All Press Releases
New Mexico History Museum | Apr 9, 2013
Live music, family activities and a lecture by guest curator B. Byron Price are among the goodies awaiting people coming to the opening weekend of Cowboys Real and Imagined. Members Preview: 6:30-8 pm Saturday, April 13, with food by Cowgirl BBQ and music by the Free Range Ramblers. Grand Opening: 1-5 pm Sunday April 14 with a 2 pm lecture by guest curator B. Byron Price and, from 3-5 pm, music by Bill Hearne and refreshments by the Women's Board of the Museum of New Mexico.
New Mexico History Museum | Apr 3, 2013
What's new at the New Mexico History Museum? The April 14 opening of Cowboys Real and Imagined. A hunt for hints of cochineal in 18th-century paintings. A staffer who's a killer (or plays one on the silver screen). Check out the latest edition of The Museum Times by clicking here, then tap on "download PDF" at the bottom of the next page.
New Mexico History Museum | Mar 10, 2013
Don Edwards, a premier performer of old-time ballads and cowboy songs, performs in the New Mexico History Museum Auditorium at 2 pm on Sunday, March 10, an advance event for the exhibition Cowboys Real and Imagined, opening April 14. Tickets for Edwards’ performance are $25 at the History Museum Shop; call (505) 982-9543 or go to www.newmexicocreates.org.
New Mexico History Museum | Mar 8, 2013
Women's Visual Narratives of New Mexico between the World Wars, by Joy Sperling, art history professor at Denison University in Granville, Ohio, at 12 pm, on Wednesday, March 13, in the History Museum's Meem Community Room.
and
Your Hands Will Always Be Covered with Ink: Nuns, Widows, Mavericks and Other Passionate Printers, a lecture by Kathleen Walkup, professor of book art and director of the Book Art Program at Mills College, in Oakland, Calif., at 6 pm on Friday, March 22, in the History Museum Auditorium.
Both lectures are free.
New Mexico History Museum | Feb 1, 2013
Preparations for the upcoming New Mexico History Museum exhibit, Cowboys Real and Imagined. NPR's StoryCorps comes to the museum. Tales of awesome volunteers. Cool new artifacts. And a guide to upcoming events like cowboy balladeer Don Edwards and a train trip to Lamy. To download the latest edition of the History Museum's Museum Times, click here -- http://media.museumofnewmexico.org/press_releases.php?action=detail&releaseID=252 -- then click on "download PDF" at the bottom of the next page.
New Mexico History Museum | Jan 9, 2013
Benjamin Franklin never visited New Mexico, but his memory will grace a week’s worth of events commemorating his contributions to music and the printed word, along with his diplomacy in Spain, a contributing factor to victory in the American Revolution.
The events kick off the Saturday following what would have been Franklin’s 307th birthday (Jan. 17, 1706) and continue through the following week. Among the highlights: Lectures by Dr. Thomas Chávez, former director of the Palace of the Governors and author of the upcoming Palace Press book, Dr. Franklin and Spain; and Dr. Celia López-Chávez, a Latin American scholar at the University of New Mexico. Also, a performance by Mayling Garcia of Corrales on the glass armonica. All of the events are free with admission. Children 16 and under are free every day; Sundays are free to NM residents.New Mexico History Museum | Jan 1, 2013
Experts on the Santa Fe Trail, women of the West, Clyde Tingley, “St. Kate’s” and the Manhattan Project will deliver lectures in the first half of the 2013 Brainpower & Brownbags Lecture Series. The annual series, organized by Tomas Jaehn of the museum’s Fray Angélico Chávez History Library, is free and open to the public (and, yes, you can bring a lunch). Each lecture begins at noon in the Meem Community Room; enter through the museum’s Washington Avenue doors. Seating is limited.
Click on the red headline (above) for the schedule.
New Mexico History Museum | Dec 13, 2012
Keeping track of your daily schedule on a handheld electronic device may be the new normal, but in days of not-so-yore we relied on paper calendars that we marked up, doodled on, and jazzed up with designs of our own, then tacked to the wall for the entire family.
In that spirit, the education staffs of the New Mexico History Museum and New Mexico Museum of Art invite you to join us in creating personalized calendars for 2013. Pulling inspiration from Illuminating the Word: The Saint John's Bible at the New Mexico History Museum (closing on December 30) and It's About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexico at the New Mexico Museum of Art, you can illuminate each month with seasonal images, drawings, collages, or glitter and note the days that mean the most to you. Dec. 17 at the History Museum, Jan. 3 at the Museum of Art; workshops at 10:30 am and 2 pm both days.
