By:  Anne Constable | The New Mexican
Posted: Monday, October 24, 2011, This article is syndicated from The New Mexican, click here for the original article.

Joseph Moure is a longtime collector, but didn’t begin buying ivory until about a dozen years ago after his wife gave him a small head of St. Anthony for his birthday.

Today he owns 30 pieces, including nine that are in an exhibit that opened last month at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts.

The exhibit, New Mexico Collects: Private Treasures, features pieces from 10 private collections in New Mexico. Except for a bulto commissioned from Spanish Market artist Victor Goler, all the items are historic pieces from Spanish or Portuguese colonies outside of New Mexico.  The show is a rare chance to see beautiful items that are privately owned and seldom, if ever, available for public viewing.

“Santa Fe has always been such a center for the arts,” said Robin Farwell Gavin, the museum’s curator. “There are a lot of knowledgeable collectors and lots of collectors with great eyes,” she said.  Gavin envisioned three shows based on private collections, starting with a show earlier this year of santos from a collection assembled by artist Cady Wells, this one, and a future show yet to be scheduled.

No one turned her down when she asked for pieces from their private collections, but some have requested privacy.  Besides Joseph and Reine Moure, pieces from named collections come from artist Ford Ruthling (paintings, reliquaries), Dennis and Janis Lyon (a chest, glazed earthenware, a bowl), Jim and Rebecca Long (La Ascención, by Victor Goler), the Dewey family (a large textile), the Claiborne Gallery Collection (chalice, candlestick, horse and rider), and William and Maureen Field (chest). The exhibit also includes pieces from two recent donations from Marc and Marleen Olivié (18th-century banco, or bench) and John Bourne (milagros from Ecuador).

The nine Moure pieces are from the Asian colonies of Spain and Portugal, and were exported to Europe and the Americas. One of his polychromed ivory pieces in the exhibit is a 19th-century Hispano-Philippine head of the Virgin Mary, between three and four inches tall, with a pair of expressive, beautifully carved hands. Originally the piece probably included a wooden body, he said, but that may have been destroyed by weather or insects. For the exhibit she is wearing a silver resplandor, or crown, from Moure’s collection that happened to fit.

Moure first became interested in ivories when he went to a show at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, Calif., in 1990. But, he said, “It’s a big step to go from admiring one to buying one. I never thought I would end up with 30.”

Another of Moure’s pieces in the show is an 18th-century triptych of El Divino Piloto, the Divine Pilot. In the center is an image of the Christ Child standing on a cloud and guiding a vessel (the church) through the waters of life. The child is flanked by angels carved on the doors, which fold in to reveal the orb to be a billiard ball (although its game use is unconfirmed). The piece was probably carved in Asia and embellished with a silver latch and hinges when it arrived in New Spain.

Moure, who also has collected paintings and books, is moved by the beauty and craftsmanship of these devotional items, but also by their colorful history. “Collecting art in a vacuum doesn’t make it particularly interesting. There needs to be an historical relevance to it,” he said.

Many of the ivories in his collection were commissioned by missionary priests and made by artists in China. Some were traded through Manila and transported on Spanish galleons to Acapulco. “Mexico at the time was probably as rich as any place in Europe,” Moure said, adding, “The Spanish colonies in Mexico and Peru were very wealthy, and they craved these objects.”

Moure said that the earliest pieces of this kind had Oriental features, which were much appreciated in the West, but later on the priests in the Philippines would give the Chinese artists pictures of European figures and ask them to carve those images.

Sometimes human hair eyelashes were added, and the figures were embellished with paint, particularly around the eyes. Some figures had small pegs for attaching a wig.

The Portuguese colonies were even more far-flung, and they were also importing art from China through Macao and other places.

Because of the ban on the importation of ivory, the objects are difficult to come by today, “but they do exist and come up periodically at auction,” Moure said. He purchased the carving of the Virgin Mary from a dealer in California.  “It gets competitive at auction,” he said. “There are not a lot of collectors, but there are some, and museums still crave pieces of ivory.”

Moure, who retired from the investment business, said his Santa Fe house is full of Spanish colonial art produced in New Mexico, including work from contemporary artists he admires.  The only new art in this exhibit, however, is a bulto, about four feet tall, by Goler that depicts the ascension of Christ witnessed by the 12 apostles.  The piece is in the collection of Jim Long, founder of Heritage Hotels and Resorts (Hotel Chimayó, Lodge at Santa Fe, Hotel St. Francis).

It normally sits in Long’s house on a sofa table in front of a 12 1/2-foot altar (one of the largest in a private home in New Mexico), also by Goler.  Long doesn’t describe himself as a true collector. He collects from people he knows. And with this commission, he said, “I was really hoping to advance this particular art form to the next level.”

The sheer scale was a particular challenge, according to Long, and Goler had to learn to carve with his left hand as well as his right. The artist also filmed the yearlong construction of the piece.  “I’m always intrigued by the person behind the piece,” Long said. As for Goler, he said, “I think he’s an extraordinary artist, one of the most gifted in New Mexico, and I want to help support his career. And it dovetails with what I do on the business side.”

Heritage’s hotels in Santa Fe, he said, “go far in cultural preservation efforts, telling the story of our history and traditions.”

IF YOU GO

What: New Mexico Colects: Private Treasures

When: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, now through Feb. 27, 2012

Where: Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, 750 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Cost: Admission is $8 ($4 for New Mexico residents); free to New Mexico residents on Sundays

River frontage

18 Loma Lane, Espanola, NM

MLS #201103115, $295,000 15.32 acres, 500′ of river frontage, 3.5 irrigated acres planted to alfalfa

This kind of property doesn’t present itself very often. 500′ of river frontage. 3.5 irrigated acres planted to alfalfa. Borders the Sombrillo Acequia and Santa Cruz River. Views of the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo mountains.  Near Sombrillo, NM. Santa Fe is 30 minutes away to the south. Easy access from Highway 285. Very peaceful and quiet. This property consists of a lower meadow section with river frontage and a portion that sits up on a mesa with even more spectacular views. A wonderful property for a farm, vineyard, horses, family compound or private retreat. Enjoy fly fishing or horseback riding from your own property.  Borders BLM land.

Horse pasture

Listing Agents:  Karen Meredith, Keller Williams Realty and Renee Edwards, Keller Williams Realty.  For more information about this property, please call (505) 603-3036 for Karen and (505) 470-773 for Renee.

Loretto Chapel

Santa Fe is located in northern New Mexico. Nestled in the foothills of the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains, Santa Fe has an elevation of 7,000 feet.  As a result of our high altitude desert environment, Santa Fe enjoys an average of 300 days of sunshine annually, warm days and cool nights and four full seasons.

