Encounter Culture

The official podcast of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs returns this fall for Season 3! We've toured the museums of Santa Fe and ventured out to engage with the hidden histories of our state. And now... Flamenco, pottery, architecture, design, ghosts! From Fronteras del Futuro to local local lore at Los Luceros, we're inviting you to catch a glimpse of what lies just beneath the surface at our cultural institutions and historic sites. You'll be ready for your next happy hour with more than your fair share of state trivia! Follow us today on your favorite podcast app, so you'll be the first to hear when our new season begins! For now, catch up on the episodes you missed in seasons 1 and 2, and visit our website: podcast.nmculture.org. Thanks for listening. We're excited to have you along for the ride as we encounter culture together. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Additional Production & Editing Support: Alex Riegler and Helen King Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Word nerds and punctuation perfectionists rejoice! Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski ends the season in grand, grammatically correct fashion with Dr. Maggie DePond, exhibition copy editor for the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. Maggie also lends her talents to El Palacio magazine, casting a last, learned glance over every issue before it goes live. The pair geek out over the intricacies of language, style guide rivalries, and challenges associated with distilling eons of information into 100-word captions. Buckle in for syntax shenanigans, a touch of ASMR, and permission to end sentences with a preposition. Ever wondered who edits all the text accompanying every exhibition in the four state museums of Santa Fe (the New Mexico Museum of Art, the Museum of International Folk Art, the New Mexico History Museum, and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture)? The answer is Dr. Maggie DePond. The work, which is often tedious, requires a tenacious character and plenty of red pencils. For all its old-fashioned aspects, copy editing is a revolutionary profession. Who else but a copy editor could refer to medieval usage of the singular "they/them" to support our modern personal pronoun debate? "I feel that by doing that," Maggie says, "I'm also teaching other writers what language is, the spectrum of language, and how language can evoke feelings." And, by extension, every lucky museum goer in the state. Thank you for joining Encounter Culture this season. Season three coming soon! MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The Chicago Manual Of Style Associated Press Style Guide Elements Of Indigenous Style Merriam-Webster Twitter Visit https://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Associate Editor: Helen King Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Walk into any library, and the world is revealed, from tall tales and vital truths to oral histories and picture books. It's no wonder that these magical repositories of imagination and knowledge also contain some of the coolest, most subversive, and most innovative people on the planet: librarians. Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski goes directly to the source. She chats with Eli Guinnee, New Mexico State Librarian, and the incomparable Jean Whitehorse, Outreach Librarian, Tribal Libraries Program in Crownpoint, NM, on the Navajo Nation. Eli provides background on the state library's programs and initiatives while Jean educates listeners on everything else. That's not hyperbole; Jean is an astonishing font of information, determination, and wisdom behind the circulation desk. The New Mexico State Library is a vital hub, offering career training, financial literacy, computer competency, and infrastructure advocacy programs. Jean's approach to librarianship mirrors her approach to life––examine systems, identify the inequities, and take action. "There's always another way," she says, referencing the creative problem-solving spirit that her father passed down to her. Jean's macro-micro sensibility has garnered her invitations to speak around the world. She's even addressed The United Nations' Permanent Committee on Indigenous Issues. But no matter how far afield she travels, Jean remains rooted in Navajo Nation. "I grew up in a hogan with a dirt floor. I'm the daughter of a Navajo Code Talker," she says, pride mingling with a bit of impatience. There's still so much she wants to accomplish. Here's hoping we'll find Jean behind the circulation desk for another 25 years. Visit the New Mexico State Library to learn more about its programs and initiatives. If you're in Santa Fe, drop by the library at 209 Camino Carlos Rey for research and browsing. Don't live in Santa Fe? Submit your questions to a librarian via the New Mexico State Library reference desk! All inquiries receive a response within two business days. You can view a trailer for Amá, the film featuring Jean Whitehorse's story of forced sterilization, at dartmouthfilms.com/ama. Visit https://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Associate Editor: Helen King Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org

