Releases | New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Weekly Update: Experience New Mexico’s Museums, Historic Sites, and Cultural Institutions from Home

May 8th, 2020

SANTA FE – The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions continue to operate virtually during this time of social distancing, offering resources, activities, and exhibitions to be enjoyed at home.

The following is a collection of updated online tools from the DCA available for public consumption: 

The iconic windmill at New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum this week was moved to a new location on the property. The wooden tower was showing signs of decay where it had been located in a high pedestrian traffic area. Relocation of the 20-foot-tall fan was recorded through video and photos, posted on social media, as it was placed in its new location on a steel tower near the front entrance of the museum. Follow Farm & Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Historic Preservation Division in May is celebrating Virtual Preservation Month; visit the HPD website for more details. “This Week in New Mexico History” is an HPD Facebook series that focuses on properties across the state listed in the National Register of Historic Places, with new posts each Friday. HPD’s Facebook page also includes posts about archaeology, state, and national parks, preservation tax credit projects, and local preservation efforts. Follow HPD on Facebook and YouTube.

This past week, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture shared a post about the future of Chaco Canyon; posted a short closed-caption film of Diego Rivera, currently on display at MIAC; shared a resource for obtaining seeds from Tewa Women United; and posted an article about President Trump re-establishing the White House Council on Native American Affairs. The Center for New Mexico Archaeology (CNMA) posted a photo of a bowl from Pindi Pueblo for its "object of the week," and talked about the importance of turkeys in Native American culture. Follow MIAC on Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube.

MIAC will host a special Mother’s Day performance of the "Our Fair New Mexico" virtual concert series, featuring singer and songwriter Jacob Shije of Santa Clara Pueblo. Watch the concert on the MIAC Facebook page at 1 p.m. on Sunday, May 10.

Museum of International Folk Art bilingual educator Kemely Gomez has recorded folktales in Spanish in a collaborative project with the Santa Fe Public Library for bilingual story time hosted on SFPL’s YouTube channel. MOIFA has joined with partner art studio Vital Spaces, along with several other New Mexico Art Collections partners, to challenge New Mexicans to recreate or reinterpret works of art from New Mexico-based collections and post pictures of these works to Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using #NMtwinning. MOIFA has also re-launched its blog with a weekly feature "Folk Art Piece of the Week - Docent’s Choice" written by the museum’s docents and featuring a piece from the online collection. Currently, there are 10 Folk Art lesson plans for teachers and students, available in Spanish and English on the MOIFA website. Follow MOIFA on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

On social media this past week, the National Hispanic Cultural Center shared an article on Dominican-American author Julia Alvarez’s appreciation for nuance amid chaos. The fourth episode of the podcast “La Hilacha: Words and Memories” will be released on May 8; the episode will focus on traditional healing, including readings from books, a discussion with a curandera, and reminiscences of family remedies. The public can also view photos and descriptions of “Aquí Estamos: New Selections from the Permanent Collection,” a current exhibition. NHCC is continuing social media series such as “Staff Collects” and “People Who Make the Magic Happen." Other NHCC social media posts this past week include a profile on one of the Art Museum curators; an artist interview video with Póla López, about her work in the exhibition "Qué Chola"; and more content surrounding the 20th anniversary of the center. Also, check out the Latinx book review blog and an online version of the exhibit “El Voto Femenino." Follow NHCC on Facebook and YouTube.

The fifth performance of the “Our Fair New Mexico” virtual concert series, hosted by the National Hispanic Cultural Center and filmed at the Albuquerque Journal Theatre, will feature Dos Gatos. The Albuquerque-based band incorporates multiple musical genres, including zydeco, Tex-Mex, blues, gypsy jazz, swing, and a dash of outlaw country. Watch the concert on the NHCC Facebook page at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 8. For a list of upcoming performances, go to http://nmculture.org/virtualconcerts

New Mexico Arts this past week continued the “Public Art Thursday,” “Grantee Highlight,” and “I heart the arts” social media campaigns. The Art in Public Places program currently has the U.S. Native and Indigenous Artists Purchase Initiative call for artists open. There is an open survey to collect information from artists and arts organizations from across the state regarding their transition to virtual or alternative programming due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New Mexico Music Commission continues to share video and livestream musical performances from musicians in New Mexico and nationally. Follow NMA on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo.