Santa Fe is an outdoor lover’s paradise.  Nearby mountains that reach over 12,000 ft. provide local residents with downhill and cross country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities in the winter.  Abundant National Forest land and State Parks surrounding Santa Fe contain deep canyons and colorful deserts for hiking, biking, horseback riding and water sports.  It is no accident that Outside magazine has its headquarters here.  To learn more about the recreational opportunities in and around Santa Fe, visit The Public Lands Information Center.

Santa Fe is the second oldest city founded by European colonists in the United States, first inhabited by Spanish settlers in 1607 and established in 1610 as the capital of Spain’s northernmost territory.  Originally Santa Fe was called La Villa Real de la Santa Fe (The Royal City of the Holy Faith). The famous El Camino Real (the Royal Road), a 1,500 mile trade route which ended in Santa Fe’s Plaza, connected Santa Fe to Mexico City and was in use from 1598 to 1885.  Now the capital of New Mexico, Santa Fe is the oldest capital in the United States.

Inn and Spa at Loretto

Long before the Spanish arrived, Pueblo Indians were living in the Rio Grande Valley in communal houses with hundreds of rooms, often four or five stories high, with earth floors, adobe walls and flat roofs held together by pine logs (also called vigas).  This method of building structures strongly influenced the settlers who came later.  Santa Fe’s rich cultural history, a blend of Native American, Spanish and Anglo influences, has led to its unique Spanish Pueblo and Territorial style architecture, which is unlike any other city in the United States.  Santa Fe’s unique architecture style is one of the reasons Santa Fe draws over 1,000,000 visitors annually.

Santa Fe’s magnificent quality of light, ever changing skies and colorful, dramatic landscape are responsible for the thriving artists’ community here.  Santa Fe is the 3^rd largest art market in the United States in sales volume and boasts nearly 300 galleries and dealers.  East of the Plaza, Canyon Road has the highest concentration of art galleries in the city, and is a major destination for international collectors, tourists and locals. The Canyon Road galleries showcase a wide array of contemporary, Southwestern, Native American, and experimental art.

Not surprisingly, given the importance of art, history and culture here, Santa Fe has over a dozen major museums, mainly located near the Plaza or on Museum Hill.  If you plan to visit more than a few museums, consider buying one of several multi-day, multi-museum passes.  For instance, currently you can buy an $18  Museum Pass good for 4 days of unlimited visits to the Museum of Fine Arts, the Palace of the Governors, the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art.  Also available is the CulturePass, currently $25, which allows the holder to visit each of  New Mexico’s 14 state museums and monuments once during a 12-month period.

View from the Santa Fe Opera

Opera buffs will enjoy the Santa Fe Opera, which many rank as the second best opera company in the United States, behind only the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Established in 1957 and housed in an architecturally stunning, partially open air amphitheater surrounded by panoramic vistas, it consistently draws famed directors, conductors and singers.  The opera season typically runs from the beginning of July to late August.

The Lensic Theater, located at 211 West San Francisco Street, is an 821 seat theater which was completely restored and renovated between 1999 and 2001, and provides Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico with a modern venue for the performing arts.  The Metropolitan Opera’s live simulcast performances are shown at the Lensic Theater.

With a population of approximately 70,000 people, Santa Fe combines many of the benefits of small town life and wide-open spaces with access to cultural events normally associated with much larger cities.

One of many works of outdoor art displayed in downtown Santa Fe

Traveling to Santa Fe  American Eagle flies three daily roundtrip services between Dallas/Fort Worth and the Santa Fe Airport and one daily flight between Santa Fe and Los Angeles International Airport.

Many visitors traveling by air to Santa Fe fly into Albuquerque, New Mexico first and then make the one hour drive north to Santa Fe either by car or by shuttle.  Sandia Shuttle offers convenient, frequent shuttle services between most Santa Fe hotels, motels and bed & breakfasts and Albuquerque International Airport.

Photo by Nickolas Muray, Courtesy Palace of the Governors Photo Archives (NMHM/DCA), No. 111734

By Jason Strykowski |

Posted: Saturday, December 04, 2010  This article was syndicated from the New Mexican, click here for a text of the original article.

Cather was born in 1873 in Virginia and moved to Nebraska. She spent much of her youth and early career as a newspaper editor and writer, penning articles for numerous publications. She also wrote dozens of shorts stories before publishing her first novel in 1912.

Cather’s next few books, including the classics O Pioneers! and My Ántonia, turned her into one of America’s most noted authors. One of her books, in fact, may even have inspired sections of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s epochal The Great Gatsby.

Perhaps her most respected novel, Death Comes for the Archbishop, grew out of Cather’s fascination with New Mexico and the Southwest. Since childhood, Cather had devoured magazine articles on the Southwest, with its unique landscape and characters. In 1925, by then a successful writer, Cather visited New Mexico to research “her priests” and their homes.

Cather threw herself wholeheartedly into her reading on real-life Catholic luminaries Jean-Baptiste Lamy, Antonio José Martinez and Joseph Machebeuf. Her research took her around the state as she visited Acoma, Taos, Alcalde, Abiquiú and the village of Lamy. In Santa Fe, she stayed at La Fonda, just feet from the cathedral where the real Lamy once toiled.

Even though she was still in the process of editing her last book, Cather returned to New Mexico a year later. This time she stayed with trendsetting New Mexican writer Mary Austin. Cather used Austin’s New Mexico cabin as a writer’s retreat before returning to the East Coast to finish the book in a surprisingly short period of time.

While writing, Cather took recorded history as mere suggestion, a dangerous decision in light of her use of real names. While she created fictitious pseudonyms for Lamy and Machebeuf, Martinez was represented in the novel under his actual name, as was the pulp hero Kit Carson. Cather also based much of the novel on inaccurate reports tied to these men.

Even without fictionalization, Jean-Baptiste Lamy’s life story seemed the stuff of legend. A French-born and trained priest, Lamy traveled to the United States while still in his youth. A decade after his arrival, the Vatican, hoping to take advantage of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, assigned Lamy to the newly created provisional diocese of New Mexico.

Lamy found numerous obstacles in Santa Fe. The clergy already installed in New Mexico refused to recognize the reorganization of the diocese or Lamy’s leadership. Several priests butted heads with Lamy repeatedly over issues such as clerical lifestyles and the institution of tithes. Lamy also took on a larger cross-section of the New Mexican populace as he attempted to disband the Penitentes. Dying in 1888, Lamy never actually witnessed the partial completion of, perhaps, his greatest accomplishment — the cathedral that still stands in the center of Santa Fe.