For a podcast that boasts so many fascinating guests, State Historic Preservation Officer Jeff Pappas, PhD stands out as a favorite. Beyond the paperwork and rule-making that naturally accompany any federal job, his day-to-day at the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division is more interesting than one might expect. Charlotte Jusinski chats with Jeff about what historic preservation means in a state like New Mexico, a place with a visible, tangible, touchable history dating back 17,000+ years. How does his office preserve the past and plan to tell this sprawling story in the future, in a place where the tri-cultural myth and a history of colonialism make everything that much more intricate and complicated? "If you look at the preamble of the National Historic Preservation Act (signed into law in 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson), a democratic society has a right to understand its history," says Jeff, formally explaining the gubernatorial-appointed role he currently holds. Informally, "I'm basically the eyes and ears of the governor's office," he jokes. What, exactly, is a historian looking out for in an office that's primarily concerned with the architecture or archeology of New Mexico? Story. "It's not just about the architecture or the empirical building itself. It's really about the story that building tells over time." That narrative rings hollow without input from a diverse compilation of voices from the past (culled from research), present (captured in real-time), and future (via anticipatory analysis). Jeff centers this commitment to community when making recommendations. He must do so as the department is constantly updating the state's historical context to help folks understand its evolving history. As with any issues addressed by the state, decisions on historic preservation aren't made in a vacuum. Managing expectations, interests, and tax dollars requires patience. Jeff applies a deliberate approach to the societal and cultural cost of each project, tempered with an awareness that everything his department does is political. Ultimately, he returns to the story embedded in each location, a history waiting to be told for the first time or reviewed through a more modern lens. "I do feel that story absolutely matters, however cliche that may be," he says. "You get to the root of engaging and enfranchising disadvantaged communities, marginalized communities that have not had a voice in the historic narrative for eons." Learn more about the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, including a full list of its duties and how the public can nominate sites for historic consideration. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Associate Editor: Helen King Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Is there a food more universally loved than chocolate? No other ingredient lends itself to savory, sweet, and even alcoholic applications, tempting folks in everything from molten cakes to moles to Martinis. Chocolate—or, more specifically, cacao—has been processed and consumed in Mesoamerica for millennia. In Chocolate: The Exhibition, which opens on June 17 at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science and is brought to us from Chicago's Field Museum, audiences are invited to explore chocolate's worldwide significance and learn how it spread to all corners of the human experience. Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski takes the local angle. She and her guests delve into the Ancestral Puebloan's connection to the non-native cacao bean, charting its arrival and usage by way of the unique cylindrical jars discovered at Chaco Canyon––with renowned scholar Dr. Patricia Crown and retired archaeologist Jay Shapiro. Chocolate at Chaco Canyon is a mystery that remained hidden in plain sight for decades until Dr. Crown began piecing the clues together, starting with the uniquely decorated jars stored among artifacts at the Museum of Northern Arizona. "I wasn't sure why I was so interested," she recalls, but the intrigue prompted her to consult a colleague who specialized in similar pottery found in Mayan civilization. When told that the Mayans drank cacao from the cylindrical vessels, Patricia assumed her colleague had conducted organic residue studies to reach that conclusion. Instead, her colleague had simply read the hieroglyphics. "It says: this jar is used for drinking chocolate," laughs Patricia. So how did drinking chocolate end up in Chaco Canyon, a locale inhospitable to the cultivation of the cacao tree? Three possibilities pique the professionals' curiosity: people from the south traveled north with cacao; people from the north ventured south, then returned with cacao; or cacao moving from hand to hand, village to village, eventually reaching Chaco Canyon. "That's the conundrum with archeology. We don't know everything," admits Jay. "We know some things, and some things may simply not be discernible from the archeological record, and how cacao got to Chaco may, unfortunately, be one of those things." Even without a definitive origins story, it's fascinating to imagine native civilizations throughout the Southwest encountering cacao for the first time, then adopting drinking chocolate for use in their ceremonies, as a therapeutic medicine, and even as a form of liquid courage. Chocolate: The Exhibition opens on June 17 at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE El Palacio Summer 2022 Chaco Culture National Historical Park Field Museum Museum of Northern Arizona Visit https://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Associate Editor: Helen King Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Is it possible for an arts organization to respect the hallowed neighborhood in which it resides and be future-focused? Could it serve as a cultural home for locals while attracting worldwide attention? Can its campus reverberate with the buzz of performances, exhibitions, and events yet provide space for quiet contemplation? If the arts organization in question is The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, the answer is a resounding "yes." Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski chats with Executive Director Dr. Margie Huerta and Artistic Director Noël Bella Merriam about the NHCC's exciting, affordable programming as well as its ongoing efforts to preserve, promote, and advance Hispanic culture. The multi-hyphenate institution, which sits in the middle of the historic Barelas neighborhood, is home to a museum, a performing arts center with three stages, a history and literary arts building, and Mundos de Mestizaje, the stunning 4,000 square foot concave fresco by Frederico Vigil. As for the future of the NHCC, Margie maintains that community collaboration and support are vital. Inherent to that goal is education, connecting with schools in the surrounding communities, reiterating to students and their families that the NHCC is a place where they belong. Cultivating inclusion and celebrating diverse identities. Who says the NHCC can't do all the things? Explore the events calendar and plan your visit to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque, NM. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE El Palacio - Fall 2021 El Palacio - Winter 2019 Visit https://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Associate Editor: Helen King Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

As humans, we learn best when we don't realize that learning is taking place. We're naturally drawn to hands-on displays and curious about reenactments. We can recall tiny details from those experiences more enthusiastically than the rote memorization of our school days. Heather Reed is convinced that more people love history than let on precisely because they don't realize they love history. She's spent her career breathing life into dusty dates, artifacts, and historical personalities, then sharing that information under the guise of fun. As executive director of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces, NM, she continues that legacy, bringing her passion for teaching to this unique institution, inviting everyone to discover something new about the land beneath their feet. Guests find a mix of indoor and outdoor exhibits spread across 40 acres, showcasing 4,000 years of the region's farming and ranching history, from Indigenous traditions to the agricultural contributions of women. And, of course, there's livestock, sheep and cattle breeds, some of which are native to New Mexico, as well as the ranch hands that care for them. Farm & Ranch has a community center feel about it. On any given day, visitors explore the exhibits and interact with staff while area residents wander in to provide entries for the museum's oral history project. If Heather had her way, every museum would feel like this: welcoming. Plan a visit to New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum. Las Cruces, NM, the next time you find yourself tooling around the southern end of I-25. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE El Palacio - Spring 2021 Visit https://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Associate Editor: Helen King Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Conversations worth having never come easy. Perhaps that's why previous attempts to present a complete history of the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation, an inhospitable million-acre concentration camp into which thousands of Navajo and Mescalero Apache people were forcibly relocated by the US government in the 1860s, fell short. The primarily white cohort of state employees who initially created those exhibitions did so without input from Indigenous partners––the people whose ancestors suffered brutal mistreatment on The Long Walk and cultural genocide at Fort Sumner. Although Fort Sumner Historic Site was established on the grounds of Bosque Redondo in 1971, it's taken half a century to develop an exhibit that properly represents the history of this region. Or as properly as it can for now. Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski speaks with Aaron Roth, historic site manager, Fort Sumner Historic Site, and Manuelito Wheeler, director of the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, AZ, about Bosque Redondo: A Place Of Suffering, A Place Of Survival on the eve of its grand opening in May 2022. The trio discuss Bosque Redondo's tragic past, the impetus for reimagining its memorial, and amplifying tribal voices as a matter of authentic historical record. For this permanent installation, the exhibit team created an environment in which visitors can form a deeper emotional connection with the Navajo and Mescalero people––two groups that the US government had identified as "problematic" in the 1800s during its drive to settle the West––so as to understand better the devastating effects of the 300+ mile death march and traumatic camp internment that followed. Rethinking Bosque Redondo presented an opportunity for the museum to truly engage with the area's difficult history, presenting a narrative that challenges non-confrontational whitewashed versions. By combining multimedia storytelling with spaces that invite reflection, the interpretive exhibit seeks to promote more inclusive and, yes, difficult conversations going forward. Bosque Redondo: A Place Of Suffering, A Place Of Survival opens on May 28, 2022. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE The International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Billy the Kid Museum - Fort Sumner Visit https://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Wherever there are people, there is art. Sadly, wherever there is art, there are few creatives who can earn a living solely from their work. Nowhere are those facts more apparent than in New Mexico, one of the most rural states in the Union, yet one laden with artistic riches. Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski explores the benefits of and mechanics for funding New Mexico's robust artistic community with two women who know local arts advocacy best. Michelle Laflamme-Childs is executive director at New Mexico Arts, which oversees the distribution of state and federal funds to arts organizations in every corner of this land of (artistic) enchantment. She's joined by Rose Eason, director of gallupARTS, the nonprofit arts council of Gallup and McKinley County in the western part of the state. The trio discuss the breadth of New Mexico's art scene and how important art is for the state's landscapes: cultural, educational, and perhaps most importantly, economic. As audience members, we admire the end product but rarely do we consider the costs and opportunities associated with its creation. "Art is significantly more than a pretty picture on the wall," says Michelle. It's community, connection, and fuel for the state's economic growth. Learn more about gallupARTS and New Mexico Arts by visiting their respective websites. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Tierra Amarilla Theater Club The Butterfly's Evil Spell - by Federico García Lorca Art 123 Gallery LOOM Gallery Gallup Coffee Company Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Show Notes: Lisa Widder Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

Charlotte Jusinski is back for Season 2 of Encounter Culture! In Season 1, we took you on a behind the scenes tour of the museums of Santa Fe. Now we're venturing out to discover the hidden, perhaps darker, histories of New Mexico and learning how fresh eyes translate those histories to the museum world. We're looking at how art affects New Mexico's bottom line budget-wise, and giving you a preview of new exhibitions you should definitely check out this spring and summer At this moment, we're deep in conversation with some of the people behind the Bosque Redondo Memorial, the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, New Mexico Arts, the State Library, and more. The new season starts this spring! We're excited to have you along for the ride as we encounter culture together. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski, Editor at El Palacio Magazine Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava Instagram: @newmexicanculture For more, visit podcast.nmculture.org.

In a fitting close to Encounter Culture's inaugural season, host Charlotte Jusinski returns to where it began. The New Mexico Museum of Art's exhibition Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch celebrates the woman responsible for launching this region's contemporary art movement into the stratosphere. Joining Charlotte to dish on the legendary gallery owner's influence are Dr. Julie Sasse, Chief Curator at the Tucson Museum of Art and author of the book that informed the original exhibition at TMA, and Christian Waguespack, Curator of 20th-century art at the New Mexico Museum of Art, who reconceived the idea for MOA using works from its permanent collection. "She was totally confident, totally unabashed," recalls Julie. "She showed what she liked, and she liked boldness. She liked color. She liked precision painters. But she also liked abstraction. She had no problem showing Filipe Archuleta next to a Paul Jenkins, or a famous artist next to an emerging artist." No one is in a better position to evaluate the Horwitch's magic than the woman who spent 14 formative years by the impresario's side, attending every party, documenting each sale, and cataloguing the impossibly vibrant collection for which the gallery owner was renowned. Horwitch opened her first gallery in Scottsdale in 1973. By 1976, she had an outpost in Santa Fe, followed swiftly by Sedona, then Palm Springs. Her rise was meteoric, as were the careers of the artists she championed. Although she fostered a summer camp and cocktails vibe, the art always came first. She displayed a shrewd business acumen and an impeccable ability to predict the "next big thing" coming out of the Southwest Pop scene in the 1970s and 80s. Horwitch was well-known for her support of female and indigenous artists––creators who didn't often receive the same recognition (or fees) outside her gallery. "It wasn't about your name. It wasn't about your pedigree," says Christian. "It was about what you were producing and that merit, your merit as an artist. I think that that changed the game for a lot of gallerists and curators working here in the Southwest." For MOA's interpretation of Southwest Rising, Christian made great use of the museum's light-filled top floor gallery, creating an immersive experience that pays homage to Horwitch's passion for contemporary Southwestern artistry and unabashed showmanship. The exhibit is also something of a tribute to Julie's meticulous original narrative. "This work on this project has gotten me excited," he says. "This is a time period and artistic moment that really needs some more digging into, and Julie has given that to us." Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch is on view at the New Mexico Museum of Art through January 2nd, 2022. Plan your visit to the New Mexico Museum of Art. The beautiful book Southwest Rising: Contemporary Art and the Legacy of Elaine Horwitch, written by Dr. Julie Sasse, is co-published by Cattle Track Arts & Preservation and the Tucson Museum of Art. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Arizona's Pioneering Women Artists: Impressions of the Grand Canyon State - by Betsy Fahlman & Lonnie Pierson Dunbier Ladies of the Canyons: A League of Extraordinary Women and Their Adventures in the American Southwest - by Lesley Poling-Kempes Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

Traditional clothing can inform, inspire, and connect. Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia, which opens at the Museum of International Folk Art in December, examines three Scandinavian folk dress traditions—Swedish folkdräkt, Norwegian bunad, and Sámi gákti. Host Charlotte Jusinski explores the history, social implications, and present-day interpretations of these iconic, often intricately embroidered garments with guests Laurann Gilbertson, chief curator at Vesterheim Norwegian American Museum in Decorah, IA, and Carrie Hertz, curator of textiles and dress at MOIFA. "If we're going to really confront the legacies of things like colonialism, like racism, like inequality, we have to start thinking about all of the hidden and maybe not-so-hidden nuances that are contained in the words that we use." Carrie's counsel reminds us that terms used to describe most folk dress were, historically, intended to classify people, validating some by stigmatizing or exoticizing others. The textiles in Dressing with Purpose are not costumes or early versions of cottagecore. They're exceptional examples of living traditions, tracing two centuries' worth of social and political change across Scandinavia. MOIFA has an exceptional collection of traditional dress from Scandinavia, thanks to the avid interest of Florence Dibble Bartlett, the museum's founder. One such ensemble, the Norwegian bunad, is instantly recognizable to many with its black skirt, red vest, and embroidered breastplate. The bunad's complicated fabric patterns and embroidery communicate multiple aspects of the owner's life, from family origins to specific regional achievements. Laurann points out that the bunad is something of a 20th-century phenomenon, especially in communities outside of Scandinavia with high Norwegian populations who wish to honor their ancestral home while acknowledging their current place. "It's an easy way to have meaningful motifs from their own state or their community, but on a common Norwegian silhouette," she says of the folks who've created modern, uniquely Norwegian-American bunads. Dressing with Purpose encourages visitors to reflect on judgements they may hold, either consciously or unconsciously, about traditional dress. "We're trying to look past all of those assumptions that have been projected onto these clothes, often by outsiders, to understand the perspective of the people who actually wear them," explains Carrie. Beyond that, perhaps visitors might also recognize similarities between the Scandinavian immigration story and their own familial experiences. Dressing with Purpose: Belonging and Resistance in Scandinavia is on display from December 12, 2021 through February 19, 2023. Plan your visit: Museum of International Folk Art. After December 1, 2021, pick up your winter copy of El Palacio Magazine to read more about Sámi gákti from Laurann. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Vesterheim Norwegian-American Museum Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

From technological innovations to societal attitudes, a lot has changed in the last twenty years. As evolutionary processes go, the gallery-wide refresh of the celebrated permanent exhibition Here, Now and Always (HNA), which opened at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in 1997, offers exciting opportunities for greater collaboration with the Southwest's Native peoples and vibrant new storytelling techniques. Host Charlotte Jusinski chats with Tony Chavarria, Curator of Ethnology at MICA/Laboratory of Anthropology, and Curatorial Assistant Lillia McEnaney about the tangible and conceptual transformations. The trio also explores the history of museums as Euro-American colonial institutions and their future role as inclusive cultural facilitators. From the moment it opened, HNA was groundbreaking. "It was a unique exhibition, especially for its time, because it was an exhibition that featured and relied heavily on native voice," says Tony. That voice, essential to any authentic presentation, is (still) too often left out of standard interpretations at other institutions. HNA didn't simply include a few examples; it wove a rich Native narrative by Native peoples through every element. "Native voice actually went into much of the planning of the exhibition. [ ] The group of different curators, advisers, the Indian advisory panel––which also serves the museum in other contexts––were all involved in both selecting objects, writing about objects and interpreting objects