We the Rosies: Women at Work celebrates New Mexico’s Working Class Women

March 29th, 2019

(Santa Fe, New Mexico) – Shoulder to shoulder, women from different backgrounds performing nontraditional jobs are the featured topic of the New Mexico History Museum’s new exhibition  We the Rosies: Women at Work. The exhibition opened March 1 and runs for a year through Feb. 29, 2020.

This exhibition focuses on women in New Mexico, particularly on those who worked in nontraditional jobs for their time. Women of all backgrounds and social standings are featured here with a photo of them in action along with a brief description of their working life. Paired with the photos and stories is a 6 feet tall 3D printed sculpture of Rosie the Riveter.

“Women have always been a critical part of the workforce,” said  Alicia M. Romero, Ph. D., Curator of Spanish Colonial, Mexican and Chicano/a History at the New Mexico History Museum / Palace of the Governors. “It is my goal to recognize the many women in our state who have labored in areas across all sectors of the economy, especially those who have gone unnoticed due to their particular job or their own personal background.

Key in the exhibition organization process, sculptor Jen Schachter, creator of the clay model for Rosie, explained,  “We chose to print Rosie in a range of skin tones to reimagine a new narrative, one where Rosie stands for the power and strength of women and non-binary makers of all identities”

Museum Operations Manager Seth McFarland commented “The curator’s research background on World War II’s domestic photography inspired this exhibition to explore more stories of women beyond the iconic Rosie the Riveter model, drawing attention to everyday, working class women of New Mexico.”

About the New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Governors National Historic Landmark: http://www.nmhistorymuseum.org

The New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Governors are a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Museum of New Mexico Board of Regents. Programs and exhibits are supported by the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and its generous donors.

Opened in May 2009, as the state system’s newest museum, the New Mexico History Museum is attached to the Palace of the Governors National Historic Landmark, a distinctive emblem of U.S. history and the original seat of New Mexico government. The History Museum serves as an anchor of the campus that includes Palace of the Governors, the Palace Press, the Fray Angelico Chavez History Library, and Photo Archives. The Museum presents exhibitions and public programs that interpret historical events and reflect on the wide range of New Mexico historical experiences and serves as a history center for research, education and lifelong learning, delivering quality programs that encourage knowledge, understanding and appreciation of New Mexico’s diverse cultures.

113 Lincoln Ave. in Santa Fe, NM 87501. (505) 476-5200. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, May through October; closed Mondays November through April. Events, news releases and images about activities at the History Museum and other divisions in the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org