Taos Woman by The Taos News

Keeping the smiles of Taos women Healthy and bright for 18 years

and team

Teeth Cleaning and Prevention Cosmetic Dentistry • Periodontal Disease Crowns • Bridges • Veneers • Whitening • ZOOM If you’ve ever wanted a more attractive, confident smile, this is your chance! Call today for a complimentary consultation.

NORTHERN

NEW MEXICO CENTER FOR COSMETIC DENTISTRY

751-9661 1337 Gusdorf Rd, Suite A www.kellieharrisdds.com Most insurance accepted

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

taoswoman celebrating the feminine spirit

The undeniably female spirit of Taos

aos, for all of its rough spots — harsh winters, harsh climate, isolation, etc. — is a place softened and strengthened by its women.

instead searched for stories that looked more deeply at trends, movements and issues that are affected or have an effect on local women.

While it is likely cliché to point out the obvious, our area is dominated by strong role models and leaders — in all walks of life — who just happen to have been born female.

Artist and author Claire Haye starts things off with a preview of her upcoming book, which focuses on the aging process (page 6), and Andrew Oxford ends things with a story about a pottery class for women who have struggled with substance abuse issues (page 56).

Ever since the town of Taos’ highly successful Remarkable Women campaign a few years ago, there has been an emphasis by some to focus the spotlight on our region’s many impressive women. “Taos Woman” is The Taos News’ contribution to this ongoing effort and discussion. In previous issues, we’ve used the profile as our main vehicle for celebrating individuals. This time around, we tried to move away from that method and

Contents

In between, we talk to members of PFLAG about building a community of acceptance (page 10); a group of women who have reinvented themselves in retirement (page 14); a retiree who has helped raise more than a few Taos children (page 18) and a group of talented chefs (page 26). Elizabeth Crittenden

Second acts: four women blaze new trails after retirement, by Teresa Dovalpage

Five women chefs who shine in Taos, by Teresa Dovalpage Women of the Taos Farmers Market: A photo series from Katharine Egli

Welding workshops: A new arc for interested women, by Mel A. James

Adelaide Bruce: Celebrating over three decades with Taos children, by Jordan Miera Using philanthropy to advance issues of importance to all women, by Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

In addition to the welding workshops, art is a theme of this publication as we feature

We also have an essay from activist Josie Lenwell about her life’s vocation (page 48) and a story from Cindy Brown about female athletes striving to be the best in their respective activities (page 54). Hopefully, if there’s a clear thread in this publication, it’s that the Taos Woman cannot be defined — and that outdated stereotypes of all kinds are nowhere as fun and interesting as the myriad activities, jobs and issues that affect everyone, not just women. — Andy Jones, special sections editor

Robin Martin, owner

PFLAG: Celebrating diversity through building community, by Cody Hooks

The Taos News’ staff photographer Katharine Egli brings us a photo series on the women of the Taos Farmers Market (page 30) that shows how women are truly changing the face of local agriculture, and Mel A. James brings us information about artist Christina Sporrong’s welding workshops for women (page 32) that offer a chance for women to learn a new skill, and an opportunity for everyone to change the way they perceive modern-day gender roles.

the summer Taos Folk pop-up store (page 34); Questa artist Claire Coté (page 38); Georgia Gersh and her store, Magpie (page 42); and a group of young performance poets (page 44).

Taos News Staff

Questions about life’s journey, by Claire Haye

Palacios from Taos Community Foundation also talks about a growing trend in women-led philanthropic efforts and how these efforts can help improve the diversity of community projects in Taos (page 22).

TAOSFOLK: ‘The famous pop-up store’ comes to summertime crowds, by Yvonne Pesquera Questa’s Claire Coté: Working toward artistic solutions, by Alberta Bouyer

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

Magpie: Georgia Gersh’s store is an experiential offering of small, affordable arts and crafts, by Yvonne Pesquera

Young Taos performance poets: Love and tradition, by Cindy Brown

A life of activism, by Josie Lenwell

Fueled by competition: Taos women rise to the top of respective sports, by Cindy Brown

Arts and recovery intersect at Taos pottery class, by Andrew Oxford

Chris Baker, publisher Joan Livingston, editor Chris Wood, advertising manager Andy Jones, special sections editor Michelle M. Gutierrez, lead editorial designer Jennifer Taphorn, production manager Katharine Egli, photographer On the Cover: Photos by Katharine Egli Cover design by Jennifer Taphorn

taos-womens-health-ad_wcs-ad 6/3/15 8:53 AM Page 1

Comprehensive Care for You and Your Baby

Looking for a provider to treat you and your baby during your pregnancy?

A full range of wellness services for women of all ages!

Women’s Care Specialists is here for you! The clinicians of Women's Care Specialists are accomplished, caring specialists who have a long standing commitment to women's health. Their dedication combined with the latest technology and individualized treatment plans result in superior care.

Additionally, our board-certified specialists provide general gynecology, annual exams/well woman check-ups, cervical cancer screenings, pessary fittings, and infertility treatment.

We offer: • Comprehensive pregnancy care • Hospital midwifery • Family planning counseling • We accept Medicaid

OUR PROVIDERS: Trisha Maxon, CNM Jane McMillan, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN Dena Knight, CNM Sheila Cepeda, MD, FACOG, OB-GYN

Symptoms we treat include: • Chronic pelvic pain • Abnormal bleeding • Incontinence of urine • Urgency/Frequency in urination • Uterine/Vaginal/Bladder prolapse

To book an appointment call

(505) 984-0303

465 St. Michael’s Drive, Suite 117

Santa Fe, NM 87505

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Questions about life’s journey Local artist shares ‘A Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging’

By Claire Haye

unday, cold and clear — the sky was fierce blue with snow on the ground. A spectacular winter morning. I was invited to my daughter Melissa’s house for a family gathering. I cautiously drove the seven mountain miles from my home to her country home. Last night’s fresh snow crackled under my boots as I walked from my car to Melissa’s front door. It was unlocked. Silent. I wandered in and removed my jacket and hung it on a hook. Unannounced, I went into the kitchen where Melissa was making crepes. She stopped cooking and looked hard at me for a long still moment, her grey eyes wide in her beautiful pale face. My daughter spoke, “When you came in, I was frightened.” She paused, “I thought you were Grandma Bea ... really, you looked just like her.” My god. Melissa thought I was my dead mother. Grandma Bea had taken leave of us 20 years ago. Unsettled, I grumbled to myself, “There it is. Much to my surprise and even my dismay, I have become my mother.” Last week, I went to a party as fine as I could make myself, all groomed and glossy. No one took notice of me. What I really mean is none of the men looked at me. I had become oddly invisible to them. The message is significant, the reality unavoidable. Claire the Sex Goddess has left the room. Indeed, I am transforming into an old woman. Consider my situation: I am a woman alone, healthy, a selfemployed artist with my own gallery, grown daughters, sonsin-law, grandchildren, a beautiful home, a well-functioning car. Yes, my life seems solid and comfortable — nothing to be concerned about, except creating new jewelry designs each year and a lingering hope for a last romance. Now that most of my life has been lived, with my youth and my middle age behind me, what am I missing or avoiding in my selfportrait? Why is there an alligator in the bathtub? Where did I hide Photo by Melissa Haye-Cserhat

Artist Claire Haye in her studio.

GUIDE TO AGING continues on Page 8

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

Fine antique

Custom

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

119 Bent Street or PO BOX 1510 | taos, new mexico 87571 | 575-758-1061 | ruffin@newmex.com

Handmade & Custom Wedding & Partners’ Rings

Fine European Handwork in the Noble Metals

Since 1980

award winning designs

GOLDSMITHS

Emily Benoist Ruffin

Handmade

Mixed Metals

Contemporary Mokume Gane

TAOS WOMAN 2015

GUIDE TO AGING continued from Page 6

The truth is: I am aging and will continue to age. the key to the buried treasure? Who ate the missing piece to the jigsaw puzzle? I understand there are givens that I cannot escape. My genes have programmed me to age in certain ways. I have the accumulation of the particular life I have led, the stress and how I dealt with the stress, the food eaten, the commitment to exercise or not, the smoking or not, the alcohol and drugs taken, the environment lived in and the luck (unexplainable events or circumstances) or lack of luck in my life. All these things affect my expiration date. The truth is: I am aging and will continue to age. Before I paint my last canvas, I will experience the deterioration of many of the physical systems that have kept me a fully functioning and quite independent person. What will my last chapter be like? How will the aging process affect my ability to be selfdetermining and active? What can I do to stay vital? Can I afford to get old? These are important questions for all mature women to ask ourselves. We might hope for a pill, or an injection, or an operation that would prevent us from becoming elderly or would give us back our youth. We might hope. Scientists are researching the biological process in attempts to halt or even reverse aging. Considering the profit to be made, science may soon have some tangible answers. My cynical opinion is that expensive magic pills, or fantastic blood replacement schemes ensuring permanent youth, will be available only to an elite — the same elite that now controls the majority of the world’s assets. Most of us, certainly most of us women, will have to manage our own aging experience with diet, exercise, Photo by Lenny Foster

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

cosmetic adjustment, social outreach, purpose or spiritual belief, and preventive medical and dental care. Yes, I acknowledge that I will fade and pass away. My consciousness of my own inevitable physical decline and eventual death was a powerful motivator in my writing this book. I have accepted that as I grow older, I am more and more like my mother. Grandma Bea had a long and juicy life. She dwelled alone in an elegant Manhattan apartment. A former dancer, she taught until the week before she died. Until the very end, she kept her curiosity, her will, and her ability to balance her checkbook. I am awed by her resilience. I have decided it is an excellent thing to mirror her as I wise. In the process of researching and writing “A Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging: Together We Contemplate the Power of Choice,” I have become acquainted with some very dry, not to mention depressing and headache-inducing material. I wish to share what I have learned with my fellow travelers. However, this assemblage of stories, ideas and information is meant to be an investigation/ inquiry, not a “how-to” or a proselytizing book. “The Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging” is here to encourage you to think about your life, ask important questions, make choices and find answers. I invite you to journey with me. Claire L. Haye is an artist whose Claireworks Gallery is a fixture in Arroyo Seco. She is well known for her jewelry and sculpture. “A Modern Woman’s Guide to Aging” is her first book. The “Guide” will be available starting July 20. Claireworks Gallery will host the official book launch Saturday, Aug. 22. Find out more at amodernwomansguide.com or claireworks.com.

