Events for May. 2025

Doors open at 1:30 PM for Reception.

This talk discusses the behind-the-scenes planning for an upcoming exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art. Appearances Deceive is the first retrospective of Nuevomexicano artist Policarpio Valencia (b. 1853 – d. 1931), whose embroidered textiles contemplate the serious subjects of morality and mortality with wit and whimsy.

Carrie Hertz Bio

Carrie Hertz is Curator of Textiles and Dress for the Museum of International Folk Art. She earned her MA in Museum Studies and her PhD in Folklore from Indiana University. As a special focus, her work considers the social, cultural, moral, material, and political dimensions of textiles and dress traditions around the world. She has conducted ethnographic fieldwork in Scandinavia, China, and the United States, and she is editor of the award-winning book Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia, published by Indiana University Press in 2021.

Registration is free for FOFA Members. All participants must be current members of FOFA. 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

Back Parking Lot

Give your beloved folk art a new home by donating to the fabulous Folk Art Flea.

FOFA is seeking folk art donations of gently used textiles, clothing, ceramics, masks, wood carvings, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, and folk art décor items to be sold at the 2025 Folk Art Flea. If you have folk, tribal, fine art, decorative art, clothing with an ethnic or folk art look, or art books that you are ready to recycle to other art lovers then please join us for our spring donation days.  All folk art donations are tax deductible. Anyone can donate!  If you have friends who are cleaning out, downsizing, or holding an estate sale, please let them know about this special opportunity to make a difference at one of Santa Fe’s most celebrated institutions, the Museum of International Folk Art, by recycling their art items to the Folk Art Flea.

BRING YOUR FOLK ART TO FOFA’S SPRING DONATION DAY

Saturday, May 10, 10 am to 2 pm

Drive to the back of the Museum of International Folk Art parking lot and look for the storage pods.  WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THEN! 

FOFA IS NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS YEAR-ROUND.

If you are unable to make one of the donation days, call 505.476.1201 to arrange pick-up or drop off information.

Joan and Clifford Vernick Auditorium | ASL interpretation provided

Included with Museum Admission | Register Here!

Join us for a public talk with Dr. Daniel Magaziner, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Professor, Department of History, Yale University. Dr. Magaziner will discuss the multiple ways that South African artists addressed Apartheid, ranging from direct political commentary to the continuance of long-standing artistic traditions.

This talk examines two sides of the story of visual culture in 20th century South Africa during Apartheid. Toggling between rural and urban areas, we consider how artists engaged the country’s politics from the 1950s through the 1980s. Some artists offered work that commented on and engaged in the struggle to overturn white supremacy, and some suffered for this, including being forced into exile, censored, imprisoned, or worse. Others turned to art as a means of survival, finding solace in craft and other novel practices, as a means of evading both state violence and Apartheid’s humiliations. Focusing especially on artistic networks in rural and urban KwaZulu-Natal, the talk demonstrates how creators built their own worlds within Apartheid, with their hands, materials, and minds.

This event is presented in conjunction with our current exhibition, Ngqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa, on display through March 6, 2026.

FREE Family Program! Join us for our monthly Family Mornings at Folk Art program featuring storytime, art activity, and explorations in the galleries. 

May 18 - Weaving Together! Be inspired by the creative expressions of South African telephone wire weavers. Come create your own Wire Basket or Sculpture. 

*ASL Interpretation Provided

Join us for an artist talk and wire weaving demonstration with artist, author, and entrepreneur Hlengiwe Dube. ASL interpretation provided. 

Included with Museum Admission | Register Here!

Artist talk | 1pm-2pm - Joan and Clifford Vernick Auditorium 

Weaving demonstration | 2:15pm-3pm - Ngqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings gallery

Hlengiwe Dube is an artist, author, and the founder of Ifundiso Trading. Born in New Hanover in 1974, she was raised in the Valley of Thousand Hills in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Her grandmother imparted the art of beadwork during her youth, fostering her development as a contemporary designer who draws inspiration from traditional motifs. Dube is now recognized as an expert in Indigenous knowledge within South African craft. Her expertise extends beyond artistic creation, and includes the larger contextualization of South African folk art and the advancement of local art forms–particularly beadwork and telephone wire baskets.

For several years, Dube has been affiliated with the African Art Centre, where she has hosted and facilitated workshops aimed at enhancing the quality of local art, especially within KwaZulu-Natal. She continues to conduct workshops–particularly for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds–with the goal of promoting self-employment. Her contributions have been recognized through numerous accolades, including the Living Legend Award in 2012, Woman of the Year in 2000, and the Amafa Heritage Award in 2012.

Join us in the Hands-on Studio at MOIFA for art projects, coloring sheets, and self-guided treasure hunts. Add to your explorations at the museum with fun art making, facilitated by our fantastic MOIFA docents.

May 25 | Make a Beaded Bowl! Design your own Huichol inspired Jicara, beaded offering bowl.

The program is free with Museum Admission. Museum admission is always free for Kids and Members.