Arte del Norte

  Early Experiences Everybody has their road. And it’s up to you to decide what kind of road you want. Sometimes we’re a little blind when you’re younger. You get in a road that you can’t get out of. Como el purgatorio, purgatory. I been working on this piece like for a week. I’m pretty…

Anita’s Magical Taos

“If you think about it, creativity is the opposite of violence. It can bring social change without violence. I deliberately paint for both intellectuals and people who don’t read because a lot of my people don’t read.” My name is Anita Otivero Rodriguez and I was born and raised here in Taos. I was born…

Family Bonds & Cultural Preservation

“I believe that moving to America did not affect my cultural practices. Our children still follow their culture; knowing the fundamentals are an important part of our heritage.” – Chung-Yun Yu Story By: Wei-Shuen Yu Photo Credits: Bobby Gutierrez Hui-Ming Lee-Yu My name is Hui-Ming Lee-Yu; I am originally from Taipei Taiwan. The reason why I…

Youth Development in the South Valley

Quote: “A lot of the times politicians don’t sit down and think about the different impacts students have. They don’t realize that kids from different high schools are going to react different to policy changes.” I was born and raised in Mexico City. The reason I moved to New Mexico was that my father was coming…

A Language of Cultural Preservation

Quote: “A lot of the culture here is a mixture of Spanish and Mexican cultures. The spirit comes from our Native blood.” Angélica Navarro Ceballos: Yo soy Angélica Navarro Ceballos y soy de Cómala, Colima, México. Soy Mexicana. Llegué aquí el 20 de Noviembre del 92 aquí a Ribera, San Miguel. Me vine a trabajar con…

Agricultural Soul of the Valley

Quote: “When people ask me “what is your religion?” I tell them: “chiles, tomatoes, lettuce and spinach, and the sun and the earth.” That’s my true religion. When you’re planting seeds, youre praying.” The Artist, The Farmer, The Dancer Every single culture, every single religion, every single model of art; it comes from agriculture. I mean,…

Living ‘Rurally’

Name: Nazca Armentha Warren & Phil Rothwell Location: La Fragua, New Mexico Topics: Rural, Valley, Organic, Farming, Community Quote: “It was hard at first to understand how to live ‘rurally.’ Both of us coming from cities, we have had to do a lot of shedding of our layers and understanding what that looks like.” Urban Origins…

Planting Seeds in the Valley

Name: Eileen Mulvihill Location: Villanueva, New Mexico Topics: Farming, Organic, Science, Women, Community Quote: “I’m worried about the valley. I’ve been a farmer now for 9 years and in those years I can see climate change.” Early Life My name is Eileen Mulvihill. I started off in Wisconsin. I was born in a very small town in…

Enlightening Eileen

Name: Eileen Espinoza Location: Chimayó and Pojoaque, New Mexico Topics: Hispanic, Labor, Traditions, Santa Fe Capital Roundhouse Quote: “I just completed 27 years working here at the Santa Fe Capital Roundhouse. We do everything here in the building. We clean it top to bottom!” Santuario  My name is Eileen Espinoza and I am originally from Chimayó,…

United in Hip-Hop

Name: Nightmare, Kathleen “MK” Perry, Christopher “Check-It” Lim Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Hip-Hop, Break Dancing, Music, MC, Battle, Youth, Dancing Quote: “Hip-Hop allows for my accent! Hip-Hop allows for me to say the word ‘fresh’ at my age. There are no barriers. There are no age barriers, height barriers, weight barriers, nothing! Just freedom!” Meeting…

Artistic Armando de Abiquiu

Name: Armando Adrian-López Location: Abiquiu, New Mexico Topics: Art, Artist, Culture, Mexican, Sculpture Quote: “They say we create our own reality. You are responsible for who you really are. You create yourself. And I really believe that.” Artistic Origins & Coming to the U.S.  I’ve been living here for the last 25 years, so Abiquiú has been…

Mercedez Holtry

Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico Topics: Performance, Culture, Chicana, Nuevo Mexicana, Poet Quote: “Burque is a rough town. There’s a lot of bad that happens here, but in my heart I know there’s more good that tops that bad. Writing about that pain that we face here I think is so important because it not only helps us heal…