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New Mexico January 2009 E-Newsletter Articles

New Mexico Ski Areas Experience Record December Snowfalls

Snowfall on many of New Mexico’s ski areas in December 2008 was some of the most ever recorded. The snow started a bit late, coming just after the Thanksgiving holiday period, but since that time the snowfall at the ski resorts has been plentiful.

Sipapu reported over 80 inches in the month of December, which was double the snow fall in December 2007. Taos Ski Valley reported more than 90 inches of snow - second highest on record – and Pajarito near Los Alamos reported 81 inches, the most in the past 15 years. Angel Fire Ski Resort experienced 102 inches of snow in December; and Chama reported 81 inches of snow in December, nearly triple its average.

As a result of the great snowfall, business at the ski areas was also up. Sipapu reported a 30-percent increase over last season; Taos Ski Valley had its largest holiday season since 1997 and its biggest New Year’s Day ever; Pajarito was up 30 percent; and Angel Fire suffered through two days of high winds, but still recorded its biggest December 29th on record.

Also in full swing at nine ski areas is the KOAT Kids Learn to Ski & Ride program.

The KOAT Kids Learn to Ski & Ride program and Ski New Mexico are committed to providing an affordable opportunity for the youth of New Mexico to learn a great winter outdoor sport.
For a price of $30 per day youth ages 6-12 may contact any one of eight alpine ski resorts and make a reservation for the program. The program continues through Jan. 31, 2009. The program has limited space available and is by reservation only.

For reservations call Angel Fire Resort, 575-377-4383; Pajarito Mt., 505-662-5725; Red River Ski Area, 575-754-2223; Sandia Peak, 505-242-9052; Sipapu Ski Resort, 800-587-2240 or 505-414-1550; Ski Apache, 575-464-3600; Ski Santa Fe, 505-992-5084; Taos Ski Valley, 575-776-2291; and Enchanted Forest, 800-966-9381.

Ski New Mexico is a non-profit membership organization of the ski industry of New Mexico. Founded in 1973 with the original mission to develop the full potential and promote the growth of the state’s ski industry, Ski New Mexico has taken on new challenges, including developing more young skiers now and in the future.

For more information about ski season and winter sports in New Mexico click here.

Santa Clara Pueblo Reopens Puye Cliffs National Historic Landmark

The Pueblo of Santa Clara is pleased to announce that the Puye Cliffs Dwellings National Historic Landmark is now open for group tours following an eight-year closure. The expansive archaeological site opens to individual visitors in May of 2009.

This ancestral home of Santa Clara Pueblo supported 1,500 people from 1100 A.D. to 1580 A.D. An original Fred Harvey House was built on site in the early 1900s to accommodate guests exploring the American Southwest. Will now house a museum and cultural center.

“Puye Cliffs was closed as a result of the Cerro Grande fire that impacted access to the area,” said Lucretia Jenkins-Williams, Puye Operations Manager for the Santa Clara Development Corporation. “We have created a destination where people can experience the beautiful panoramic scenery of northern New Mexico, while learning of the ancient Pueblo people who called Puye Cliffs home.”

Carved into the volcanic tuff of the panoramic Puye Cliffs, alcoves were fronted with natural rock to create hundreds of homes and storage rooms for the population. Above the cliffs are the remains of many more rooms and circular, underground religious structures called kivas.

Puye Cliffs will offer enchantment and education in one location, giving visitors a unique insight into the significance of the Pueblo’s ancestral home while celebrating one of the tribe’s modern successes. Tours of Puye Cliffs are managed by the Pueblo’s own Santa Clara Development Corporation.

“Tours of the Puye Cliffs will give New Mexicans and their visitors a genuine cultural experience,” said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. “There is no better way to discover the beauty, enthusiasm and tradition of the pueblos than through the people that have inhabited those lands for generations.”

Tour admission is $25 per person in a group of 10 or more. The tour lasts approximately 2 and 1/2 hours. Pottery making, dancing, and other culturally educational demonstrations may be arranged as well for additional fees.