as well," Tony says. Twenty years later, the museum's commitment to tribal collaboration is stronger than ever. The revitalized exhibit continues its legacy of connecting ancestor to descendant, first-person storyteller with visitor. HNA utilizes ancient artifacts and modern pieces, such as the traditional Laguna dress that Deb Haaland wore for her swearing in as the United States secretary of the interior. These state-of-the-art interactive displays are designed to emphasize the fluid nature of Native life. "You can add some more of those things [ ] that engage younger audiences into the museum to help enhance the learning experience," says Tony of the bells and whistles planned for the space. A revamped Here, Now and Always will broaden the visitor experience, immersing them in a vibrant, living culture. Tony and Lillia also hope that the exhibit will provoke additional conversations––about how we learn, how we listen, and how we confront colonization so as not to repeat mistakes from the past. "It's more important than ever," Lillia says, "for non-Native folks, especially, to understand the Indigenous histories of the lands we all live in and occupy." Take a virtual tour of the new exhibit: MIAC: HNA Gallery. Plan your visit to the museum: Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Collaboration, Multivocality, and Authority - by Felicia Garcia And Lillia McEnaney, El Palacio Spring 2021 Leaving the Ladder Down - by Diane Bird, El Palacio Winter 2019 Cannibal Tours in Glass Boxes: The Anthropology of Museums - by Michael M. Ames Decolonization is Not a Metaphor - by Eve Tuck & K. Wayne Yang Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

If Santa Fe held an election to decide the city's official meme, "I rebuilt the Palace of the Governors at my own expense" would surely garner a hefty number of votes. Various governors––Spanish, Mexican, and American––over the last 400 years have uttered versions of that phrase, highlighting their individual efforts to remodel and repair the oldest public building in Santa Fe. Governor grandstanding aside, visitors expecting a gilded European-style building are often let down when they encounter the single-story adobe structure for the first time. But as host Charlotte Jusinski learns, the iconic landmark houses an archival treasure trove both above and below ground. She's joined by Cordelia Snow and Stephen Post, the guest curators of The Palace Seen and Unseen: A Convergence of History and Archaeology, the new long-term exhibit at the New Mexico History Museum. The trio digs into four centuries of Palace history, exploring stories revealed in excavated artifacts and anticipating mysteries not yet uncovered. "Depending on whom you ask, the Palace of the Governors is perhaps one of the most important, if not the most important, building in New Mexico in a lot of ways." Cordelia, or Dedie as she's known, doesn't make that claim lightly. From that day in 1974, when she first set foot inside, Dedie immediately fell in love with the Palace and down its archeological rabbit hole. "It was, for a historic archaeologist, an absolute dream of a place to work," she says, adding, "I had no more idea of what was going on where the archaeology was like Alice in Wonderland." While Dedie concentrated on the history hidden beneath the Palace floorboards, Stephen focused on the possibilities buried outside its walls. He began his career at the Palace in 1978, carefully sifting through the fine, sandy soil in search of historic bits and pieces. A lot has changed over the last 40 years, and Stephen's hopeful that modern techniques will positively impact archaeology's future. "I think in the future, we'll do a better job of being more careful about how the buried deposits and the remains left by past peoples will be treated," he says, "so that we don't unnecessarily disturb aspects of the past that could be there, should really be there, for another 400 years." The Palace Seen and Unseen is an intentionally titled exhibit. It reminds us that this historic site continuously reveals itself to us, inviting present-day visitors to connect with those from 400 years ago in the same magnificent space. The Palace Seen and Unseen: A Convergence of History and Archaeology is at the New Mexico History Museum through June 19, 2026. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

Glass isn't typically the first material that folks associate with Indigenous artwork. And yet, the medium lends itself well to unique cultural interpretations, combining fundamental elements of earth, air, and fire with generational artistry. Native artists have been drawn to glassblowing since the 1970s, utilizing it to reinterpret traditional forms and tell thoroughly modern stories. Host Charlotte Jusinski explores the hypnotic beauty on display at Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC), the first exhibition of its kind on view until June 2022. Joining Charlotte are her co-host for this episode Dr. Matthew Martinez, interim director of the museum, and Robert "Spooner" Marcus, one of the glassblowers featured in the exhibit. The two men share a bond that stretches back to their childhood on the reservation in Ohkay Owingeh, NM, an experience that informs their perspectives on art and colors this conversation. This is perhaps one of the most aesthetically beautiful exhibitions ever to grace Santa Fe's cultural landscape. That's saying something given the city's renowned collection of museums. Visitors to