Keeping track of your daily schedule on a handheld electronic device may be the new normal, but in days of not-so-yore we relied on paper calendars that we marked up, doodled on, and jazzed up with designs of our own, then tacked to the wall for the entire family.In that spirit, the education staffs of the New Mexico History Museum and New Mexico Museum of Art invite you to join us in creating personalized calendars for 2013. Pulling inspiration from Illuminating the Word: The Saint John's Bible at the New Mexico History Museum (closing on December 30) and It's About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexico at the New Mexico Museum of Art, you can illuminate each month with seasonal images, drawings, collages, or glitter and note the days that mean the most to you. Dec. 17 at the History Museum, Jan. 3 at the Museum of Art; workshops at 10:30 am and 2 pm both days. -->
New Mexico History Museum | Nov 20, 2012
After concerns that a reflooring project in the entry of the Palace of the Governors would disrupt our holiday events, workmen put their backs into it and saved the day. Besides showing off its new planks, the Palace will again host Christmas at the Palace, this year for the 28th time, as the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors invites the community to get into the spirit within (and outside of) our walls.
The complete lineup includes Schola Cantorum and the monks of Christ in the Desert singing songs of the Advent on Dec. 2; Christmas at the Palace, Dec. 7; Las Posadas, Dec. 9; and the Young Native Artists Show and Sale Dec. 15-16.
After concerns that a reflooring project in the entry of the Palace of the Governors would disrupt our holiday events, workmen put their backs into it and saved the day. Besides showing off its new planks, the Palace will again host Christmas at the Palace, this year for the 28th time, as the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors invites the community to get into the spirit within (and outside of) our walls. The complete lineup includes Schola Cantorum and the monks of Christ in the Desert singing songs of the Advent on Dec. 2; Christmas at the Palace, Dec. 7; Las Posadas, Dec. 9; and the Young Native Artists Show and Sale Dec. 15-16. -->
New Mexico History Museum | Nov 13, 2012
Update: The floors are finished, and Christmas at the Palace will happen as usual. See the updated press release at http://media.museumofnewmexico.org/press_releases.php?action=detail&releaseID=239
Christmas at the Palace and Las Posadas, two of the most beloved holiday events in Santa Fe, are back again, but with a twist. A reflooring project in the entryway of the Palace of the Governors has forced us to lock its front doors, but we can’t keep Santa from greeting his fans at Christmas at the Palace on Friday, Dec. 7. Well-placed sources tell us that the world’s oldest elf plans to enter the Palace Courtyard through the Blue Gate on Washington Avenue, just south of the Lincoln Avenue entrance, and we advise all interested children to gather there at 5:30 pm with their families. Parts of the Palace, a National Historic Landmark, will be open. As a special treat, we’ll also open the first-floor lobby of the New Mexico History Museum for musical performances and a place to ward off the winter chill. Besides visiting with Santa in the Palace Courtyard, visitors can also enjoy Spanish carols, hot cider, biscochitos, and a piñata. The event, from 5:30—8 pm, is free. Donations of nonperishable foods are welcome. Las Posadas kicks off two nights later, at 5:30 pm on Sunday, Dec. 9.
New Mexico History Museum | Sep 5, 2012
Mention “Winnetou” or “Old Shatterhand” almost anywhere in Europe, and you’ll be met with smiles. But try it in the United States, and you’re more likely to earn a blank stare. Created by German author Karl May, Winnetou and Old Shatterhand are two of the most popular fictional characters of the 19th and 20th century. In a series of novels, they served as trail guides to the mystique of the American West and even today are celebrated in European festivals and theme parks.
May’s books have outsold those of Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey combined and were beloved by the likes of Albert Einstein, Herman Hesse, Fritz Lang, and Franz Kafka. All of that makes the author (who died in 1912) something of an authority on cowboys, Indians, Rocky Mountains, saloon girls, soldiers, and banks ripe for robbing.
But there’s a hitch: May never saw the West. Nevertheless, his faith in the glory of the West and his ability to nurture an entire continent’s love for it has drawn countless people across the Atlantic to visit and to stay. From Nov. 18, 2012, to Feb. 9, 2014, the New Mexico History Museum celebrates May’s life, legacy and lasting impact in Tall Tales of the Wild West: The Stories of Karl May.
New Mexico History Museum | Aug 21, 2012
Volcanoes, earthquakes, water, wind, and ice created the raw materials that adorn our favorite pieces of jewelry. See and purchase a worldwide variety of the authentic versions of stones, fossils and gems at the 7th annual Palace Gem & Mineral Show, Sept. 28-30, in the Palace Courtyard. New this year: Jewelry-making and mineral-painting workshops join the daily al fresco lectures on a variety of topics.
