Hello Friends!
As I end my tenure as Santa Fe Poet Laureate, I want to thank all the individuals and organizations and supporters who have made my two years as poet laureate so wonderful. Below is a listing of all the events, readings, workshops, and panels I've been part of as a representative of the life and vibrancy of Santa Fe's commitment to poetry. Thank you. Valerie
Publications
1. And They Called It Horizon: Santa Fe Poems by Valerie Martínez. Sunstone Press, Summer 2010.
2. “This is How It Began” (long poem about Santa Fe). Special, hand-press edition, Press at the Palace of the Governors, March 2010.
3. Each and Her (book-length poem) by Valerie Martínez. University of Arizona Press, Fall 2010.
4. Lines and Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families. Edited by Valerie Martínez. Sunstone Press, January 2010.
Readings, Appearances, Workshops, Events
4/27/10 Judge: National Poetry Out Loud (POL) Finals. Washington, DC.
4/16/10 Reading: Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque
4/11/10 Panel Presentations: Associated Writing Programs (AWP) Annual Conference. Women Writing the West and Write the Relationship: Poetic Friendships, Denver.
3/27/10 Poet/Performer: Form & Function: a spoken word/collaborative performance in response to the Form & Function exhibit at 516 Arts, Albuquerque, with poets Jasmine Cuffee, Lauren Camp, and Jamie Figueroa. 516 Arts, ABQ, 8 p.m.
3/25/10 Moderator: 9 for 5: Presenting Nine Albuquerque Poets. A reading by nine poets in Valerie’s Advanced Poetry Workshop conducted in the fall of 2009. Part of Women & Creativity Month 2010.
3/8/10 Reading: Mayoral and City Councilors Swearing-In. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 6 p.m.
3/6/10 Poet/Performer: Salve: Women on War and Warriorship, a spoken-word and music piece based on interviews with women war veterans, part of Women & Creativity Month, 2010. A Littleglobe collaboration with Littleglobe, Bing, and the NHCC. Journal Theater, National Hispanic Cultural Center, 7 p.m.
1/12/10 Writing Workshop: Annie Leibovitz and the Intimate Image. Art and Leadership Program for Women. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. 7-9 p.m.
12/18/09 Reading: A Tribute to Gerard Manley Hopkins. AS KINGFISHERS CATCH FIRE, with actors, dancers, poets, and other performers. Produce by Theaterwork. James A. Little Theater, 7 p.m.
11/21/09 Reading: Santa Fe Watershed Association Gala Event. Del Charro Grill/Inn of the Governors, Santa Fe. 6:30 p.m.
11/6/09 Burque Poetico, Cervantes Institute, Roundtable discussion of Latino Poetry in the Contemporary World, with Columbian poet Amando Romero, 7 p.m.
11/5/09 Panel Presentation: Creative Voices. National Hispanic Leadership Institute Conference, University of New Mexico, 2-4 p.m.
11/4/09 SAGE Magazine/Albuquerque Journal Luncheon. Recipient of one of the “Twenty Women Who Have Made a Difference” awards for Valerie’s creative and community service.
10/30/09 Reading: Dia de los Muertos Community Celebration, National Hispanic Cultural Center, 5:30 p.m.
10/29/09 Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 6:30 p.m. One of Valerie’s poems appeared in the program.
10/22/09 Santa Fe High School, Julie Hasted’s English Class and the SFHS Poetry Club.Reading, Writing, and Spoken Word activities with students.
10/16-17/09 The Santa Fe Book Arts Group (BAG): Celebration of the Book. Southside Library. Exhibition of Art Books (made by members of BAG), bookmaking and poetry activities with members of BAG and Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez.
9/26/09 Reading: the 2009 National Book Festival, NEA Pavilion, Washington, DC.
Other NEA writers/readers included Kay Ryan, U.S. Poet Laureate; Jane Hirshfield, Ed Hirsch, Ana Menendez, Ayar Zafisi, and Tim O’Brien.
9/6/09 Reading of an excerpt from “And They Called It Horizon” (a long poem about Santa Fe). 400th Anniversary/Commemoration Opening Ceremony. Ft. Marcy Field, Santa Fe.
Sept-Dec/09 Instructor: Advanced Poetry Workshop: A five week workshop for advanced poets. Albuquerque, Fall 2009.
8/6-7/09 Member of the 2009 NEA Panel awarding grants to Literary Presses and Publishers. Washington, DC.
7/23/09 Writing and Art Workshop (with visual artist Gary Myers). “The Letter: The Visual Poetics of Written Correspondence” in conjunction with the Santa Fe Opera world premiere of Paul Moravec’s “The Letter” and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe: Beyond Our Shores.” 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Education Annex.
7/13-16/09 Faculty member, Taos Summer Writers Conference. Taught a week-long master poetry workshop.
6/28/09 Writing Workshop for Art Teachers, “From There to Here” in conjunction with the exhibition: Georgia O’Keeffe Beyond Our Shores. Georgia O’Keeffe Education Programs. 9-11 a.m.
6/9-11/2009 Writing Workshop (3 days of creative exercises and writing). VOCES Youth Program, winner of an Arts Alliance Bravos Award, NHCC.
4/18/09 Arts Alliance Bravos Award Dinner in support of the VOCES Youth Program of the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC), serving New Mexico high school students, 6 p.m.,Albuquerque.
4/16/09 Reading. Poetry Jam, 2009, in support of New Mexico CultureNet’s Poets in the Schools (PITS) program. 7 p.m., Lensic Performing Arts Center.
4/4/09 Judge. National High School Poetry Slam Qualifying Competition, Santa Fe Indian School. 7 p.m.
3/27/09 Ekphrastic Performance (with poets Maureen Seaton and Jasmine
Cuffee) in response to a Sheri Crider installation. SCA Contemporary Art, Albuquerque, 7 p.m. Women & Creativity Month, 2009.
3/22/09 Meeting of the Lines and Circles Poet Laureate Educational/Outreach Project Families. 2 p.m. O’Shaughnessy Performing Space, College of Santa Fe.
3/15/09 Spoken Word and Musical Performance. SALVE: Women on War and Warriorship—based on interviews with women war veterans, in celebration of Women & Creativity Month, 2009. A Littleglobe production with Molly Sturges, Linne Lalire, Alex Neville, Chris Jonas, Poppy Wilder, and J.A. Deane. New Mexico Veterans War Memorial, Albuquerque, 2 p.m.
3/14/09 Spoken Word and Musical Performance. SALVE: Women on War and Warriorship—based on interviews with women war veterans, in celebration of Women & Creativity Month, 2009. A Littleglobe production with Molly Sturges, Linne Lalire, Alex Neville, Chris Jonas, Poppy Wilder, and J.A. Deane.O’Shaughnessy Performance Space, College of Santa Fe.
3/12/09 Reading: One Poem Festival, Palabra Pura. Jazz Showcase, Chicago, 6 p.m.
