New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs announces interim leadership at Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe

June 13th, 2022

Santa Fe, NM – New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) today announced interim leadership appointments at two of its museums in Santa Fe. Kate Macuen will serve as interim director at Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA) and Phil Karshis will serve a six month appointment as administrative director at Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC), both effective immediately.  

Macuen will serve in her role until a new executive director is named at MOIFA, and Karshis will focus on MIAC administration and remain through the leadership transition. The Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico is actively conducting two executive searches, and NMDCA anticipates making an appointment at MIAC in the next 30-60 days. 

Kate Macuen has served as MOIFA director of collections since 2021. Macuen’s focus at the museum and throughout her career has been on collection stewardship and preservation. She brings decades of experience working in the museum field, including as director of Florida’s Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum, owned by the Seminole Tribe of Florida. In her work at MOIFA, Macuen oversees the care, preservation, and access for 160,000 objects through preventative conservation initiatives.  She holds a master’s degree in Museum Science from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. 

Phil Karshis’ 50-year career as an educator and photographer has given him decades of experience working with Native communities, including the Poeh Cultural Center and Museum, where he served as arts training coordinator and director. As administrative director of MIAC, Karshis says his goal is to be responsive to the needs of the museum, its staff, and constituents while facilitating projects, including the museum’s new permanent exhibition Here, Now and Always which opens July 2 and 3, 2022. He holds a master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico. 

NMDCA announced last year the retirement of Della Warrior, MIAC executive director from 2013 to 2021. NMDCA also announced in May that Khristaan Villela, MOIFA executive director from 2016 to 2022, had become an associate director at Getty Research Institute. 

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About the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs  Created in 1978 by the New Mexico State Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is New Mexico’s cultural steward, charged with preserving and showcasing the state’s cultural riches. With its eight museums, seven historic sites, arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and library programs, the DCA is one of the largest and most diverse state cultural agencies in the nation. Together, the facilities, programs, and services of the Department support a $5.6 billion cultural industry in New Mexico.  

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 130,000 objects from more than 100 countries.