Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts

01/08/2026

“Art is about the way people see the world. When you understand that, you begin to understand each other.”
Ralph T. “Ted” Coe

The Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts was created as a place of curiosity, connection, and shared learning. While it was the Coe Collection that first brought us together, it was the relationships, conversations, and spirit of exploration that shaped our purpose.

As we close this chapter, I wish to honor every individual who visited the Coe Center, participated in our programs, partnered with us, or supported our work. I am deeply grateful to our devoted staff and volunteers, whose commitment and care made all of our work possible, and to the Coe Center Board for its steady guidance throughout this journey.

From the beginning, the Coe Center was an experiment grounded in the belief that art fosters understanding. Our work focused on raising awareness of Indigenous arts, encouraging thoughtful dialogue, and creating opportunities for education and exchange. Over time, this experiment proved to be both meaningful and impactful, culminating in the Rehoming Program and its accompanying grants. Together with communities, artists, museums, and cultural partners, we sought to support positive change, and I believe we succeeded.

Although the Coe Center is now closed, the spirit of this work continues in the relationships built, the knowledge shared, and the many homes to which artworks have returned. I invite you to explore the website, revisit past exhibitions and projects, and carry forward the curiosity, respect, and openness that guided everything we did.

With sincere gratitude,
Rachel de W. Wixom
President, Executive Director
Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts

12/24/2025

Our visit to Haida Gwaii marked the final rehoming in the Coe Center’s journey. We were deeply honored to bring this last piece home and to spend time on the land, in the longhouse, and with the people who carry these stories forward.

From the Haida Gwaii Museum to the Tluu Xaada Naay Longhouse and Cultural Center, we were welcomed with generosity, knowledge, and care. Special thanks to Aay Aay Gidens, Repatriation Coordinator, and all those who shared their time and voices with us.

This moment was not just a milestone. It was a reminder of why this work matters. The objects may be home now, but the relationships will continue.

10/25/2025

Everyone held their breath as the Art Handlers of Santa Fe carefully guided the Hams’pek Totem Pole from its place at the Coe Center. With steady hands and deep respect, the pole was lowered, packed, and prepared for its journey home to Canada.

Carved by Calvin Hunt (Kwagiulth/Nuu-chah-nulth), this totem embodies the Hamatsa ceremony, a sacred winter dance that calls forth the spirit of the man-eating giant. Beyond its artistry, it carries generations of story, ceremony, and identity.

The Hams’pek Totem Pole was also the inspiration behind the Coe Center’s logo, a lasting symbol of connection and respect. Its return marks one of the final major pieces to leave the collection as part of the Rehoming Project, a years-long effort to bring cultural belongings home with care and dignity.

10/01/2025

09/05/2025

Two powerful stories from The Santa Fe New Mexican capture what this moment means:

-Returning cultural treasures to Native communities
-Gifting the Coe Center campus to IAIA through our Rehoming Program

This isn’t just about property or collections — it’s about respect, reciprocity, and ensuring Indigenous voices shape the future of arts and culture.

Head over to read how the Coe’s final chapter is creating new beginnings:
https://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/education/santa-fes-coe-center-to-hand-over-midtown-property-part-of-art-collection-for-new/article_f96fadef-d18c-42b0-a1ad-4081370ce419.html

https://www.santafenewmexican.com/opinion/editorials/the-right-thing-center-returns-cultural-items-to-native-communities/article_31860701-b36a-4806-9148-97a46123e48f.html

08/28/2025

This December, the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts will gift its campus to theInstitute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) as part of our Rehoming Program.

This historic transfer ensures the Coe’s mission of honoring Indigenous creativity continues through IAIA’s leadership in arts, education, and cultural exchange. Along with the campus, a substantial grant will support care and maintenance of the property, strengthening IAIA’s capacity to serve future generations.

Rehoming is more than transfer. It’s stewardship rooted in respect, reciprocity, and responsibility. Follow along as we share the stories, relationships, and moments that shape this unprecedented process.

Learn more: www.coeartscenter.org

08/21/2025

❤️

The tribal college plans to use the donated space — and a sizable grant — to create a Master of Fine Arts campus.