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Katharine Egli

Cheylah Schochet, left, and Sahra Cottschau watch Taos’ first-ever Pride Parade make its way down Paseo del Pueblo Sur last August.

PFLAG Celebrating diversity through building community By Cody Hooks

eet just some of the women of PFLAG Taos and it’s easy to see the group is working on more LGBTQ issues than there are colors in the rainbow. Formerly known as Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gays, PFLAG is a local chapter of a national organization. Here in Taos, the women of PFLAG are taking a macro view of our micro community, finding ways to move beyond superficial tolerance toward a truly accepting and celebratory community for all forms of diversity — but especially LGBTQ people.

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

They’ll be the first to tell you the community they’re trying to build isn’t for themselves. As PFLAG member Janie Corinne explained, a lot of the queer people who end up in Taos aren’t here for the LGBTQ community and nightlife (as if anyone, straight or gay, comes to Taos for the nightlife). In fact, not all of the women of PFLAG are queer. Their meetings and bake sales are full of allies — straight folks fighting alongside their LGBTQ friends and family. Annouk Ellis was a PFLAG mom who restarted the Taos organization in 2010, and worked tirelessly “to build a more accepting, peaceful and healthy community,” says Barbara

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

Sheppard, president of PFLAG Taos. Ellis passed away, but more moms, aunts and caring women joined the ranks of PFLAG because of her work. The community the women of PFLAG are strengthening stretches beyond Taos, beyond parades and rainbow flags, and right to the hearts and minds of their neighbors. Eileen Wiard organizes the speakers bureau, a leg of PFLAG that speaks anywhere and everywhere someone will listen. “We don’t try to shock,” Wiard said. “We meet people where they are, and we tell our stories from the heart.” When Wiard was first asked

to join the PFLAG effort, she thought, “But I’m nobody different and special. What’s my story?” In the end, she thought back to all the gay men who had been so influential to her life — a co-worker, a student and a cousin whose funeral she can’t really remember, because back then, the complexities of being LGBTQ just wasn’t on society’s radar. Though many cities and towns, including Taos, have pride parades, and even though TV and magazine covers are filled with more LGBTQ stories than ever before, LGBTQ people still face undue hatred, violence and pain. PFLAG continues on Page 12

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Cody Hooks PFLAG Taos members, from left, Janie Corinne, Barbara Sheppard, Rosie Williams, Eileen Wiard and Renée Lynda Martínez.

PFLAG continued from Page 10

uch of the need for PFLAG — and for individual champions of acceptance — lie out of the reach of what is most obviously seen. Sheppard says, “Taos still has that ‘don’t askdon’t tell’ policy. There’s a hidden violence…in substance abuse and bullying.” Indeed, substance use and abuse among LGBTQ people is consistently higher than among their straight peers, especially for young people, who are also most often victims of bullying. Sheppard says bullying is intensified in the 21st century with the viral nature of social media. “It can stick with a kid for a long time. Just because bullying has been around for a long time doesn’t mean it’s a good thing.” And Janie Corinne, who’s worked on LGBTQ health, says the violence, both subtle and deadly overt, against transgendered people and queer people of color remains

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

‘My utmost concern isn’t who you love, it’s how you love.’ — Rosie Williams, PFLAG Taos member

alarmingly, “horridly” high. Renée Lynda Martínez joined PFLAG after wrestling with organized religion, “backsliding into bigotry” and finding her way back to a place of acceptance. As a self-proclaimed “mestiza, a halfbreed,” Martínez says she’s pained by what she sees in her own community of people of color — grown men, married with kids, taking their own lives because the pressures of what’s “normal” are overwhelming and deadly in their own right.

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

And when asked why being a straight ally and being Christian are wrapped up together in her life, Martínez simply says, “They’re one in the same, dear.” The women of PFLAG come from different generations, geographies, cultures and sexualities. But a bent toward making a better world is what brings them together. And it empowers their work. Much of the work of PFLAG is focused around kids and young people — teaching 9th graders

about emotional intelligence, giving out scholarships for college and speaking in schools and churches and other groups. Rosie Williams, a millennial from Santa Fe and assistant director at Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, started working with young people as a way to fight systemic oppression. But even though she’s young, Williams knows “the spectrum is changing so rapidly.” The young people she works with have self-expressions — words and ideas and images to make sense of the their lives — that are so far above and beyond what older people, like her parents, understand. “My utmost concern isn’t who you love, it’s how you love,” she says. And how do you love more? How do you love better? A lot of it, she said, starts with unraveling your own family’s trauma and drama. And that starts with a heart-felt conversation.

“Page is amazingly knowledgeable, creative, tenacious, and caring." ~Rusty Heck & Debra Spring

Taos . . . It’s a Way of Life

LOTA REALTY, INC.

575.758.7890 TaosRealEstate.com page@TaosHomePage.com TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Teresa Dovalpage

Gale Picard Dorian, left, during a recent fundraising event that focused on chocolate.

Second acts Four women blaze new trails after retirement By Teresa Dovalpage

ccording to the latest U.S. Census Bureau, many baby boomer women, currently between 60 and 75 years old, are expected to live into their 90s. But what exactly does that mean for them? For a long time, “life after 60” meant slowing down, working less, or not working at all, and — well, retiring. But this has changed. Some people just don’t want to retire. Others don’t have the option.

BONNIE LEE BLACK: WRITER, EDUCATOR AND FORMER CHEF

Bonnie Lee Black is among those who never planned for retirement.

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

“The odd thing is, I never thought I would live this long,” she said. “My mom died at 69, and since we were so alike physically, I always suspected, deep down, that 69 would be my end-date too. Well, I was wrong! Here I am at 70 and can’t remember when I felt better.” She just retired from UNMTaos, where she taught English and culinary classes for 10 years. “I’m blazing my own, new trail and loving it,” she said. “Now I’m free to travel and explore more of the world — other countries, other languages, other ways of living and being.” Now she is in Guanajuato, Mexico, for four months, working on a culinary project and a historical novel about her great-

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

grandmother. “I have the luxury of being able to focus since I have fewer distractions,” she said. “When we are younger we are pulled in different directions, but at this moment in my life I can just concentrate on what I want to do. My current goal is to write another good book.”

MARY MCPHAIL GRAY: “VOLUNTEERISM COMES NATURALLY TO ME”

Mary McPhail Gray brought to Taos a diverse background that includes her experience in higher education and her many years in Washington, D.C., where she was the deputy administrator for 4-H family and nutrition programs in the National Institute of Food and

Agriculture. She holds a doctorate in family ecology and special education from Michigan State University. Gray came to Taos for the first time 35 years ago, when she stayed at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House. She came back and visited many times afterwards until she moved here permanently in February 2011. “I knew that, if I wanted to meet people, I needed to do some kind of volunteer work,” she said. “I was raised in the Midwest and have this deep commitment to giving back to others. I also come from a family of teachers who were always about community — volunteerism comes naturally to me.” SECOND LIVES continues on Page 16

Women in Philanthropy CREATE CHANGE CONNECT COMMIT COLLABORATE and CELEBRATE women and children in our communities. Together we make a difference! To join with us! Call 575 737 9300 or contact: WIP coordinator, Lisa Sharp, lisasharp1906@gmail.com

TAOS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION For good. For ever.

114 Des Georges Lane, Taos TAOSCF.ORG

Celebrating The Taos Woman Andrea M Suazo

575-751-9500

1010B Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Photo courtesy of Bonnie Lee Black

Bonnie Lee Black in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Courtesy Photo

Mary Grey McPhail

Teresa Dovalpage

Gael Minton at her Talpa farm.

SECOND LIVES continued from Page 14

She became involved with NonViolence Works in December 2011 as a board member. “They needed people who knew about behavioral health,” she said. “So I was happy to be part of it.” Currently she is the chairwoman of the nonprofit and considers her volunteer work “very rewarding.” “When you retire, it’s critical that you look at your physical health, your creativity and your volunteerism,” Gray said. “So I also took to playing the cello for the creative aspect, to playing golf for my physical health and I also got a big dog, Kona, a rescue.” She sees Taos as a beehive of talented people. “It’s a great place to work with people of different ages,” she said. “I feel rich in friendships and connections. I am very grateful for the many talented people I have met here.”

GALE PICARD DORION: DREAMING THE DREAM OF THE EARTH

Moving into the culinary field was a surprise to Gale Picard

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

Dorion, a farm-to-table chef who made a career change, from jewelry making to catering, at 72 years old. “Yet it shouldn’t be that surprising,” she said. “I’ve always loved to nourish people and to be of service.” She refers to two quotes that define her choice of what turned out to be her “second life after retirement.” “One is, ‘If the land dreams through us, what does it dream?’ from Claire Coté and Anna Keleher’s website Dreaming Place [dreamingplaceproject.wordpress. com],” she said. “The other one: ‘To put our passion in service to our Earth’s dreams,’ from the Rev. Gary Kowalski’s talk June 7 at the Unitarian Universal service. This is my dream, that what I feel is the dream of Earth dreaming through me — I want to be part of the feedback loop, in service with Earth’s dreams, that help our community to flourish.” When asked for advice to women who are planning to

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

reinvent themselves after retirement, she said, “Choose what touches you personally, what answers an inner dream, what releases a passion, for those are often the ones that resonate with Earth’s dreams and give the impetus (and endurance!) needed to make a ‘second life’ succeed, and even have a butterfly effect in our world, with our small changes producing big effects.”

