artdirector@sfreporter.com
Morning Word
Feds announce billions for Intel
In Arizona yesterday, President Joe Biden touted $8.5 billion in direct funding to the Intel Corporation via the CHIPS and Science Act “to strengthen the US supply chain and re-establish American leadership in semiconductor manufacturing,” a US Commerce Department news release said. The department says over the next five years, Intel expects its investments in the US to exceed $100 billion, “as it expands capacity and capabilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio and Oregon, estimated to directly create over 10,000 manufacturing jobs and nearly 20,000 construction jobs.” In New Mexico, specifically Intel’s Rio Rancho location, the state’s congressional delegation says yesterday’s funding announcement will support 700 manufacturing jobs and 1,000 construction jobs in the state. “Thanks to Intel’s investment in New Mexico, we are already seeing the benefits of this landmark law build a better future for the hard-working people of our state,” US Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, says in a statement. “With today’s announcement, we’re further solidifying our state’s role as a leader in innovation and advanced manufacturing.” According to the White House, part of the Intel funding for Rio Rancho will go toward “modernization of two fabs into advanced packaging facilities to close an important gap in the domestic semiconductor supply chain. When in full production, this facility will be the largest advanced packaging facility in the United States.”
Santa Fe nonprofits receive outdoor rec funding
Four Santa Fe organizations are among the 33 statewide groups receiving funding through the most recent round of Outdoor Recreation Division equity funds. The division, part of the state Economic Development Department, this week announced more than $975,000 in grants to 16 rural, 13 urban, one land grant and five tribal communities, 28 of which are first-time recipients of Outdoor Equity Funding, created in 2019 to ensure equitable access to the outdoors. “ORD’s programming is helping raise the next generation of stewards of our natural environment,” ORD Director Karina Armijo says in a statement. “Through strategic investments in transformative outdoor experiences, New Mexico’s youth are developing a deep connection with the outdoor industry, which may pave the way for their future success within it. With the financial support of OEF funding, these programs are creating equitable opportunities that will positively impact the lives of nearly 9,000 young individuals in this funding cycle alone.” In Santa Fe County, Earth Care and the Mountain Center each received $40,000; New Mexico School for the Arts received $21,000 for its program that “relates to collective healing through restorative practice,” with “a special focus on New Mexico waterways;” and SheJumps received $20,000 for “wild skills” outdoor activity camps that will work with 80 girls, ages 8-17, from underserved New Mexico communities. According to the department, since its inception, the Outdoor Equity Fund has granted more than $5.7 million to nearly 250 organizations throughout the state.
City of Santa fe names new historian
Educator and author Andrew Lovato has been named the City of Santa Fe’s new historian for 2024, with the theme for his tenure designated as “cultural storytelling.” Lovato has taught throughout his career at Santa Fe Community College and the former College of Santa Fe; his published books include Santa Fe Hispanic Culture: Preserving Identity in a Tourist Town and Elvis Romero and Fiesta De Santa Fe: Featuring Zozobra’s Great Escape. Lovato has a PhD in Communication with an emphasis in intercultural communication from the University of New Mexico, and was selected as a Fulbright Scholar in 2008. A Santa Fe native, he’s also Todd and Juniper’s dad. “Andrew Lovato brings to this role not only a deep historical understanding of Santa Fe and its cultures but great emotional intelligence and empathy and a bridge-building, collaborative approach,” the city’s Arts and Culture Director Chelsey Johnson says in a statement. “He’s a natural storyteller and gatherer of stories, and we’re excited for Santa Feans to take him up on his invitation to share their own and enrich our city’s cultural understanding.” According to a news release, Lovato’s proposed projects include collaborating with local organizations such as Littleglobe, the Santa Fe Public Library and the Museum of New Mexico “focusing on storytelling as a medium for education and social change;” creating a radio and podcast series focused on storytelling with “an intergenerational and intercultural lens;” and collaborating with the City of Santa Fe Arts Commission, of which he is currently chairman. His weekly radio show, Our Santa Fe, runs from 630 to 730 pm Thursdays on KSFR: 101. FM.
