Curator Talk: A World of Influence: The Extraordinary Arts of New Mexico

New Mexico has been portrayed as a place “frozen in time”—a land of unchanging traditions. The reality is far more fascinating. Its artistic heritage is rooted in centuries of cultural exchange, adaptation, and innovation, shaped by far-reaching global influences.

Join Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum Director Jana Gottshalk as she traces the remarkable journeys of tinwork, retablos, straw appliqué, and other traditional art forms. Through stories of migration, trade, faith, and craftsmanship, discover how these distinctive works evolved into the uniquely New Mexican traditions we know today. Together, you’ll experience a vibrant testament to the people, cultures, and creative forces that continue to shape New Mexico.

Free tickets available August 24.

About the Speaker

Jana Gottshalk is the E. Boyd Curator and Museum Director at Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum, where she brings more than two decades of experience in Spanish Colonial and Nuevomexicano arts to the preservation and interpretation of New Mexico’s rich cultural heritage. She’s previously worked at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, the Denver Art Museum, and the New Mexico Museum of Art, and her graduate research explored the New Deal era in New Mexico with a particular focus on New Mexican furniture. Through exhibitions that thoughtfully pair historic and contemporary works, and working closely with living artists, Gottshalk reveals the enduring traditions, evolving creativity, and distinctive artistic legacy of New Mexico.