New Mexico Historic Sites continues its “Virtual Classroom” series, which can be found on the NMHS website and social media channels. Meanwhile, Fort Sumner Historic Site/Bosque Redondo Memorial have launched its virtual “book club” program, the first book in the series is “The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl, New Mexico, 1864,” written by Ann Turner. Follow NMHS on Facebook.

Deputy Director Tim Roberts led a virtual discussion and a live question-and-answer session with author and historian Drew Gomber via Facebook and YouTube on May 6. This program was a collaboration between NMHS, the New Mexico History Museum, and the Friends of History. 

The New Mexico History Museum is continuing to collect Quarantine Diaries.Help write history by submitting your story to the museum’s collection; contact historylibrary@state.nm.us for more information. The virtual version of the First Sunday Making History event was posted on the NMHM Facebook page and YouTube channel. The First Wednesday Friends of History Lecture was dual-streamed on the New Mexico Historic Sites and NMHM Facebook pages, as well as the NMHS’ YouTube channel. NMHM’s website also offers online educational material and other information. Follow NMHM on Facebook and Twitter.

This past week, the New Mexico Museum of Art posted an education resources update highlighting two new educational workbooks on the museum’s website: Color and Line, about two of the most important components of any artwork; and Patrick Nagatani, which includes activities related to the renowned New Mexico photographer. "The Solitary Figure," a virtual exhibit curated by the museum’s curator of 20th Century Art, Christian Waguespack, "opened" on social media platforms on May 2. On May 4, MOA advertised "Giving Tuesday," an annual event centered on supporting local nonprofits. Follow MOA on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science offers online exhibitions, resources, and other educational activities. There is also Museum Story Time and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. An online tour of the “Tiny Titans, Dinosaur Eggs and Babies” exhibit is available on the MNHS website. There will be a Facebook watch party for First Friday Fractal show at 6 p.m. on May 15. This 25-minute show will include animations rarely seen before, along with an explanation about fractals and how they occur. Follow MNHS on Facebook.

Have you ever wondered how astronauts wash their hands in space? Did you know NASA created a ventilator to help fight COVID-19? Those are just some of the questions that the New Mexico Museum of Space History helps answer on their Facebook page. Followers can also watch Launch Pad lectures and Mini-Preservation Workshops on the museum’s YouTube channel. Other content available on social media includes Virtual Rocketeer Academy, Stories from Space, and Galactic Laffs. Follow Space History on Facebook and YouTube

Teachers from across the state can still invite a DCA educator into their online classrooms by submitting the request form found on nmculture.org. While classes can’t visit museums and historic sites in person, the department can schedule an educator to visit with them virtually. As requests come in, they will be forwarded to the appropriate division, which will then coordinate with teachers.

New Mexico State Library is partnering with the New Mexico Library Foundation to provide a statewide online Summer Reading Program for children. There will be a lineup of online performers, prizes, and other fun resources to inspire children to keep reading. The expectation is to have the program begin on June 1. Follow the NMSL on Facebook

Learn how archaeologists use experimentation to discover material from the past on the Office of Archaeological Studies educational resources and YouTube page. Activity packets that combine creative archaeological explorations with critical thinking skills can be found on the OAS website. Follow OAS on YouTube.

More information related to social media and online resources for each division of DCA is available upon request.

About the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is New Mexico’s cultural steward, charged with preserving and showcasing the state’s cultural riches. With its eight museums, seven historic sites, arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and library programs, the DCA is one of the largest and most diverse state cultural agencies in the nation. Together, the facilities, programs, and services of the Department support a $5.6 billion cultural industry in New Mexico. 

Events, news releases, and images related to activities in divisions of the DCA can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.

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