City: Santa Fe, NM

Category: Education

Telephone: (505) 954-7200

Address: 660 Garcia St.

Description: If Santa Fe gave an award for the most beautiful and historic campus, the School of Advanced Research would win, hands down. The shaded, beautifully landscaped grounds and historic adobe headquarters speak of Santa Fe’s early days as a magnet for the great minds in archaeology. This nonprofit center has supported innovative scholarship and American Indian artists since its founding in 1905. SAR presents six fellowships to outstanding scholars, giving them nine-month residencies devoted to writing projects related to anthropology, the humanities, and the arts. The school shares their work as part of its publication division. The SAR Press also publishes books designed for a popular audience on topics such as the peoples and cultures of the American Southwest. Three times a year the School of American Research invites 10 scholars to campus for a week of discussion and debate on issues on the frontier of anthropological research. (These meetings are closed to the public and the media.)As another part of its educational mission, the SAR produces periodic newsletters, hosts traveling seminars to notable sites in the Southwest and around the world, and offers illustrated lectures. The Indian Arts Research Center, with its extensive collection of art and artifacts, is open to the public through special tours (see our Attractions chapter). A Contemporary Issues Initiative was launched in 1999 to apply anthropological research to current global concerns through special seminars. The School recently changed its name from the School of American Research to the School of Advanced Research, denoting its expanded focus.