The conflict and racial overtones in Lamy’s history perfectly fueled Cather’s imagination. Through Lamy, Cather could explore the processes of cultural transformation, empire and colonization as New Mexico changed from a Mexican province to an American territory.

In the summer of 1927, the novel appeared in serial form. Knopf followed up that fall, releasing Death Comes for the Archbishop as a book. It met not only with popular interest, but also with critical acclaim. The American Academy of Arts and Letters presented Cather with the prestigious Howell’s Medal for the best American novel. More distinctions soon followed as Cather received honorary degrees from Yale, Columbia, the University of California at Berkeley and Princeton.

Before her death in 1947, Cather published two more novels and a compilation of short stories. Her final book, The Old Beauty and the Others was published just after her death.

Since its publication, Death Comes for the Archbishop has remained on the short list of classic American literature. Time magazine placed the book on its list of the 100 best English-language novels. The Modern Library ranks the book 61st on their catalog of 100 novels.

2011 Algerian Berber Culture jewelry application from Karim Oukid Ouksel

Judy Espinar, a founder of the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, called this event the “heart of the market.”

It is the three days in late November when a selection committee meets to evaluate the hundreds of applications received from around the globe and choose those artists who will be invited to Santa Fe for the popular July event.

The process ensures the work for sale is authentic and of the highest quality, and, Espinar said, “Without it we would not have succeeded.”

The stakes are high for these artists, some of whom have never left their villages. Earnings from the market can — and have — meant they can send children to school, pay for health insurance or pipe fresh drinking water into their communities. In one case, an Afghan co-op used some of its market revenue to train female beggars in traditional embroidery, enabling them to earn income safely at home, and, they say, removing them from the streets of Kandahar.

Being chosen for the market — the largest of its kind in the world — is also a validation of the artists’ skills and the value of their work in preserving and sustaining the culture of their communities.

This year, 403 artists or artist cooperatives submitted applications. Under the direction of Suzanne Seriff, a committee of six experts, many with doctoral degrees, evaluated them, looking for a geographic balance, a wide choice of genres and prices, and a 60-40 ratio of new artists to returning ones.

2011 application from Ukraine: pottery by Golovko Mykhailo

The market is always looking for new work to keep visitors interested in coming back, while continuing to present the art of masters that marketgoers expect. Looking to enhance the visitors’ experience, it also has a preference for applications in which the artist plans to be present in Santa Fe, as opposed to a dealer or nonprofit representative.

Some applications are rejected outright because of shoddy workmanship or because the committee does not believe the work would sell here. “Quality and marketability are essential,” Seriff said. “If we thought something would not sell, we would not approve bringing it here.”

Applications are also turned down because the design, materials or form are not traditional. The market doesn’t accept Western clothing, even if it is made from traditional textiles, or trinkets like cell phone covers or eyeglass holders, although it does approve of items like place mats and table runners that might originally have had other uses.

Other times it’s a close call. One application from Kyrgyzstan was still being discussed Sunday. The design (the sacred symbol of mother deer) of the shawl was expertly rendered in felt, sandwiched on either side of a layer of silk cloth.

“It’s a delicate balance,” market director Charlene Cerny said. “We don’t want to put folk art under a bell jar.”

But a company that is keeping indigo dyeing alive in a Malinese village — accepted last year after a long debate — was rejected for 2011 because the artisans are now using linen cloth that they didn’t weave themselves.

So too a Nigerian painter. “I’d love to have his work on my wall, but it’s not traditional art,” said Diana Baird N’Diaye, a committee member from the Smithsonian Institution.

One of the first-time applications that was accepted came from Association Sahalandy, a group of silk weavers in the highlands of Madagascar who make hand-woven, naturally dyed scarves, bed covers, tablecloths and other products, ranging from $35 to $150.

2011 applicant from Indonesia: Ni Wayan Widiarmini; beaded baskets

A former Peace Corps volunteer from the area, who is now a small-enterprise development volunteer, helped the women prepare their application, which requires a detailed description of how the folk art is made. Their process is laborious.

“First, cocoons are sliced at one end to remove the pupa. They are then turned inside out and stacked on top of each other over a peg. Once bundled, they are boiled for a couple of hours and then rinsed. Afterward, the silk is thrown onto brick walls and dried in the sun. The clumps are then pulled into large balls to be spun.” The yarn is then dyed using tree bark (deep red), mud (black) mushrooms (yellow) and other natural resources.

Some applicants might lose out because their category is particularly competitive — African baskets, for example — but the odds are better in other genres, like ceramics, wood and leather, which are more threatened around the world.

Although giving young people a reason to continue to make traditional folk art is a “huge issue” for the market, in the words of Baird N’Diaye, applying is not easy — nor is it meant to be. Artists must complete an eight-page form (in triplicate) and submit five to 10 high-quality, clearly labeled photographs of each distinct type of folk art they would be bringing to market, as well as three photographs of each artist who will attend. Some applications are fairly slick, others are handwritten in broken English. In Kyrgyzstan, a travel agent supplements her living by helping people prepare the forms.

Applicants are responsible for obtaining their own passports and visas — although the market provides them with advice on how to go about it — and arranging to ship their artwork.

“They have to be ambitious enough to get here,” noted Cerny. “But a wide variety of people somehow find a way.”

The application includes a section on artistic and cultural information in which applicants are asked to explain how they learned to make the folk art, its history, how it represents their community’s cultural traditions and how the work is used in daily life or for special occasions. The market also asks applicants to tell their personal stories and how art fits into their lives.

Each member of the committee does the initial review of applications from a particular part of the world. But the final decisions are made by majority vote (consensus was found to be too difficult) of the entire committee.

The scorecard, or matrix, rates the applications on artistic quality, marketability, traditionality of form or final product, and traditionality of design or materials, as well as on whether the production process is rooted in tradition, how the artistic knowledge was acquired and the community use of the item. There’s also a place to check whether the artist has a compelling story.

Rejection letters explain the reason the applicant was turned down but invite artists to contact Seriff for a more complete explanation. Many do, she said.

So far, the 2011 market looks new and fresh, said Espinar, who observed the process last weekend. And she expects that will continue for a long time to come because “we have the world. There’s no end to it.”

