Ralph T. Coe

Ralph Tracy "Ted" Coe (August 27, 1929 – September 14, 2010) was a notable art collector and scholar, best known for developing modern appreciation of Native American art. "He was kind of the beginning player, enormously significant in the growth of appreciation of Native American art in the 20th century", noted a curator from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. and Eugene V. Thaw. Bloch said that he "would never have had a collection if not for Ted," and credited Coe with having guided the selection of virtually every piece in their collection.

Coe died at age 81 on September 14, 2010, at his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Lost and Found Traditions: Native American Art, 1965-1985 (opened at American Museum of Natural History, 1986) . Contemporary Native American artists. The collection includes over 2,000 objects of Indigenous art from cultures throughout the world. The center has a partnership with First American Art Magazine. In 2020, the center began discussions with America Meredith regarding programing.

Books Ralph T. Coe and the Collecting of American Indian Art