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My
love affair with the work of the santeros and santeras
of New Mexico began on my first trip to Santa Fe 16 years ago.
Having been raised a Catholic, I had seen the image of Our Lady
of Guadalupe more than a few times in my years at Catholic schools,
but I was never really aware of how beautiful the image was
until my trip. For those who have been to Santa Fe there may
already be an awareness of how popular She is as a devotional
figure in the Spanish-speaking culture. Shortly after that trip,
I began a small collection of images of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe
with the help of a Mexican art gallery in Philadelphia called
"Eyes" run by Isaiah and Julia Zagar who were probably
the first to introduce the religious art of Mexico and South
America to the Philadelphia area. But it wasn't until my recent
visit to Santa Fe a few years back that my devotion to Our Lady
reached a new level.
At left: A purchased treasure, Guardian
Angel retablo by Colorado santero, Frank Zamora at his
booth at Winter Spanish Market, December 2009
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My
quest for more images of Our Lady of Guadalupe for my personal
altar collection at home led me into an exquisite shop off The
Plaza called Móntez
Gallery. It was here that I met the owner, who was also
a santero (saint-maker) with a devotion to Our Lady of
Guadalupe. The conversation that followed led to an eventual
friendship which has provided me with knowledge about a culture
about which I knew nothing, the Spanish settlers of Santa Fe
who had been saint-making in the traditional style for over
400 years in this very country.
I am continually
amazed at the knowledge of Rey Móntez on the topics
of the history of the region, and of the santeros and
santeras past and present who lived and worked in New
Mexico, devoting their lives to this incredible art form.
Rey also introduced me to The Spanish Market, held in Santa
Fe twice a year, when the saint-makers of Northern New Mexico
and Colorado come to the town with their art for market, and
told me more about the ceremonies that surround the show.
I am still shaking my head in disbelief that in all my years
of traveling abroad to see art, I never knew it existed in
this form in our own country! It amazes me that in all my
college art lectures no mention was ever made of the richness
of art and culture in our own land!
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My
first Spanish Market in July of 2008 proved to be more
than I ever could have imagined. The sheer quantity of
devotional art being created in a traditional way in so
many different materials---wood, straw, tin, paintings
and iron work to mention a few, was astounding. Santa
Fe is an incredibly beautiful destination filled with
fine restaurants, museums, different cultural events and
oh, my---the shopping!!!! on any given day, but to see
it transformed for Spanish Market was an experience I
will never forget. The entire center of town was filled
with a celebration of art, music, food, and religious
devotion. None of the 5 senses was left untouched. The
Spanish seem to have celebration down to a fine art. But
the part that touched me the deepest, overwhelmed me beyond
belief, was the spiritual devotion unique to the region.
The
procession to The Plaza for the blessing of the art
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On Market
Sunday, there is a special procession by the participating artists
which begins in The Plaza and proceeds down San Franciso to
the famous Cathedral of St. Francis, completed in 1884 by Father
Jean Baptiste Lamy (Some of you may have read about it in Willa
Cather's Pulitzer Prize winning, Death Comes for the Archbishop,
Vintage Classics, 1927). I can not imagine how one can watch
the procession accompanied by the tolling of the cathedral bells
through peaceful Santa Fe streets without choking down a few
tears as they view the multi-generations of Spanish descendants
of the original settlers who create this breathtaking transporting
it with such humble devotion. Personally, I used my entire stash
of tissues.
Artwork
is placed on the altar, and in a moving Mass by the current
Archbishop of New Mexico, the celebration begins. And it is
indeed a cause for celebration! The Cathedral is filled with
the sounds of a lively band, a concert of voices which rival
angels, and a homily dedicated to the people who continue to
devote their life to spiritual art. The procession continues
after the Mass with the Archbishop in the lead, blessing the
booths brimming with artwork in The Plaza as he goes. Bands
continue throughout the day, making the event an experience
to remember. Also noteworthy is the display of children's artwork
in the very heart of The Plaza. I was in awe of the talent which
they had devoted to the traditional art of the Spanish culture
at such a young age.
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The
art and Santa Fe reminds me in a way of my now second
favorite city, Venice. My fascination with Venice exists
in the fact that it is a city of exquisite beauty which
was born in a place where logically nothing other than
sea life should thrive. In so many ways, neither should
this extraordinary art exist in an environment so unforgiving
and remote as the deserts of New Mexico. Yet, like the
art of Venice, it thrives. There is a spiritual passion
that is so strong it has blossomed like a flower in a
land so harsh and to the East Coast eye, so uninhabitable.
The art grew from necessity... a necessity to reflect
spiritual devotion and to create art in an extraordinary
way with relatively no raw materials available (which
gave birth to the unique art forms of straw and tin work)
nor guidance to aide their artistic direction beyond that
which was in held in their own hearts.
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Since that first
trip to Spanish Market in 2008, I have returned for two more Markets.
Last summer I took along an entourage of friends and family to introduce
them to what lies in our own backyards. They were all as awed by the
experience as I. This winter in December of 2009 I went to my first
Winter Spanish Market, which, though not as large, had its own set of
benefits. One was that it was easier to talk at length with many of
the artists since the crowds weren't so overwhelming as they can be
in summer. Another is that it was an opportunity to experience Santa
Fe's magic in the snow at Christmas time. Not to mention, I did all
my Christmas shopping in one place!
I left The Spanish
Market with a feeling of great joy, awe and renewal of my own spirit.
And naturally, I also left with more than a few new images of Our Lady
of Guadalupe, my forever guide. I gained an incredible appreciation
and respect for the artists of the region who bring spirituality and
beauty into a world that needs it more than ever right now. And we can
all use a little more of that!
SPANISH
MARKET IS HELD THE LAST WEEKEND OF JULY
AND THE FIRST WEEKEND OF DECEMBER EACH YEAR.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CLICK HERE.
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