GAEL MINTON: FROM CLASSROOM TO FARM

Gael Minton was an adjunct professor at Antioch University in New England for 27 years. She holds a doctorate in environmental health sciences and clinical nutrition and was director of admissions at Antioch in Keene, New Hampshire, for nine years. Her husband Ty Minton is a native New Mexican and founder of the Antioch University New England Environmental Studies Graduate program. Retiring from academia in 2001, the Mintons restored two acres of historically irrigated land on Acequia del Monte in Talpa. Gael

has been a commissioner of the acequia since 2004. She is on the Taos Valley Acequia Association board and active with the New Mexico Acequia Association. Minton’s Squash Blossom Farm CSA (community supported agriculture) program, now in its 12th season, provides produce, herbs and flowers to eight to 14 members June through September. Minton also keeps bees and is active in a network of Taos Women Farmers, which she started in 2010. She is an amateur flutist who has studied with Nancy Laupheimer here in Taos and played in the Santa Fe Flute Choir. She is in her mid 70s and her husband in his late 70s, yet they don’t consider themselves “retirees.” “We just changed the main focus of our work,” she said. “My husband is now a full-time potter and I farm three seasons of the year. We love the climate, environment and community of Taos.”

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Photo

Adelaide Bruce and a group of children during story time.

Adelaide Bruce Celebrating over three decades with Taos children

By Jordan Miera

n the grand scheme of things, not many people have watched more children grow up than Adelaide Bruce. She estimates she has watched and cared for at least 200 of them during her 35 years of childcare in Taos. Her childcare group is called “Maison des Petits,” or “Home for Little Ones.” Although Bruce will continue taking care of two children one day per week for a short amount of time, down from four children four

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

days per week, she considers this to be her retirement.

Dumrese says she knew she wanted Bruce to look after her children.

asked the same question, Clark said he loved to play with her toys.

“A lot of children in town were kind of raised through their toddler years by Adelaide,” Lily Dumrese, a mother of two children Bruce has cared for, says. Dumrese says she had heard of Adelaide from other people, so she and her husband Derric went to meet her and look at the care facilities. With the beautiful, tree-filled, green backyard with swings, sandboxes, other play things and rabbits, along with Adelaide’s “sweet self,”

The fruits of Bruce’s labors are evident in the lives and homes of the children she looked after. Dumrese’s children, 3-year-old Clark, and Ricky, nearly 5, learned the alphabet, songs, how to count and much more from Bruce.

Bruce attended Johns Hopkins University, where she got a degree in nursing. Bruce and her husband Tom moved to Eureka, California. It was there that the Bruces had a son named Michael, who now runs a computer business in Taos. Adelaide wanted to do something where she could spend time with her son, so she started a small licensed playgroup there in 1979 when he was about 4 years old.

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

When asked by his mother what he loves about Bruce, Ricky said, “That she makes pictures with me.” Two walls in the family’s home are adorned by the art Ricky and Clark made while with Bruce. When

ADELAIDE BRUCE continues on Page 20

Let us show you Athe Woman’ s Touch beauty of Taos

Let us show you the beauty of Taos. Our energetic, knowledgeable, experienced team of women Realtors® are here to assist you whether you are buying or selling your home or land. You can count on us...we are dedicated to making your dream a reality! Pictured above left to right: Teri Koss, Ellen Lerner, Katheryn Pate, Kelly Haukebo center: Paula Madappa, Qualifying Broker. See all TAOS and ANGEL FIRE listings www.HighMountainProperty.com

575-758-5852 • 575-377-2626 • 888-687-5253 TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Photo Adelaide Bruce with a group of young children in her charge.

ADELAIDE BRUCE continued from Page 18

fter a stint living in Williamsburg, New Mexico, the Bruces moved to Taos to be closer to Adelaide’s family in 1980. Tom Bruce took a job with the Carson National Forest while Adelaide Bruce continued the childcare group here, where she has focused on caring for children aged 13-42 months. “What you want to do is you support the child at the stage they are at: emotionally, physically, nutritionally — and that’s what any parent really does — and they also support their interests,” Bruce says of her philosophy. Although Bruce acknowledges she is not the parent of the children she has watched over — and nobody could truly take the place of a parent — she did strive to make the environment at her Home for Little Ones group like that of a loving home. She tried to feed the children healthy snacks and lunches — with mostly organic and whole-grained foods — and read to them while they ate. She strove to teach them to be considerate of others’ feelings, teach fine-motor skills through art projects, perform basic hygienic tasks with them (she would help them brush their teeth), the list could go on and on. “She’s very hands-on, musical, learning, but letting the children be children,” Dumrese says of Bruce’s

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

Bruce believes it is important to introduce children to new things and purposely stimulate their brains, yet offer stability. childcare philosophy. “They could play and have fun and explore and learn through touch, feel and smell and sense. It’s a very beautiful way to raise children. ... Her love and passion for children and childcare and their well-being is truly inspiring.” Throughout the days, Bruce would monitor what the children seemed to be interested in and incorporate those things into the daily routine. For example, many of the children seemed to like music, and Adelaide would incorporate that into her daily plan. Bruce believes it is important to introduce children to new things and purposely stimulate their brains, yet offer stability. The children knew they would have a steady schedule, yet still have the opportunity to experience new things. She would go on walks with the children around the

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

neighborhood and occasionally give them the opportunity to choose activities. Dumrese is grateful for for that sense of stability. Adelaide got Ricky on a schedule with regular naps and passed additional wisdom on to Lily, who says she uses that wisdom to raise all of her children, including 6-month-old Henry, her youngest child. “It’s been a very enriching life,” Bruce says. “Very enriching, and I don’t regret one minute that we did it. You learn to appreciate so many various styles of parenting, and the kids are all growing up and are successful.” Throughout the years, she has kept in touch with many of the kids and families she has worked with, and they remain dear friends. For example, she was invited to the high school graduation ceremony of one of the children she cared for

years ago. Bruce acknowledges she could not have done it without the help and support of her husband. Sarah Salazar, a long-term substitute, always went above and beyond the call of duty, Adelaide pointed out. Bruce also wanted to recognize and thank Pauline Mondragon and Beatrice Espinoza, two helpers she has had over the years. “[Adelaide] and Tom are just genuine, real, lovely people, and what they’ve given to this community and to the children in this community over the years — you can’t really put words to it,” Dumrese says. “She’s done all of these children such a great honor, almost, to have gone to her first and to have been taught by her and play with her and learn from her. And for her to have done it for 35 years is truly remarkable. She’s going to be missed more than I can express.” In retirement, Bruce plans to go to art galleries, perhaps travel, garden and cook even more. Although she looks forward to doing these things, retirement is still a bittersweet concept to her. “I felt very enriched by meeting so many different people, but it’s the children. I’m going to miss them terribly,” Bruce says, eyes filled with tears, “because you cannot take care of those children and not grow to love them.”

Serving Taos for 15 years Licensed Massage Therapists

Kyoko Hummel

Brenda Archuleta

Manuela Maeder

Ahalya Frontino

Amelia Raymond 7 Days A Week

824 Paseo del Pueblo Norte (LMT #072 and others) TaosEssential.com

575.751.4040

GRANITE CONCEPTS CABINETS

Psychotherapy Services Honoring all the wonderful, creative women of Taos Suzanne Lovelace, LPCC 30 Years Experience

Insurance & Medicaid Accepted

575-779-4382

BY CONNIE

Celebrating 35 years of copying excellence since 1980 Women owned and operated by Lisa Gordon Located across from Kit Carson Park, in Yucca Plaza Business cards, blueprints, rack cards, custom invoices, banners, checks and now a full line of office products & wide format scanning 216 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte # K, Taos, NM 87571 575.758.3999 HOURS: 9-5 Mon-Fri • Sat 10-2

WOMEN DESIGNING OUTSIDE THE BOX.... WE ROCK! (575) 751-1998

(505) 816-8848

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Photos courtesy Taos Community Foundation

Grants made by female philanthropists can have a lasting impact on women and children.

Using philanthropy to advance issues of importance to all women By Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios

n a publication geared toward the wonderful women of Taos, we wanted to take some time to focus on how we can continue to enrich the lives of women and children in our community. Looking across the data, it’s clear that we still have a lot of work to do to support the women and children of Taos County.

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

A FEW EXAMPLES: • According to the 2013 Census, the gender wage gap in Taos County is .71, meaning women here make, on average, 71 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, lower than the national average of .78. This gap is even worse for women of color; the current gap for white non-Hispanic women in Taos County is .93,

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

but for Hispanic women it’s .59. • More than 25 percent of Taos County children fall under the poverty line; 43 percent are “near” poverty, and more than half qualify as low-income. • 61 percent of all births in Taos County are to single mothers, and 45 percent of single mothers here are living

under the national poverty level. Single mothers are more likely to feel disconnected from their community; disconnected women suffer from higher rates of depression and mental illness, and demonstrate high levels of past or current problems with substance abuse. PHILANTHROPY continues on Page 24

WOMAN OWNED AND OPERATED,

VARGAS TILE CO,

Celebrating 30+ years as a Woman-owned business

ACKNOWLEDGES ALL THE AMAZING WOMEN OF TAOS AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS...

School Supplies • Teachers’ Aids • Art Supplies Stationery • Greeting Cards • Stickers • Games Fun Rubber Stamps • Educational Toys • Puzzles

If unique is what you seek…

Unicorn School Supply 575-758-4106 • 311 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos Open 9-5, Monday-Friday • 9 - noon, Saturday

STORE HOURS: Monday thru Friday 8:30 - 5:00pm Open Saturdays by appointment. fax 575.758.7259 4114 State Road 68, Ranchos de Taos, NM 87557

(575) 758-5986

•

vargastile.com

Eat . Pray. TUB.

SALES • MAINT. • SERVICE • Open Mon. - Sat. 10 am - 6 pm 758-1857 • 1210J Salazar Road • Taos • wolfgangspas.com

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Photos courtesy Taos Community Foundation

Programs that promote youth music, fiber arts and interactions between young and old can all benefit from women in philanthropy.