3/3/09 Reading. Dear Eve, Lilith, and Emily…with writers Dana Levin and Robin Romm in celebration of Women & Creativity Month. 12:30 p.m., College of Santa Fe.
2/14/09 Reading & Panel Presentation: “Women Poets on Mentorship: Efforts and Affections.” Associated Writing Programs (AW) Annual Conference, Chicago.
2/14/09 Panel Moderator: “Sibling Rivalries: Spoken & Written Word Poetry and the Literary Tug-of-War,” Associated Writing Programs (AWP) Annual Conference, Chicago: with Jon Davis, Danny Solis, Jill Battson, and Michelle Holland.
2/8/09 Judge. Poetry Out Loud National Recitation Contest—New Mexico State Competition Finals, 2009, 1 p.m., St. Francis Auditorium.
11/18/08 Writing Workshop: “The Art of Self-Image” (accompanying the exhibition of “Georgia O’Keeffe and the Camera: The Art of Identity”), Arts & Leadership Program, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, 7-9 p.m.
11/16/08 Second Meeting of the Lines and Circles Families Poet Laureate Project.
11/10/08 Reading/Discussion with ArtWorks kids, grades 6-8, 10-11:30 a.m., Santa Fe.
11/8/08 Presentation. Letras Latinas Salon, hosted by Francisco Aragon (Director of the Institute for Latino/a Studies at Notre Dame), 4 p.m. Santa Fe.
11/8/08 Reading and Presentation: Poetry and Science. Santa Fe Institute “The Road Less Traveled” Gala Event, 7 p.m., Eldorado Hotel, Santa Fe
11/3/08 Talk and Slide Show Presentation: “Georgia O’Keeffe and the Art of Identity.” Breakfast with O’Keeffe, 8:30 a.m., Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
10/30/08 Reading: Mayor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts, Community Convention Center, 6:30 p.m.
10/17/08 Reading and Discussion, Bear Canyon Retirement Community Center, as part of the Santa Fe Opera’s participation in the national Big Read Event.
10/2/08 First Meeting of the Lines and Circle Families
9/27/08 New Mexico Women Authors’ Book Festival, Reading and Book-Signing, Museum Hill, Santa Fe, 2 p.m.
9/29/08 Reading followed by a writing workshop: International Conference on Creative Tourism, Santa Fe.
9/25/08 Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), Phitya Series Reading, 7:30 p.m.
9/14/08 Reading & Panel Presentation, “Integrating Poetry Into Life,” STIR: A Festival of Words. Harwood Arts Center, Albuquerque.
9/13/08 Reading, Grand Opening of the new Santa Fe Railyard Complex, Santa Fe, 1 p.m.
9/2/08 Reading/Celebration for the Poet Laureate and the 20th Anniversary of the College of Santa Fe Creative Writing Program.
8/30/08 Women’s Focus Radio Program, KUNM (89.9 FM) Radio. Noon.
8/30/08 Reading: Fundraising Dinner/Reading for the Poet Laureate Program, hosted by Sallie Bingham, Santa Fe.
7/9/08 “Metamorphosis: Bookmaking and Poetry,” A Workshop for Teens, Southside Library, Santa Fe.
6/21/08 Interview: UNOBSTRUCTED, OnWord, Talk Radio, with Alaina Alexander. 3:30 p.m.
6/16/08 Reading and Music: Poetry & Jazz, Counter Culture Café, 7:30 p.m. (with theSouthwest Jazz Orchestra).
5/14/08 Reading: Student Mentorship Celebration for Monte del Sol Charter School, College of Santa Fe
5/6/08 Reading and Group Writing Exercise, Monte del Sol Charter School (English Classes).
4/5/08 Poem-Palooza 2008 (a celebration of poetry in all its forms) Greer Garson Theater, 7 p.m.
4/2/08 Panel Moderator: “Sibling Rivalries: Spoken and Written Word Poetry and the Literary Tug of War,” College of Santa Fe.
3/10/08 Reading, Santa Fe City Counselors and Judges Swearing-In Ceremony, Lensic Theater. Inauguration of Santa Fe’s second poet laureate.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
My Farewell Reading
Dedicated to all Santa Feans! Please join me for a farewell reading as poet laureate, dedicated to everyone who loves Santa Fe. See below for the official press release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2010
On March 17, 2010 during the lunch hour, Santa Fe Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez will read poems about Santa Fe--a reading dedicated to city residents. The reading will take place in the Santa Fe Arts Commission Gallery at the Community Convention Center. Downtown residents, City of Santa Fe employees, downtown merchants and staff, and all others are invited to an hour of poetry about the capital city.
This event, Martínez’s last as Poet Laureate, also celebrates the release of the her book, This is How it Began, printed and bound in a limited, letterpress edition by the Press at the Palace of the Governors. Copies of the book will be available for viewing and purchase at the reading.
Over the past two years, Martínez has appeared at over 45 public events—giving readings, workshops, short courses; writing with children, youth, families and elders; performing with musicians, dancers, actors, poets and others. In the introduction to This is How it Began, Valerie states: “This book is my gift to the many residents who have educated me, enlightened me, and deepened my love for Santa Fe.”
Martínez’s community outreach project--Lines & Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families--involved working with three and four generations of eleven Santa Fe families whose mixed-media works of art and poems appear at the Arts Commission Gallery through Friday, March 19, 2010. Those attending the reading will have a chance to tour the exhibition. And a collection of Martínez’s Santa Fe poems will be published by Sunstone Press later this year.
From And They Called It Horizon by Valerie Martínez:
Today we say Santa Fe, our Santa Fé
in the sierra madre, in the cradle between
the Pecos Mountains, Cerro Piñon,
Tano Point, Caja del Rio, Tetilla Peak.
But there was a time, long ago,
before names, dream before dream.
Aho niishnee, principio, the beginning.
It was a seed, imagine it, smaller
than the eye’s dark pupil, smaller
than the tiniest yellow idea of seed,
and tinier. Inside, the dream
of something blue and unbelievably wide,
something rising to blue, algún encuentro
magnífico de marrón y azul.
And the seed there, buried.
Perhaps it was the eye behind the eye
of some great Being, or the eye
of a fantastic explosion, or the spot
on the tail-flick of a lizard
with red and black ridges on his back.
The seed nestled inside what became an orb,
an orb hurtling through indigo space,
then a spinning, whirling mass of blue
become this planet we call Mother Earth.
And it hung there, at the center,
weaving a garment of brightness.”
Valerie Martinez ©2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 1, 2010
On March 17, 2010 during the lunch hour, Santa Fe Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez will read poems about Santa Fe--a reading dedicated to city residents. The reading will take place in the Santa Fe Arts Commission Gallery at the Community Convention Center. Downtown residents, City of Santa Fe employees, downtown merchants and staff, and all others are invited to an hour of poetry about the capital city.