Panel on homelessness tonight
At 6:30 pm today in the community room at the La Farge library branch (1730 Llano St.) Santa Fe’s Lived Experience Advisory Board and the S3 Santa Fe Housing Initiative volunteer committee will host a free panel discussion on homelessness in Santa Fe. The Advisory Board formed in 2022 and includes members who have former or current experiences with being unhoused (view a previous panel discussion by the board here). The S3 Santa Fe Housing Initiative is a collaborative undertaking between Santa Fe’s city and county governments, alongside various nonprofits such as Anchorum Health Foundation, Santa Fe Community Foundation, Thornburg Foundation and the New Mexico Coalition to End Homelessness. Its projects include the creation of so-called Safe Outdoor Spaces, which are currently under construction in the parking lot of Christ Lutheran Church, with an expected “grand opening” on March 25. Other current initiatives, as SFR reports, include a twice-weekly mobile support unit launching this week that will provide showers and other hygiene resources to people who are unhoused in the city. The unit will spend Thursdays stationed outside the Salvation Army on Alameda Street.
Listen up
Happiness may not be rocket science, but it does—or can—involve some brain science. On the most recent episode of the University of New Mexico’s It’s (Probably Not) Rocket Science, UNM Associate Psychology Professor Bruce Smith discusses with host Carly Bowling “proven strategies for happiness” and “thriving and resilience to hardship,” offering the tips and exercises he teaches UNM students in his popular class on the topic.
Poetic license
SFR wasted not one moment upon learning at the end of January that poet Tommy Archuleta had been named the city’s new poet laureate and requested he judge the paper’s annual poetry competition. Archuleta thankfully agreed, and picked 10 poems—seven honorable mentions in addition to the top three—most of which appear in this week’s print edition, with additional work online. Archuleta, author of Susto (University Press of Colorado, 2023) and Fieldnotes (Lily Poetry Review Press, 2023), says he “didn’t have a theme in mind” while judging. “There are some forms of poetry out there where it’s all about the percussiveness of the language, that have nothing to do with content—like Jackson Pollack and how they didn’t know what to do with him; how they didn’t know it was about what is the paint doing on the canvas, not what it’s saying when you step back from it.” Bottom line? “I’m looking for the gut-punch, the ones that make my stomach and throat change places,” Archuleta says. “I take them with me. These have that.” For all those poets looking for their next opportunity, don’t sleep on the state Department of Cultural Affairs’ ekphrastic poetry contest inspired by artwork in its collections, which remains open through the end of the month, with both youth and adult categories. As per DCA’s news release, the Greek word ekphrasis means “description of a work of art,” thus an ekphrastic poem “is one that’s inspired by works of art. (We are partial to Anne Sexton’s poem “The Starry Night” about Vincent Van Gogh’s painting of the same name). Submissions may be any length and use any poetic style, but “must be complete poems and respond to the works of art on display.” Each submission will be judged anonymously by New Mexico Poet Laureate Lauren Camp and a panel of experts, with 10 adult winners and 10 youth winners selected by the panel and announced on April 15.
Odds & ends
A recent New York Times story on senior skiers mentions Taos Ski Valley as one of the US resorts that allows people 80 years and older ski for free, and also features images of senior skiers by Santa Fe-based photographer Kate Russell. The El Paso Times runs down celebrities who have visited White Sands National Park, a list that includes Ozzy Osbourne, Brad Pitt and Kendall Jenner, to name a few. Publishers Weekly offers a round-up of new titles for children and young adults, which includes Gifts from Georgia’s Garden: How Georgia O’Keeffe Nourished Her Art by Lisa Robinson and illustrated by Hadley Hooper, a picture book that “recounts the artist’s journey from New York City to New Mexico and how getting in touch with nature impacted her work.” Finally, Forbes magazine recounts the history of Smokey Bear, the forest fire prevention mascot who turns 80 this August, based on a “rescued black bear cub who narrowly survived a forest fire in New Mexico” and went on to live at Washington, DC’s National Zoo from 1950 to 1976. There, Forbes writes, the bear “received so much hand-written fan mail that he was designated his own ZIP code (an honor only given to the president of the United States). When Smokey Bear finally passed, he was buried in New Mexico near where he was originally found at the Smokey Bear Historical Park.”
Pleasantville
The National Weather Service forecasts a sunny day, with a high temperature near 55 degrees and northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Look for a return of wetter/windier weather on Sunday.
Thanks for reading! The Word has currently abandoned all attempts to lead an examined life and is instead watching Jimmy Fallon, Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, The Roots et. al perform the theme from Ghostbusters on classroom instruments.