PHILANTHROPY continued from Page 22

lthough these numbers aren’t exactly promising, there’s plenty we can do as a community to start to move the needle in a positive direction. Countless studies have shown us that when women and girls thrive, so do communities, countries and the world as a whole. There is increasing evidence around the world that investments made in women have a profound impact on communities – from reducing poverty to raising productivity to passing down higher self-esteem to future generations of women and girls. Furthermore, the increase in women-led philanthropic initiatives in recent years has begun to change the landscape of philanthropy. Men and women give in different ways

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

and with different motivations; as the 21st century has seen great strides in women’s education and wealth, women are now moving into the philanthropic sector as leaders with new ideas, willing to challenge old models to effect new change. According to the Women’s Philanthropy institute, women give with a primary focus on creating new solutions to problems, making a difference they can truly see in their community, connecting and building partnerships, and celebrating accomplishments together. To this end, the Taos Women in Philanthropy component of Taos Community Foundation has emerged in Taos, working to engage and support the community through grants, sponsorship, education and outreach. Women in Philanthropy

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

has been working since 2007 to address and strengthen protective factors, which can help eliminate risk to families and communities — such as helping find resources, supports and coping strategies for dealing with stress. The initiative is currently focused on addressing access to health care, access to education, social support and economic stability. Members make a multi-year pledge of funds, which is used to make grants to social service agencies and nonprofits. Grants made from the fund are made to benefit women and children — which, ultimately, benefits the entire community. Members of the Taos Women in Philanthropy initiative currently include Jan Bornstein, Alexis Blake,

Andra Maddox, Mary McPhail Gray, Andrea Szekeres, Claire Hayes, Debbie Friday-Jagers, Effie Romero, Jen Scott, Laurie Dunn, Monica Griego, Nita van der Werff, Luzita Trujillo, Susan Paulsen, Wanda Lucero, Alix Henry, Lisa Sharpe and Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios. If you are interested in learning more about this initiative or finding out how you can be involved, contact Project Coordinator Lisa Sharpe at (505) 206-8697 or through the Taos Community Foundation, (575) 737-9300. Although men are welcome to contribute to the fund and share their expertise and opinions, leadership positions within Women in Philanthropy are reserved for women.

TAOS Bachelor & Graduate Programs

Savvy Women of Taos Shop at Pieces

Committed to the community

Photo credit: Tammy Kuykendall

Admissions • Transfers • Review credits • Course planning • Registration

Erin, Kerri and Mary are here to help! UNM Taos BGP office location: 246-B Ledoux St., Taos

For questions or advisement:

taosbgp@unm.edu (575) 758-2828 on the web:

taosbgp.unm.edu

pieces consignment More Pieces and

Pieces - 1024 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos- 575-737-0500 More Pieces - 216 & 28 Paseo del Canon, Taos -575-737-5112 www.piecestaos.com Pieces Taos on FB

Grace, B.U.S. Abby, M.P.A.

Ruby, B.U.S.

Photos by Tina Larkin

Taos News, Quarter page, July 2, 2015

CLOTHING | SKIN | HAIR | NAILS

102 Doña Luz Taos, New Mexico 87571 livealifeofsubstance.com 575.751.0992

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Teresa Dovalpage

Dianna Sakai at the counter of KOKO.

Five women chefs who shine in Taos By Teresa Dovalpage

hough the Culinary Institute of America didn’t accept women until 1970, times have changed. Gender barriers in the culinary field are falling down and women are now a strong presence in the restaurant industry, nationally and locally. We are featuring five outstanding female chefs who call Taos home.

Dianna Sakai, garden-to-kitchen chef

Dianna Sakai, who opened KOKO Coffee/Deli/Carry-Out with her husband Kenji Sakai in 2013, has been in the food

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

business much of her adult life. She trained in pastry art at Le Cordon Bleu Paris Culinary Arts School in Paris, but has also learned a lot by just being at work. “I am an experiential chef,” she says. Her interest in cooking stemmed from gardening. “When I was in my 20s, I loved growing vegetables,” she says. “I had fun picking them, combining them in dishes and bringing many flavors together. Using fresh ingredients is still very much part of my cooking philosophy.” She began her career as a chef in the mid-’80s, at a time when many

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

women started attending culinary school. “Before that, it was mostly a male-dominated world, but I was lucky to get in when that trend shifted,” she says. “Today, there are many well-recognized women chefs like Nancy Silverton, winner of the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award in 2014, and Gabrielle Hamilton, also a recipient of two James Beard awards. I think this is a good time for women to be in the culinary industry.”

Jo Sandoval: family traditions kept alive in the kitchen

Jo Sandoval is the pastry chef

at Farmhouse Café and Bakery, where she makes everything from scratch — not just pastries and cookies, but also sauces and chiles. She comes to work at 5 a.m. every morning. “Except on Saturdays,” she clarifies, “when we have the Farmers Market, so I am here at 4:30 a.m.” Sandoval is also a native Taoseña. She traces her interest in cooking to her beloved grandmother Lucilla Trujillo, who passed away in 2013 after sharing with her numerous family recipes. CHEFS continues on Page 28

Here’s to Community Support!

Helping the Women, Men and Children of Taos County Live Safer Lives Community Against Violence (CAV) thanks all of our donors and volunteers. Your contributions help us to provide free and confidential services for all survivors of sexual and domestic violence, including: n

24-Hour Crisis Intervention

Emergency and Transitional Shelter

Advocacy and Support

Counseling – Individual & Support Groups

Specialized Children’s Advocacy Services

Prevention and Outreach Education to the Community 945 Salazar, Taos, NM 87571

If you would like to support CAV or volunteer, please contact CAV, 575-758-8082, or visit taoscav.org.

Office: 575 758 8082, Mon-Fri, 8-5 Follow us on

COMMUNITY AGAINST VIOLENCE 24-Hour Crisis Hotline: 575-758-9888 TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

‘The more I learn, the more I want to learn. As a chef, I feel the need to improve myself and to offer the best food I can make.’ — Jennifer DeBow

CHEFS continues from Page 26

Teresa Dovalpage

Jo Sandoval, the pastry chef at Farmhouse Cafe.

“I

do a lot of my cooking and baking in her memory,” Sandoval says. “When I prepare a batch of dough, the masa, I put a cross on it, both for my faith and for the people who eat it, so they maintain good health. I also learned from my grandma to put my heart into my food.”

Sandoval likes all the baked goods she makes, but asked to choose one, she favors the croissants.

Teresa Dovalpage

Mondo Italiano partner and chef Jennifer DeBow.

“I really enjoy the look of joy in people’s faces when I present them with a well-done, delicious croissant,” she says.

Jennifer DeBow: a home-style approach to dining out

Jennifer DeBow has been a business owner for 11 years, first of a coffee house and then of a restaurant, Mondo Italiano. “In the food business, one year feels like seven,” she says laughing. “They are dog years! But I love it and wouldn’t like to do anything else.” She describes her approach to cooking as “home style.” “When I am in the kitchen, I feel as if I were cooking for my family and friends,” she says. “I prepare all the food with love and care.” She and her partner Genaro Jimenez are building a new Mondo Italiano restaurant from the ground up. Teresa Dovalpage

Melody Sayre works in the kitchen at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House.

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

“It will give me the opportunity to expand our menu with some Mediterranean

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

food,” she says.

whenever possible.

In the meantime, she plans to take private lessons with Sabroso’s chef George Bartel and will attend a three-week intensive culinary course in Italy.

“Farmers markets, community supported agriculture projects and backyard gardens are very important to keep us healthy and in control of what we eat,” she says.

“The more I learn, the more I want to learn,” she says. “As a chef, I feel the need to improve myself and to offer the best food I can make.”

Sophia Vigil: ‘When I see people, I just want to feed them’

Melody Sayre: a reverence for food

Melody Sayre fell in love with cooking at her parents’ restaurant, The Watchung View Inn, in New Jersey, where she spent many hours as a child. She later attended the Natural Gourmet Institute in Manhattan.

“There I learned cooking, but also about the healing power of whole foods,” she says. She moved to Taos in 1992 and is currently a chef at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House, where she creates healthy menus for the many workshops offered year round at the historic inn. She is also the author of “From Taos with Love: Recipes from the Land of Enchantment.” “I want to encourage people to have more confidence when they cook and even to develop a reverence for the food they are preparing,” she said. She makes a priority of buying organic and local produce

Sophia Vigil is a born-andraised Taoseña whose family has been in Northern New Mexico for at least four generations, if not more. “My roots go very deep here,” she says. Vigil went to the Colorado Institute of Art and attended its Culinary Arts program, but she had been cooking for many years before. “Cooking has always been a big thing in my family,” she says. “It comes natural to me. When I see people, I just want to feed them!” She is currently the executive chef at Lambert’s of Taos. “I have gotten great satisfaction out of creating my own specials,” she says. “The rack of lamb with arugula and watercress salad is one of my signature dishes. Simple, but very good.” She admits that being a woman chef can be challenging. “There are lots of boys back in the kitchen,” she says. “But I have always been hardworking and dedicated, and it has certainly paid off.”

magpie at Overland Ranch showcasing some of our most colorful and talented women artists

Margaret Nes, Red Ranchos Walls, pastel

Georgia Gersh, Rooted in Heart, mixed media on canvas

Karen Ahlgren, My Morning Jacket, limited edition giclee print from water color

Reina, Juggling Monkey, colored pencil

Karen Ahlgren Noel Anderson Alice Bailey Fran Black Bertie Cookingham Diane DeFremery Annie Degen Lisa DeSanto Polly Fox Georgia Gersh Josie Hart Funny Hendrie Margaret Henn J’Brenta Jordan Nicole Lewin Joan Logghe Annie MacNaughton Shera Maher Sharon Millstein Margaret Nes Sarah Newbury Joan Norris Sheila O’Malley Tizia O’Connor Gyana Pendleton Reina Rachel Saum Elaine Sutton April Werner

magpie • 1405 Paseo del Pueblo Norte • three miles North of the Taos Plaza 781.248.0166 • www.magpietaos.com

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Women of the Taos Farmers Market

he Taos Farmers Market is a summer ritual that provides nourishment to area families, as well as social enrichment. The community activity has only gathered steam as a social, community oriented activity since moving to Taos Plaza last summer. The vendors, who hail from Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, share their farm-fresh meats and produce, and a variety of other crafts, skin-care products, drinks and more. Many of these vendors are women, and many women are involved with local agriculture, from the field to the Taos County Economic Development Corporation. With this in mind, we sent The Taos News staff photographer, Katharine Egli, to a recent Saturday Farmers Market to capture the feminine faces and energy of the event. — Andy Jones, special sections editor

Top: Loe Marcoline, of Walking Trout Farm in Velarde, sells eggs on the Plaza. Marcoline says she loves spending her market days on Taos Plaza and hopes it doesn’t move to another location; Nancy Zinno of Z Best Scones; Mary Campbell of Rancho Arco Iris Farms in Dixon; and Katy Swan of Mesa Roots Farm. Center: Kelly West of Heaven Scent Bread Co. holds one of her loaves of bread on the Plaza; Wendy, left, and Ana Navarro of Navarro Farms in Jaroso, Colorado pose for a portrait from their booth. Some of their produce includes leafy greens, beets and cactus; Dana Blair of Tea.o.grophy pours a cup of blueberry pomergranate tea at her booth on the Farmers Market; Kona Miraball with the Farmhouse Cafe, poses for a portrait in front of the cafe’s booth. Bottom: Azalea Gusterson and her son Loren Dwayne Roy, 1, smile from behind their produce at the Farmers Market; Corrin Pierce, an intern with Bohdi Farms in Las Vegas holds a bag of fresh peas in the farm’s booth; Linda Miller of Miller Street Bakery has been making her treats for Market goers for three years. Here she holds a chocolate almond coffee roll; Joan Maestas sells her choke cherry jelly on the Plaza on Saturday.

