Mary Deleary Appointed Director of IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
Mary Deleary will assume the role of director at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, located at the Institute of American Indian Arts, starting October 19. A member of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Deleary previously directed the IAIA's Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Museum Studies from IAIA in 2010 and later completed her PhD in Native American Art History at the University of Oklahoma. In related news, artists Tsuyu Bridwell and Natsuki Takauji have been chosen for a residency at Kinosaito and the Art Students League in Verplanck, New York, set for fall 2026.
Key facts
- Mary Deleary (Chippewas of the Thames First Nation) becomes director of the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts on October 19.
- Deleary currently heads the Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts at IAIA.
- She graduated from IAIA with a BFA in Museum Studies in 2010 and earned a PhD in Native American Art History from the University of Oklahoma.
- Her expertise includes Anishinaabe leadership practices, Indigenous research methodologies, and archives and collection development.
- Deleary was once a student intern at the museum she will now lead.
- Kinosaito, in partnership with the Art Students League, selected Tsuyu Bridwell and Natsuki Takauji for its fall 2026 residency.
- The residency is month-long and takes place in Verplanck, New York.
- Bridwell's work explores ancestral beliefs through traditional craft, sculpture, and nature-inspired installations; Takauji works in metal sculpture, multimedia, and public art, addressing memory, sexuality, and trauma.
Entities
Artists
- Mary Deleary
- Tsuyu Bridwell
- Natsuki Takauji
Institutions
- Institute of American Indian Arts
- IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts
- Research Center for Contemporary Native Arts
- University of Oklahoma
- Kinosaito
- Art Students League
Locations
- Verplanck
- New York
- United States