El Camino Real Historic Trail Site hosts its first Fiber Fair, Saturday May 23, 2015. The event is free and runs from 10 am to 4 pm.
This Fiber Fair celebrates New Mexico’s rich and storied fiber arts tradition, featuring Native and traditional Pueblo artists demonstrating the use of cotton, yucca, wool, and other materials in both textiles and basketry. Other traditions demonstrated will be Spanish, and early and contemporary American fiber arts. Among them; quilting and felting, and two with related, fun kids’ hands-on activities—wool preparation (dyeing, carding, spinning) and Spanish Colcha embroidery.
This Fiber Fair provides a living and historical context for the state’s fiber tradition by including a livestock display of Navajo-Churro sheep. These sheep were first brought to New Mexico by Don Juan de Oñate in 1598 when he established the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro. This heritage breed is renowned for its hardiness and adaptability and still provides wool for many of the nation’s professional fiber artists. It was from Churro wool that the early Rio Grande, Pueblo, and Navajo textiles were woven. Also on display will be the alpaca, a much more recent arrival and also quite valuable to textile artists.
Among the more than eleven artists, artisans, and craftsmen demonstrating and selling their wares will be weavers Louie Garcia (Piro/Tiwa Pueblo), Chris Lewis (Zuni), Audrey Magdalena (Zuni), and the Griego family (Alamo Navajo Reservation) who will also have traditional Navajo food for sale; Ric Rao from Las Cruces will demonstrate traditional dyeing, felting, and other fiber arts; Sheri Armijo from Socorro, will demonstrate Spanish Colcha; Doug Figgs from Lemitar is a master farrier (and a renowned cowboy musician who will perform a few ballads at 3 pm). Francisco "Pancho" Ochoa, an adobe craftsman, will demonstrate the time-honored tradition of horno cooking. Also taking part in the Fiber Fair will be the Socorro and Magdalena Fiber Arts Guilds, Puerta del Sol Alpacas, and Rio Milagro Farms Churro Sheep. (This confirmed list is in formation as of April 28.)
While strolling the grounds of El Camino Real Historic Trail Site visitors can purchase Navajo Tacos and other scrumptious food and drink. And to remember this special event, visitors can purchase the arts and crafts of the participating artists.
A special treat will be cowboy musician (and master farrier) Doug Figgs’ live musical performance at 3pm. Visit his web site at http://www.dougfiggs.com/about-ushttp://www.dougfiggs.com/about-us for more on this artist.
The event is free.