2011 dates: July, 8, 9, 10

2010 Market Facts

132 artists from 50 countries

22,167 people attended

$2.1 million in artists’ sales

$13.5 million in local spending by visitors (outside of Market)

$16.1 million estimated total economic impact

1,600 volunteers

Artist applications

2011: 403

2010: 361

New artists:

2011: 57 percent

2010: 48 percent

Artists requesting financial assistance:

2011: 31 percent

2010: 28 percent

Countries represented:

2011: 63; 2010: 63

Countries with most applicants:

2011: Uzbekistan, 66; Mexico, 45

2010: Uzbekistan, 71; Mexico, 43

Artist Selection Committee

Suzanne Seriff, senior lecturer, Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin

Diana Baird N’Diaye, Smithsonian Institution, Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Africa

Barbara C. Anderson, director of museum resources, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, Mexico

Marsha C. Bol, director of the Museum of International Folk Art, Latin America

Felicia Katz-Harris, curator of Asian and Middle Eastern collections, Museum of International Folk Art, Asia, Middle East, Europe

Melinne Owen, artist, volunteer, China, Tibet, Mongolia, Uzbekistan

This article was syndicated from the The New Mexican, click here for the original article

By: Robin Jones | For The New Mexican
Posted: Saturday, July 26, 2008

What do Princess Grace of Monaco and Ted Nugent have in common? They both were guests at the New Mexico Governor’s Mansion, enjoying the magnificent view of the Ski Basin, the city lights and, over drinks and dinner, memorable Santa Fe sunsets.

They and other visitors, both local and international, have admired the house, artwork, and grounds — and so can everyone else. The Governor’s Mansion is a place of beauty and history to be shared by all.

1 Mansion Drive has been the home to the governors of New Mexico and their families since 1955. Docent Ed Benrock notes this is the third official residence, the first being the Palace of the Governors on the Plaza (the oldest public building in America) and the second being a residence downtown near the Capitol.

The Palace of the Governors was built in the early 1600s as a series of governmental buildings spanning the north side of the Plaza. It was inhabited by New Mexico’s various governments until the 1880s. By then, it was badly in need of repair. In his biography Lamy of Santa Fe, Paul Horgan notes a “progressive movement” sought to tear down the old adobe structure and erect a newer, more modern look. Archbishop Lamy added his voice to the many opposing such a move. In 1909, the historic building became a museum.

In the early 1900s, the governor was housed at 424 Galisteo St., near the capitol building. (A new capitol building had been erected in 1886 but burned down mysteriously in 1892. The Federal Court House was the temporary home for legislation until 1900, when the structure that became the Bataan Building was established as the capitol.)

This second governor’s mansion looked a bit like Tara, from Gone With The Wind, with big white columns fronting the main entrance. The grounds were filled with shrubs and flowers — of special note was the dahlia garden and the fish pond. The mansion — filled with beautiful furniture, pets, parties, dances, and, when the children were young and lively, escapades — provided a comfortable home for the governors and their families for more than 30 years.

But by the early 1940s, the house was becoming decrepit, the foundation was sagging, the wiring was unsafe, the plumbing lamentable. According to Eunice Kalloch and Ruth T. Hall’s The First Ladies of New Mexico, one of then-Gov. Edwin Mechem’s children announced, “The place stinks!” And, unfortunately, it did; the basement had flooded.

It wasn’t until 1950, however, that the Legislature allowed funds of $100,000 for the construction of a new residence. In the meantime, a house on Old Pecos Trail served as the executive residence. The land for the new mansion was donated by former Gov. John Dempsey (1943-1947) up on Bishops Lodge Road, and the house was finished in 1955. This was the age of the automobile and the governor no longer had to walk or ride a horse to work; it now was acceptable for the governor to live away from the Capitol.

Opened by Dee Johnson

The current governor’s mansion is a modified territorial style with wide windows, deep portals and brick cornices. Like most New Mexico houses, it expanded as more room was needed and like many New Mexico houses, it doesn’t have halls, just new rooms attached directly onto the standing structure. The first family to live there was that of John F. and Ruth Simms; in residence with the governor and first lady were their five children, a cat, several dogs, horses and a burro.

The current house is 12,000 square feet divided between the public area, the private living quarters, a guest area and security. It sits on 30 acres. The original donation was 10 acres, with the increase in land both donated or purchased. The grounds include a tennis court and stables, but no swimming pool — a good thing in a drought-conscious area such as Santa Fe.

The mansion is maintained by the New Mexico Governor’s Mansion Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization “whose responsibility is for the design, furnishings and perpetual upkeep of the public areas of the Mansion.”

The house became more than a home when the mansion was opened to the public by Dee Johnson. Visitors range from those on a mission — to see every governor’s mansion in the country — to school children on assignment, to visitors who are so taken with the residence and its docent staff they come back to visit — sometimes with cookies.

The tour

1 Mansion Drive is New Mexico — full of culture, history, art and the personal touches of the families who have lived in it. As you walk into the foyer, you pass over the New Mexico seal — a Mexican eagle grasping a snake in its beak, shielded by the American eagle, which grips three arrows — on a rug ordered by Jerry and Clara Apodaca (1975-1979). Art on loan from individuals, galleries and museums is on all the walls. On a small table to the side sits a porcelain bowl, a present from then-President Bill Clinton to Bill Richardson.

To the left of the foyer is the mansion director’s office. Straight ahead is the living room decorated in tones of beige, cream and clay; it’s a long, broad area with a grand piano, couches, fireplace, and again, art everywhere.

First lady Barbara Richardson enjoys eclectic art and has furnished much of the residence with objects from the New Mexico Folk Art Museum. A marble table from the Belen marble quarry is situated in the middle of a cowhide rug, both representing New Mexico enterprises. Black clay burnished pots from Christine Naranjo and Mary Cain are at one end of the room; at the other end is a century-old Apache basket made of sumac.

The dining room is grand and its ceiling boasts painted vigas planned by E.D. Shaeffer, who saw the design on a castle in Madrid, Spain.

The dining room table is a host’s dream — locally made from pine, it can comfortably seat 22. The Richardsons have dinner here when they are both home, dining on Lennox china, Wallace flatware and Fostoria glassware, all provided by the Mansion Foundation.

Overhead, a tin chandelier by Gary Blank illuminates the table, while a Gregory Lomayesva sculpture stands on a nearby pedestal. Docent Nancy Flint points out the oldest piece in the house, a side table from South America.

The dining room was not originally part of the house; in the late 1950s an outside portal was enclosed as the residence was used more and more for state entertainment.

The kitchen is large, as befits a governor’s mansion and its entertaining. Former first lady Clara Apodaca remembers feeding her brood of five there. “One thing we always tried to do was have dinner in the large round table in the kitchen with the children; that was important to us,” she said. “We might go to an event afterward but we always tried to have that family time.”

The large table has been moved out of the room, replaced by a cozy kitchen table at which Barbara Richardson frequently lunches, chatting with cook Lupe Jackson and executive chef Marianne Deery. On the wall above the table hangs a gift from the Zuni High School graduating class of 2006, a blue clock that minds time for governor, family and staff.

