf.org) of any difficulties you have
receiving mail from SAR.
Funding of SAR
Where does the School get its operating funds?
The School has built up a substantial endowment over the last thirty years
that helps
support its operations. The School also depends heavily on annual contributions, federal
and private grants, bequests, and the generosity of its patrons and board members. The
School is a private non-profit institution, and as such is not supported by state or
federal government except through occasional grants received on a competitive basis.
Is a donation I make to SAR tax-deductible?
Yes. SAR is a 501(c)(3) organization under Federal tax law. Although portions of some
donations (such as SAR memberships) may not be deductible in full, other donations are.
How do I make a gift to SAR?
We welcome gifts of all kinds. One page of our Web site (Making a
Gift to SAR) gives more details or please contact Institutional Development Coordinator Janet Stoker
stoker@sarsf.org with any questions you may have.
Indian Arts Research Center
Are you a part of the State's Museum system?
No. The School is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1907.
Several years later Dr. Edgar Lee Hewett, who was director of the School, founded the Museum
of New Mexico as the education and public outreach division of the School. In 1959, the
School and the Museum became separate institutions with the museum administered by the
state of New Mexico.
How did you obtain your collections?
The collection was started by a group of individuals in Santa Fe in 1922. Originally,
they called themselves the Pueblo Pottery Fund, but incorporated three years later in 1925
as the the Indian Arts Fund. The IAF collection of 4,600 objects was donated to the School
fifty years later in 1972. The Indian Arts Research Center (IARC) was built by the School
in 1978 specifically to house the IAF collections and the IARC has continued to collect
Southwest Indian art to this day. The collection now numbers 11,000 items. (See History of the IARC Collection).
What is your oldest piece?
The Indian Arts Research Center has collections of pre-contact pottery (prior to the
Spanish Entrada in the Southwest in 1540). Most of the School's pre-contact pottery, which
came from controlled archaeological investigations, has been deeded to the Museum of New
Mexico. However, the majority of the collections at the IARC
are from the historic period dating from 1540 - present.