This event, Martínez’s last as Poet Laureate, also celebrates the release of the her book, This is How it Began, printed and bound in a limited, letterpress edition by the Press at the Palace of the Governors. Copies of the book will be available for viewing and purchase at the reading.
Over the past two years, Martínez has appeared at over 45 public events—giving readings, workshops, short courses; writing with children, youth, families and elders; performing with musicians, dancers, actors, poets and others. In the introduction to This is How it Began, Valerie states: “This book is my gift to the many residents who have educated me, enlightened me, and deepened my love for Santa Fe.”
Martínez’s community outreach project--Lines & Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families--involved working with three and four generations of eleven Santa Fe families whose mixed-media works of art and poems appear at the Arts Commission Gallery through Friday, March 19, 2010. Those attending the reading will have a chance to tour the exhibition. And a collection of Martínez’s Santa Fe poems will be published by Sunstone Press later this year.
From And They Called It Horizon by Valerie Martínez:
Today we say Santa Fe, our Santa Fé
in the sierra madre, in the cradle between
the Pecos Mountains, Cerro Piñon,
Tano Point, Caja del Rio, Tetilla Peak.
But there was a time, long ago,
before names, dream before dream.
Aho niishnee, principio, the beginning.
It was a seed, imagine it, smaller
than the eye’s dark pupil, smaller
than the tiniest yellow idea of seed,
and tinier. Inside, the dream
of something blue and unbelievably wide,
something rising to blue, algún encuentro
magnífico de marrón y azul.
And the seed there, buried.
Perhaps it was the eye behind the eye
of some great Being, or the eye
of a fantastic explosion, or the spot
on the tail-flick of a lizard
with red and black ridges on his back.
The seed nestled inside what became an orb,
an orb hurtling through indigo space,
then a spinning, whirling mass of blue
become this planet we call Mother Earth.
And it hung there, at the center,
weaving a garment of brightness.”
Valerie Martinez ©2009
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
SALVE: Women on War and Warriorship
Littleglobe and the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) present Salve: Women on War and Warriorship on Saturday, March 6, 8 pm at the Albuquerque Journal Theater at the NHCC. Part of Women & Creativity Month 2010, SALVE is dedicated to New Mexico veterans and their families, veterans organizations and hospitals, and the many veterans outreach services that support returning war vets.
Salve is a spoken word and musical performance that explores the insights, perspectives, and reflections of women who are returned war veterans. The performance allows us to bear witness to the lives and sacrifices of warriors and their families, the realities of returning to life after military service, and the costs of war on everyone.
The spoken and sung text of the performance comes directly from interviews with women war vets and from poems/responses by Santa Fe Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez. Salve integrates composed and improvisational musical structures, poetry, personal stories, and songs composed by BING (led by Molly Sturges and Chris Jonas). BING draws from a wide palette of sounds including 1970s Ethiopian pop, Indonesian hybrids, American funk, Klezmer, Balkan jazz, indie-rock, 1960s American experimental, and jazz.
Excerpts from Salve: “I’m always checking my doors, locking my doors, worried about little things. When I’m getting ready to fall asleep, if I hear a sound outside, I’m up all night, waiting. There are so many things every day. Overpasses scare me--I want to swerve to the other lane.” “Little mistakes can get someone killed. That was instilled in us—life or death. I had a drill instructor who used to say, ‘Every mistake you make, well it’s not you who has to write the letter; it’s not you who gets the letter.’”
Women & Creativity Month is organized and presented by the National Hispanic Cultural Center in partnership with more than 40 organizations, artists, writers, and independently owned businesses with events in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. March 2010 is filled with over 50 exhibitions, performances, workshops, readings, and discussions focused on women and creativity. For a full list of events, visit the NHCC/Women & Creativity site at www.nhccnm.org.
Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 seniors and students, and available at Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and in person at the NHCC box office: 505-724-4771.
For more information, contact Chris Jonas, 505-670-4364, chris@littleglobe.org
Salve is a spoken word and musical performance that explores the insights, perspectives, and reflections of women who are returned war veterans. The performance allows us to bear witness to the lives and sacrifices of warriors and their families, the realities of returning to life after military service, and the costs of war on everyone.
The spoken and sung text of the performance comes directly from interviews with women war vets and from poems/responses by Santa Fe Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez. Salve integrates composed and improvisational musical structures, poetry, personal stories, and songs composed by BING (led by Molly Sturges and Chris Jonas). BING draws from a wide palette of sounds including 1970s Ethiopian pop, Indonesian hybrids, American funk, Klezmer, Balkan jazz, indie-rock, 1960s American experimental, and jazz.
Excerpts from Salve: “I’m always checking my doors, locking my doors, worried about little things. When I’m getting ready to fall asleep, if I hear a sound outside, I’m up all night, waiting. There are so many things every day. Overpasses scare me--I want to swerve to the other lane.” “Little mistakes can get someone killed. That was instilled in us—life or death. I had a drill instructor who used to say, ‘Every mistake you make, well it’s not you who has to write the letter; it’s not you who gets the letter.’”
Women & Creativity Month is organized and presented by the National Hispanic Cultural Center in partnership with more than 40 organizations, artists, writers, and independently owned businesses with events in both Albuquerque and Santa Fe. March 2010 is filled with over 50 exhibitions, performances, workshops, readings, and discussions focused on women and creativity. For a full list of events, visit the NHCC/Women & Creativity site at www.nhccnm.org.
Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 seniors and students, and available at Ticketmaster outlets, www.ticketmaster.com and in person at the NHCC box office: 505-724-4771.
For more information, contact Chris Jonas, 505-670-4364, chris@littleglobe.org
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thank You, Santa Fe
Thank you to the hundreds of Santa Feans and visitors who came to the Lines and Circles Opening Reception on Friday night and the presentations and feast on Saturday afternoon. It was a wonderful reunion of the Santa Fe community.
The photo at left is me with Eileen Torpey and Jason Jaacks, creators of the wonderful documentary film about the project, now showing with the exhibition.
The Line and Circles exhibit of poems and mixed-media works of art by eleven Santa Fe families will continue through March 19, 2010. Please visit the gallery at the corner of Marcy and Sheridan Streets in downtown Santa Fe.
If you would like to order a copy of the Lines and Circles book, please feel free to contact Sunstone Press at 1-800-243-5644, or go to Amazon online, or contact me at valmatz@comcast.net.
The photo at left is me with Eileen Torpey and Jason Jaacks, creators of the wonderful documentary film about the project, now showing with the exhibition.
The Line and Circles exhibit of poems and mixed-media works of art by eleven Santa Fe families will continue through March 19, 2010. Please visit the gallery at the corner of Marcy and Sheridan Streets in downtown Santa Fe.
If you would like to order a copy of the Lines and Circles book, please feel free to contact Sunstone Press at 1-800-243-5644, or go to Amazon online, or contact me at valmatz@comcast.net.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Your Invitation to January 15 & January 16, Lines & Circles
Please Join Us…
from Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez
and the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission
Lines & Circles: Mixed Media Works and Original Poems
by Eleven Santa Fe Families
Opening Reception
Friday, January 15, 2010
5:30-7:00 p.m.