Passing through the kitchen into the den, one is surrounded by New Mexico art and gifts. Large paisley velvet lounging chairs rest atop an abstract rug by Joan Wiseman from The University of New Mexico, so that one can comfortably view a painting by Cliff (Bill) Schenck, a one-time student of Andy Warhol’s.

Nearby, in startling contrast to these governor-sized chairs, is a small wooden chair, which Ed Benrock says would fit the normal-sized person of New Mexico 200 years or so ago. It looks like a child’s chair now, and Ed emphasizes the different health and age expectancy for today’s New Mexican citizens compared to those who used to sit in that chair.

On the wall is a sketch of horse figures by Luis Jiménez; on another wall is a bulto of Santa Librada by Jose Ortega. And in another corner — every child’s delight — is a large woolly lamb, made by Felipe Archuleta, to remind visitors that New Mexico is also sheep country, not just cattle country. Two needlepoint pillows, made by the Needle Point Society of New Mexico, are propped against a couch.

Private quarters

The private quarters for the governor and family which are exactly that — private — to supply some much-needed peace and quiet to the residents. The rooms go through renovations with every new occupant, as each new governor and spouse have different needs for family, offices, studios, pets or libraries.

Moving in is hardly peaceful and quiet, though.

“I had been to the Governor’s Mansion before but I had not been given an extended tour, so I was not really prepared when we moved into the mansion on December 31, 1974,” Clara Apodaca remembers. “We were all packed up and ready but the mansion wasn’t ready for us. The carpets were still wet from being cleaned. Now, it’s customary that the governor gets sworn in at the mansion at midnight. So our first day at the mansion meant that we began entertaining, probably over 500 people that first day. And the second day was all the people from out of town after the inauguration.”

Barbara Richardson recalls her moving-in experiences: “The Johnsons were very kind and gave both of us a tour of the mansion in mid-December of 2002. Dee gave me suggestions on how she personally dealt with issues relating to the mansion and its upkeep. It took a while to move in because the private area was totally unfurnished. It had been renovated during the Johnson term and they brought in their own furniture for the remainder of their time there.

“Bill and I bought furniture for the space,” she adds, “which we have given to the state for future occupants. We also mixed in our own furniture, books and things from the sale of our house which we’ll take with us when we move.”

The Richardsons are known for establishing an elegant and patriotic air to their home within the mansion. They especially enjoy using the backyard during the summer and fall. And they share personal touches throughout the public part of the house — photographs of a relaxed and smiling Bill and Barbara Richardson, arm in arm; art from their private collection; and Bill Richardson’s prize, a guitar signed by band members of the Eagles.

The mansion has hosted a wide variety of guests.

“We had parties for our own children, but also many functions of being Governor and First Lady,” Clara Apodaca says. “One of my favorite memories was when Princess Grace and Prince Rainier of Monaco came to town. They brought their three children, and our children were there, so the kids all got together and played in the backyard. We sat and had margaritas and dinner. We toasted, we exchanged gifts, and the princess and I had a wonderful time talking about the arts.”

Mansion made available

Mary Brophy has served as mansion director since the start of Gov. Richardson’s second term. She’s in charge of all activities involving the public aspect of the mansion, from buildings and grounds maintenance to contract work and event planning. With all that on her plate, she says, it’s pretty much “go, go, go!”

While all the work is satisfying, she enjoys the events the most, she says. “My favorite events are those which involve children. They get such a thrill out of being here.”

But even more satisfying, she says, is the staff and the governor and first lady. “We all work so well together, and governor and Mrs. Richardson are so gracious to us. They make it clear that we, the staff, are the stars of this place; we always feel appreciated.

From 1950 on, diplomats from North Korea to Britain, movie stars, business executives, artists, writers, newscasters and newsmakers have passed through the mansion doors and enjoyed its hospitality. “Everyone who comes here has a good time,” Brophy says, “whether they’re taking a tour or someone famous.”

Barbara Richardson noted that while the house is the residence of the governor, “it is also a public building, which people feel privileged to use for their special occasions or just to visit.” To this end, the mansion has been made available to community groups and local events, from the Lady Lobos to a Girl Scout Reception for Distinguished Women.

In a 2004 news release, Gov. Richardson declared that “the mansion was meant to be a place to showcase New Mexico, a place to promote our state and our people. It is the people’s house.”

This article is syndicated from the The New Mexican, click here for original article.

By Julie Ann Grimm | The New Mexican Posted: Sunday, October 24, 2010 This

Northern New Mexico beekeepers celebrating a successful year - Natalie Guillén/The New Mexican

By this time each autumn, Santa Fe’s honeybees are hiding out.  They’ll spend the winter hunkered down, eating the food they were busy making all summer.

Other honey-eaters see it as a season to celebrate. This weekend, dozens of members of the Sangre de Cristo Beekeepers met to swap tastes of honey.

“It’s good to have a good year,” explained veteran beekeeper Les Crowder. “Last year, I had bees in Santa Fe that produced zero honey.”

Crowder arrived at the gathering with some of this year’s bounty from his 150 to 200 hives located across the region, including two jars of honey that were as different as night and day, but came from hives a few hundred feet apart.

One was such a dark shade of brown that it hinted at black, the other a pale cream color that only hinted at yellow.

“It looks like chocolate or Guinness,” said Ken Bowers, who has two live colonies of honeybees near his Eldorado home.

“It has a very strong taste, a good taste,” said Crowder, guessing the bees that made it frequently visited the orange flowers of the globe mallow.

Some types of honey at the Sangre de Cristo Beekeepers tasting - Natalie Guillén/The New Mexican

What the bees eat is only one part of what makes variety in honey, said taster Liz Clow, who plunged a toothpick into each jar to gather a small blob.

“It’s awesome to taste them. They are all so good,” she said. “It really gets my brain going. Is it because of how happy they are? The light? What they eat?”

“Whoa Nelly! What is that? Wow,” came out of Norma Jones’ mouth after someone plopped a new jar onto the table.

Another tasted tart and of maple. Others were amber, fruity, like caramel or the color of champagne. Their labels read “Lamy Liquor” and “Las Campanas Wildflower.”

“It’s kind of like a wine tasting. Here, everyone is trying to come up with adjectives,” said Kate Whealen, one of the group’s more experienced beekeepers who serves as a mentor to others.

The ancient craft of domestic beekeeping seems to be a popular hobby, judging by the crowd at the tasting party. It’s what “bee-ginner” Fran Nicholson predicts is “the next chichi thing, like cigar bars.” She got into the hobby after bees inhabited a wall near her home last year. Having them in a constructed hive that allows for easy harvesting is “an amazing journey,” she said.

