MOIFA | June 2023

Image: Front entry of Museum, courtesy of DCA

MOIFA Welcomes Charlie Lockwood as the New Executive Director
New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA) has announced that Charlie Lockwood has been appointed to serve as executive director of the Museum of International Folk Art (MOIFA). Lockwood will begin in this role on June 24, 2023.

Charlie Lockwood has over a decade of experience as a nonprofit arts administrator and public folklorist. He holds an MA in Ethnomusicology from UC Santa Barbara, where he played the oud with the UCSB Middle East Ensemble and did research with the Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans. As the Executive Director of Texas Folklife, the National Endowment for the Arts state-designated folklife program of Texas, Lockwood oversaw a variety of flagship public programs and initiatives, including an archival preservation project to organize, digitize, and ultimately disseminate the organization’s rich archival holdings dating from 1984. Over the last several years Lockwood has spearheaded programs focusing on the intersections of folk and traditional arts and health, including a military veterans folklore and storytelling initiative with support from NEA Creative Forces and Hechos, No Miedo (Facts, Not Fear), a covid-19 PSA Series in partnership with a variety of central Texas partners.

To read the full press release, click here.

Folk Art Flea Success!
A special thank you to all the dedicated Friends of Folk Art board members and volunteers who worked tirelessly for thousands of hours throughout the year to organize and execute the Folk Art Flea on May 6. The Folk Art Flea raised over $145,000 thanks to generous support from donors and Flea shoppers. These funds will support the Museum of International Folk Art's educational programs and exhibitions during the coming year. Every year, more than 100,000 visitors and 6,000 schoolchildren and their families across the region benefit from the museum’s outreach and programs.

Image: Flea sponsors, Sylvia Seret and Nance Lopez

La Cartonería Mexicana / The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste extends to Milner Plaza
Visitors to Milner Plaza this summer are in for a surprise when they encounter seven large-scale alebrijes sculptures (fantastical, imaginary creatures) that are on loan from the Mexican Cultural Center (MCC) in Du Page County, Illinois from their exhibition, Alebrijes: Creatures of a Dream World. The MCC Du Page will be installing these works on Milner Plaza on June 14, 15 and 16. Please come by and see two of the artists from Mexico City who will be on-site to assist in their installation.

This exciting partnership will provide a summer outdoor installation in conjunction with the indoor exhibition that opened at the Museum at the end of January 2023, La Cartonería Mexicana: The Mexican Art of Paper and Paste. This outdoor installation is sure to attract new visitors to the museum during the busy summer months and offer added opportunities for guests to learn about this innovative and creative artform. We are grateful to Los Amigos del Arte Popular for providing a grant in the amount of $7,500 to help make this installation possible.

Image: Courtesy of MCC Du Page

Programming for Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan Continues
There will be a 90-minute program at the museum including an explanation and a video of Awa Ningyō Jōruri from Tokushima Prefecture with a demonstration and hands-on experience of how to operate the large puppets, and the performance of "Keisei Awa no Naruto, The Scene of the Pilgrim’s Song" on Saturday, June 24 and repeated again on Sunday, June 25 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Image: Puppet musicians, tayu and shamisen

Between the Lines: Prison Art and Advocacy: A Community Conversation
On Father’s Day, June 18 from 1 to 3 p.m., there will be poetry readings in the Vernick Auditorium related to the impact of mass incarceration on families and communities. Please keep a look out for other community-based programming that engages visitors with the themes explored in the current exhibition in our Gallery of Conscience.

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm: The Alaska Native Parka Opened on May 20
Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm opened with a reception attended by over 50 museum supporters, exhibition collaborators as well as a Member Day attended by over 100 museum members. Be sure to visit this exquisite exhibition that explores the art of the parka, a garment made for survival in the harsh environments where Alaska Native peoples live and thrive. You can watch this short promotional video here.
Image: Susan Steinhauser, donor, and museum curator, Laura Addison

 

To support MOIFA’s Exhibition Development Fund and/or Education Fund please contact Laura Sullivan at laura@museumfoundation.org, or by phone at 505.216.0829.