Enter for free through the Blue Gate on Lincoln Avenue and meet the miners, traders and jewelers whose stories of how the forces of nature formed geodes, fossils, and turquoise will deepen your appreciation for the treasures beneath our feet. The event is open 10 am to 7 pm on Friday, Sept. 28; and 9 am to 4:30 pm on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 29-30.
New Mexico History Museum | Aug 20, 2012
Diego de Vargas’s 1693 reconquest of Santa Fe did not create the peaceful Spanish province he needed for successful governance. To get it, he employed a series of strategies, including compadrazgo (godparenthood) of tribal children, divide-and-conquer, and a sweet helping of chocolate diplomacy.
State Historian Rick Hendricks will detail what Vargas did and how it worked in ”I Was Godfather to Them: Diego de Vargas and the Reconquest of New Mexico,” the annual Santa Fe Fiesta Lecture at the New Mexico History Museum at 6 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 5. The lecture is sponsored by the Palace Guard, and admission is free to its members; $5 others, at the door. Seating is limited.
New Mexico History Museum | Jun 12, 2012
Mysterious, artistic, and as low-tech as an oatmeal box, pinhole photography has captivated everyone from schoolchildren to professional photographers for more than a century. The Pinhole Resource Archives, the world’s largest collection of images, books and cameras, just joined New Mexico’s largest archive of photography, the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives at the New Mexico History Museum.
The collection was a donation from Pinhole Resource Inc., which is based in New Mexico and led by Eric Renner and Nancy Spencer. Already in the works is a 2014 exhibition, Poetics and Light, celebrating works from the collection.
New Mexico History Museum | May 15, 2012
Santa Fe—A dazzling collection of original prints featuring Native Americans from across North America opens this Friday at the New Mexico History Museum. The Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation will serve refreshments from 5-7 pm. The museum is open for free on Fridays from 5-8 pm.
Native American Portraits: Points of Inquiry pulls some of the most beautiful and elegant portraits from the collections of the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives. Dating back to the Civil War, the images reveal photographers’ attempts to portray the lives of Native American peoples. Almost inadvertently, the photographs also portray a nation’s changing attitudes toward Native peoples.
New Mexico History Museum | Apr 24, 2012
In the early 1700s, Spain’s northern colony sat at the edge of a frontier that could be fraught with danger. Inside the Palace of the Governors at the New Mexico History Museum, visitors can see examples of what happened when explorers set out on that frontier. The Segesser Hide Paintings depict two such adventures on a grand scale—a total of roughly 137 square feet of what is likely bison leather painted with natural pigments.
“The Segesser hides are a rare and important artifact of our collection, not only because of what they show but because of what they are,” said Dr. Frances Levine, director of the New Mexico History Museum. “The expeditions depicted on the Segesser hides likely began at the front door of the Palace of the Governors, so we like to think that the hides truly came home to us.”
In the early 1700s, Spain’s northern colony sat at the edge of a frontier that could be fraught with danger. Inside the Palace of the Governors at the New Mexico History Museum, visitors can see examples of what happened when explorers set out on that frontier. The Segesser Hide Paintings depict two such adventures on a grand scale—a total of roughly 137 square feet of what is likely bison leather painted with natural pigments. “The Segesser hides are a rare and important artifact of our collection, not only because of what they show but because of what they are,” said Dr. Frances Levine, director of the New Mexico History Museum. “The expeditions depicted on the Segesser hides likely began at the front door of the Palace of the Governors, so we like to think that the hides truly came home to us.” -->
New Mexico History Museum | Apr 5, 2012
Thirteen years of painstaking work by some of the finest calligraphers, artists and theologians in the world comes to a close this year with the completion of The Saint John’s Bible – a contemporary handwritten and illuminated Bible created by a team of artists and calligraphers at a Scriptorium in Wales. Before its pages are bound into volumes and placed on permanent exhibition by the Benedictine monks at Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., 44 pages from two of the Bible’s seven volumes – Wisdom Books and Prophets – will be exhibited at the New Mexico History Museum.
Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible (Oct. 23 through Dec. 30, 2012) will share its space and spirit with Contemplative Landscape (Oct. 23 through Dec. 30, 2012), a photographic exploration of how people have responded to and interacted with New Mexico’s landscape through art, architecture and sacred rituals. The exhibition prominently features the work of Tony O’Brien, whose 1994-95 sojourn at a New Mexico monastery forms the heart of his new book, Light in the Desert: Photographs from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert (Museum of New Mexico Press), debuting with the exhibition.