Charles Brunn echoed that later.

“First there was running, and then there was Pilates, and now there is beekeeping,” he said.

A construction contractor, Brunn caught the buzz when someone asked him to build hives about three years ago. Now he has colonies in the yard and another hive on the roof of his home on Don Diego Avenue near downtown.

“They are really cool little critters, and it’s very calming to have them in the yard when I come home. They are very gentle. Our cat sleeps on top of the hive in the summer,” Brunn said.

Andrew Hoffman got into bees after his wife rejected another idea.

“He wanted a goat and I didn’t want a goat. So I wanted to get him into something else,” said Brooke Lange. “I bought him a bunch of books about beekeeping.”

Now the family has a few hives at their home off Tano Road. Even though there are few wildflowers there, Hoffman said the colony appears to collect nectar at a vacant lot next door, where alfalfa grows.

“The bees know how to take care of themselves, and they are kind of contained and they do their own thing,” Lange said.

Bees from a single hive can produce up to 50 pounds of honey on a good year, like this one, or zero to 10 pounds during a summer like 2008.

Crowder, who has been beekeeping for 35 years, said he’s not sure why honey production was so low in the region that summer, but he suspects the weather pattern was to blame.

The trend of family beekeeping in Northern New Mexico is different from the conditions when he started off in the industry. Twenty years ago, he said, there were a handful of commercial beekeepers who had 2,000 to 3,000 hives each and who employed a variety of pesticides as part of regular operations.

Today’s small-scale practices are much healthier for people and for the bees, he said.

By Anne Constable | The New Mexican.  Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 

This article is syndicated from the New Mexican, click here for the original article.THis

Historian Fray Angélico Chávez (1910-1996) dresses La Conquistadora in a 1952 photo by Laura Gilpin. Fray Angélico is credited with reviving interest in this form of devotion to the Virgin Mary. - ©1979 Amon Carter Museum, Fort Worth, Texas

The best-dressed woman in Santa Fe is not a real person, but a 30-inch wooden statue first brought here in 1626 on an ox cart.

La Conquistadora, also known as Our Lady of Peace, has a lavish wardrobe of more than 200 outfits and ceremonial capes. Some of the pieces are encrusted with family jewels and made of luxurious fabrics such as satin and silk, the vast majority of which date from the 1950s or later. Virtually all have a story behind them and were given with a specific intention — in honor of a loved one, in thanks for a prayer answered, in simple devotion to the Virgin Mary whom she represents.

Today an exhibit of 30 of the costumes, as well as a selection of her crowns and jewelry, will open for public viewing at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art on Museum Hill.

At the official opening Sept. 19, 2010 exhibit visitors will also be able to see the papal crown, or Corona Grande, given to her in 1960 at her Papal Coronation. The gold crown is valued at $65,000. But it’s not necessarily the most expensive piece in her closet. La Conquistadora also has a $100,000 cross encrusted with diamonds, sapphires and an emerald given to her by an unknown donor in 1960.

Curator Robin Farwell Gavin and Terry Garcia, sacristan of the cofradía that cares for the beloved statue, made the selections for the museum exhibit from her wardrobe, which is stored at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, where La Conquistadora has her own chapel.

Gavin credits Jaima Chevalier with the idea for Threads of Devotion. Chevalier’s book, She Came from Beyond: Unveiling the Mysteries of La Conquistadora’s Legendary Reign in Santa Fe will be published this year by Sunstone Press.

According to Gavin, Chevalier felt that a half-day showing of some of the outfits at the cathedral last July simply didn’t satisfy public demand and suggested an exhibit at the museum.

Gavin said that in addition to Garcia, whose job includes changing La Conquistadora’s outfits at least once a month — and daily during the novena in June — she worked with two others on mounting the show: Paul Valdez, a tailor who has made more than 28 outfits for the statue and recently took over his grandmother’s bridal shop; and Julia Gómez, a colcha artist who won Best of Show at this year’s Spanish Market. The cofradía provided the wooden stands which were wrapped in foam and muslin to cushion the outfits. Some of the costumes are also stuffed with acid-free paper to show off the workmanship. A mirror behind the main exhibit allows visitors to see the detailing on the backs of the capes and dresses.

Bill Field applies a label with information about the five crowns that are part of the exhibit of the wardrobe of La Conquistadora at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art. - Clyde Mueller/The New Mexican

Dressing religious figures is a tradition in the Roman Catholic Church dating back to before the 16th century, Gavin said. The church promoted private ownership of such images for educational and devotional reasons. Many of them had finely carved heads, but unfinished torsos and legs that would be covered with elaborate clothes and jewels.

The religious confraternity associated with La Conquistadora dates to 1685. Membership has fluctuated over the centuries, but today there are about 1,000 active members who pay $5 in annual dues. Historian Fray Angélico Chávez (1910-1996) is credited with reviving interest in this form of devotion to the Virgin Mary. After finding documents relating to La Conquistadora in the 1940s, “He took it on as his mission and brought it back to life,” Gavin said. He published a number of works on her including the 1975 book, La Conquistadora: The Autobiography of an Ancient Statue.

Among the pieces on display in the new exhibit is a blue silk damask cape with yellow gold flowering and a light blue lining made by former sacristan Miguelita Hernández (and others) in 1954 and used for her Papal Coronation in 1960. For this occasion people donated filigree jewelry and wedding bands that were sewn onto the cape. Gavin said the faithful are continuing to make donations to embellish the cape.

In 1983, parishioners in El Valle de San Luis presented her with a wool cape, woven by National Heritage Fellow Eppie Archuleta (a member of an acclaimed weaving family) depicting the San Luis Mountains. It’s also on display.

Other pieces in the show include: an outfit made from a late-19th-century ceremonial cape worn by Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy; two Native American costumes; a dress made from Chinese silk brocade purchased in China in 2009 and sewn by Siiri Sánchez, the sacristan for the cathedral; a garment made from two Indian saris, one peacock blue, the other plum; a Spanish Market dress by Gómez, who wove the sabanilla wool background and embroidered the flowers; the Lady Jane Grey, a gift by actress Ali MacGraw and made by Valdez using silk brocade, organza, faux Austrian crystals and pearls and accented by two Scottie dog buttons; a blue Fiesta dress trimmed in rick-rack; a ruchéd white satin outfit made from the wedding gown of the mother of longtime mayordomo of the cofradía, Pedro Ribera-Ortega; a cape of metallic brocade cloth bought by Fray Angélico in Germany with his family coat of arms woven into the fabric; another cape made from a uniform worn by Fray Angélico when he served as a military chaplain in World War II and the Korean War; and a simple cotton dress with a stamped design given by Nelda Martinez in honor of the 1976 ordination to the priesthood of her son, Msgr. Jerome Martinez y Alire, rector of the cathedral.

