Known as a champion of the arts, especially Native American arts, Commissioner JoAnn Balzer is passionate about nurturing creativity. As philanthropists, she and her husband sponsor the Innovation Tent and the Innovation Awards at the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. They also sponsored the JoAnn and Bob Balzer Native Market and Contemporary Art Gallery at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and several galleries at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) to showcase student and alumni work. Balzer is a Trustee of the IAIA, having received a Presidential Appointment, and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Folk Art Market. She has held leadership roles in many arts and cultural organizations, such as the Lensic Performing Arts Society and the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum, to name a few.
