The City of Wichita, in partnership with the Board of Trustees, seeks an accomplished Executive Director for the Mid-America All-Indian Museum to lead the development, delivery, and coordination of educational programs aligning with the Museum’s mission. The Executive Director will play a pivotal role in advancing the Mid-America All-Indian Museum’s mission of education about and preservation of American Indian culture and art by fostering community engagement and promoting cultural awareness. This position offers a unique opportunity to lead impactful initiatives within a vibrant cultural institution.

Application and more information can be found here: http://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/wichita

About the Museum

The Mid-America All-Indian Museum (MAAIM) is a unique cultural institution located at the convergence of the Arkansas River in downtown Wichita, Kansas. Visitors from around the globe pass through our doors to learn about the American Indians. Established in 1969, the goal of MAAIM is to educate the community about the art, culture and heritage of American Indians while recognizing the important role they play in today's society.
MAAIM features pieces from a collection with more than 3,000 artifacts and works of art. This allows for exhibits to be changed throughout the year so that a variety of stories can be told about American Indian culture and heritage.
The Museum also has an exceptional educational program that caters to young students through field trips to the Museum, and to everyone in the community via our outreach programs. Hundreds of students pass through our doors each year to learn about American Indian history, culture, and way of life both in the past and in today's world.
The Museum features an Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site (OWLS) through the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks, a medicinal garden, a prairie, and bee hives, which produces the honey sold in the gift shop.
Woven throughout the Museum is the life and art of Kiowa/Comanche artist Blackbear Bosin who created the most visited attraction in Wichita, the Keeper of the Plains. Bosin was one of the Museum founders, and he worked to have Indian art recognized as true art.
The Keeper, a 44-foot tall, 5-ton, Cor-Ten sculpture, was constructed in 1974 and was the vision of Blackbear Bosin, who helped establish the Indian Museum. In May 2007, upon completion of an 8-year, $20 million dollar project, the Keeper, located at the confluence of the Little and Big Arkansas Rivers, was placed upon a 30-foot promontory.
The Plaza, which houses The Keeper, is home to various plant life, such as yucca, medicinal herbs and cactus. There are areas throughout the Plaza that detail customs and traditions of the Plains Indians, such as the four elements the medicine wheel or circle of life: air, fire, water and earth. The four elements all come together each night when five fire drums are lit for 15 minutes at 7:00pm in the winter and 9:00 pm in the summer.
The Mid-America All Indian Museum joined the Museums for All program in 2022 to provide admission to qualifying individuals of all backgrounds and income levels.
Reporting to the City of Wichita’s Director of Cultural Arts and Services, this role involves professional public contact and strategic program management.