A silver plate hair comb - Clyde Mueller/The New Mexican

The jewelry in the show includes a filigree crown made in Juárez in the 1950s; two necklaces, a pin and earrings given by Mela Ortiz y Pino de Martin and her sister, Concha Ortiz y Pino de Kleven; and a gold-plated rosary, a gift of Fray Angélico in the 1950s.

La Conquistadora even has a hand-me-down, bought for her in Guatemala by Sylvanus Morley, an archaeologist and former director of the School of American Research and the Museum of New Mexico. Morely was working on Mayan ruins in the 1930s and 1940s, and after an earthquake destroyed a convent there he purchased a silk and metallic damask dress belonging to a statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe. It fit La Conquistadora perfectly and is in the exhibit opening today.

The history of many of the pieces in her wardrobe is spotty, Gavin said, adding, “I’m hoping that people who come (to the show) will help us update the records.”

Although the statue has had many names, she’s always been called La Conquistadora, a name that refers to the settlement and resettlement of New Mexico.

In her autobiography, Chávez raised and answered the question, “How … can my pretty role as a Conquering Lady be reconciled with conquests and reconquests that speak of blood and carnage?”

“The answer is simple,” he wrote. “My peculiar Spanish title has nothing to do with battles as such, much less with bloody assaults of human beings upon one another. What La Conquistadora means is that I came with the first settlers who called themselves conquistadores, and who from the start took my little wooden self as a symbol of the heavenly as they saw it. And so the historic events that I witnessed, both in 1680 and in 1693 are being remembered as periods of survival and reconciliation.”

Today, Gavin said, followers focus on the alternate meaning of the Spanish word “conquistar” — winning of one’s affections — and to them, “She represents the Virgin Mary who is a symbol of motherly love and brotherhood.”

IF YOU GO

What: Threads of Devotion: The Wardrobe of La Conquistadora

When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday, from today through Dec. 31, 2010

Where: Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, Museum Hill, 750 Camino Lejo

Who: Spanish Colonial Arts Society

Cost: One-day pass: $6 ($3 for N.M. residents); free Sunday to New Mexico residents

The Confraternity of La Conquistadora

The purpose of the Confraternity of La Conquistadora, which dates from at least the 1650s, is to promote devotion to this image of Mary and to care for her chapels (one at Rosario Chapel and one at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi) as well as her clothes and jewels.

The cofradia has five officers: mayordomo, assistant mayordomo, secretary, treasurer and sacristan, the person who changes her clothing.

In 1956, the Caballeros de Vargas became the official honor guard. They accompany the statue during Masses, processions and other events.

Membership in the cofradia has varied over the centuries. Today there are some 1,000 active members who pay dues of $5. The dues were not always paid in cash. In 1785, Manuel Ribera and his wife, Josefa Labadía provided music for feasts and processions in place of dues.

By Anne Constable | The New Mexican
Posted: Thursday, April 15, 2010

Article syndicated from The New Mexican, click here to view the original article.

Cermamic Figurine by Magdalena Martinez

At a dinner in Mozambique last year, the people around the table were deconstructing the International Folk Art Market held in Santa Fe the previous July.

The market, presented annually for the last six years, is already the largest of its kind in the world and a major contributor to the Santa Fe economy — to the tune of almost $16 million (including gross receipts tax on artists’ sales and visitors’ purchases, payroll and contracts, lodger’s tax and spending by tourists who attend the event).

The discussion included staff, local artists and some people from Santa Fe on the market’s Folk Art Safari. Out of that exchange of ideas — and requests from artists — came the decision to allow them to sell their traditional handmade goods during the market’s Friday night opening party.

“When you’re far away you can (sometimes) see things more clearly,” said Charlene Cerny, the market’s executive director.

So, while munching on snacks, partygoers this year will be able to do some shopping in the lighted booths. A good part of Milner Plaza, where the market takes place, will be tented this year, just in case it dares to rain. And there also will be dancing to TradiSon, a Cuban band that plays at La Bodequita del Media, a popular Havana restaurant that was a haunt of writer Ernest Hemingway. Tickets are $125.

The Friday night sale is just one of the things that’s new at the 2010 market, set for July 9-11.

TradiSon

Founders Cerny, Judith Espinar (creative director) and staff work year-round to make each market better and different from the last.

Nearly half of all the participants, who are chosen by an independent selection committee, will be new. They include people from Cameroon, Ethiopia, Israel, Kazakhstan and the Ukraine. Among the items for sale this year are felt rugs from Kyrgyzstan, tribal garments from China, recycled metal sculptures from Haiti, tie-dyed bandhani garments from India, filigree jewelry from Spain, rebozos, or shawls, from Mexico, and woven silk textiles from Laos.

One of the new artists is Magdalena Martinez, a physician from Oaxaca, Mexico, who makes ceramic figures fashioned from clay. When sculpting the figurines, she begins with the face, then builds a scaffolding for a traditional costume by flattening a length of clay like a tortilla and folding and forming it to the shape of the body. Martinez, whose father was also a well-known ceramicist, presses the details of the costume into the torso, adding the arms and legs before firing the piece.

Jubulile Nala is another market newcomer. She learned to build her hand-coiled and painted clay pots from her grandmother and her mother, Nesta Nala, in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. Although the family’s work is in museum collections, Jubulile and other artisans from her region have trouble making a living. She uses clay dug from local riverbanks that is dried, mixed and hand ground to fashion the beer pots symbolizing hospitality and community which are used at Zulu weddings, births, marriages and burials. With knives, stones, corncobs and even umbrella spokes, she makes decorations such as beading or nipples on the surface. After firing, she rubs the pots with animal fat.

To kick off what is now billed as International Folk Arts Week, the Museum of International Folk Art will open an exhibit of the work of women’s cooperatives from Bolivia, Rwanda, Peru, Swaziland, India, Kenya, Laos, South Africa, Morocco and Nepal that are represented at market. The Gallery of Conscience exhibition highlights weaving, beadwork, painting, baskets, embroidery and other traditional folk arts.

The exhibit “Empowering Women: Artisan Cooperatives That Transform Communities” is guest curated by Suzanne K. Seriff, chairwoman of the market’s artist selection committee, and is devoted to what Seriff describes as “the issues that threaten the survival of the traditional arts.” Tours with the curator and a representative of the women’s co-ops will be offered.