Tour Details:

Gateway Pass: The tour starts at the Puye Cliffs Welcome Center, five miles South of Espanola on Los Alamos Hwy. 30. A gateway pass is required for all vehicles and must be posted on the dashboard of each vehicle so the tribal rangers know who is visiting Puye Cliffs.
Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway: Groups will drive themselves in individual vehicles or a bus along the seven mile State designated Puye Cliffs Scenic Byway. Signs will direct visitors to the Puye Cliffs Visitor Center entrance and bus parking.
Tour Orientation: Puye Cliffs' staff will conduct the welcoming presentation which will explain tribal etiquette, location of amenities, tour guide introductions and answer any questions before the tour begins.
Tours begin: There are three separate segments of each tour:
1. Tour of the Puye Cliffs Interpretive Center: The group will tour the newly renovated interpretive center in the Harvey House (30-45 minutes).
2. Cliff Face tour of Puye Cliffs: The group will walk up to the Cliff face with a tour guide that will give a tribal perspective of Puye Cliffs (45-60 minutes).
3. Puye Cliff Ruins: The group will board buses to the top of Puye Cliffs for a guided tour of the ruins atop Puye Cliffs (45-60 minutes).
Tour ends: The group will return to the Harvey House.

For more information or to schedule a tour (minimum one week notice required) , contact Lucretia Jenkins-Williams, Puye Operations Manager, 505-747-2455 or visit www.puyecliffs.com.

New Mexico Museum of Art presents 'Alternative Spaces'

The New Mexico Museum of Art presents ‘Alternative Spaces,’ February 20 through May 3, 2009, a challenging exhibition that runs counter to the conventional display of artwork in a museum setting. The eight artists in Alternative Spaces will take over various locations in the museum and instill them with their own meaning.

‘Alternative Spaces’ presents contemporary installations in dialogue with the museum’s historic architecture. Eight New Mexico artists will create works in the museum’s architectural nooks and crannies and public spaces not typically used for the display of artwork, including St. Francis Auditorium, the lobby and its fireplace, stairwells, and the façade.

Since 1917, when the Pueblo Revival building was constructed as the state art museum, it has been celebrated as an architectural landmark. One aim of installation art is to dissolve the barrier between viewer and art, and Alternative Spaces invites contemporary artists to transform the visitor’s experience of the museum’s architectural features through the dynamic and unexpected juxtaposition of past and present. The eight artists whose installations will integrate with these spaces are Cathy Aten, Ligia Bouton, Madelin Coit, Angela Elmendorf, Joanne Lefrak, John Tinker, Jared Antonio-Justo Trujillo, and Colin Zaug.

Tinker’s work will be on the west wall of the central courtyard. He will create out of hydrostone (a mixture of plaster and concrete) 38 individually cast and painted abstract flying "insects" that will occupy approximately 33 feet. The Museum’s lobby fireplace will receive the attention of Cathy Aten. Aten is keen on breaking the barrier of “observer and observed” found in the predictable gallery spaces in a fine arts museum. Ligia Bouton takes on Gustave Baumann as a “site” within the New Mexico Museum of Art. The installation incorporates furniture made by Baumann with intricate puppet figures made by Bouton that echo Baumann’s marionettes. Colin Zaug will place translucent white stars across the Museum’s façade in a project called Constellation. The stars will go around the balcony and southeast bell tower of St. Francis Auditorium, down toward the Museum’s main entrance.

The New Mexico Museum of Art has the largest collection of work by Gustave Baumann in the world. On view at the same time as Alternative Spaces will be the exhibition Pulling Strings:The Marionettes and Art of Gustave Baumann, which will include the original marionettes carved by Baumann.

Alternative Spaces opens Friday, February 20, 2009 with a reception hosted by the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission is free and the public is welcome.

The New Mexico Museum of Art was founded in 1917 as the Art Gallery of the Museum of New Mexico. Housed in a spectacular Pueblo Revival building designed by I. H. and William M. Rapp, it was based on their New Mexico building at the Panama-California Exposition (1915). The museum's architecture inaugurated what has come to be known as "Santa Fe Style." For more than 90 years, the Museum has collected and exhibited work by leading artists from New Mexico and elsewhere. This tradition continues today with a wide-array of exhibitions with work from the world’s leading artists. The New Mexico Museum of Art brings the art of New Mexico to the world and the art of the world to New Mexico.

