Basketmaking

Irene Smith has been making baskets and fiber vessels since 1974, and has many years’ experience as a conservator of Native American basketry. Irene owns Metier Gallery in Dixon, NM, a full-time studio and gallery with fiber art by area artists.

Colcha Embroidery

Kay Lewis is a fourth-generation New Mexican and resident of Santa Fe, where she has served as a free-lance tour guide for the past 28 years. While a docent at the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art she became enamored with the art of Colcha embroidery. Currently she shows and sells her work at the museum gift shop and other prestigious locations in Santa Fe. She continues to travel the world gathering fabrics and yarns—stitching all the way.

Tierra Wools

Located in Los Ojos, NM, Tierra Wools is the modern doorway into the ancient and traditional way of life that has linked sheepherders, wool gatherers, dyers and weavers for generations. Offering a glimpse back to the time when the Hispanic weaving tradition maintained village artisans through long cold winters, today’s weavers specialize in high quality traditional and contemporary weavings in the Rio Grande style.

Los Ojos Fish Hatchery

The hatchery has been in operation since 1932 and is the second largest production hatchery in the State of New Mexico. The facility cultivates Rainbow trout catchables for local waters, as well as housing the State's Kokanee salmon stocking program. Hatchery manager Peter Thompson, will talk about the hatchery’s history, future stocking plans for local waters, and the status of the dreadful whirling disease that plagued our fish population for years. Plan to share in the rare experience of stocking several hundred fish into El Vado Lake.

Wildlife Rescue Inc of New Mexico

Educator Peggy McCormick does education programs for WRI all over the state of New Mexico. A wildlife rehabilitator since 2002, she works mainly with raptors and corvids, and will accompanied in her presentation by several live birds.

Patience Grasshopper Therapeutics

Herbalist Amilia Casaus Elliott operates her outpatient clinic in Chama, NM. Amilia began her herbal studies 8 years ago, and currently enjoys harvesting local herbs, formulating teas and tinctures, and practicing holistic medicine.

Robert Torrez

Renowned retired NM State Historian Robert Tórrez is the author of many articles and several books on New Mexico history, among them the recently published Rio Arriba, A New Mexico County. Mr. Tórrez was born and raised in Los Ojos, and was a member of Tierra Amarilla High School’s last graduating class. He served as New Mexico State Historian from 1987 to 2000, and is an animated and popular speaker. He will have copies of his books for sale.

Wood Carving

Los Ojos resident Leroy Lopez says, “I was making art before I knew I was making art!” A versatile artist, Mr. Lopez has worked with wood, clay, paints, stone, wire, and more, fashioning jewelry, wood carvings, drawings and paintings made with colors he has created out of local clays. He has taught wood carving to local residents and is a renowned santero. Today’s demonstrations will focus on traditional wood carving and wire work.

Spinning and Dyeing

Retired Executive Director of the Northern Rio Grande National Heritage Area, and former State Archaeologist of New Mexico Glenna Dean is passionate about fiber and the history of spinning and dyeing, and over the years has collected and used tools and materials used to spin yarn around the world. As a recent retiree she is looking forward to pursuing various research interests, as well as using natural dyes to recreate colors used in Colonial New Mexico for colcha embroidery. She will bring samples of handspun yarn and demonstrate ”how to spin anything with nothing.”