Thirteen years of painstaking work by some of the finest calligraphers, artists and theologians in the world comes to a close this year with the completion of The Saint John’s Bible – a contemporary handwritten and illuminated Bible created by a team of artists and calligraphers at a Scriptorium in Wales. Before its pages are bound into volumes and placed on permanent exhibition by the Benedictine monks at Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minn., 44 pages from two of the Bible’s seven volumes – Wisdom Books and Prophets – will be exhibited at the New Mexico History Museum. Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible (Oct. 23 through Dec. 30, 2012) will share its space and spirit with Contemplative Landscape (Oct. 23 through Dec. 30, 2012), a photographic exploration of how people have responded to and interacted with New Mexico’s landscape through art, architecture and sacred rituals. The exhibition prominently features the work of Tony O’Brien, whose 1994-95 sojourn at a New Mexico monastery forms the heart of his new book, Light in the Desert: Photographs from the Monastery of Christ in the Desert (Museum of New Mexico Press), debuting with the exhibition. -->New Mexico History Museum | Mar 20, 2012
Ever noticed the recycled rifle barrels in a certain window of the Palace of the Governors? Wondered where the Manhattan Project scientists learned of their new posting? Picked out the Victorian architecture from the Pueblo Revival on the Santa Fe Plaza?
Learn those facts and more by taking a Downtown Walking Tour led by New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors guides. The tours resume on April 16 (through mid-October), Monday-Saturday, beginning at 10:15 a.m. Gather at the Palace Courtyard’s Blue Gate just south of the History Museum entrance at 113 Lincoln Ave. Cost is $10. Children 16 and under are free when accompanied by an adult. Museum guides do not accept tips.
New Mexico History Museum | Mar 12, 2012
Since the Civil War, photographers have tried to capture the lives of Native American peoples, resulting in some of the most beautiful and elegant portraits in the collections of the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives. More than 50 of these images will be on display from May 18 to November 4, 2012, in Native American Portraits: Points of Inquiry, a salon-style exhibition in the History Museum’s Mezzanine Gallery. Along with a selection of contemporary photographs, the images document the changing perceptions of Native peoples over a span of 150 years.
New Mexico History Museum | Feb 22, 2012
The popularity of Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible, combined with the delighted approval of the exhibition’s design from the monks of Saint John’s University, has led to an extension of the show’s run. Previously set to close on April 7, The Saint John’s Bible will now be on exhibit in the History Museum’s Herzstein Gallery until December 30, 2012.
“The installation of the folios in the New Mexico History Museum presents The Saint John’s Bible in one of the most beautiful and faith-filled exhibitions of this Bible done to date,” said Tim Ternes, director of The Saint John’s Bible. “The contemplative environment artfully shares the story, work and process of this monumental project in a setting that compels the guest to slow down, relax and reflect. Saint John’s is very pleased to be able to extend this exhibition in the Santa Fe area, a place where art, faith and culture have been harmoniously blended for centuries.”
The popularity of Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible, combined with the delighted approval of the exhibition’s design from the monks of Saint John’s University, has led to an extension of the show’s run. Previously set to close on April 7, The Saint John’s Bible will now be on exhibit in the History Museum’s Herzstein Gallery until December 30, 2012. “The installation of the folios in the New Mexico History Museum presents The Saint John’s Bible in one of the most beautiful and faith-filled exhibitions of this Bible done to date,” said Tim Ternes, director of The Saint John’s Bible. “The contemplative environment artfully shares the story, work and process of this monumental project in a setting that compels the guest to slow down, relax and reflect. Saint John’s is very pleased to be able to extend this exhibition in the Santa Fe area, a place where art, faith and culture have been harmoniously blended for centuries.” -->New Mexico History Museum | Feb 21, 2012
Outlaws, Rough Riders, classic restaurants and a possible spy will come to life at the 2012 New Mexico Statehood History Conference, May 3-5, in Santa Fe. Presented by the Historical Society of New Mexico and the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors, this Centennial version of the Society’s annual conference includes a special treat: A daylong free symposium, open to the public, plus free admission to the History Museum on May 3. The conference, May 4 and 5 at the Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Center, is held in collaboration with the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Alliance, which is having its annual conference at La Posada that weekend. Details, including special hotel rates and how to register for all or part of the Statehood History Conference, are at the Historical Society’s web site: http://www.hsnm.org/2012%20Items/home__2012_conference.htm.