Clearly Indigenous descend from MIAC's bright galleries into a dimly lit space, a journey that feels almost subterranean, forcing the senses to adjust to a new environment. This darkness emphasizes the molten glow emanating from within some of these intensely fragile pieces and recalls their beginnings in a blazing furnace. The effect casts a regal air over the entire exhibit. Juxtapose the majestic characteristics of glass with the personable, often irreverent nature of its artists. Spooner is warm and easygoing despite working with this daunting, often dangerous material. "Glass is a very fickle thing," he says. "If you don't respond to what it's doing, then it's not going to cooperate." That Zen-like approach to his craft was born when he answered a newspaper ad for a production line glassblower––no experience necessary. Spooner's earliest pieces were juice cups, fashioned assembly line style over and over again. But the utilitarian end product didn't diminish the allure of working with glass. "I walked into the shop, there's this big furnace that's blazing, and I basically did not turn back. I really knew from that moment that it was going to be in my life for a relatively long time." Twenty years later, Spooner's technique-driven work is on display at MIAC alongside 32 fellow Indigenous glass artists in an exhibition that includes pieces by Dale Chihuly, the artist credited with bringing the medium to Indian Country. Clearly Indigenous highlights an immense range of forms and the ways in which glass can reference the past while remaining wholly modern. Spooner agrees. He hopes the show inspires others to become better acquainted with the methods and magic of glass art. "It's that spark, that interest in creating that hopefully an exhibit like this [creates]. Somebody will see it and say, 'Hey, you know, I want to try doing this!' or maybe buy a piece of glass or go take a lesson." Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass is at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture through June 16, 2022. To learn more about Robert "Spooner'' Marcus, visit his website and follow him on Instagram. Connect with Dr. Matthew Martinez via LinkedIn. Explore glass blowing classes and experiences in Santa Fe at Prairie Dog Glass. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, who gets to craft that narrative? How does their version compare to others, and what does it tell us about the subject? An era? Ourselves? Host Charlotte Jusinski and her guest Hannah Abelbeck, archivist at the New Mexico History Museum's Palace of the Governors Photo Archives, explore all the angles, prompted by the discovery of 19th century archival images of Sam Adams, an African-American veteran of the New Mexico civil war. The portraits of Mr. Adams are captivating and confusing. What was so important about him to warrant taking his picture? How did he end up in New Mexico? What was his life like? Robert Quintana Hopkins, a descendant of Sam Adams, joins the conversation to discuss bringing under-told stories to light and the ways in which family history illuminates our current identities in multiple fascinating ways. Curiosity is what led Robert to Sam Adams and Timotea Chavez, wife to Sam and great, great grandmother of Robert. "The world told me that I was Black, which is true," Robert says, "and I also have the experience of being half-Mexican. But there was no way for me to reconcile that within the larger context of the society that I lived in. And so I grappled with that myself, like, what does it mean to be both?" He explored this duality via his master's thesis in anthropology and discovered a family history of non-conformance, giving him a new appreciation for and understanding of his own identity. His research eventually became blog posts through which Hannah later connected with him for her archival project. Although the story of Sam Adams is far from complete, his portraits remind viewers that vibrant histories do exist for underrepresented communities if we're willing to take a closer look. *** A photograph of Sam Adams is on display as part of the exhibition Looking Back: Reflecting on Collections at the New Mexico History Museum through October 17, 2021. Plan your visit at New Mexico History Museum. To learn more about the photography collection or make a research appointment, contact the Palace of the Governors Photo Archive. Read much more about Sam Adams and Robert Quintana Hopkins and see those beautiful historic portraits of Adams in the December 2021 issue of El Palacio magazine, available soon in print. Meanwhile you can check out Robert's MA Thesis: El Mestizo moderno: the story of a modern day mixed blood and his journey towards self identity. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