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Christina Sporrong

A group of women in one of Christina Sporrong’s Woman’s Welding Workshops.

Welding workshops

A new arc for interested women By Mel A. James

istorically and culturally, there are some trades that are traditionally more masculine than others: welding being one of them. For the most part, when you imagine a welder, you’re likely to picture a man — save perhaps for a few pop culture characters, like Jennifer Beals in the movie “Flashdance.” In high schools around the country, you frequently find the boys in shop class and the girls in home economics. But anybody should feel empowered to learn something outside of the usual gender norms — as a matter of fact, gender shouldn’t even play a factor. But it does, and it can limit one’s access and opportunity. Women may be interested in learning how to weld or blacksmith, but they can

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

feel intimidated in the traditionally male-dominated environment; it can be difficult to find an outlet that allows women to break through those stereotypes. That’s where someone like Christina Sporrong comes in. Sporrong, an accomplished artist who works in metal, creates largescale interactive works that travel the globe and also fabricates her own line of custom aerial acrobatic equipment. When she’s not doing that, she’s helping to empower women by teaching workshops on welding and blacksmithing, something she has been doing on a consistent basis since she arrived in the Taos area in 1996. In the past, these workshops have usually been taught at her studio outside of Taos, but with her latest project, these classes could find a new venue. Sporrong’s newest

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

endeavor is as director and cocreator of The ToolBox, a “maker space,” here in Taos, which will be a physical space in which various skills, technologies and crafts are taught and shared. Part of the appeal of a maker space is different creative outlets coming together in one arena, which allows for greater freedom by nontraditional teaching and learning methods. While it’s still in the planning stages, the space is intended to be located right in the heart of town, which will open up the classes and workshops to a broader audience, both by its intown convenience and visibility. In addition to the welding workshops for women, there will be classes in other mediums, offered to both men and women. When asked about participants’ feedback from her previous women’s welding workshops,

Sporrong says, “Many women say that the workshop is transformative, and it gives them a new perspective. The tools could represent some old lost skill that they are around all the time but not able to learn, until they do — then the mystery is gone and the timid attitude around it. And most importantly, any idea that knowing how to use these tools is only a man’s disposition disappears as well.” She adds that the workshops aren’t so much about continuing on in a career, but rather “it’s the reclaiming of the power from and demystifying the trade from the masculine.” For more information on Sporrong and her workshops, visit her website at spitfireforge.com. To learn more about the upcoming Toolbox, visit thetoolboxtaos.org.

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Taos Folk

‘Famous pop-up store’ comes to summertime crowds By Yvonne Pesquera

ou’re probably familiar with the whole concept of a “pop-up” store. It’s when a retail store opens for a very short period to take advantage of a seasonal demand. For the first time this year, Taos Folk pops up for a summer run –– from July 3 to July 30 ––in the Stables Gallery (133 Paseo del Pueblo Norte). This off-the-street gallery is behind the Taos Inn. Four large colorful turquoise, white and magenta flags greet the Taos Folk visitor outside the front door. In Taos Folk, all arts and crafts are made by Taos artisans so the pop-up store is well known for offering “Affordable Gifts by Taos Hands.” “We have 38 artists this summer,” says Cathleen Lambridis, director of Taos Folk. “What I particularly love about all their work is that they are creating just for Taos Folk –– gorgeous handmade items you have never before seen from these artists –– nor in Taos Folk before.” Since 2008, Taos Folk has traditionally been a Christmas season pop-up store in Taos, so this summertime appearance is a treat for residents and visitors alike. The offerings run the gamut, but as an example, they include marvelous and well-priced handcrafted jewelry, weavings, origami books, hand painted silk scarves and whimsical pottery pieces, among many other items. The majority of the items are under $100. “If I were visiting Taos, the Taos Folk pop-up store is a fun thing to do,” says Lambridis. “But it’s for a short time only, so don’t wait until July 30.” Many of the artists took the theme of Taos and ran with it –– offering postcards with envelopes featuring a terrific selection of photos from Taos. There are hand-painted gourds with motifs from the Southwest, as well as aprons and pillows with original textiles, designed by a famous Taos textile designer.

Tina Larkin

Anais Kneise tries on a new look at the 2013 Christmas season Taos Folk. This summer will feature a summertime Taos Folk pop-up store from July 2-31 at Stables Gallery.

TAOS FOLK continues on Page 36

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

Vision. Leadership. Service. Randall Lumber and Hardware employs more than a dozen dedicated working women, including our Owner & President

Paula Randall. Paula exemplifies the dedication and service of these women, serving as the President Elect of the Mountain States Lumber

Randall Lumber salutes the women of Taos. You’ve nurtured the business and social success of Taos for centuries.

and Building Material Dealers Association. She will take office in October of this year. 315 Paseo del Pueblo Sur Taos, NM 87571

Phone: 575-758-2271 www.randalltaos.com Store Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7AM-5PM. Sat. 8AM-12Noon. Closed Sunday

“94 Years of Home Therapy in Taos” TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Photo Taos Folk at Stables Gallery in 2013.

TAOS FOLK continued from Page 34

A master wood carver has carved Santos (small Catholic saint sculptures) for Taos Folk. There are wood boxes with branch handles (lacquered and finished with dovetail corners) and large, elegantly shaped micaceous pottery from a talented potter offering a departure from her usual small wares. Lambridis took over the helm of Taos Folk from Georgia Page in 2013 and introduces a new “look” to this summer event. For example, trees dangle intricately pierced tin ornaments and colorful vases and jewels sit on old, weathered wood boxes with prominent nail holes. From a talented painter, Taos Folk offers her wallets made from retired tires and rings,

which fit on two or more fingers, with semi-precious, glittering, beautiful stones. Totems for the garden made from a series of glazed pottery pieces are deftly stacked on a metal rod. “Pillows with photos of the Río Grande Gorge Bridge and the big, blue sky with Taos Mountain in the distance beckon to be taken home to sit on your favorite divan,” says Lambridis. Small refrigerator magnets are displayed on three toy vintage refrigerators. Large magnets, which are intended to grace both the outside and the inside of a fridge, are scattered inside and out of a large, very colorfully painted refrigerator. Resin jewels are displayed on stacked planter boxes filled to the brim with

Taos Folk pop-up store July 3 to July 30 only • Open everyday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stables Gallery, 133 Paseo del Pueblo Norte (behind the Taos Inn) TaosFolk.com • (575) 779-8568

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

magenta geraniums. “Taos Folk creates an authentic Taos experience for visitors,” says Lambridis. She refers to Taos Folk as “The Famous Taos Pop-Up Store” because when the pop-up store took a break in 2014, people were asking for it. Also new this year, Taos Folk has created a back room called “The Dusty Boots Room,” featuring all that is good and interesting and Southwestern. “Each artist can put up to three items in The Dusty Boots Room that are priced up to $1,000 each,” Lambridis says. This salon selection of higher-priced goods include,

as an example, hand-painted silk kimonos, tables made of intricately woven wood, and jewels of brightly hued beads. Taos Folk’s new line of fragrant soap, “Dusty Boots Tumbleweed,” is also offered for the first time and is displayed on dishes made from recycled pallets. The soaps come with small dusty boot charms dangling from the wrapping. “I used to do window displays for Tiffany & Co. in San Francisco. I used to be a teacher and I required all of my students to work with recyclables. So when I took over Taos Folk, I wanted to make it a more rustic place,” says Lambridis.

Everyone is invited to attend an open reception on July 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. This is an opening party to celebrate with the Taos Folk artisans.

Little Shop. Big Style. Featuring fashions from Jams World, Tianello and many more.

It’s Fun, It’s Unique 124-H Bent Street, Taos NM 87571

In the lovely John Dunn House Shops

575-758-0440

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Questa’s Claire Coté

Working toward artistic solutions By Alberta Bouyer

laire Coté is on a quest for authenticity.

“I make art to give shared form to individual experience and individual form to shared experience,” she says. Aside from her own art, Coté works to inspire artistic expression in others, from local kids to regional wilderness entities. She is currently aiding efforts for authentic expression in the transformation of Questa. Her family has lived in the El Rito neighborhood north of Questa since the late 1970s. Coté was born in Taos, bartered for in Dr. Larry Schreiber’s office. The cost of her delivery was in exchange for a wood swing set and a pair of bunk beds (her parents being Tim and Connie Long, of the exquisite natural-wood toy line North Star Toys). It was Coté’s great fortune to grow up in the shadow of the Sangre de Cristos surrounded by community, nature, wildlife and starry skies. She attended Headstart in Questa and then a small community school. Weekly ballet, piano and art lessons were a big part of Coté and her sister Joan Long’s early years. “It was a joy to teach Claire because of her enthusiasm, her creativity and her perseverance,” says her mother, Connie Long. North Star Toys, started in 1979, was always a family affair. Coté observed the creative process; the long hours of production, and all the practical aspects of building a successful business. Traveling for craft fairs and visiting museums and national parks set the stage for an adventurous life. With the help of the lottery scholarship, Pell Grants and workstudy programs, Coté attended UNM at Taos and Albuquerque. It was thanks to inspiring professors there in the Land Arts program that her understanding of art and its relationship to the natural world and the human community was born. This has grown into the focus of her life. Coté holds a bachelor’s degree in fine art and cultural anthropology from the University of New Mexico (summa cum laude, 2004) and a master’s degree in art and ecology

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

Courtesy Photo

Clair Coté leads a banner workshop for the inaugural project of the Luz es Vida event series at Alta Vista Elementary.

from Dartington College of Arts in Devon, England (distinction, 2008). Coté’s anthropological training and global travels continue to inform her work. Coté traveled with her family to Nepal and India during her teenage years, then on to Tibet with a group on her own. She worked in Switzerland and Germany as a nanny, explored France, Spain and Italy with friends, as well as more northern European countries. She and her husband, Chris Coté, Taos County’s Wildland Urban-Interface Coordinator, have continued the adventures, traveling to Scotland and New Zealand together. In 2009, Coté founded the environmental art initiative LEAP (Land Experience and Art of Place) and became co-curator with the art and education project, SEED. Claire’s web design skills grew out of a necessity to represent her own projects online. The needs of her own projects plus requests from friends to create or upgrade their websites led to a small client base,

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

and in 2010, Claire began her home-based web-support business, Coté Concepts. She also serves as a past and current board member for New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, and Localogy, a nonprofit based in Lama.