SF Arts Commission Community Gallery
Convention Center, Santa Fe
The Families: Akers Covelli Hunt, Brown, Carmona, Goler Baca, Gottlieb Shapiro Bachman, Ingram, Martinez Ridgley, Ortiz Dinkel,
Quintana Gallegos, Salazar, and Strongheart
Saturday, January 16, 2-5 p.m.
Presentations by the Families
and Family Recipes Potluck
Exhibit Dates: January 16-March 19, 2010
from Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez
and the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission
Lines & Circles: Mixed Media Works and Original Poems
by Eleven Santa Fe Families
Opening Reception
Friday, January 15, 2010
5:30-7:00 p.m.
SF Arts Commission Community Gallery
Convention Center, Santa Fe
The Families: Akers Covelli Hunt, Brown, Carmona, Goler Baca, Gottlieb Shapiro Bachman, Ingram, Martinez Ridgley, Ortiz Dinkel,
Quintana Gallegos, Salazar, and Strongheart
Saturday, January 16, 2-5 p.m.
Presentations by the Families
and Family Recipes Potluck
Exhibit Dates: January 16-March 19, 2010
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Happy New Year!
Here's wishing you and all a most wonderful New Year's Eve goodbye to 2009 and a hopeful January 1st. Most of all, I hope my family is well and safe in 2010 and that those who have suffered most because of the economic downturn will find relief in the new year.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Lines & Circles Book Now Out
The book about the Lines & Circles families project is now out, and available from Amazon and Sunstone Press. Congratulations to the wonderful families who I've been privileged to work with for almost two years. Now, everyone can learn about them.
Here are links to the Amazon and Sunstone sites:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lines-Circles-Celebration-Santa-Families/dp/0865347468/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I4OAIY0CAEFND&colid=2YW82XKF05CT4
Sunstone Press:http://www.sunstonepress.com/cgi-bin/bookview.cgi?_recordnum=597
Here are links to the Amazon and Sunstone sites:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lines-Circles-Celebration-Santa-Families/dp/0865347468/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I4OAIY0CAEFND&colid=2YW82XKF05CT4
Sunstone Press:http://www.sunstonepress.com/cgi-bin/bookview.cgi?_recordnum=597
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
As Kingfishers Catch Fire--Please Join Us!
AS KINGFISHERS CATCH FIRE: A Celebration of Poetry by Gerard Manley Hopkins
A Theaterwork Production
Saturday, December 19, 7:30pm
Sunday, December 20, 2:00pm
James A. Little Theater, Santa FE
Tickets: $15.00 general / $10.00 Students
An extraordinary evening of poetry, music and dance created in response to the powerful poems of the English poet whose embrace of the beauty of the world has left a legacy both rich and stirring.
Four dance pieces created in response to poems by Hopkins Audrey Derell, Choreographer Dancers: Julia Purvis, Sachi Royer, Annabel Purvis, Kelsey Currier, Gemma Johnson, Annisah Gianardi, Marisa Graham, Kaitlyn Horpedahl, Rhiannon Johnson, Sonja Dangler, Taylor van Camp, Malia Byrne, Alejandra Nauer, Amanda Schulhoffer, Annie Kohn
Readings of Hopkins followed by new poems, written for the occasion by New Mexico Poets: Valerie Martinez, Jenice Gharib, Donald Levering, Lindsay Ahl, David Markwardt and Joan Logghe
Vocal settings of Hopkins poems, by Benjamin Britten, Ned Rorem, Samuel Barber, Constance Cooper and others performed by an a capella Octet under the direction of Catherine Donavon. Singers: Robert Thorpe, Monica Lee, Leslie Harrington, Barbara Grassia, Julie Trujillo, Michael Alexander, Mark Onstad and Catherine Donavon
A Theaterwork Production
Saturday, December 19, 7:30pm
Sunday, December 20, 2:00pm
James A. Little Theater, Santa FE
Tickets: $15.00 general / $10.00 Students
An extraordinary evening of poetry, music and dance created in response to the powerful poems of the English poet whose embrace of the beauty of the world has left a legacy both rich and stirring.
Four dance pieces created in response to poems by Hopkins Audrey Derell, Choreographer Dancers: Julia Purvis, Sachi Royer, Annabel Purvis, Kelsey Currier, Gemma Johnson, Annisah Gianardi, Marisa Graham, Kaitlyn Horpedahl, Rhiannon Johnson, Sonja Dangler, Taylor van Camp, Malia Byrne, Alejandra Nauer, Amanda Schulhoffer, Annie Kohn
Readings of Hopkins followed by new poems, written for the occasion by New Mexico Poets: Valerie Martinez, Jenice Gharib, Donald Levering, Lindsay Ahl, David Markwardt and Joan Logghe
Vocal settings of Hopkins poems, by Benjamin Britten, Ned Rorem, Samuel Barber, Constance Cooper and others performed by an a capella Octet under the direction of Catherine Donavon. Singers: Robert Thorpe, Monica Lee, Leslie Harrington, Barbara Grassia, Julie Trujillo, Michael Alexander, Mark Onstad and Catherine Donavon
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Lines & Circles Press Release
The Lines & Circles Families Project
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 8, 2009
Beyond the Tri-Cultural Myth: Eleven Local Families Celebrate Contemporary Santa Fe
A new exhibition of art and poetry puts to rest the myth of “tri-Cultural Santa Fe.” The city’s Poet Laureate, Valerie Martínez, and eleven Santa Fe families present mixed-media works of art and poetry that celebrate the breadth of community life in the capital city. The exhibition, entitled Lines and Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families, runs January 15 through March 2010 at the Arts Commission Community Gallery in downtown Santa Fe.
For over a year and a half, Valerie Martínez, Santa Fe Poet Laureate, worked closely with three and more generations of eleven Santa Fe families who created unique family works of art and poetry. The goal of the Lines and Circles project was to nurture and celebrate the Santa Fe community, deepen bonds within and between families, and generate a body of art and poetry that commemorates city life. The family works and poems reflect the family name, family history, or simply the intergenerational collaboration that happened during the project. Participating community members include the Akers Hunt Covelli, Brown, Carmona, Goler Baca, Gottlieb Shapiro Bachman, Ingram, Martínez Ridgley, Ortiz Dinkel Hasted Wilkes, Quintana Gallegos, Salazar and Strongheart families. Over 60 family members, ages 5-90, participated in the project.
The Lines and Circles project was sponsored by the City of Santa Fe Poet Laureate Program and supported by the Lannan Foundation, the Santa Fe Literary Education Endowment at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the First National Bank of Santa Fe, Littleglobe, Inc., Sunstone Press, and the 400th Commemoration of Santa Fe. A book about the project, published by Sunstone Press, will accompany the exhibition.