Later in the week, Diana Baird N’Diaye, a cultural anthropologist with the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, will moderate a colloquium for artists at which they will exchange information on topics (selected by participants) such as preserving cultural traditions, expanding market access, leadership and management skills and product development.

“We’re listening more to our artists. What do they think? What do they want to learn?” Cerny said. That, Espinar added, is “a very new way for nonprofits to work with their constituents.”

On Wednesday, the market is co-sponsoring a presentation by Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. Kristof and his wife, Sheryl WuDunn, published a book last year titled Half the Sky about how women around the world who have been abused and oppressed have, with a little financial help, survived and become part of the economic life of their communities. Tickets for that event went on sale April 1.

Besides providing income for the artists (who take home 90 percent of their sales revenues), the market supports whole communities in their home countries and helps ensure the continuation of traditional crafts. At the same time, Espinar said, making folk art can have a profound effect on the future of the family. “Passing on all of these cultural things goes along with being there for their children,” she pointed out, “and very often makes a difference as to whether their children go to school.”

She predicted that one day, “One of these women is going to be president of some country.”

Normally the market provides financial support only to first-time market artists, but given the disaster in Haiti, the organization is paying all the expenses for four Haitians, including the two who created the awards for last year’s Clinton Global Initiative.

Dressing up the market is always a priority. Each year, there is another layer of decoration added, often inspired by Cerny’s and Espinar’s travels around the world to find new treasures to bring to the market. This year, because there is an Afro-Cuban theme, volunteers will be covering poles with African fabric, gathered like a Roman shade and wrapped diagonally with tinsel.

Spanish Market street scene

The 59th Traditional Spanish Market will be held on July 24 and 25, 2010 on the Santa Fe Plaza. This popular event celebrates the vibrant Hispanic culture of Northern New Mexico, both past and present. Visitors are provided with a unique opportunity to purchase a dazzling array of Spanish Colonial art works produced by over 200 traditional Hispanic artists, sample mouth-watering regional food specialties, attend art demonstrations and workshops and enjoy continuous live music and dance entertainment.  A separate youth exhibition area will line the side streets just off the Plaza and will feature the work of some 100 emerging artists. This is the oldest and largest Hispanic market in the United States. Admission is free.

For more information about Spanish Market contact the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art  at 505-982-2226 or  e-mail info@spanishcolonial.org.

Glossary of terms used, and art forms found, at Spanish Market

• Santos – originally produced in New Mexico between the 1700s and late 1800s, these are depictions of religious figures in the forms of bultos (three dimensional wood carvings) and retablos (paintings on wooden panels).  Most materials used to make santos were indigenous to New Mexico: pine, cottonwood root, gypsum, pinion sap, yucca fibers and horse and human hair for paintbrushes, and natural home-ground pigments made from the vegetation, clays, ocres and minerals. Although New Mexico became part of the Republic of Mexico in 1821, it still remained isolated from the outside world. Consequently, most New Mexicans artists in the nineteenth century were self-taught or apprentices who learned from their local masters.   Santos played an important part of the religious lives of New Mexicans in the colonial period.   Retablos and bultos adorned local churches and families had private devotional altars graced with Santos. Santos convey the spirit of Hispanic New Mexico through their unique style, traditional Catholic subject-matter and the materials used to create them.
• Straw Appliqué – crosses, chests and boxes decorated with applied wheat straw and corn husks which are adhered to the wood with resin.
• Textiles – hand-woven on looms using handspun and vegetable dyed yarns
• Tinwork – decorative and utilitarian objects of cut and punched tin.  Frames, mirrors, switchplates, candle holders, sconces, mirrors and crosses are examples of tin art. Tin art, especially in religious form, began to flourish after the United States Army occupied New Mexico in 1846 and the appearance of imported tin cans. 
• Furniture – usually made from pine using mortise and tenon joints
• Embroidery – unique regional embroideries employing the colcha stitch which was used for centuries to embellish priest garments, altar cloths and coverlets and produces rich and colorful textiles and tapestries
• Ironwork – tools, fastenings, and household objects forged from iron
• Precious Metals – silver or gold jewelry, utilitarian and devotional objects
• Pottery – hand-sculpted bowls, pots, and other ware made from micaceous clay
• Bonework – decorative items, anillos (rings) and tool handles carved from bones
• Ramilletes – decorative paper garlands
• Basketry – baskets handwoven from red and brown river willow

Retablos at Spanish Market

The Spanish Colonial Arts Society screens all of the artwork shown at Spanish Market for authenticity and requires that all artwork be handmade by artists practicing their craft in the context of their community.  Some families are represented by three or four generations

For more about the art you can see at Spanish Market visit the Collectors Guide.

History of Spanish Market

The Spanish Colonial Arts Society first sponsored Spanish Market in 1926 and continued to hold it until the mid-1930s.  In 1965 the Spanish Colonial Arts Society revived Spanish Market, which was held in conjunction with the annual Indian Market until 1972.  In 1973 Spanish Market became its own distinct event taking place on Santa Fe Plaza during the last full weekend in July. 

Since 1985 Contemporary Hispanic Market has been held at the same time as, and in conjunction with, Spanish Market.  It is sponsored by El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe and is located northwest of Santa Fe Plaza along Lincoln Avenue.   In 2009 Contemporary Hispanic Market showcased contemporary fine art such as photography, weaving, glass work, paintings, ceramics, sculpture, jewelry, textiles and mixed media from over 130 artists.  For more information call (505) 992-0591 or e-mail info@elmuseocultural.org.   

Awards

Grand Prize, Best of Show Winner - 2002 Federico Prudencio, Spanish Hope Chest

The Society honors artistic excellence at Spanish Market by awarding prizes and purchasing outstanding works of art for its collection.  Its grand prize, first prize and other special awards recognize distinctive skill and innovation in various media.   The Society’s collection of more than 3500 objects is housed at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, 750 Camino Lejo (Museum Hill) in Santa Fe.   The collection includes Spanish Colonial art forms spanning four centuries and four continents.

Insider’s Tip

On Friday, July 23, 2010 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm the Spanish Market Preview takes place at the Santa Fe Convention Center for members only.  Be the first to see this year’s Spanish Market art and meet the artists.  Early Preview starts at 6 pm for upper level members ($300 – $5,000).  General Preview starts at 7 pm for all members.  Memberships are available at the door.

Food at Spanish Market

Vendors offer Spanish Colonial and Northern New Mexican specialties such as carnitas, carne adovada, stuffed sopaipillas, chile rellenos, fajitas, tamales, empanaditas, chile stew, taquitos, burritos, enchiladas and tacos.