School for Advanced Research

CAREER PATHWAYS | Education Assistant

What kinds of jobs are there in the museum field?

Meet Dynette Chavez (she/her), IARC’s Education Assistant. A member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation and Santo Domingo Pueblo, Dynette holds a BA in anthropology from Whittier College with an emphasis on tribal museums and a certificate in museum studies from the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA).

Her path to SAR includes teaching World History at Santa Fe Indian School and working at her tribe’s cultural center, where she supported language classes.

Now at IARC, Dynette assists with the internship program and community outreach, bringing together her experience in education, museums, and community-based work.

So, what can a career in museums look like?

Press play to hear Dynette share her experience and advice.

What’s in your bag ATALM edition!

Table Magazine Feature: JONATHAN LORETTO

What happens when tradition, humor, family, and everyday life come together in an artist’s practice?

For Jonathan Loretto (Jemez and Cochiti Pueblos), quite a lot. As part of SAR’s collaboration with TABLE Magazine, Loretto explored pieces from the Indian Arts Research Center collection that brought him back to food, family, and memories of gathering wild foods with his mother, aunties, and family.

That connection to everyday life carries into his own pottery. Loretto creates vessels with the people who will use them in mind, imagining them at family meals, feasts, and celebrations. He also continues the practice of outdoor firing and shares those techniques with his community, keeping traditional knowledge “in movement.”

And sometimes, tradition comes with a sense of humor. During his 2012 SAR Native Artist Fellowship, Loretto developed his now-recognizable storyteller bobbleheads, putting his own playful spin on a tradition he grew up watching his mother practice.

For Loretto, creativity is a journey grounded in respect, humor, and connection.

Explore the full TABLE Magazine feature: https://pulse.ly/jc1apwvwmb

How have dogs shaped human societies, and how have we shaped them?

In July, SAR welcomed anthropologist Emily Jones to the Michael F. Brown Plaza to explore the many roles dogs have held throughout human history, from hunting assistants and pack animals to companions and even village witches.

Drawing on archaeological evidence from the Paleolithic to the present, Jones explored the relationships between humans and dogs, from free-roaming village dogs to the breeds we know today.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening of looking at our four-legged companions from a new perspective, and to our Dog Days of Summer Exclusive Partner, Tulliver's Pet Food Emporium, for supporting the program.

The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, & Museums (ATALM) is hosting their annual conference in Spokane, Washington all this week!

If you're attending the conference, swing by SAR's booth (booth #19) to say hello, catch up on what we've been doing for the last year, and learn all about the new Indigenous Collections Care Guide.

I've you're not attending the conference this year, check out our Instagram stories this week to follow along on our adventures!

Thank you, summer volunteers!

Summer at SAR is made a little more welcoming by the people who give their time, share their knowledge, and help bring our programs to life.

This summer, we’re especially grateful to our volunteers, including longtime Santa Fe community member Margo Chávez-Charles, who joined us for her first summer volunteering with SAR. Margo has spent her life exploring the connections between places, cultures, stories, and belonging. Now, she’s helping create those connections here at SAR.

From welcoming guests at Dog Days of Summer to helping make our campus feel like a place to gather and exchange ideas, our volunteers are part of what makes SAR a community.

Thank you for sharing your time, curiosity, and care with us this summer. We’re grateful you’re part of SAR.