Events for Jun. 2024

Claiming Space: Performing the Personal through Decorated Mortarboards examines the growing tradition of decorating mortarboards at college graduations, offering a performance-centered approach to these material sites of display. Taking mortarboard displays seriously as public performances of the personal, this book highlights the creative, playful, and powerful ways graduates use their caps to fashion their personal engagement with notions of self, community, education, and the unknown future. 

Displaying folk or tribal art whether a collection or just a few special pieces require a sensitivity to nuances of spatial aesthetics as well as the principals of design. Light and form are particularly important when articulating the displaying of art. Throughout Lisa’s career as an interior designer she has been passionate about Folk and Tribal Art and relishes the opportunity to display such art forms. Samuel has a particular affinity for this type of art because she feels that Folk Art is communication about a culture and a heritage of ‘the people’ in a community. Folk art does not aim for individual expression. Folk Art is a collective expression of a culture that speaks to community, communication and a passing of information from generation to generation.Part of the great challenge and excitement (fun) of displaying, especially collections are finding unique methods of doing so that will surprise and delight the viewer. Curating a collection as a collaboration is also a rewarding aspect of this work. Samuel will discuss some unique display solutions that she has implemented with great success. This event is for FOFA members ONLY.  FOFA members will receive an invitation by email which will include all the details. A single membership allows access to one ticket. A dual membership allows for two tickets.

For information on joining FOFA, a membership group of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, please click here.

For questions, please email friendsoffolkart@gmail.com

Vernick Auditorium

Cal Duran is a Queer, Two Spirit, Indigenous, Native, Mixed blood. Latinx, Manito, Mestizo, Chicanx, Indian Artist, and Arts Educator from Colorado. Art has been a portal to channel his indigenous ancestors, where he slips under an emotional spinning vortex of creation. The makers of his blood flow through him. He channels the artisans, craft-makers, mud-dwellers, star-makers, dream-weavers and earth-brothers and sisters the ones who paved the way and forged the path. His work carries spirit and his truth is in everything he creates. He has roots that bridge India, Mexico and the natives of this land. He finds himself exploring parallels between his  hybrid identities found in myth, religion,and ritual. 

Arts Alive! A collaborative summer program on Museum Hill at The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, The Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the Museum of International Folk Art.

Tommy Archuleta, Santa Fe Poet Laureate

Born and raised in Santa Fe, Tommy Archuleta works as a mental health therapist for the New Mexico Corrections Department in Santa Fe County, and lives and writes in the Cochiti Pueblo. Susto, his full-length debut collection of poems, published by the University Press of Colorado, is a 2023 Mountain/West Poetry Series title. He is also the author of the chapbook Fieldnotes (Lily Poetry Review & Books, 2023). Most recently his work has appeared in the New England Review, Laurel Review, Lily Poetry Review, The Cortland Review, Guesthouse, and the "Poem-a-Day" series sponsored by the Academy of American Poets.

Bill Zunkel, Justice Reform Advocate,

I am a professional counselor in Corrections or treatment for addictions. I met a young man in 2017 that had a vehicular manslaughter criminal charge, and he was sentenced to 9 years in New Mexico prisons. I followed his incarceration with visits and letters and telephone calls and became a visitor to the Roundhouse by attending Subcommittee sessions on Criminal Justice Reform and saw very little legislation that mitigated the circumstances of the incarcerated person, the young man. Over the years I have developed a network of persons connected with the “system” and support steps to give humanity to those individuals that are incarcerated.

I have known Tommy Archuleta for over 20 years and have linked with his efforts to counsel persons in prison. I have a similar relationship with Adam Griego.

We believe that allowing creative activities increases the chances of successful release and reduction of recidivism.

Adam Griego, Advocate for the Formerly Incarcerated

Incarcerated in the state of Texas prison system for the summer of 2018 and after bond got indicted federally and served my 18-month sentence for drug possession from April 11, 2019, until September 09, 2020. Was brought into this work by a wonderful woman, mentor and friend Nora Ranney who is in philanthropy. Giving 110% every day that I wake up breathing!

My involvement in the brief time period has been a massive commitment. Participant in the fight for HB4 the Voting Rights Act for the State of New Mexico in 2022, 8 committee hearing speeches and a speech on the rotunda. During this time, I was released early from Federal Probation and Parole almost a year early. Date of release was May 16, 2023, my due date was April 11, 2024. Became an adjunct professor for the Santa Fe Community College in fall of 2022 teaching in the automotive program, completed a legislative fellowship with Barron Jones the Senior Policy Strategist for ACLU New Mexico in 2022-23. Became a member of OLE’ (Organizers in the Land of Enchantment) 2022-present. Spring of 2023 joined the Justice Advisory and Accountability Board to the ACLU New Mexico. Marched in Philadelphia for affordable housing and to end homelessness in summer of 2023. Published in Source Nm, The Santa Fe New Mexican, and Bolts Magazine Washington D.C. I have been a critical participant in the development of a civics-based curriculum in conjunction with OLE’ and The Project Echo at the University of New Mexico, we are preparing after some final changes to take the curriculum into the state prison system. Have been a powerful catalyst for change and leading current legislative efforts to end solitary confinement in both the federal and the state prison systems. This requires meeting in person or over zoom with folks like Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury, who by the way was so moved by our presentation that she agreed to sponsor the federal bill almost immediately, we have met with Senator Martin Heinrich’s office, Senator Ben Ray Lujan’s office just to name a few. Knee deep in the fight to end mass incarceration. Daily working towards changing the narrative on how we define ourselves. I am driven by a unique passion to serve others. Drawing on my own life experiences, I wish to help others through democracy reform and getting meaningful legislation passed. So grateful to be alive and share my narrative to bring peace and knowledge to other people and the formerly incarcerated. Having experienced the carceral system firsthand, I am eager to draw upon my experiences to give back to communities, find a positive direction for those whose path is not so straight and narrow. I hope this is a little of what you were looking for, believe it or not my mother was a Franciscan nun for 22 years and was once nominated by Patrick Leahy pro tempore of the United States Senate for woman of the year! Bringing my life full circle, however challenging has been something I will never regret and will be my legacy for my daughter and grandson!

ARTIST PANEL BIOS

Serhii Polubotko is a member of the National Union of Architects of Ukraine and the Union of Masters of Folk Art of Ukraine. At the beginning of the large-scale invasion, Polubotko took part in the construction of defensive barriers along with the Ivano-Frankivsk volunteer blacksmith community. He came to the US on a refugee visa in 2022, and continues creating works out of repurposed war materials. 

Yaroslava Tkachuk is a member of the National Union of Artists of Ukraine. Her work has been featured in more than 10 personal exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad, and is presented in museum collections in Austria, Ukraine, and the US. In her work, Tkachuk blends diverse materials to create striking visual collages.

Straw Applique artist, Jean Anaya Moya, is credited with taking this New Mexico art form to the next level. "Her development as an artist has evolved into her becoming recognized as one of our state’s finest Santeras," said nominator Woody Gwyn, who received a governor’s arts award in 2010. "The high quality and character of the work is, I think, a reflection of the woman herself." Moya’s artistic vision is rooted in the traditions of her family life. She lives in the village of Galisteo where she has raised a family, is an active member of the local Catholic parish, and a highly valued member of the Galisteo Volunteer Fire Department, where she has served as fire chief. Moya also is active on the board of the local arts organization, La Sala de Galisteo. Moya said she was drawn to straw applique not just for its religious meaning, but for the technique. 

Arts Alive! A collaborative summer program on Museum Hill at The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, The Santa Fe Botanical Garden, Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, and the Museum of International Folk Art.