Writer Lucy Lippard and Volunteer Beezy Bing Recognized for Exemplary Service

November 9th, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 9, 2017 (Santa Fe, NM)—Thursday, November 16, the New Mexico Association of Museums will present two important awards to individuals with strong ties to the Department of Cultural Affairs and its museums. The presentation will take place as part of NMAM’s annual meeting, 8:30 am, Fuller Lodge, 2132 Central Avenue, Los Alamos.

Writer, art critic, activist, and curator Lucy R. Lippard of Galisteo will receive the Edgar L. Hewett Award for her exemplary service to New Mexico’s museums, including the generous donation of her personal collection to the New Mexico Museum of Art, her support of contemporary New Mexico artists, the preservation of the archaeology of the Galisteo Basin, and her many contributions to the Museum of New Mexico Press.

Established in 1991, the Edgar L. Hewett Award is made to a person or organization whose actions exemplify leadership or service to the New Mexico museum community. It is named for Edgar L. Hewett, the first director of the Museum of New Mexico.

“Free from formal institutional ties, Lippard has traversed intellectual and geographic terrain with boundless energy and curiosity,” noted NMAM President Mimi Roberts. “Through her curatorial work, her writing, and her activism—and especially her commitment to cultural equity for women and people of color—she has opened up opportunities for generations of museum professionals and artists.”

Through her writings, Lippard has brought national and international attention to contemporary New Mexico artists, including Emmi Whitehorse, Jane Quick-to-See Smith, Luis Jimenez, Ramona Sakiestewa, Roxanne Swentzell, Patrick Nagatani, Luis Tapia, and Meridel Rubinstein.

Says Museum of New Mexico Press Director Anna Gallegos, “Lucy loves to collaborate with photographers and has contributed to multiple Museum of New Mexico Press publications.”

Among these are: Living Shrines: Home Altars of New Mexico (1998, with Marie Romero Cash and photographer Sigfried Halus); Time and Time Again: History, Rephotography, and Preservation in the Chaco World, (2013, with photographer Peter Goin), and her magnum opus, Down Country: The Tano of the Galisteo Basin, 1250–1782, (2010, with photographer Edward Ranney).

Beezy Bing, of Santa Fe, will receive the 2017 Volunteer of the Year Award. Established in 2012, the award is made to a person whose volunteer service exemplifies service to the New Mexico museum community. Bing is being recognized for 23 years of service to the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, delivering weekly docent tours to visitors from around the world; initiating the Elderwise program (now in its twentieth year), which provides special presentations on MIAC-related topics at three local retirement communities; and her support of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation (MNMF), including the Steering Committee for the Friends of Indian Art (FIA).

“She’s funny, she’s smart, she’s kind, and she is one-of-a-kind for sure,” says Louise Ortiz, MIAC’s admissions receptionist. “Beezy is warm and welcoming. Many guests who say they don’t want a tour change their minds once she approaches them. She just walks up, smiles, and her personality beams. Her energy is just so positive.”

During the Elderwise experience, Beezy delivers an informal lecture on a specific aspect of Native American art, whether it is basketry, pottery, textiles, or a storied or contemporary artist, preparing a new lecture each month.

Photo credits:

Left: Lucy Lippard, photo © Judy Tuwaletstiwa

Right: Beezy Bing, photo by Andrew E. Albertson

Media Contact: Tricia Ware (505) 603-0356 tricialouiseware@gmail.com

About the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs: http://www.newmexicoculture.org/ 
Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs represents New Mexico’s dedication to preserving and celebrating the cultural integrity and diversity of our state. The Department oversees a broad range of New Mexico’s arts and cultural heritage agencies, which include 15 divisions representing a variety of programs and services. Among its primary functions is the management of the largest state sponsored museum system in the country. New Mexico’s historic sites and state-run museums are located across the state and include: New Mexico Historic Sites, Statewide; New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, Santa Fe; New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe; Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe; Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Santa Fe; New Mexico Museum of Space History, Alamogordo; New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Albuquerque; New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Las Cruces; and the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque. The Department also oversees the New Mexico State Library, Historic Preservation Division, New Mexico Arts, and the Office of Archaeological Studies. Events, news releases and images about activities in divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.