A Chair for All Reasons
Through January 4, 2009
 Sitting
is a universal experience. Throughout the world, people
settle into chairs, stretch out on benches, perch on stools,
sink into sofas or cushion themselves with a pillow, marking
the body's state as being both stationary yet dynamic.
A Chair for all Reasons will exhibit chairs, benches,
and stools from around the world; seventy are from the
United States, eleven will be from Europe, three from
Asia, five from Africa, five from Central America, and
one representing the New Mexican-Hispano tradition.
Needles+Pins: Textiles & Tools
in the Neutrogena Wing
Through January 4, 2009
 Explore
the processes, techniques, tools and equipment-spinning
wheels, bobbins, looms -used in creating and producing
weavings, lace work, and other forms of needlework. A
variety of tools are juxtaposed with examples of the beautiful
textiles that result featuring pieces from the Museum's
unsurpassed collection of textiles and costumes from many
cultures and regions. Visitors are invited to:
Try your hand at embroidery, Add to the group weaving,
Use a loom to make a pot holder. A series of textile
artist demonstrations complement the exhibition».
Photo, right, above: Spinning wheel, detail.
USA, 1881, Wood, Gift of Stephen B. Hull Photo by Ricardo
Hernandez.
Trasteros and Trunks
from the Permanent Collection
Changing Gallery, Hispanic Heritage Wing, through fall
2008.
 During
the early Middle Ages the Spanish adopted the Moorish
use of chests, low stools and benches as the predominant
furniture items placed around the edges of rooms. In New
Mexico, the ornate mudejar or Christo-Mauresque
geometric decorative elements blended with Pueblo Indian
motifs resulting in a distinctive New Mexican style. This
selection of trunks, boxes and chests spanning three centuries
illuminates the origins and techniques of contemporary
southwestern style.
Photo, right: Trastero by Abad Lucero (1901-current)
1995, Albuquerque
Pine & varnish
Hand forged ironwork, topped with a crest carved as a
half-rosette and framed with hand adzed marks.
Ongoing Exhibitions:
Multiple Visions:
A Common Bond
 Explore
the Girard Foundation Collection this unique exhibition
designed by the collector and donor, Alexander Girard.
Since the opening in 1982, more than a million visitors
have been delighted by the richly varied displays of toys,
traditional arts, village scenes, textiles, and popular
arts. Over 100 countries are represented in Girard's innovative
use of the color and gallery space with objects at eye
level for visitors 2 to 102, even overhead.
25th Anniversary!»
Familia y Fe (Family
and Faith)
 Family
and faith are two major sources of strength and continuity
in Hispanic New Mexico. Religious faith was the foundation
upon which the Spanish colony of New Mexico was established
and maintained; and the strong family was the core of colonial
and 19th century Society. Both continue to have significance
in contemporary New Mexico. The endurance of these themes
are illuminated by displays of religious imagery, furniture,
tinwork, jewelry, household utensils, tools, agricultural
equipment, horse gear, jewelry, and architectural elements
ranging from the colonial era to contemporary works in the
Changing Gallery.
Opened in 1989, the
Hispanic Heritage Wing» was the first permanent,
dedicated space for the exhibition of Hispanic Arts in the
State of New Mexico. Walking through the massive hand-carved
doors that mark the main entrance to the wing, visitors
may observe the strong continuity that characterizes Hispanic
art tradition in New Mexico. Specially commissioned for
the wing, the doors are based on those that grace the entry
of Chimayo's famous, Santuario de Nester Señor
de Esquipulas, dating to 1816.
 Lloyd's
Treasure Chest provides visitors with the opportunity
to interact with works not on display in the upstairs galleries,
providing a context for further appreciation and understanding
of folk heritage, traditions, and aesthetics. Here, visitors
have the opportunity to experience the behind-the-scenes
museum activities and gain insight into aspects of preservation
and conservation relating to the diverse works, and see
videos about folk artists.
Lloyd's Treasure Chest in the Neutrogena Wing»
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