Valerie Martínez, the city’s poet laureate and artistic director, says of the project: “While many tout the landscape of Santa Fe as the city’s richest asset, the truth is that the people of Santa Fe, those that are here to stay, are its gold. The Lines and Circles families expand our notion of who we are and why we call this place home. These family works of art and poetry give us a lens through which we learn much more about contemporary Santa Fe—beyond the tri-cultural myth.”
The public is invited to the opening reception of the exhibition, on January 15,
2010.
The exhibition includes short films, music, audio oral histories, mixed-media pieces, installations, a four-generation quilt, a children’s book, and more. The following day the families will discuss their art and poetry followed by a feast of traditional family recipes. The city’s ArtWorks program will also sponsor related events and activities with public school students and their families.
Martínez adds: “In addition to creating special works of art and poetry that will stay with them for generations, the participants have come together, even more meaningfully, as families. They have also met, worked with, and become friends with families they didn’t know, across the “invisible lines” that tend to divide us, as city residents. The project has worked to deepen our sense of connection and fellowship in this constantly changing city.”
Lines and Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families
January-March 2010
Santa Fe Arts Commission Community Gallery
Community Convention Center, Downtown Santa Fe
Opening Reception: January 15, 2010
5:30 – 7 p.m.
Free and Open to the Public
Presentation by the Families and Family Recipes Feast
Saturday, January 16, 2010
2-5 p.m.
Free and Open to the Public
For more information, contact:
Valerie Martínez, Santa Fe Poet Laureate
City of Santa Fe
505-603-0866
valmatz@comcast.net
www.valeriemartinez.net
www.sfpoetlaureate.blogspot.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 8, 2009
Beyond the Tri-Cultural Myth: Eleven Local Families Celebrate Contemporary Santa Fe
A new exhibition of art and poetry puts to rest the myth of “tri-Cultural Santa Fe.” The city’s Poet Laureate, Valerie Martínez, and eleven Santa Fe families present mixed-media works of art and poetry that celebrate the breadth of community life in the capital city. The exhibition, entitled Lines and Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families, runs January 15 through March 2010 at the Arts Commission Community Gallery in downtown Santa Fe.
For over a year and a half, Valerie Martínez, Santa Fe Poet Laureate, worked closely with three and more generations of eleven Santa Fe families who created unique family works of art and poetry. The goal of the Lines and Circles project was to nurture and celebrate the Santa Fe community, deepen bonds within and between families, and generate a body of art and poetry that commemorates city life. The family works and poems reflect the family name, family history, or simply the intergenerational collaboration that happened during the project. Participating community members include the Akers Hunt Covelli, Brown, Carmona, Goler Baca, Gottlieb Shapiro Bachman, Ingram, Martínez Ridgley, Ortiz Dinkel Hasted Wilkes, Quintana Gallegos, Salazar and Strongheart families. Over 60 family members, ages 5-90, participated in the project.
The Lines and Circles project was sponsored by the City of Santa Fe Poet Laureate Program and supported by the Lannan Foundation, the Santa Fe Literary Education Endowment at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the First National Bank of Santa Fe, Littleglobe, Inc., Sunstone Press, and the 400th Commemoration of Santa Fe. A book about the project, published by Sunstone Press, will accompany the exhibition.
Valerie Martínez, the city’s poet laureate and artistic director, says of the project: “While many tout the landscape of Santa Fe as the city’s richest asset, the truth is that the people of Santa Fe, those that are here to stay, are its gold. The Lines and Circles families expand our notion of who we are and why we call this place home. These family works of art and poetry give us a lens through which we learn much more about contemporary Santa Fe—beyond the tri-cultural myth.”
The public is invited to the opening reception of the exhibition, on January 15,
2010.
The exhibition includes short films, music, audio oral histories, mixed-media pieces, installations, a four-generation quilt, a children’s book, and more. The following day the families will discuss their art and poetry followed by a feast of traditional family recipes. The city’s ArtWorks program will also sponsor related events and activities with public school students and their families.
Martínez adds: “In addition to creating special works of art and poetry that will stay with them for generations, the participants have come together, even more meaningfully, as families. They have also met, worked with, and become friends with families they didn’t know, across the “invisible lines” that tend to divide us, as city residents. The project has worked to deepen our sense of connection and fellowship in this constantly changing city.”
Lines and Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families
January-March 2010
Santa Fe Arts Commission Community Gallery
Community Convention Center, Downtown Santa Fe
Opening Reception: January 15, 2010
5:30 – 7 p.m.
Free and Open to the Public
Presentation by the Families and Family Recipes Feast
Saturday, January 16, 2010
2-5 p.m.
Free and Open to the Public
For more information, contact:
Valerie Martínez, Santa Fe Poet Laureate
City of Santa Fe
505-603-0866
valmatz@comcast.net
www.valeriemartinez.net
www.sfpoetlaureate.blogspot.com
Thursday, December 3, 2009
A Santa Fe Winter Poem
FOLLOW ME
Who hasn’t driven north, up and over La Bajada Hill in dark December, to see the lights of Santa Fe unfurled--colcha, snowflake, electric mosaic? Hasn’t wandered the evening streets just to trace the silhouettes of walkways, houses and hotels, counting farolitos? Hasn’t driven past the Christmas tree lot on Rodeo Road just to get a whiff of fir, pine and spruce through the dashboard heating ducts? Hasn’t heard the downtown sound of cathedral bells muffled in snow wafting in wafers onto wrought iron and woolen elbows? Has not looked up from St. Michael’s Drive to the Sangres to search for the snow-covered horse’s head? And who hasn’t found a kitchen off San Ildefonso Road just to get out of the cold, down a half-dozen biscochitos, or knead the dough for sufganyot? Hasn’t sipped a free cup of homemade cocoa on Christmas Eve, a gift from residents who live along Canyon Road? Has not walked the ice-milked sidewalks of Water Street and found themselves flat on their back then pulled up by some stranger saying, “Whoa, you went down like a ton of adobe bricks!” And who hasn’t left town for the heart-bending dances at Santo Domingo then driven back to mark the little pines on the I-25 median, tinseled by some group of anonymous daredevils? Has not seen a kiva fireplace adorned with advent calendar, Menorah, bear fetish and ceramic Santa Claus? Hasn’t feasted on turkey with piñon and green chile stuffing, red chile mashed potatoes, tortillas on the side? And who hasn’t followed their grandmother lugging a wooden crèche from house to house during las posadas, the holy family looking for a place to stay, setting it down on someone’s porch then driving away? And the dry colds so cold you want to drench them, and the stars so close you want to lick them? He who hasn’t; she who has not, they who never have but are looking for a place to stay on some bone-cold Santa Fe night—-follow me; this is the place; this way is the way.