Río Grande del Norte National Monument, Taos’ Matt Thomas, the Questa Tourism director Alberta Bouyer [the author of this article] and local artists and storytellers for an event series marking the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

Coté’s interdisciplinary interests synthesize her passions for art, education, social and environmental justice. Collaboration with others is an important strand of her work. Since the birth of her daughter, Amber, in 2013, she has been staying closer to home. Her small family lives off-the-grid in Sunshine Valley. It is her work in and around Questa that is forming her current collaborative focus.

This year she and her collaborators are tasked with topping last year’s exciting success. But topping it they are; as we happily await the signature event of the summer, another themed Pecha Kucha, this time at the outdoor amphitheater at Wild Rivers in the Río Grande del Norte National Monument just west of Questa. The dynamic and diverse collaborators are putting a regional spin of UNESCO’s 2015 Year of Light with Luz es Vida: Light is Life. And Coté certainly illuminates what is worth celebrating in Questa, along the Río Grande, and in the artistic visions of our area.

“Art is too big to see and too small to comprehend,” Coté reports. “But it is all around us.” Her home community of Questa has a rich artistic history born of its rugged lifestyle. In 2014, Coté was instrumental in bringing together staff from the Questa Ranger Station of the Carson National Forest, BLM rangers from the

For more information about LEAP, visit leapsite.org, and for more about SEED, visit seedtaos. org.

Farm to Table local, organic and made with love breakfast - lunch - dinner

Enjoy our beautiful patio and on site garden

Thank you Taos women for building a sustainable future!

Melinda Bateman, Morningstar Farm

Connie White, Taos Elementary School Garden Founder

Kelly West, Happy Hens

Farmhouse Servers, Owee, Zoe and Anee

Sourced from over 20 local farms and ranches Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten Free and Paleo options Open daily @ 8am. Call for summer dinner hours 575-758-LOVE (5683) (Only 3 miles north of Taos Plaza in the Overland Ranch)

www.farmhousecafeandbakery.com TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

â&#x20AC;˘

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Katharine Egli

Georgia Gersh inside her store, Magpie.

Magpie

Georgia Gersh’s store is an experiential offering of small, affordable arts and crafts

By Yvonne Pesquera

rom bright blue skies to warm adobe-hued courtyards, Taos has something to offer everyone. Georgia Gersh seeks to emulate that experience in her colorfully vivacious Magpie store and gallery. Magpie is in the Overland Ranch shopping center in El Prado. From the parking lot, walk over the delightful koi pond bridge and follow the covered wooden boardwalk. Magpie faces the large outdoor sculpture garden. Gersh was born and raised in

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

Taos and says of her beautiful storefront, “We have a really lovely sculpture garden in front and Taos Mountain behind. Often times, we see herds of buffalo.” In fact, she was attracted to this retail space by its unique physical attributes –– such as the huge rustic wooden beams and the marble turquoise cement floors of her store. “Magpie is a really happy place. People pay me a lot of compliments about how much they like the store. There are a lot of vibrant pieces of art,” says Gersh. The store carries soaps, candles,

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

jewelry, blown glass, pottery and other gifts. A representational sample of local artists are: Ben Shriver, Annie Degen, Margaret Nes, Joan Norris, Polly Fox, Scott Carlson, Noel Anderson, Reina, Ivan Locke, Larry Audette, and April Werner. In addition to being store owner and manager, Gersh is an artist and a decorating consultant. Therefore, she has a unique eye for the display of art and furniture in her store. “My forte is display. I create vignettes all over the store,” Gersh explains. She displays art and crafts on locally built shelving and furniture

customized for the store, as well as on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. “I do jewelry, collage, and paintings. I refinish old wooden pieces, small antique furniture,” she says of her own work. Every week, she moves things around. And about every three weeks, she virtually transforms the store as new artwork and new furniture are rotated in. “So even if you’ve been in the store before, it changes drastically. It’s like a whole new store every few weeks,” Gersh says. MAGPIE continues on Page 42

Life’s a sweet ride... when you live with horses.

Jenny Lancaster, Taos Cowgirl

PHOTO BY TEVA LESHEM

BOARDING . TRAINING . SALES

TRAINING AND MATCHING HORSES AND RIDERS IN TAOS SINCE 1995 575.770.0438 . TAOS, NEW MEXICO . TAOSJENNY@GMAIL.COM

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Georgia Gersh A shelf of locally-made gifts. Soap from Nature’s Emporium, Palm wax candles and Sarah Newbury’s hand-carved, wood-fired pottery.

MAGPIE continued from Page 40

n addition to her 700-squarefoot store, Gersh expanded next door and calls this space her “gallery annex.” Here, she showcases fine art of rotating exhibits of solo shows. For example, the exhibits in the gallery this summer will be for Margaret Nes, Ivan Locke, and Larry Audette. Gersh also has a collection of her father’s fine artwork –– the famous Taos artist Bill Gersh (1943-1994). His work is available for viewing and for sale. Gersh has a good eye and hand selects the artwork she carries. As an artist, she has deep connections –– both within her own family (her mom and an aunt from Colorado), as well as friends

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

from Lama, the small village she grew up in. “I opened my store in April 2014 with 18 artists who were family and friends,” Gersh says. “I now have 60 artists, including nine local potters.” The store offers incredibly unique dreamcatchers, origami, and papier-mâché birds. A recent acquisition was a red wicker chair decorated with all Disney princesses. “It’s outrageous in a great way. It’s fun and whimsical to that point,” she says. When asked where she has experienced a store like Magpie before, she promptly responds, “Nowhere.”

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

Gersh explains that she was living on the East Coast for 11 years. And her original idea for a store was partially based on a store in Boston that carried her jewelry. “They were baroque with a big chandelier, muted colors, black and white. In fact, when I thought about naming my store Magpie, I thought about doing everything in black and white,” she says. She says that there is a lot of great art in Taos and a lot of worthy representation. “When I opened Magpie, I wanted to focus on small affordable art for people who are either starting their collections or for seasoned collectors who are

saturated; I wanted to make art more accessible,” she says. Gersh hosts artist open houses, so that artists (who are often working in isolation) can meet each other and so that buyers can put a face to the name and shake the hand of the artist who created the artwork. “Magpie inspires artists and art appreciators,” Gersh says.

MAGPIE STORE AND GALLERY

1405 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, El Prado Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sundays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information: (781) 248-0166

From eye glasses to herbs and pet supplies to fine furniture, you can find it all in one place... Payless Shoesource Rent-a-Center Star Nails Sun Loan Company Taos Eyewear Taos Herb Co Taos Lifestyle featuring Sleep Sanctuary Taos Tack Venus Fashion

A&R Medical Albertsons Supermarket Beall’s Department Store Burger King Colonial Finance Jane Compton, Optometrist Domino’s Pizza Family Dollar Illusions Salon

Cruz Alta Plaza Shopping Center clothing • dining • home furnishings • groceries and more! In one convenient location

For Leasing Information call 575-741-0220 1100 Paseo del Pueblo Sur • Taos

Thank you to the Women who have shaped, directed, built, and created all that we know today as uniquely Taos. We are honored to be in your footsteps and tire tracks! Celebrating the Success of Women in Northern New Mexico for over 44 years Judi Friday, President, Friday Motors

Debbie Friday-Jagers, General Manager, Friday Motors

1040 Paseo del Pueblo Sur 575.758.2252 www.fridaymotors.com TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Photo

Elizabeth Pacheco.

Young Taos performance poets Love and tradition

By Cindy Brown

amily, self-image, love and the traditions of Northern New Mexico — these are the themes that fill the poems of young Taos performance poets. Many of them got their start by acting on stage at an early age or because a family friend or mentor in school encouraged them to express themselves. Although performance poetry or “Slam Poetry” has a reputation for being loud, angry and

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

political, most of these young women see it as a vehicle to express love — of self, family and culture. Poetry can be a way to give voice to strong emotions or deal with trauma. High school poet Aliya Martinson says that performance poetry is her emotional dumpster. “I have and will continue to express my pain and my happiness in my words. I hope someday that my writing will help someone learn about themselves

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

or realize they’re not alone in what they’re going through,” she says. “I have never loved anything more than I love to write. It’s always here for me when I need to let something out.” Poetry can also serve as a voice for social justice. Olivia Romo was the captain of the Taos High School Poetry Team at its peak when the team won a state championship in 2011. While competing in the championships in Albuquerque, she met other young poets and

decided to attend college at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Romo worked at the Chicano/Chicana program and with advocacy organizations where she had the opportunity to assist immigrant families, helping them access services and providing support when family members were incarcerated. She also met a group of farmers from Albuquerque’s South Valley who are continuing to farm using YOUNG POETS continues on Page 46

With Brown & Brown you don’t just have a policy, you have an advisor. And that makes all the difference. Professional Insurance Advisors will analyze your insurance portfolio to eliminate gaps in your coverage, providing the best value and protection. Call Brown & Brown for all your insurance needs. • Automobile Insurance • Home Insurance • Condo or renters Insurance • Personal Umbrella Insurance • Flood Insurance • Home Business Insurance • Jewelry, Furs, valuables Insurance • Fine Art Insurance • Motorcycle Insurance • Business Insurance • Life & Medical Insurance

The Women of Brown & Brown – Taos

Natasha, Ashley, Venessa, Monica, Debra, Yolanda, Donna

The Women of Brown & Brown share a total of 84 years experience.