Masks have become ubiquitous in the last 18 months. In a pinch, they can be constructed out of inexpensive, repurposed materials, while their use (or lack thereof) can provide commentary on how the wearer feels about politics, responsibility, and design––a lot like art. Host Charlotte Jusinski introduces listeners to #mask: Creative Responses to the Global Pandemic at the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA). She's joined by this episode's co-host Felicia Katz-Harris, senior curator at MOIFA, and Santa Fe native Santero artist Arthur López, whose works were the inspiration for this exhibition. Although masks take center stage in the exhibition's title, Arthur's beautifully carved La Sagrada Papel prompted the MOIFA to explore ideas around personal safety during the pandemic. The wooden sculpture features a roll of toilet paper surrounded by golden rays akin to religious works depicting the saints. It's fitting as Arthur describes himself as a contemporary Santero artist, a modern-day saint maker who honors traditional methods of carving and coloring his retablos (two-dimensional panels) and bultos (three-dimensional works). La Sagrada lends a humorous touch to an object that obtained almost sacred status during the lockdown of March 2020. Arthur's tongue-in-cheek approach extends to 2020 Altar Vision, his second piece for #mask. In it, a kitchen sink is transformed into an au courant altar, complete with hand sanitizer, soap, and a bottle of Corona––offerings to the patron saints of healthcare and wine. "A lot of people that are doing what are called traditional art, I look at as textbook, and I've never wanted to be a textbook artist," he says. No worries there. Additional visual details in 2020 Altar Vision perfectly capture the danger still lurking outside our kitchen windows while speaking to the solace many of us have found in "FaithTime," the artist's nod to connecting via FaceTime. Like Arthur, the other artists featured in #mask draw on their traditions and cultural heritage for inspiration, creating works that address protection in the time of COVID-19. They question the social implications of a crisis that has disproportionately affected marginalized communities around the globe and celebrate what it means to care for each other. *** #mask: Creative Responses to the Global Pandemic is on view at the Museum of International Folk Art through January 15, 2023. Plan your visit at internationalfolkart.org. To learn more about Arthur López and his work, visit artlopezart.com Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

Breath. Prior to 2020, most people didn't give the complex, involuntary act of breathing much thought. Times have changed. So, too, has the lens through which both audiences and artists view Breath Taking, a new exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Art. Encounter Culture host Charlotte Jusinski, the editor of El Palacio magazine, welcomes Kate Ware, her co-host for this inaugural episode and curator of photography at the New Mexico Museum of Art, and artist Cynthia Greig to the conversation. Cynthia, Kate, and Charlotte discuss Cynthia's video and photographic experiments, works that explore the shimmering intimacy and fragility of breathing in a world grappling with a respiratory virus. Afterward, Kate shares a behind-the-scenes look at what happens when a curator finalizes an entire exhibition only to pivot that original concept in the wake of a pandemic and the social justice impact resonating from the phrase "I can't breathe." Breath Taking is an inadvertently timely exhibit featuring contemporary artists and the inventive ways they've discovered to express the fundamental and elusive act of breathing. In many ways, every breath now carries with it an ominous undertone. Breath is front-page news, leading stories from politics to protests. Through it all, breathing remains "this human act that unifies us," says Kate. We all do it––and none of us know when we'll breathe our last. "I know everything's sort of transformed the interpretation and significance of breath to a different level since the virus is transmitted through the exhalations that we have and share," says Cynthia. The 54 photos that make up her contribution to the exhibition reveal the individuality of this life-giving force. Each image, captured on a flatbed scanner, is an imprint of the person releasing it, as unique as a snowflake. This breathscape envelopes visitors in an ethereal cosmos, forcing them to consider breath differently than they might have two years ago. While the original plan for Breath Taking was conceived before the concept of breath exploded in the zeitgeist, Kate moved swiftly to capture the immediacy of this moment. The result is a cohesive and well-done exhibit, offering audiences a space to contemplate and to process all that's happened in the last 16 months. *** Breath Taking is on view at the New Mexico Museum of Art through September 5th, 2021. Plan your visit or take a virtual tour at nmartmuseum.org. To learn more about Cynthia Greig and her work, visit CynthiaGreig.com. Visit http://newmexicoculture.org for info about our museums, historic sites, virtual tours and more. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.

For centuries, the culture of New Mexico has offered residents and visitors a lush, complex texture of styles, designs and lifestyles. In recent history, that has included surviving a global pandemic. So who are we now? What aspects of self do we take with us as we move forward, and what do we leave behind? Take a look inside the museums and historic sites of New Mexico—this time, without leaving home. This season, we're touring the museums of Santa Fe as host Charlotte Jusinski, our curators, artists, and exhibitors grapple with the question of identity. *** Encounter Culture, a production of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, is produced and edited by Andrea Klunder at The Creative Impostor Studios. Hosted by Charlotte Jusinski Technical Director: Edwin R. Ruiz at Mondo Machine Recording Engineer: Kabby at Kabby Sound Studios in Santa Fe Executive Producer: Daniel Zillmann Theme Music: D'Santi Nava For more, visit NewMexicoCulture.org.