Valerie Martinez, copyright 2009
This poem will appear in And They Called It Horizon: Santa Fe Poems (Sunstone Press, 2010)
Who hasn’t driven north, up and over La Bajada Hill in dark December, to see the lights of Santa Fe unfurled--colcha, snowflake, electric mosaic? Hasn’t wandered the evening streets just to trace the silhouettes of walkways, houses and hotels, counting farolitos? Hasn’t driven past the Christmas tree lot on Rodeo Road just to get a whiff of fir, pine and spruce through the dashboard heating ducts? Hasn’t heard the downtown sound of cathedral bells muffled in snow wafting in wafers onto wrought iron and woolen elbows? Has not looked up from St. Michael’s Drive to the Sangres to search for the snow-covered horse’s head? And who hasn’t found a kitchen off San Ildefonso Road just to get out of the cold, down a half-dozen biscochitos, or knead the dough for sufganyot? Hasn’t sipped a free cup of homemade cocoa on Christmas Eve, a gift from residents who live along Canyon Road? Has not walked the ice-milked sidewalks of Water Street and found themselves flat on their back then pulled up by some stranger saying, “Whoa, you went down like a ton of adobe bricks!” And who hasn’t left town for the heart-bending dances at Santo Domingo then driven back to mark the little pines on the I-25 median, tinseled by some group of anonymous daredevils? Has not seen a kiva fireplace adorned with advent calendar, Menorah, bear fetish and ceramic Santa Claus? Hasn’t feasted on turkey with piñon and green chile stuffing, red chile mashed potatoes, tortillas on the side? And who hasn’t followed their grandmother lugging a wooden crèche from house to house during las posadas, the holy family looking for a place to stay, setting it down on someone’s porch then driving away? And the dry colds so cold you want to drench them, and the stars so close you want to lick them? He who hasn’t; she who has not, they who never have but are looking for a place to stay on some bone-cold Santa Fe night—-follow me; this is the place; this way is the way.
Valerie Martinez, copyright 2009
This poem will appear in And They Called It Horizon: Santa Fe Poems (Sunstone Press, 2010)
Sunday, November 29, 2009
From Chicago to New Mexico
Paul and I just spent a beautiful week in Chicago and the Chicago suburbs with his family. I love to visit there--the Christkindl German Market on Daley Plaza (drinking mulled wine, eating brats and fresh strudel) followed by the lighting of the Christmas tree with hundreds of Chicagoans. The lights along Michigan Avenue. A sumptuous Thankgiving dinner served up by Theresa and Mike Resnick. Breakfast at Max and Benny's.
Paul came to New Mexico over 24 years ago, as a freshman at UNM, and never left. And he'll never leave. He has lived in New Mexico as many years as I have, regardless of the fact that I was born and raised (to age 18) in Santa Fe. Paul is like so many others; New Mexico is home to them and they feel as fiercely devoted to this place, landscape, and people as those who have been here for generations.
This year, I am thankful for everyone who has made Santa Fe and New Mexico their home and who works hard to improve life for its families, for its elderly, and for those who protect the land and water, here, at every step.
I am also thankful for Paul, my family, my friends, and for all the amazing people who I've been able to work with in my tenure as Poet Laureate, including the Lines and Circles families. I am very lucky and very fortunate.
Paul came to New Mexico over 24 years ago, as a freshman at UNM, and never left. And he'll never leave. He has lived in New Mexico as many years as I have, regardless of the fact that I was born and raised (to age 18) in Santa Fe. Paul is like so many others; New Mexico is home to them and they feel as fiercely devoted to this place, landscape, and people as those who have been here for generations.
This year, I am thankful for everyone who has made Santa Fe and New Mexico their home and who works hard to improve life for its families, for its elderly, and for those who protect the land and water, here, at every step.
I am also thankful for Paul, my family, my friends, and for all the amazing people who I've been able to work with in my tenure as Poet Laureate, including the Lines and Circles families. I am very lucky and very fortunate.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
A Poem
HISTORY, APOLOGY
Long ago, in a class with N. Scott Momaday,
after reading his Way to Rainy Mountain,
considering a blurb on the back cover that read:
“This book nags at the White man’s conscience,”
a twenty-something woman declared,
that she would not and could not feel guilty
for terrible things her ancestors had done
that she had nothing to do with, and hated.
Michelle, a seventh generation New Mexican,
fingers tacos in a booth at Tomasita’s¸ says
"It’s hard to live this way, Hispanic, Latina,
whatever you want to call me, when I do love
our traditions, when mother’s side claims pure
Spanish blood, and knowing Oñate
and the others tore through this land hell-bent
on conversion, ownership, blood on their hands.
Was there no one like me, then, against these ways?"
And Luis, on the La Luz Trail, showing me
hoary cress, wild candytuft, Alpine clover, saying
"Which part of me is Navajo grandmother,
Chicano father, White mother? Feet to femurs,
pelvis to pecs, shoulder blades to the top of my head?
Sometimes, I don’t know where each begins and end;
they rage at each other in my veins. Someday,
I am going to write a letter to each man in me,
in me, Indian, Mexican, White, who never forgets."
Shé éí Valerie yinishyé—I know there is no way
to sever the blood ties that tether me to my ancestors,
to history. They are the same umbilical that roots me
in the land. I grieve for what my Spanish ancestors
wrought as a result of ignorance, greed, want,
and the dictates of far-off governments.
And if they also brought forms of beauty
(here, on the streets of this capital city)
I remember that there are no adequate reparations.
No. I apologize. I realize my obligation to honor
the survivors and their ways as if, one snowy afternoon,
I come upon their cave dwelling, camp, village, pueblo,
a half-woman asking for food, hearth, finished limbs,
and a heart made complete by association.
Long ago, in a class with N. Scott Momaday,
after reading his Way to Rainy Mountain,
considering a blurb on the back cover that read:
“This book nags at the White man’s conscience,”
a twenty-something woman declared,
that she would not and could not feel guilty
for terrible things her ancestors had done
that she had nothing to do with, and hated.
Michelle, a seventh generation New Mexican,
fingers tacos in a booth at Tomasita’s¸ says
"It’s hard to live this way, Hispanic, Latina,
whatever you want to call me, when I do love
our traditions, when mother’s side claims pure
Spanish blood, and knowing Oñate
and the others tore through this land hell-bent
on conversion, ownership, blood on their hands.
Was there no one like me, then, against these ways?"
And Luis, on the La Luz Trail, showing me
hoary cress, wild candytuft, Alpine clover, saying
"Which part of me is Navajo grandmother,
Chicano father, White mother? Feet to femurs,
pelvis to pecs, shoulder blades to the top of my head?
Sometimes, I don’t know where each begins and end;
they rage at each other in my veins. Someday,
I am going to write a letter to each man in me,
in me, Indian, Mexican, White, who never forgets."
Shé éí Valerie yinishyé—I know there is no way
to sever the blood ties that tether me to my ancestors,
to history. They are the same umbilical that roots me
in the land. I grieve for what my Spanish ancestors
wrought as a result of ignorance, greed, want,
and the dictates of far-off governments.
