Collectors Corner! Ed Sandoval's Newsletter (Taos, NM)

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Collectors Corner!

Ed Sandoval Gallery's Newsletter

119 Quesnel Street, Taos, NM 87571

www.edsandovalgallery.com

edsandovalart@gmail.com

(575) 770-6360

Three Cheers for Old School: A Cautionary Tale

A few weeks ago, everyone in the Taos region began noticing their internet service was down and phone service wasn’t working either. Sadly, that’s not uncommon, so most of us brushed it off thinking service would be restored in a couple of hours. Windstorms, road construction, lightening, drunk drivers running into transformer poles – we’re used to outages. However, moods changed as one day went by, then two days, three days…

Photo from June 15-21 Taos News Story (Source)

Road construction is STILL occurring up and down Paseo del Pueblo (the 4th or 5th year... I've honestly lost track), and a crew accidentally drilled down and cut though a MAJOR fiber-optic junction with numerous lines at the Quesnel intersection. Did they dig in the wrong place? Did the city workers incorrectly mark the location of this critical junction? We don’t know yet, but the impact was so horrific and long-lasting the state has launched an investigation. It's a big deal (story in The Taos News HERE).

At the house, we have Kit Carson internet, which has back-up systems, so we were not affected. At the gallery, however, we have Century Link (parent company is Lumen), and apparently there isn't any redundancy in their systems (a big "no no"). There we were, without any access, meaning we could NOT run credit cards, and we both use Verizon and had absolutely no phone service either. No client calls or any calls for that matter. The majority of businesses, not just in Taos but up into Red River, in surrounding villages and extending down to Santa Fe, were also without internet or phones. Some businesses tried to adapt and went to “cash only” while some just closed down. It... was... a... MESS!!!

At first, I heard some people say it was nice to be “tech free” for a while, but that wore off quickly. Think about it. With no phones or internet, most businesses couldn’t even operate.

P.S. The Historic Plaza is Torn Up and Blocked Off Too

ATM’s didn’t work (no withdraws) and deposits could be accepted but not credited to accounts.
Hotels had difficulties programing electronic keys for rooms, causing all kinds of confusion.
Doctor’s offices, dentists and the hospital canceled appointments but couldn't call clients to notify them because the phones were down.
Pharmacies couldn't access their records and shut down, leaving people without vital medications.
Some TV services and cable companies went dark.
Worst of all, many emergency personnel couldn’t communicate except by radio.

I was giving this whole situation some thought, and I’ve decided I'm “old school.” That isn’t to say I don’t use and appreciate technology and the conveniences of modernity, but deep down I admire and respect old timers who have knowledge and wisdom from living off of (and with) the land for so long. These are the people who know how to rebuild and live if (for example) a huge solar flare took out all of our hard drives and internet forever.

Here in Taos, we depend on these wise ones because half our homes are hundreds (and hundreds) of years old. They're the only ones who know how to fix anything. Let me give you an example. We do care-taking projects for Gwen’s historic family hacienda. It is so old but solidly built – part of it dates back to the 1700's. During our last monsoon season, the rains caused part of the dirt roof to leak (yes, back in the day they used dirt). Water oozed into the house and down the authentic adobe walls.

I found a real old-school roofer who had considerable experience working with dirt roofs, and his team did an outstanding job with repairs. They built a new roof on top of the dirt one to simplify the process (we didn't know what craziness would be unleashed if we tried to remove the dirt). It is sealed and waterproofed perfectly. Next, we focused on the plaster inside. Some was discolored from the water, but some was washed away, and the water actually ate channels into the adobe bricks. The team knew just what to do and got busy fixing it all.

Here’s the interesting part. In one room (the game room), the plaster hasn't been touched since around the 1950’s. It has tiny flecks of shimmering mica in it, which is lovely, but nobody has sold that type of mica plaster in decades.

"Game Room"

Mica Dug Up near the Horseshoe

Our guy was worried that he wouldn’t be able to appropriately match the “color” (meaning the mirror-like, shining speckles). BUT…. old school knowledge to the rescue! He knew where mica naturally occurs, drove his truck out there in the winter (and got stuck in the process), dug underneath the snow, and found enough mica to grind up with a mortar and pestle to mix into the plaster. Wow! That’s the kind of guy everyone in Taos needs to know. It matches so beautifully that you can’t tell a drop of water ever came near those walls. History has been preserved thanks to his knowledge and wisdom.

Here we live, sandwiched between the past and the future. It seems to me that we should embrace and be inspired by both. Carry a credit card but also emergency cash, learn the latest technology but also skills and trades so you can fix, build, hunt or grow things. Enjoy an old Western movie but also the sci-fi action flick. At home, we don't go overboard, but we do stockpile ample bottled water, firewood and non-perishables – you never know... especially in Taos.

THIS I do know: When that huge solar flare does hit, and the tiny computer chips in our modern Ford truck and Volvo car are useless and leave us stranded, my 1951 five-window Chevy will take us whereever we need to go. Give me a call and I'll give you a ride!

Aún Aquí: Spanish Colonial Contemporary

If you live in or are visiting Taos, I hope you get the chance to visit the Couse-Sharp Historic Site’s exhibition titled Aún Aquí: Spanish Colonial Contemporary. The works of northern NM artists working in the Spanish Colonial tradition adorn the 1830s Luna Family Chapel (Joseph Henry Sharp’s first Taos studio), which in and of itself is something fabulous to see.

Entering the chapel, you'll see my donated painting, called “In Grandma’s Time” (24x36), as well as other decorative and fine arts such as textiles, furniture, woodcarving, santos, metalwork, and paintings. All of the artwork is for sale to support their philanthropic mission. Some of J. H. Sharp’s works are also hung.

My painting depicts El Santuario de Chimayo as it appeared in the 1800’s – it had adobe bell towers on each side but no turrets or roof. That’s when my grandma, Luisita Rivera (1871-1956), would visit on pilgrimages from Nambe (often wearing all black). The church itself, such as the courtyard and the 3-feet thick adobe walls, looked pretty much the same back then, but the pointed tops on the towers and a metal pitched roof weren't added until around 1920 to protect the exposed adobe from the weather.

El Santuario de Chimayo in 1918 (Source)

My Maternal Grandparents: Pedro & Luisita Rivera

"In Grandma's Time" (24x36)

The curators say, “Working in a variety of media, these artists demonstrate a commitment to ensure this rich cultural legacy will continue to thrive and evolve, evoking the title: Aún aquí, still here.” The exhibit runs from June 10 - Nov. 30, 2023, and information on its hours, artists and historical and cultural significance can be found HERE.