Brown & Brown Insurance of New Mexico ©2014 Liberty Mutual Insurance Insurance is offered by Safeco Insurance Company of America and/or its affiliates 627 Paseo delAmerican Pueblo Sur. Taos.Company, American States I Insurance companies: Economy Insurance National Insurance Company of America, Safeco Insurance Company of Illinois, S purposes only. Nothing stated herein creates a contract. All statements made are 758-2244 that it describes, the policy language prevails. Coverages and features not availab TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Photo by Terry Rosslyn

Olivia Romo.

Courtesy Photo

Savannah Rodriguez.

Courtesy Photo

Aliya Martinson.

I’m a sucker for Spanish Speakers, Spanglish Speakers For tongues that can rrr their r’s speakers Roll like their rain-stained tractor bodies Across fields that plant our survival Buries his shovel deep into the land of past generations… — Savannah Rodriguez

YOUNG POETS continued from Page 44

omo says her experiences away from Taos and her study of the history of New Mexico have allowed her to more fully understand her own family roots and the agricultural traditions of the Taos Valley. Her poetry continues to expand to incorporate her learning and to speak against racism and loss of culture. She says that in her time away from Taos, she met many people who are searching for what we have: fresh air, water and land to grow food.

Savannah Rodriguez was also a member of the Taos High Poetry Team and is concerned with the language and culture of Northern New Mexico. One of her most well-known poems is “Sucker for Spanish Speakers,” in which she shares the traditions and images of Northern New Mexico. I’m a sucker for Spanish Speakers,

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

Spanglish Speakers For tongues that can rrr their r’s speakers Roll like their rain-stained tractor bodies Across fields that plant our survival Buries his shovel deep into the land of past generations… Rodriguez is now enrolled in the intensive two-year nursing program at UNM-Taos. She says she began writing when she was in fourth grade but never intended to perform. While in sixth grade, she wrote a poem about a trauma in her family. When she shared it with a teacher, it made the teacher cry, and she realized that her poetry could connect with others emotionally. She says poet Ron Chavez was a family friend and encouraged her to write and perform. Her first performance

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

was with Chavez on the stage at Metta Theater. Chavez encouraged her not to hold back but to be fearless. She also credits teacher and poetry coach Francis Hahn with helping her develop as a poet. “He taught us how to think, not what to think,” she says. Although busy with her studies at UNM-Taos, Rodriguez finds time to write and capture her perspective as she becomes an adult, along with memories of her childhood. Her recent poem “Tortilla Goddess” tells the story of her grandmother and her cooking in the house with turquoise walls. High school poet Elizabeth Pacheco says, “I fell in love with performing poetry. The themes that attract me the most are everyday life events and injustices that I feel need a voice. Poetry is something I will always have passion for and continue to write no matter how old I get.”

Fellow poet Haley Rach says she is most attracted to themes that strike a strong emotion in others. These young poets give voice to their passion, love of family and speaking out for justice. Their performance poetry continues the tradition of storytelling in Northern New Mexico, and it may be a bridge between the past and the future. As Olivia Romo says, “I want to work in Taos helping youth connect to the land and to preserve the language and culture; to help be a bridge between the elders and the youth, using new forms like slam poetry and hip-hop to preserve the old culture.” Perhaps Romo’s poetry sums it up best: My brothers and sisters have earned back their feathers and now dance con el Quinto Sol … Praying, dance, and fighting for rain, peace and justice!

A great event inspires more than just the attendees.

O’KEEFFE

It inspires the entire community.

COUNTRY

At U.S. Bank, we are committed to making the communities in which we work and live a better place. Our commitment means supporting the programs and organizations that enrich the quality of life for our neighbors.

A L A N D S C A P E T H AT C O N T I N U E S T O I N S P I R E & I N T R I G U E

Proud to support <insert organization name here> Proud to support The Taos Woman xxxxxxxxxx BranchMain Nameoffice Taos Branch Name Branch Address 120 W Address Plaza Branch Phone Number Number 575-737-3540 Phone usbank.com usbank.com

YEAR-ROUND O’KEEFFE TOURS, TRAIL RIDES IMMERSIONS, EXCURSIONS & WORKSHOPS

GHOSTRANCH.ORG

for more information

Member FDIC FDIC Member

A HIGH QUALITY, AFFORDABLE EDUCATION IS EVERYONE’S BIRTHRIGHT. 575 737-6200 taos.unm.edu 1157 County Road 110 South of Taos

UNM-Taos is committed to providing personally rewarding, game-changing academic and career challenges for all who seek them.

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Josie Lenwell

Josie Lenwell at Occupy Freedom Plaza in October 2011, in Washington, D.C.

A life of activism

By Josie Lenwell

came into this world under the sign of Libra and true to my sign, Justice and Peace have been driving forces throughout my life with a deep appreciation for beauty and balance. My activism began at a very young age. My mother tells me stories of how as a young child I would come home from grade school and I would ask her why there were so many wars, so many people who were unkind or mean to each other. Not that people were mean to me, but I felt a connection and a sorrow for what was done to others. And I was also

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

very aware of income inequality. I could see that some children received so much from Santa and some so little, and some nothing at all. When I asked my mother why, she explained that Santa charged for the gifts he brought and so it was up to each parent to be able to afford the gifts that Santa delivered. I wondered if those children who got nothing understood this “Santa Gig” or if they believed that it was because they had done something wrong. I wanted everyone to be included, to believe in their goodness and their value, and these concerns likely led to my career as a psychotherapist and my vocation

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

as an activist. And there are so many needs on this planet that need addressing and so many causes that could be moved forward by people motivated to change their world. Activism is a necessity in our time. It is rarely a vocation and is generally done above and beyond earning a living. Activism is volunteering, to give of oneself for the betterment of all beings, for the betterment of our community and for our planet. There are so many ways to be an activist. It’s getting off the fence and taking a passionate stand for what you believe, in such a way that others in need will benefit. It’s taking

the time to speak out, to rebel against an unjust law, an unjust system and an unjust situation. It’s about acknowledging one another and reaching out a hand to someone in need. As one writer notes, all revolutions start with volunteers. It’s about empathy and imagination and vision. It’s about recognizing that you are a piece of a large complex puzzle that you may not ever see complete, but your small piece combined with the small pieces of many can be an important part of a world united in peace and harmony. It’s about delighting in the “Beautiful LENWELL continues on Page 50

Attention Taos Women: Be A Part of WOMEN BUILD a safe place for women to be empowered to build and learn!

Please Support Our Mission by Shopping/Donating at the Habitat ReStore - Great Product at a Great Price. Just North of the Old Blinking Light in El Prado. 575-776-2165 Habitat for Humanity of Taos P.O. Box 1888 • Taos, NM 87571 Contact us for more 575-758-7827 • www.taoshabitat.org info on this event.

WHERE QUALITY COUNTS Stop In To Check Out O ur Weekly Spec ials

In Honor of Our Women of Taos: You give life, sustain our culture and lead through compassion. Without you, Taos would be a lesser place.

The Name You Know and Trust

Your Local Ashley Furniture Dealer

Monday-Friday: 10:00a.m.- 6:00p.m. Saturday: 10:00a.m.- 4:00p.m. Sunday: Closed Accepting Visa, Mastercard, Discover 575.751.3211 • 1553 A Paseo del Pueblo Sur Ask about our Lay-A-Way Plan! Financing Available

State Representative Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales District 42, Democrat Paid Political Advertisement

Paid for by the Committee to Re-Elect Roberto “Bobby” J. Gonzales, Marcos Gonzales Treasurer

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Josie Lenwell Josie Lenwell, center, during Barack Obama’s first presidential inauguration.

LENWELL continued from Page 48

Trouble” you can create for those who stand in the way of peace and justice because activism can be very taxing, and I believe that we succeed best when we approach the changes that need to be with joy and creativity, learning to dance around the many obstacles in our paths. From my youthful participation in the protests against the Vietnam War to protesting the never-ending wars our country continues to be engaged in, my personal activism has been centered around the peace movement. And for the last 12 years, I have chosen to be actively involved in Code Pink — Women for Peace, a women-initiated antiwar group that originated as we tried to stop the War in Iraq. Code Pink

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

‘Activism is the rent we pay for living on the planet.’ — Alice Walker took its name as a play on the Homeland Security Color Codes set in place after 9/11. The codes were based on various levels of danger and fear, and we felt we needed a code for peace, for all the good we would wish this world, and a code for courage and joy and compassion. Dressed in pink, boas and tutus and luscious pink banners, the Pink Ladies and a Few Good Men give our time to confronting Congress for authorizing illegal wars, for cutting services to the people, for endless

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

spying and surveillance, for drone strikes on innocent civilians and for war and more weapons and more war. You may see us in the streets demanding accountability from our law enforcement for the many deaths of young men of color, making clear that all lives matter, not just white ones. You may see us disrupting the secret meetings of the neo-cons, attempting citizen’s arrests on the architects of the Iraq War, challenging the powerful decision makers in

government and corporations, fighting for the rights of women to choose what to do with their own bodies, fighting for health care for all and for an end to U.S. aggression on foreign soil. The journey never ends. There will always be ways to improve life on this beautiful planet. There are so many paths each of us can choose to contribute to a more peaceful and just world. As Alice Walker, the author of “The Color Purple” and a long time activist notes: “Activism is the rent we pay for living on the planet.” Josie Lenwell is a psychotherapist, photographer and peace activist and delights in the creative, joyful and determined actions of CODE PINK — Women for Peace.

Think you ve seen the O Keeffe Museum? Look again!

Georgia O’Keeffe, Blue – A, 1959. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Gift of The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.

