Click Here: New Mexico’s Impact from Mexican-American War, Draw Your Own Portrait, Return of Science Story Time, and More

January 26th, 2021

Explore the latest online programming from the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), bringing the state’s unique blend of cultures into your home through its museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions.

This week includes three outstanding programs:

The History and Literary Arts department at the National Hispanic Cultural Center presents the latest online lecture in the series Tertulia Histórica Albuquerque “Where Blood was Spilled: The U.S.-Mexican War of 1846” via Zoom on Jan. 30. New Mexico was impacted directly by this event, as it went from being part of the new nation of Mexico to being a U.S. territory, and ultimately a U.S. state. State Historian Rob Martinez will discuss the causes of the conflict and examine its fallout, as well as the impact on New Mexico specifically. Register for this free event here.

Visit the activities and resources page on the New Mexico Museum of Art website to learn how to draw a portrait, which is an artistic representation of a person through drawing, photograph, or sculpture. This virtual activity features information about portraiture, including examples from the exhibition “For America: Paintings from the National Academy of Design,” and instructions on drawing your own portrait.

In the latest Preservation Workshop video on the New Mexico Museum of Space History Facebook page, chief curator Sue Taylor talks about amber, a fossilized tree resin that has been used for thousands of years in jewelry, architectural features, and furnishings.

Here are other interesting programs from across the Department:

•   The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum now has its own page on the social media site Pinterest, where you can find craft activities, demonstration videos, and photographs of the animals and exhibits at the museum.

•   It’s the return of science story time videos on the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science YouTube channel. In the latest episode, museum educator Misty Carty reads from the children’s book, “Charlie and Kiwi: An Evolutionary Adventure.”

•   Watch the next Friends of History virtual lecture series on the New Mexico History Museum YouTube channel on Feb. 3. In this episode, historian Colin G. Calloway will examine the spread of the smallpox epidemic that broke out in Mexico in 1779 and traveled into New Mexico, including its impact on Indian country.

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