MOIFA | SEPTEMBER 2023

[caption id="attachment_32435" align="alignnone" width="584"] MOIFA 70th Anniversary Logo[/caption]

 

Museum of International Folk Art celebrates 70!

The Museum of International Folk Art is celebrating its 70th anniversary with a private event on Wednesday, September 6 from 6-8 pm and a public event on Sunday, September 10 from 1-3 pm. Come celebrate seventy years of generous support and community engagement at the Museum.

Festivities on September 6 will include wine and beer and internationally-inspired appetizers by Museum Hill Café with Latin-fusion music by members of Baracutanga on Milner Plaza. Birthday cake and bubbly will follow in the museum atrium with the New Mexico Marimba Band. We are grateful for lead support by International Folk Art Foundation, Friends of Folk Art, Maria and Ed Gale, the Gale Family Foundation, and Museum Hill Café. Additional support was provided by Rosalind Doherty, Rae Hoffacker and Peter Pappas, Edelma and David Huntley, Mary Anne and Bruce Larsen, Ann Murdy and La Farge Foundation for Folk Art and Sarah Heartt. Register here for the festivities!

On Sunday, September 10, from 1-3 pm the museum will be serving birthday cake and punch, with family activity tables, docent-led tours and live musical and dance performance by Compañía Chuscales & Mina Fajardo Flamenco. Labyrinth Resource Group of Santa Fe will also hold a walk titled "Ever Changing " from 1-2 pm.

 

Best of Santa Fe

Best of Santa Fe- Santa Fe Reporter

 

According to the Santa Fe Reporter, the museum has been voted "Best Museum" in the publication's annual "Best of Santa Fe" poll for 15 consecutive years, “With folklorist Charlie Lockwood coming on as the museum’s new executive director last May, there might not be a better time to re-learn why Santa Fe loves MOIFA so hard. The still-running Yokai exhibit on Japanese demon lore can provide your first clues, as can Ghhúunayúkata/To Keep Them Warm: The Alaska Native Parka. Don’t forget about special events and lectures, too, plus regularly free access for locals.”

 

De vuelta a la Escuela, Día de Familia / Back to School Family Day

Cuerdas del Corazon Performance

 

Gerard’s House, an organization dedicated towards providing grief support services for kids and families, partnered with the museum to host a community event, Back to School Family Day, on Saturday, August 12 attended by over 460 children and adults. Leslie Fagre, the museum’s director of education commented, “this was a unique partnership event that brought many Southside Spanish-speaking families to the museum—many who have never been here before.”

The partners created a fun day filled with activities, live entertainment, community resources, free school supplies, and many other goodies. Here are some high points from the event:
165 backpacks filled with essential school supplies were distributed
Served over 300 refreshing paleta popsicles
Held raffle with amazing prizes including laptop, bike, professional back-to-school photo shoot, and gift certificates
Danced, played, and made art and explored themes from museum exhibitions

The museum sends a heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated community partners who made this possible and rally around families, providing essential resources and a sense of belonging. MOIFA education staff commented, “Your unwavering support adds a layer of comfort and strength as we face both the challenges and excitement of the coming school year together. Our hearts are full!” An additional shout out to Hector Alveldano from Fathers New Mexico for making this wonderful video of the event!

 

Education Highlights

The museum had a tremendous reach this past year and served 37,192 (26,716 on-site and 10,476 off-site) youth and adults through its various education, community outreach and public programs throughout the past fiscal year. Community partners included Gerard’s House, Southside Library and Cooking with Kids. Kemely Gomez, bilingual educator, collaborated with a new partner, Axle Mobile Art Space this past year to bring a Cartonería (Mexican Papier-mâché) exhibit and workshops to schools and community organizations in Santa Fe, Española and Albuquerque. School partnerships with El Camino Real Academy, Mandela International Magnet School and Abiquiu Elementary School in Rio Arriba County were generously supported by La Farge Foundation for Folk Art, as well as private donors.

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.