08/19/2025

From the Luba culture of Central Africa, this early 20th-century mboko offering vessel is a masterful expression of spiritual knowledge and ritual beauty.

Carved from wood, the seated female figure supports a round bowl, once used by royal diviners to hold sacred chalk or offerings. Her serene gaze, elegant posture, and intricate Kaposhi hairstyle reflect ideals of wisdom, dignity, and spiritual power.

Among the Luba, such vessels were more than ceremonial tools. They were living links between the diviner, the ancestors, and the unseen.

This piece is part of the Coe's Collection, and will be available in the Indigenous Art Auction on Friday, August 22 via LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, and Artemis Fine Arts.

All proceeds from the Coe Collection lots will fund Rehoming Program Grants, supporting Indigenous communities in the care and stewardship of rehomed pieces.

View the full auction: https://auctions.artemisgallery.com/auction-catalog/indigenous-art-from-the-ralph-t-coe-center-santa-_2RTCROMQZL

08/12/2025

Judging Native Art: Challenges and Rewards

How do judges evaluate Native art, and what makes the process so complex, meaningful, and rewarding?

First American Art Magazine (FAAM) invites you to a free, public roundtable during Native Art Week, hosted at the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts. Hear from Mark Bahti, Linda Lomahaftewa (Hopi/Choctaw), Scott C. Hale, and America Meredith, with moderation by Rachel Wixom.

When: Thursday, August 14, 2025 | 10–11 am
Where: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Event Center, Santa Fe, NM
Bonus: Current issues of First American Art Magazine will be available

Join us to learn from seasoned experts, hear diverse perspectives, and gain insights that will help you see Native art in new ways.

Details: https://firstamerican.art/judging/

08/08/2025

Ancestral Pueblo Redware Bowl
ca. 1200–1250
Fired clay, pigments
Possibly Fort Wingate

This striking bowl, attributed to the Ancestral Pueblo and dating from 1200–1250, is part of the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts Collection, originally gifted by Hugh Zimmer in 2017.

It’s one of a handful of Coe Collection works featured in the upcoming Native Market Auction, hosted by Fe Art Auction

Proceeds from the sale of any Coe Collection pieces will directly support the Coe Center’s Rehoming Program Grants, awarded to all program participants.

🗓 Auction runs August 12–14, featuring a wide array of Native art!

View the full catalog and register to bid:
https://www.santafeartauction.com/online-auctions

08/01/2025

Camryn Ahhaitty, Growing Thunder (Assiniboine/Sioux/Kiowa/Comanche), and Jordan Martin (Blackfeet, Comanche, Squamish) are spending hours canning and organizing a significant archive documenting the decades-long relationship between Joyce Growing Thunder and Ted Coe.

Camryn is a third-generation, award-winning artist from Fort Peck, Montana, currently pursuing a BFA in Studio Arts at IAIA. Her work blends contemporary painting with Native fashion accessories, inviting viewers into an Indigenous pop-surrealist world.growingthunder

Jordan is an Indigenous trans filmmaker from Seattle, Washington, and a recent IAIA graduate with a BFA in Cinematic Arts and Technology. Her films center underrepresented voices and challenge cinematic conventions with a fresh and fearless perspective.


This archive, rich with correspondence, photos, and personal materials, spans from the 1980s to mid-2000s and reflects a critical era in Native art history. The hard copies and scans will be shared with the Jocelyn Museum, which now holds the majority of the Growing Thunder Collection, while digital versions will remain in the Coe Archive.

These efforts ensure the story of Joyce Growing Thunder’s impact on Native art and her deep connection with Ted Coe is preserved and accessible to researchers, artists, and community members for generations to come.

07/02/2025

Another powerful step in the Rehoming journey.

We were honored to host representatives from the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for the return of several works from the Coe collection. The day was filled with thoughtful care, meaningful exchange, and mutual respect for the cultural significance of each piece.

Michelle Lanteri, Amy Johnson, and Hannah Weston joined Laurence AG Moss, Rachel Wixom, and Rose Burns of the Coe Center to carry out the transfer—a reminder that rehoming is as much about people and relationships as it is about objects.

Each return reflects our ongoing commitment to stewardship rooted in respect, reciprocity, and connection.