New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Weekly Update: Experience New Mexico’s Museums, Historic Sites, and Cultural Institutions from Home

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 24, 2020

MEDIA CONTACT


SANTA FE, N.M. – The museums, historic sites, and other institutions of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) affected by temporary closures to the public are continuing to offer their resources, activities, and exhibits to state residents at home.

Social media posts centered on state history, a podcast that alludes to the last pandemic to hit New Mexico, a workshop focused on the latest art exhibition, and opportunities for distance learning are just a few of the offerings prepared by the various divisions within the DCA. The following is a collection of online tools available for public consumption:

A couple of new social media series are available on the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum Facebook page. Followers are invited to guess who or what is in the photograph from the museum’s collections, as well as educational posts that give a closer look at chuckwagons and cattle drives. The museum is continuing posts on a series called "Faces of Farm & Ranch," which includes photos relating to agriculture shared by the public. There are also exhibitions, resources, and other educational materials avaiable online. Follow Farm & Ranch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.

Historic Preservation Division continues its Facebook series “This Week in New Mexico History,” with a focus on listed properties throughout the state. Followers on Facebook can also view recent listings in the State and National Registers of Historic Places, upcoming events such as Preservation Month, as well as information about historic resources, including posts about archaeology, state and national parks, preservation tax credit projects, and local preservation efforts. Follow HPD on Facebook and YouTube.

This past week on Facebook, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture shared coloring pages by artist Jason Garcia of Santa Clara Pueblo, posted video of photographer Adriel Heisey discussing his method for the photography in the exhibit "Oblique Views," shared an article on the "disappearance" of the Land O’Lakes Indian (also known as Mia the butter maiden), and shared a news story about the effects of COVID-19 on Native American communities. Follow MIAC on Facebook, Vimeo, and YouTube.

The Museum of International Folk Art has a new YouTube channel featuring videos with detailed descriptions about associated programs and exhibitions. On the museum’s website, there are DIY folk art activities for all ages, as well as educational material and lesson plans in English and Spanish. MOIFA also has an available online collection with over 130,000 objects from more than 100 countries. Follow MOIFA on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

MOIFA will also host the third performance of the “Our Fair New Mexico” virtual musical concert series, featuring Lara Manzanares, at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24. Watch it on the museum’s Facebook page.

The third episode of the podcast “La Hilacha: Words and Memories,” produced by the National Hispanic Cultural Center, focuses on history, including an interview with State Historian Rob Martínez regarding the 1918 flu pandemic (Spanish Flu), and archivist Anna Uremovich discusses personal papers and their importance to archives. NHCC social media posts include an interview with artist Delilah Montoya, whose work was featured in the exhibition “Qué Chola;” featured artwork from visual arts educator Elena Baca for the “Staff Collects” series; a profile on volunteer coordinator Annette Luján for the “People Who Make the Magic Happen” series; and director and chief curator Tey Marianna Nunn’s collection of Santo Niño artworks. There’s also the Latinx book review blog and an online version of the exhibit “El Voto Femenino." Follow NHCC on Facebook and YouTube.

New Mexico Arts continues its “Public Art Thursday,” “Grantee Highlight,” and “I heart the arts” social media campaigns, and shares local and national resources, webinars, and information daily. There is an open survey to collect information from artists and arts organizations regarding their transition to virtual or alternative programming, as NMA works to understand the impact of COVID-19 on the arts across the state. The Art in Public Places program currently has information about two Calls for Artists available on the NMA website. The New Mexico Music Commission continues to share video and livestream musical performances from musicians in New Mexico and nationally. Follow NMA on Facebook, Instagram, and Vimeo.

New content has been added to the New Mexico Historic SitesVirtual Classroom” series, which can be found on the NMHS website and social media channels. Sixteen lesson plans have been released, relating to the history of five historic sites. Meanwhile, Fort Sumner Historic Site/Bosque Redondo Memorial launched its virtual “book club” program, the first book in the series is “The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl, New Mexico, 1864,” written by Ann Turner. The staff at Los Luceros Historic Site developed and launched a virtual Earth Day tour of the site on April 22, and includes a blending of live and pre-recorded videos and activities. Follow NMHS on Facebook.

On Thursday, April 30, the New Mexico History Museum will co-host via Facebook a virtual version of Her Flag, a collaborative art project celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The museum also has various social media campaigns currently available, including a series on historic fashion in New Mexico. Follow NMHM on Facebook and Twitter.

New social media series are available from the New Mexico Museum of Art. "Education Resources Updates" highlights the new educational activities and resources created by the museum’s education department. Digital workbooks featuring activities and lessons related to current and upcoming exhibitions, art concepts, art history, and seasonal events are available and new ones will be released on Wednesdays. Last weekend marked the "opening" of #nmavirtualexhibit on MOA social media platforms and features artwork of 10 New Mexico artists working with the theme "Now!" The museum also has available online resources, including the Searchable Art Museum (SAM), archives, videos, and a library. Follow MOA on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

This week, a listing of online resources for celebrating Earth Day was posted on the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science website. MNHS offers online exhibitions, resources, and other educational activities, including Museum Story Time and Smithsonian Learning Lab. An online tour of the “Tiny Titans, Dinosaur Eggs and Babies” exhibit is available on the MNHS website. Follow MNHS on Facebook.

Watch Launch Pad lectures and Mini-Preservation Workshops on the New Mexico Museum of Space History YouTube channel. Content available on the museum’s facebook page includes Virtual Rocketeer Academy, Stories from Space, and Galactic Laffs. Follow Space History on Facebook and YouTube.

Beginning this week, teachers from across the state can utilize the request form found on the DCA website to invite a DCA educator into their online classrooms. The thought is that if classes can’t visit the museums and historic sites, the department can schedule an educator to visit with them virtually. As requests come in, they would be forwarded to the appropriate division, which would then coordinate with the teachers. Follow the New Mexico State Library on Facebook

Learn how archaeologists use experimentation to discover material from the past on the Office of Archaeological Studies educational resources and YouTube page. Activity packets that combine creative archaeological explorations with critical thinking skills can be found on the OAS website. Follow OAS on YouTube.

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

About the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Created in 1978 by the New Mexico Legislature, the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) is New Mexico’s cultural steward, charged with preserving and showcasing the state’s cultural riches. With its eight museums, seven historic sites, arts, archaeology, historic preservation, and library programs, the DCA is one of the largest and most diverse state cultural agencies in the nation. Together, the facilities, programs, and services of the Department support a $5.6 billion cultural industry in New Mexico. 

Events, news releases, and images related to activities in divisions of the DCA can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.

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