Media Contact is Laura Addison, Curator Contemporary Art, 505-476-5118 or laura.addison@state.nm.us. Public Relations manager is Steve Cantrell, 505-476-1144 or steve.cantrell@state.nm.us.

National Hispanic Cultural Center Opens Two Art Exhibitions In One Evening

The National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque announces a free public reception for the opening of two exhibitions on Friday, February 6, 2009, 6–8 p.m. in the art museum. The Center is showcasing the work of New Mexico artist Margaret Herrera (Chávez) in a new series entitled Nuestros Maestros (Our Teachers). This showcase is the second exhibition of the Center Community Gallery.

Also on this evening the Center will reacquaint the public with its ever-growing and evolving permanent art collection ¡Aquí Estamos! Works from the Permanent Collection.

The Center’s Visual Arts Program rarely features one-person shows. At times, however, an artist’s legacy demands singular respect. In light of this, the Visual Arts Program has created the Nuestros Maestros Series which will highlight such artists.

Since the 1950s, Margaret Herrera (Chavez)’s paintings, watercolors, and prints have captured the real and imagined character of New Mexico as well as other parts of the world. The fluid lines and vivid colors in her work embody the rural landscapes and urban setting that compose the real and imagined character of New Mexico as well as the many places she visited. Margaret Herrera (Chávez) was one of a handful of Nuevomexicanas who has been recognized as an artist working in New Mexico from the 1950s through the 1960s. She was prolific and experimental, working in media that included oil painting, watercolor, pastel, prints, textiles, ceramics, and sculpture.

A native of Mora, New Mexico, Margaret Herrera or Ms. Paul Chávez (when using her married name) began her lifelong profession as an elementary teacher in nearby Las Vegas and worked for the Works Progress Administrative (WPA) county extension service in Taos and Las Cruces until 1944. She received her art degree in 1953 from Highlands University and began a dedicated life as an artist and advocate for other artists. She created fervently, travelled extensively, and figured prominently in several artistic, educational, and intellectual organizations. A collection of archival material from the artist’s private papers is housed in the Center’s History and Literary Arts department archive. Nuestros Maestros: The Legacy of Margaret Herrera (Chávez) will remain on view through June 21, 2009.

Also opening or re-opening to the public on February 6 is the Center’s ever-growing permanent art collection entitled ¡Aquí Estamos! Works from the Permanent Collection. This collection comprises more than 2,000 works of art to day. The paintings, sculpture, fiber arts, furniture, drawings, installation art, metal work, prints, photographs, and mixed media works illustrate Hispanic and Latino artists’ enunciations of their diverse and complex experiences.

A series of public programs is scheduled for both exhibitions.
Contact Danny López, 505-246-2261 or danny.lopez@state.nm.us; or Tey Marianna Nunn, 505-246-2261 or tey.nunn@state.nm.us .

Aeromexico to Begin Non-Stop Flights between Albuquerque, Chihuahua

Aeromexico, Mexico’s largest airline is beginning non-stop air service between Albuquerque Sunport and Chihuahua City, Chihuahua, Mexico.

The new non-stop flight is the result of an agreement between the chief executives in both states to pursue an international flight route between Albuquerque and Chihuahua City.

Aeromexico will be providing an Embraer aircraft for this much-anticipated route. This plane seats 52 passengers. The flight lasts 80-minutes. The Albuquerque Sunport has already set up a special terminal for international visitors complete with an Immigration check point.

The flight is set to begin February 9, 2009, with three flights a week: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

In 2007 Mexico ranked second in international visitation to the US with a total of 14.3 million, just behind Canada. (Source: Department of Commerce). Mexican travel to the U.S. generates 26 percent of all overnight visitors to the U.S., making it the second largest inbound travel market (only slightly behind Canada).

In addition to Chihuahua, other major cities that will benefit from this flight are Mexico City, Monterrey and Guadalajara.

