Mary Deleary Leads Museum of Contemporary Native Arts as Director

Dr Mary Deleary, member of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, has been appointed director of the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) in Santa Fe, New Mexico on October 19, 2026. She has experience in Indigenous art, museum leadership, and archival research, as well as cultural preservation.

Currently Mary is the Director of the Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts (RCCNA) at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). She will be responsible for the exhibitions, collections, programs, research, partnerships and operations as museum director. She will also become part of the President's Cabinet at IAIA, helping to lead the institution and enhance the museum's connection with the wider institution.

Key Highlights

• Mary Deleary will lead MoCNA from October 19, advancing Indigenous art
• She has led research initiatives supporting artist residencies, fellowships, and archival collaboration
• Her research explores Anishinaabe cultural practices, ancestral belongings, and museum archives

Mary is a 2010 IAIA alumni, earning her BFA in Museum Studies. She went on to earn her PhD in Native American Art History from the University of Oklahoma.

She completed her doctoral studies in the study of Anishinaabe practices of creation, recollection and reconnection to museums and archives histories of belongings. The intersections of Indigenous identity, cultural memory, historic collections and the communities to which they belong are all explored by her scholarship.

Her educational background has impacted her practice in Indigenous cultural preservation and museum work. Her research also contributes to discussions on issues of Indigenous representation and the role of cultural institutions in the protection and interpretation of cultural heritage.

Mary’s  involvement with MoCNA started when she was a student intern. The early experience brought her to a deeper understanding of museums and how they can serve Indigenous artists, students, and communities. Her new role is a major accomplishment for her and marks a return to the school in a leadership position.

In addition, her current role with RCCNA has further increased her knowledge and experience in research and archival work of contemporary Native art. These professional duties serve as the base to guide MoCNA's exhibitions, collections, and cultural programs.

“Mary has an understanding of current Indigenous art, museum practice, archives and the interconnections between artists, collections, students and communities,” said Dr. Shelly C. Lowe, a member of the Navajo Nation and president of IAIA. Lowe also honored her as an institutional leader and alumna of IAIA.

Mary has said, ‘the museum is a celebration of Indigenous artists and their stories. She said she was happy to be back at MoCNA and with the staff here, and credited the late Patsy Phillips, who was a member of the Cherokee Nation, as the former director of the organization”.

Mary will lead the museum's exhibitions, collections, research and partnerships as director. Her appointment is a testament to Indigenous women's leadership and the role scholarship plays in cultural institutions, such as sustaining cultural heritage, increasing Indigenous representation, and connecting cultural practitioners with communities.