And if they also brought forms of beauty
(here, on the streets of this capital city)
I remember that there are no adequate reparations.
No. I apologize. I realize my obligation to honor
the survivors and their ways as if, one snowy afternoon,
I come upon their cave dwelling, camp, village, pueblo,
a half-woman asking for food, hearth, finished limbs,
and a heart made complete by association.
VM, forthcoming in And They
Called It Horizon, Sunstone
Press, 2010
Monday, November 2, 2009
SAGE Magazine 20 Women Making a Difference Luncheon
Please join me and nineteen other winners of the SAGE Magazine "Twenty Women Making a Difference" Award for a luncheon this Wednesday, November 4th at 11:30 a.m. at the Sandia Resort in Albuquerque. I am honored to be part of this group of women--their accomplishments are simply wonderful.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Today is my mother's birthday and I want to honor her for being an incredible inspiration and a wonderful and loving Mom. Happy birthday Exilda Marie Trujillo Martinez! Without her model of hard work, creativity, public and community service, and compassion, I wouldn't be who I am. Love you, Mom!
Recent and Upcoming Readings and Events
November 5, 2009
Authors' Panel: "Creative Voices" at the National Hispanic Leadership Institute, 2-4 p.m. Valerie, Teresa Bevin, Alisa Valdez Rodriquez, Juana Bordas and Dr. Emma Sepulveda, UNM. For more infomration, contact Rosalee Montoya-Read (505) 897-8785
November 4, 2004
Valerie was recently awarded a SAGE Magazine/Albuquerque Journal Award for "Twenty Women Making A Difference." Luncheon to celebrate all twenty award winners, 1:30-1:30, Sandia Resort
October 30, 2009
Reading: Dia de los Muertos Commemoration, National Hispanic Cultural Center Plaza Mayor
October 29, 2009
Mayor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Santa Fe Convention Center
October 22, 2009
Santa Fe High School, Julie Hasted’s English Class and the SFHS Poetry Club. Reading, Writing, and Spoken Word Activities with students.
October 16 & 17, 2009
The Santa Fe Book Arts Group (BAG): Celebration of the Book. Southside Library. Exhibition of Art Books (made by members of BAG), bookmaking and poetry activities with members of BAG and Poet Laureate Valerie
Martínez.
September 26, 2009
Reading: The 2009 National Book Festival, NEA Pavilion, Washington, DC. Other NEA writers/readers included Kay Ryan, U.S. Poet Laureate; Jane Hirshfield, Ed Hirsch, Ana Menendez, Ayar Zafisi, and Tim O’Brien.
Authors' Panel: "Creative Voices" at the National Hispanic Leadership Institute, 2-4 p.m. Valerie, Teresa Bevin, Alisa Valdez Rodriquez, Juana Bordas and Dr. Emma Sepulveda, UNM. For more infomration, contact Rosalee Montoya-Read (505) 897-8785
November 4, 2004
Valerie was recently awarded a SAGE Magazine/Albuquerque Journal Award for "Twenty Women Making A Difference." Luncheon to celebrate all twenty award winners, 1:30-1:30, Sandia Resort
October 30, 2009
Reading: Dia de los Muertos Commemoration, National Hispanic Cultural Center Plaza Mayor
October 29, 2009
Mayor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Santa Fe Convention Center
October 22, 2009
Santa Fe High School, Julie Hasted’s English Class and the SFHS Poetry Club. Reading, Writing, and Spoken Word Activities with students.
October 16 & 17, 2009
The Santa Fe Book Arts Group (BAG): Celebration of the Book. Southside Library. Exhibition of Art Books (made by members of BAG), bookmaking and poetry activities with members of BAG and Poet Laureate Valerie
Martínez.
September 26, 2009
Reading: The 2009 National Book Festival, NEA Pavilion, Washington, DC. Other NEA writers/readers included Kay Ryan, U.S. Poet Laureate; Jane Hirshfield, Ed Hirsch, Ana Menendez, Ayar Zafisi, and Tim O’Brien.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Celebration of the Book, Thursday through Saturday, This Week
Hello All--Please join us this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Southside Library (6599 Jaguar Drive) for three days of "Celebration of the Book." School groups will arrive at the library from 10-3 on Thursday and Friday and families and children are invited to the library on Saturday from 10-4 for reading, book-making activities, pop-up card-making, poetry, spoken word, and more. I will lead poetry writing and reciting activities all day on Friday and on Saturday for families and their children. All are invited and there is no charge to participate. Come and celebrate books with us! Valerie
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The Lines & Circles Families Project
Many of you have asked for more information about the Lines & Circles Families project and the January exhibition, so here it is!
THE LINES AND CIRCLES FAMILY PROJECT: A CELEBRATION OF SANTA FE, 2008-2010
Project/Artistic Director: Valerie Martínez, Poet Laureate
A project of the City of Santa Fe Poet Laureate Program/Santa Fe Arts Commission
Opening Reception: Friday, January 15, 2010, 5:30 p.m., free and open to the public. Presentation by Families and Food, Saturday, January 16, free and open to the public.
This project has brought together three generations of eleven Santa Fe families, each to envision and then create a unique family work of art. The works reflect the family name, family history, or simply the intergenerational collaboration that happens during the project. Each work will be accompanied by an original poem authored by each family, by the Poet Laureate with the family, or by the Poet Laureate on the family’s behalf. The finished pieces will constitute an exhibit entitled Lines & Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families to be presented to the city on Friday, January 15, 2010. Over the course of the project, families have also generated family histories, migration maps, lists of family traditions, heirlooms, recipes, old and contemporary photos, and other information that will be featured in a book about the project to be published by Sunstone Press, also in January 2010.
The goal of the Lines and Circles project is to nurture and celebrate the Santa Fe community, encourage positive relationships within and between families, nurture meaningful community dialogue, and generate a body of art and poetry that commemorates city life.
The Lines and Circles families include the Akers Hunt Covelli Family, the Carmona Family, the Goler Baca Family, the Ingram Family, the Jones Brown Family, the Martínez Ridgley Family, the Quintana Gallegos Family, the Ortiz Dinkel Hasted Family, the Salazar Family, the Shapiro Bachman Family, and the Strongheart Family.
About the project, by Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez:
"The families in the Lines and Circles Project are a testament not only to the history of Santa Fe but the promise of days to come. The future, of course, rests upon the beautiful, complex, rich and contentious past of this place, the capital city of New Mexico. All places worth living in, I believe, are complicated. So are their people. While many tout the landscape of Santa Fe as the city’s richest asset, the truth is that the people of Santa Fe, those that are here to stay, are its gold. They know its past and present and they cut, carve, and burnish its future. Their family lines extend into the past (of this place and others) and the circles they trace, day to day in this city, fashion the shimmering design that is the lifeblood of our community... The project has affected all involved. The families will tell you that in addition to creating and preserving an important family work that will stay with them for generations, they have come together, even more meaningfully, as families. We/they also have met, worked with, and become friends with families they didn’t know, across the “invisible lines” that sometimes tend to separate us, as city residents. Together, we have also journeyed into the past, revisiting our own stories, learning the stories of others, telling the collective story of Santa Fe.”