For more information visit http://www.aeromexico.com/usa/english/index.html

Upcoming Events

Don’t forget to mark you calendar for these upcoming events:

January 2009
23 San Ildefonso Pueblo Feast Day-newmexico.org
24-25 Big Ol’ Texas Weekend, Angel Fire Resort – 800-633-7463
25 St. Paul’s Feast Day, Picuris Pueblo-newmexico.org

February 2009
2 Candelaria Feast Day, Picuris and San Felipe pueblos
6-8 Murder Mystery Weekend, Cloudcroft – 800-395-6343
7-8 Corporate Cup Race, Angel Fire - 800-633-7463
9 Cowboy Poetry Fiesta, Lordsburg – 575-542-9258
14 Mt. Taylor Winter Quadrathlon, Grants – 800-748-2142
19-24 Mardi Gras in the Mountains, Red River – www.redriver.org
20-22 Mardi Gras in the Clouds, Cloudcroft – 866-874-4447
21 Evening with Lucille Ball, Spencer Theater –www.spencertheater.com
21 Fort’s Day, El Camino Real International Center – 575-854-3600
21-22 Art-I-Gras, Ruidoso – 575-257-7272
24 Mardi Gras Celebrations, Angel Fire – 800-633-7463
27-28 NMSU, Jack Ward Invitational Choral Festival – 575-646-1420
27–3/1Fiery Foods Festival, Sandia Casino – 505-873-8680

New Mexico's 'Hats Off To New Mexico - Beep Beep' Float
Wins Coveted Bob Hope Humor Award In 2009 Tournament of Roses® Parade

Pasadena, California (January 1, 2009) - More than one million spectators lining Colorado Blvd. and millions more watching around the world were treated to the New Mexico Tourism Department’s “Hats off to new Mexico – Beep Beep” float, winner of the coveted Bob Hope Humor Award in the 120th Tournament of Roses® Parade.

The Bob Hope Humor Award, in honor of one of the world’s greatest entertainers, the late
Bob Hope, is given to the float that is considered by the judges to be the “most comical and amusing.”

Among the float’s riders were Jim Garcia of El Pinto Restaurant, Linda Clough Jones and Craig Kausen. Jones and Kausen are the daughter and grandson, respectively, of Chuck Jones, the animation genius behind Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner, the featured performers on New Mexico’s award-winning float. This is the second straight year that the Land of Enchantment’s float entry in the Tournament of Roses® Parade has won a major award.

The float was designed by award-winning float designer Raul Rodriguez and built by Fiesta Parade Floats of Pasadena, Calif. under contract with the Tourism Department. Fiesta Parade-built floats won four of the top five trophies given in today’s parade.

“This was a fabulous experience and an incredible honor for the citizens of New Mexico,” Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the Tourism Department, said of the award. “We are grateful to Raul, Tim (Estes) and all the folks at Fiesta Parade Floats. We also thank the nearly 65 New Mexico volunteers who traveled by plane and automobile to California to work on the float and take part in the festivities; our volunteer float riders who are wonderful ambassadors for the State of New Mexico; and we particularly want to thank our sponsors – Isleta Casino & Resort, New Mexico State Parks, Albuquerque Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, Santa Fe Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, the Town of Taos, the Town of Red River, Santa Fe Brewing Company, ESPN, Vivac Winery and El Pinto Restaurant for helping us in this unique marketing effort.”

The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through television coverage of the 2009 Tournament of Roses® Parade is valued at more than $1 million, according to industry experts. Nearly 40 million Americans in 16.5 million households tuned in to watch the 2008 parade on nine national and international television networks, including NBC, ABC, HGTV and the Travel Channel. The Parade was also broadcast live in 150 countries and territories.

“The national and international exposure offered New Mexico through our appearance in the Parade and the media events held in conjunction is immeasurable,” Secretary Cerletti said. “Our purpose in participating in this event – like all our advertising efforts - is to pique the interest of our potential visitors and to create in them a curiosity to find out more about the Land of Enchantment. It is important that the New Mexico tourism industry does everything it can to take advantage of unique marketing opportunities, like the Tournament of Roses® Parade.”

High-resolution photos of the float are available.
Mike Stauffer, Communications Director, New Mexico Tourism Department
mike.stauffer@state.nm.us

Official State Centennial Logo will be unveiled
During celebration in Capitol Rotunda February 19th

SANTA FE—As New Mexicans observed the 97th anniversary of their statehood January 6, 2009, plans were moving forward for the state’s official centennial celebration just three short years away.

The Centennial of Statehood Steering Committee, a statewide collaborative group led by the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Centennial Task Force, appointed by the Governor and House and Senate leadership, selected a logo from among many designs submitted by students at the Design College of Albuquerque to represent official statewide activities that will commemorate New Mexico’s entry into the union as the 47th state.