New Mexico History Museum | Feb 13, 2012
Last December, a performance by Santa Fe’s Schola Cantorum and the monks of Christ in the Desert Monastery drew an overflow crowd to the New Mexico History Museum. So many people were turned away that the singers graciously offered an impromptu, after-show performance in the museum lobby. Impressed by the turnout, as well as the unexpectedly fine acoustics of the lobby, the singers eagerly offered to return for an encore performance.
At 2 pm on Sunday, March 11, come to the museum lobby for a soulful afternoon featuring Holy Week chants of 10th-century Europe, polyphony of the 16th-century Renaissance and, in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, chants from Ireland’s Dublin Troper, published in 1360. The event is free with admission; Sundays free to NM residents.
New Mexico History Museum | Dec 7, 2011
The New Mexico History Museum is preparing to repatriate an archaeological artifact to Peru, a move that signals the museum’s commitment to cultural diplomacy on the international stage. The exchange of the artifact, a gold pendant from the Moché Period (100-800 AD), will take place on Thursday, Dec. 8, in Washington, D.C.
New Mexico History Museum | Nov 28, 2011
Steep your holidays in time-honored traditions at the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors this year. Our annual lineup—Christmas at the Palace, Las Posadas, and the Young Native Artists Show—is graced this year with several new additions, including the First National Bank’s beloved toy train. Because of the bank’s Main Office renovation on the Santa Fe Plaza, the train will be set up in the History Museum’s lobby from Tuesday, Dec. 13, through Saturday, Dec. 31.
New Mexico History Museum | Nov 17, 2011
The four state museums in Santa Fe will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 24 for Thanksgiving. If you’re looking for a break from leftovers and football the rest of the weekend, join us from 10 am to 5 pm Friday-Sunday.
While you’re there, shop for unique holiday presents at the museums’ shops, and check out new exhibits at the New Mexico History Museum, New Mexico Museum of Art, Museum of International Folk Art and Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
New Mexico History Museum | Nov 10, 2011
As part of the new exhibitions Illuminating the Word: The Saint John’s Bible and Contemplative Landscape, calligraphers from Albuquerque and Santa Fe will demonstrate a wide variety of book crafts in the History Museum’s second-floor Gathering Space, through Saturday, April 7. The demonstrators plan to be available from 10 am to noon and 1-3 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. If you have a group of visitors coming at other times, call Tom Leech at 505-476-5096, and we’ll try to arrange a demonstration.
New Mexico History Museum | Oct 31, 2011
Citing its many resources and online accessibility, the New Mexico Association of Museums will bestow its Edgar L. Hewett Award for Excellence on the Palace of the Governors Photo Archives at its annual business meeting in Farmington on Friday, Nov. 4.
“The staff of the Photo Archives has worked diligently to make the state’s visual record readily available to people in any part of the state and even the world,” said Dr. Frances Levine, director of the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors. “These resources will prove especially valuable as we prepare to enter our Centennial year as a state. We’re honored by this award.”
New Mexico History Museum | Oct 14, 2011
Enjoy a special presentation by one of the world’s foremost calligraphers, Donald Jackson, artistic director of The Saint John’s Bible and senior scribe to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Crown Office at the House of Lords.
“Donald Jackson: Illuminating the Word,” will be held on Monday, Nov. 7, at 6 pm, at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in downtown Santa Fe. Tickets are $15. A private reception following is $50. Tickets are available at www.ticketssantafe.org or (505) 988-1234.
New Mexico History Museum | Oct 11, 2011
In celebration of our 100th year as a state, the New Mexico History Museum’s Fray Angélico Chávez History Library is devoting its 2012 Brainpower & Brownbags Lecture Series to Centennial speakers. All of the lectures are held at 12 pm in the John Gaw Meem Room of the museum; enter through the Washington Avenue doors. The lectures are free and, yes, you may bring a lunch to enjoy. Click on "more" for the complete schedule.
New Mexico History Museum | Oct 11, 2011
The United States Flag Act of 1818 set forth a rule that no new stars could be added to Old Glory until the Fourth of July immediately following a state’s admission to the union. Thanks to that once-a-year-and-only-once-a-year mandate, New Mexicans hoping to share their pride at becoming the 47th state were essentially forced into committing their first illegal acts as U.S. citizens.
From January 6 through November 25, 2012, the New Mexico History Museum commemorates that dip into the dark side with 47 Stars, an exhibit of the officially unofficial 47-star flag. 47 Stars joins a collection of long-term exhibits, a year of Centennial topics in the ongoing Brainpower & Brownbags Lecture Series, and a tongue-in-cheek front-window installation that lets you step into a historic photo, all to help celebrate the state’s Centennial.