Lines and Circles is supported by the City of Santa Fe, the Lannan Foundation, the Santa Fe Literary Education Endowment at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the First National Bank of Santa Fe, and Littleglobe, Inc.
THE LINES AND CIRCLES FAMILY PROJECT: A CELEBRATION OF SANTA FE, 2008-2010
Project/Artistic Director: Valerie Martínez, Poet Laureate
A project of the City of Santa Fe Poet Laureate Program/Santa Fe Arts Commission
Opening Reception: Friday, January 15, 2010, 5:30 p.m., free and open to the public. Presentation by Families and Food, Saturday, January 16, free and open to the public.
This project has brought together three generations of eleven Santa Fe families, each to envision and then create a unique family work of art. The works reflect the family name, family history, or simply the intergenerational collaboration that happens during the project. Each work will be accompanied by an original poem authored by each family, by the Poet Laureate with the family, or by the Poet Laureate on the family’s behalf. The finished pieces will constitute an exhibit entitled Lines & Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families to be presented to the city on Friday, January 15, 2010. Over the course of the project, families have also generated family histories, migration maps, lists of family traditions, heirlooms, recipes, old and contemporary photos, and other information that will be featured in a book about the project to be published by Sunstone Press, also in January 2010.
The goal of the Lines and Circles project is to nurture and celebrate the Santa Fe community, encourage positive relationships within and between families, nurture meaningful community dialogue, and generate a body of art and poetry that commemorates city life.
The Lines and Circles families include the Akers Hunt Covelli Family, the Carmona Family, the Goler Baca Family, the Ingram Family, the Jones Brown Family, the Martínez Ridgley Family, the Quintana Gallegos Family, the Ortiz Dinkel Hasted Family, the Salazar Family, the Shapiro Bachman Family, and the Strongheart Family.
About the project, by Poet Laureate Valerie Martínez:
"The families in the Lines and Circles Project are a testament not only to the history of Santa Fe but the promise of days to come. The future, of course, rests upon the beautiful, complex, rich and contentious past of this place, the capital city of New Mexico. All places worth living in, I believe, are complicated. So are their people. While many tout the landscape of Santa Fe as the city’s richest asset, the truth is that the people of Santa Fe, those that are here to stay, are its gold. They know its past and present and they cut, carve, and burnish its future. Their family lines extend into the past (of this place and others) and the circles they trace, day to day in this city, fashion the shimmering design that is the lifeblood of our community... The project has affected all involved. The families will tell you that in addition to creating and preserving an important family work that will stay with them for generations, they have come together, even more meaningfully, as families. We/they also have met, worked with, and become friends with families they didn’t know, across the “invisible lines” that sometimes tend to separate us, as city residents. Together, we have also journeyed into the past, revisiting our own stories, learning the stories of others, telling the collective story of Santa Fe.”
Lines and Circles is supported by the City of Santa Fe, the Lannan Foundation, the Santa Fe Literary Education Endowment at the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the First National Bank of Santa Fe, and Littleglobe, Inc.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Del Sol Quartet, 7:30 Thursday, September 16, Lensic
Nothing to do tomorrow night? The Lensic Performing Arts Center and Littleglobe, in association with SITE Santa Fe and the Center for Contemporary Arts, present the return of the Del Sol String Quartet, one of the most adventurous and accomplished musical ensembles in the country, in concert on Thursday, September 17 at 7:30 p.m. at The Lensic.
In addition to performing key compositions from their central repertoire, the San Francisco-based quartet will showcase works by composer and collaborator Chris Jonas, recipient of this year's United States Artists Fellowship. Chris and I are colleagues at Littleglobe, Inc.
Video and live music from Chris's work in progress, GARDEN, will also be shown as a highlight of the evening. A collaboration between the Del Sol String Quartet and Chris Jonas, GARDEN is a music-driven intermedia performance/installation that uses live music and projected video in performance to explore metaphoric and psychological realms of night.
Tickets are $12-$30 / students ½ price with ID
This will be a wonderful show if you can make it.
In addition to performing key compositions from their central repertoire, the San Francisco-based quartet will showcase works by composer and collaborator Chris Jonas, recipient of this year's United States Artists Fellowship. Chris and I are colleagues at Littleglobe, Inc.
Video and live music from Chris's work in progress, GARDEN, will also be shown as a highlight of the evening. A collaboration between the Del Sol String Quartet and Chris Jonas, GARDEN is a music-driven intermedia performance/installation that uses live music and projected video in performance to explore metaphoric and psychological realms of night.
Tickets are $12-$30 / students ½ price with ID
This will be a wonderful show if you can make it.
Friday, September 4, 2009
VIVA Event, Lines & Circles Families
Join the city of Santa Fe, this weekend (September 5-6), for the opening of the 400 year commemoration of city history. A huge event at Fort Marcy Field, there will be a food pavilion (with chef's demonstrating and serving indigenous and traditional foods of Santa Fe), a kid's pavilion (with all sorts of activities for children), a cultural traditions pavilion, commemorating the history and traditions of the city, concerts and performances, and more.
Eight of eleven Lines and Circles families (see description of the project below) will be there to talk about the generations of their family in Santa Fe and demonstrate their family work of art in progress. Participants are the Akers Hunt Covelli, Carmona, Goler Baca, Martinez Ridgley, Ortiz Dinkel Hasted, Quintana Gallegos, Salazar and Shapiro Bachman families.
The ceremony opening the 400 year commemoration is Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
I'll be there; look for me near the Lines and Circles booths. Hope to see you there, too.
Eight of eleven Lines and Circles families (see description of the project below) will be there to talk about the generations of their family in Santa Fe and demonstrate their family work of art in progress. Participants are the Akers Hunt Covelli, Carmona, Goler Baca, Martinez Ridgley, Ortiz Dinkel Hasted, Quintana Gallegos, Salazar and Shapiro Bachman families.
The ceremony opening the 400 year commemoration is Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
I'll be there; look for me near the Lines and Circles booths. Hope to see you there, too.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Mark Your Calendars--January 15, 2010
The opening reception for the Lines and Circles: A Celebration of Santa Fe Families project will be Friday, January 15, 2010 at the Santa Fe Arts Commission Community Gallery at the Convention Center in downtown Santa Fe. Mark your calendars for this exhibition--eleven works of art created by three generations of Santa Fe Families. The exhibition is the culmination of a year and a half of artistic collaboration. A book/catalogue will appear with the opening of the show. The exhibition (Friday) and day of presentations and traditional family foods (Saturday) are free and open to the public.
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