The logo design, created by Ryan Rodriguez, a graduate student at the College, will be unveiled at a press conference during “Culture Day” at the New Mexico Legislature on Thursday, February 19 at the Rotunda of the State Capitol in Santa Fe.

Cultural Affairs Secretary Stuart Ashman said that projects for the statehood centennial celebration will include a wide range of activities focusing on New Mexico’s rich history, its culture and its future. “This is an important opportunity to celebrate New Mexico’s vibrant past while looking ahead to the next hundred years,” he said. “We look forward to working with communities statewide to commemorate this significant milestone.” Community planning is already underway, with activities and educational projects commemorating New Mexico’s path to statehood, and exploring the first 100 years of statehood, including New Mexico’s storied traditions in art, culture, music, food and more.

The Centennial Task Force was created by executive order in April 2008, consisting of state leaders including Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish, two members each from the Mew Mexico State Senate and House of Representatives, and ten additional members of the Governor’s Cabinet. The task force is chaired by the Secretary of Cultural Affairs.

The Steering Committee, which has held more than 30 meetings throughout the state over the past three years, includes representatives of New Mexico State University, the New Mexico Humanities Council, the University of New Mexico Valencia Branch, the New Mexico Tourism Department, the Office of the State Historian, the State Librarian, State Folklorist, State Historic Preservation Officer and the Director of the New Mexico History Museumand a representative of the Lt. Governor’s office.

For 25 years, The Art Center Design College – with campuses in Albuquerque and Tucson, Arizona – has continued to meet the higher education needs of students in the Southwest who are seeking entrance in the most exciting and rapidly growing industries, such as graphic design, interior design, animation, illustration, landscape architecture, advertising and marketing, photography and fine arts. A regionally accredited college, it offers students programs that combine forward-thinking instruction in communication and problem-solving skills necessary for success in today's workplace alongside instructionin the most up-to-date methods and technologies used in visual and creative fields.

For more information contact Jodi Delaney, Director of Statewide Initiatives, at
505-827-7405, 505-827-7308 (fax) or jodi.delaney1@state.nm.us, or visit www.newmexicoculture.org

New Mexico Tourism Department Develops Ecotourism Initiative

The New Mexico Tourism Department is developing a new division within the Department dedicated to helping develop the state as a leader and visionary of eco-conscience travel in the United States.

The mission of the new division, led by Deputy Secretary Jen Hoffman, is to brand, market and develop the state as a leading ecotourism destination, allowing it to be a major player in the fastest growing market in the tourism industry.

“Ecotourism is a nature-based form of specialty travel defined as ‘responsible travel’ to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of the local community,” Hoffman said. “New Mexico is a natural stage for ecotourism with its grand vistas, vibrant cultures and beautiful wilderness areas.”

Hoffman said ecotourism offers an authentic and engaging experience to travelers who want an off-the-beaten path adventure that connects them with natural beauty and indigenous traditions. For many travelers, it provides a rewarding, hands-on opportunity to give-back to local communities.

“It is our vision that the State of New Mexico be a premier model and destination for ecotourism and conservation initiatives,” Hoffman added.

For more information contact Deputy Secretary Jen Hoffman, jennifer.hoffman@state.nm.us or 505-827-6674.

Santa Fe Visitor Information Center Offers New Gift Apparel

The New Mexico Tourism Department is offering a new and exciting selection of apparel in its Santa Fe Visitor Information Center.

Stop in and browse the beautiful new selection of embroidered shirts, vests, cinch bags, hats, and more, in addition to the standard clothing and gift line.

Great prices are available on New Mexico logo wear in the center, while creative custom screened shirts are available on our website. This same embroidered wear will soon be sold at six of the Department’s nine Visitor Information Centers.

Fishing Fanatics Take Heed

For all of you fishing aficionados out there, check out a great new website and toll free phone number where you can get all the latest fishing conditions in New Mexico.

The FishPhone is available on line at www.thefishphone.com, or by calling 877-88 GO FISH. The website has six distinct fishing regions. You can learn what’s biting and what they’re biting on.

Check out the Fish Phone, sponsored in part by the New Mexico Tourism Department.