Georgia O Keeffe: Line, Color, Composition ThrOuGh SepTeMber 13, 2O15 The power of Georgia O’Keeffe’s artwork derives from her mastery of essential elements of art making: line, color, and composition. To understand the richness of O’Keeffe’s artistry, this exhibition reveals, through paintings and drawings spanning her career, her disciplined drawing practice, dramatic color palette, and innovative sense of composition. Exhibitions and public programs are made possible in part by generous support from The Burnett Foundation, The Hearst Foundations, and the Nancy D. and Robert J. Carney Exhibitions Endowment. Additional support was provided by the Santa Fe Community Foundation; New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts; and the Santa Fe Arts Commission and the 1% Lodgers’ Tax.

part oF the summer oF color

Galleries

summeroFcolorsantaFe.orG

home & studio

217 Johnson street, santa Fe

store

5o5.946.1ooo

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

research center =

okeeFFemuseum.orG

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Courtesy Photo

Clockwise from top left: Former Taos High track star Amanda Mondragon — now at the University of Wyoming — with a whole bunch of medals; Andrea Krejci gets some air; Snowboarder Christina Bruno; Taos High School sophomore Elizabeth Reyes tied for the district championship with her teammate Cora Cannedy; and High Altitude Athletics gymnastics coach Sara Padilla, right, with young gymnast Salome Marsh.

Fueled by competition

Taos women rise to the top of respective sports

By Cindy Brown

ompetitive sports can take hold of you at a young age and never let go.

Consider Andrea Krejci who started ski racing at 7 years old and recently placed third at the Salomon Freeride Extreme Championship in Taos Ski Valley. Krejci says, “Competing makes you do things you wouldn’t

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

do normally. It motivates you on a daily basis to push yourself in everything you do. And it’s so rewarding when you do well!” She is sharing her love of skiing through her work with junior athletes at the Taos Winter Sports Team Freeride program and hopes that some of her students will compete as professional athletes. Christina Bruno started snowboarding at 12 and was competing by the time she was 15. She

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

has lived and worked in different ski towns since she was 16, but none compare to Taos in her mind. “I love it here and feel so fortunate to be part of this community,” she says. Bruno has competed in all aspects of snowboarding with her current focus being on big mountain ATHLETES continues on Page 54

Only the Highest quality pet supplies Locally owned and operated Great Quality, Great Service Pet and Livestock Supplies

Blue Sky Pet and Feed Supply 214 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM 575-758-1841

ONLINE. ANYTIME. ANYWHERE. DISCOVER

angel fire red river sipapu Taos ski Valley

VisiTor & newcomer guide

Dining Out Summer/Fall 2015

Taos

W e dd i ng

The bridal guide for Northern New Mexico

2015 summer/fall

The official guide of The Taos counTy chamber of commerce and The Town of Taos VisiTor cenTer a complimenTary publicaTion of The Taos news

Complimentary Publication of

www.taosmenus.com

Taos

Angel Fire

2015/2016 • www.galleryguideoftaos.com

Red River

The Taos News

discovertaos.com

taosnews.com/taoswedding

taosmenus.com

galleryguideoftaos.com

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

•

TAOS WOMAN 2015

shape possible when she was considering having children. She tried an off-road triathlon, which involves swimming, mountain biking and trail running. “I fell in love with the sport,” she says. She now competes at a professional level and was the Xterra World Champion in 2010. She’s also won winter world competitions that included skiing and snowshoeing, along with biking and running. “I think that sports in general help me keep a healthy perspective on my life and the environment in which I live,” she says. “I have been practicing alternative medicine in Taos since 2000. Sports are an integrated part of my life, providing me with the insights and vibrancy I need to help others on their healing journey.” Susie Fiore started mountain biking and began competing when a friend invited her to try racing. “I absolutely loved the camaraderie, challenge and excitement of racing, and that first race opened up a new world to me,” she says. “Competing is a way to push your personal limits. Racing allowed me to travel to new places, meet new people and grow as a human, all because of my love for riding my mountain bike.” Fiore won the U.S. Nationals in the highest amateur division in 2000 and the overall amateur U.S. National title series in 2001. She turned pro the next year and continued to race for several years. Although she wanted to continue to compete, she had another dream she found more compelling. She founded the Field Institute of Taos, a nonprofit organization that provides active, hands-on outdoor education. Both hiking and some mountain biking are included and the program takes place in Taos, as well as Colorado and Utah. “Mentoring young people and growing a sense of place and a passion for the natural world through healthy, engaging activities is what fuels me,” she says. Taos has a way of fostering young athletes. Elizabeth Reyes runs track and cross country for Taos High School, specializing in long-distance events. This year, as a sophomore, she tied for the district championship in the mile with her best friend, Cora Cannedy. She hopes to be the state champ in the mile event before she is done with high school. Courtesy Photo

Caroline Colonna during the 2014 Xterra Mountain Championships in Colorado.

ATHLETES continued from Page 52

snowboarding, which is held in open and challenging terrain. “I pretty much eat and breathe snow and now am currently chasing winter in New Zealand,” she says. During winter in the northern hemisphere, she is the adult snowboard and adaptive supervisor at Taos Ski Valley. Some athletes turn their love of one sport into coaching another one, like Sara Padilla who was a dancer, but is now a gymnastics coach at High Altitude Athletics. Padilla has coached some young gymnasts to state championships.

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

“They have all become important individuals to me, and I coach because I care about each of them,” she says. “When they finally nail something they’ve been working on for weeks, it’s the most rewarding feeling for them to know that their hard work has paid off. My goal and hope for my gymnasts’ futures are that they can learn life lessons from the sport. Gymnastics is not just about flipping and leotards; this sport teaches responsibility, courage, confidence and determination.” Caroline Colonna grew up practicing martial arts and was a collegiate tae kwon do national champion. Colonna wanted to get in the best

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

Amanda Mondragon ran track at Taos High, before leaving home to attend the University of Wyoming. She says at a fourth-grade track meet, she was faster than the other kids and got interested in running then. She is working on making the transition from high school to college athlete and at the last meet of the season set personal best times in the 100- and 200-meter events. Like other Taos competitive athletes, her sport is an integral part of her life. “Track and field is an amazing sport. It allows for both personal and team competition, and has endless opportunities for athletes who decide to pursue it,” she says. “I can’t imagine my life without track and field because it has shaped me in so many ways and had made me the person I am today.”

The summer menus have arrived

Dining Out Summer/Fall 2015

ON NEWSSTANDS NOW

www.taosmenus.com TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

â&#x20AC;˘

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Katharine Egli

Antonia Lujan, left, and her student Kathy Carmichael, pose for a portrait with their pottery after a pottery making session.

Art and recovery intersect at Taos pottery class By Andrew Oxford

ntonia Lujan’s weekly pottery classes begin with a meeting.

The topic of conversation ranges from honesty to acceptance — little things, she says, the program’s participants are dealing with in their daily lives. Then the clay comes out, Lujan explains, and the real healing begins. Lujan’s weekly classes are about more than art. The program is also a support group for women recovering from substance abuse. “All of us help to get out the

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

‘Working with the clay just feels good and grounding and peaceful.’ — Kathy Carmichael clay, get it rolling, get the cloth on the table, encourage each other to open up as human beings and as women,” explains Kathy Carmichael, who says she never worked with clay before joining the class. Carmichael describes the program as an opportunity to

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

learn and share. “Working with the clay just feels good and grounding and peaceful,” Carmichael explains. Giving women the opportunity to connect with others who can relate to the challenges of recovery has become an important facet of the class as

well, she says. “This is a super-casual, nonchalant way we can talk about our problems and everybody’s OK with it,” says Carmichael, who has been sober for just over four years. “We’re not checking up on anybody, but we can just — as friends — ask, ‘How’d you get through this week? How’s that little stickler of a thing?’ We can talk with laughter and no strings attached.” For Lujan, who says she has been in recovery for approximately five years, the class also provides a unique opportunity to share her art form. POTTERY continues on Page 58

ONLINE. IN PRINT. ANYTIME. DISCOVER

angel fire red river sipapu Taos ski Valley

VisiTor & newcomer guide

2015 summer/fall

The official guide of The Taos counTy chamber of commerce and The Town of Taos VisiTor cenTer a complimenTary publicaTion of The Taos news

discovertaos.com

THE TAOS NEWS 575.758.2241

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

â&#x20AC;˘

TAOS WOMAN 2015

Katharine Egli

Kathy Carmichael, left, and Antonia Lujan, work with clay in Lujan’s pottery class for women in recovery, at Inside Out’s office inside Cabot Plaza.

POTTERY continues from Page 56

“M

y background is in social work but I’ve never been able to use it because I’ve always been drawn into clay work,” says Lujan, who has been working with the clay of Taos Pueblo for more than 20 years. The class meets every Wednesday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the Taos offices of Inside Out, a substance abuse prevention and recovery organization founded in Española that opened an office at Cabot Plaza on Kit Carson Road last year. The organization prides itself on accessibility and informality in an effort to break down barriers to recovery. That casual attitude is a big part of the class, which Carmichael describes as offering a place where women in recovery can find answers to questions they may not

TAOS WOMAN 2015

•

‘When you do something, it shows your character. And that’s what art is all about. For me, art is nonthreatening.’ — Antonia Lujan be able to ask anywhere else. “For so many people, there’s no help until they hit the court process,” she says. “People talk about the recidivism rate,” Lujan adds, “but where can anyone get help?” While it is not uncommon for attendees to discuss legal troubles, Carmichael says it also provides a

TAOSNEWS.COM/TAOSWOMAN

welcome opportunity for some to escape the drugs and alcohol that might surround them at home. And for Lujan, a bit of each woman in her class can be found in the works they fire. Lujan looked over a bear Carmichael created with flowers painted growing on its legs. “The bear indicates strength

but with the flowers indicate the love for him is there even though sometimes bringing up children is hard,” Lujan says. “When you do something, it shows your character. And that’s what art is all about. For me, art is nonthreatening,” she says. Lujan adds she will always be in recovery from substance abuse. That’s how recovery works, she explains. But the clay artist says she will always have her pottery, too. In sharing that gift, Lujan is now helping others with their recovery. For more information about Inside Out, call (575) 758-3392 or visit the Taos office at 108 Kit Carson Road, Suite C. For more information about Antonio Lujan’s pottery, visit taospueblonativefires.com.