Somos Agua at The Range in Saguache

Join HEART of Saguache from July 21 to July 30, 2023 at The Range in Saguache for a presentation of Somos Agua, an intergenerational, intercommunity large scale silk painting project.

Somos Agua started in 2017 to honor the Water Protectors at Standing Rock. Belinda Garcia, artist and organizer, initiated Somos Agua as a silk painting mural to educate communities on the importance of clean water. The first mural was completed at The Range art space in Saguache, Colorado by students and adults from Center, Crestone, and Saguache. The project took place in partnership with The Range, Sisters of Color United for Education, and HEART of Saguache, with support from Jacquard.

In the years 2018 through 2022, murals were created in Jefferson County, Sheridan, and Westwood, Denver. Participants included Jeffco Indian Education, the International Indigenous Youth Council, and residents from Brighton County, Denver County, and Jefferson County. Each mural was created in conjunction with workshops that focused on water, water protection, health equity, and advocacy. Art techniques including drawing, watercolor, silk painting, collaborative design, and creative expression were taught. Participating artists were from 4 to 84 years of age.

Somos Agua has produced documentaries of artists that worked on the murals with support from the Department of Anthropology at University of Colorado, Denver. These interviews can be viewed at https://therangeontheinternet.com/somosagua.html.

111 artists have participated in Somos Agua including Alicia Abeyta, Jody Abeyta, Ivana Acosta Gonazlez, Juan Carlos Acosta Gonzalez, Rodrigo Acosta Gonzalez, Breanne Arandondo, Maria Arias, Paola Arias, Maori Baca, Charmaine Barros, Michael Benavidez, Mary Benavidez, Valeria Burciaga, Vanessa Burciaga, Juan Callos, Angel Casanova, Patricia Cassio, Cintya Graciela Cereceres, Wendy Chavez, Alicia Chavez-Arteaga, Adrienna Corrales Lujan, Alex DeCarli, Gina DeHerrera, Weip de Vries, Irma Diaz Quiroz, Fernando Jose Espin Navarete Ayala, Yazid Estrada, Yesenia Estrada, Marilyn Fenton, Wazhinguda Eli Florine, Adrienne Garbini, Antonia Garcia, Belinda Garcia, Brenda Lee Garcia, Jessica Garrison, Belem Gonzalez, Miriam Gonzalez, Maria Heredia Cruz, Micala Ironshell Dominguez, Simon Johnson, Rachel Knapp, Jane Kwan, Ema Lara, Michelle Loddy, Uma Long, Yvonne Loop, Lorraine Lopez, Tomas Lopez, Uncle Louie, Troy Lucero, Kristina Maldonado Bad Hand, Alicia Mancha, Adrian Martinez, Eduardo Martinez, Lucia Martinez, Jose Angel Martinez, Phil Martinez, Lucia Martinez, Sofia Martinez, Drew McNulty, Raylnn Mora, Maria Montelongo, Dolores Mosqueda, Maria Arias Mosqueda, Paola Margarita Arias Mosqueda, Jezlil Munguia, Laura Naranjo, Shonnell Norris, Liam Off, Eric Ontiveros, Mateo Ontiveros, Micheal Pacheco, Nimani Padilla, Erica Padilla Saiz, Huitzilcuucatzin Padilla Saiz, Muti Padilla Saiz, Xochihuitzillin Padilla Saiz, Angel Ramos, Pamela Redfeather, Euda Tameika Robinson, Uda Robinson, Maria del Rodriguez, Andrea Rodriguez, Angela Rodriguez, Dimas Rodriguez, Camila Rodriguez, Maria Elsa Rodriguez, Rolando Rodriguez, Andrea Ruiz, Divas Ruiz, Leroy Saiz, Honey Sandoval, Mercy Sandoval, Ariel Sarabia, Desirae Sarabia, Devona Sarabia, Justice Smith, Chico Stange, Daniel Stange, Jennifer Thompson, Erasto Torres, Rosa Torres, Yoselin Torres, Alexandria Troquet, Stuart Valley, Laurie Vigil, Itzia Villalobos, Maritza Villalobos, Mia-luz Villalobos, Rudy Villalobos, and Tahi Athalia Villalobos.

This Somos Agua presentation is organized in partnership with HEART of Saguache (heartofsaguache.org), San Luis Valley American Indian Center (a SLV AHEC project, slvahec.org), The Range (therangeontheinternet.com), Sisters of Color United for Education (socue.org), Gold Crown Clubhouse, LifeSpan Local, Sheridan Schools, Sheridan Library, the Anthropology Department at University of Colorado, Denver, and Manuko’s Creative Communications. Funding for this program is provided through a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant.

The Range is located at 307 4th Street in Saguache. The opening of Somos Agua will correspond to Lucha Martínez de Luna’s presentation on Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado at 4pm on July 21, 2023. There will be a closed reception on July 29 from 10am to 7pm during the Saguache Art and Hollyhock Festival. Ring the bell or call 646-734-1373 to visit the exhibition outside of these hours.

Lucha Martinez de Luna Presentation on Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado

Lucha Martinez de Luna Presentation on Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado

at

San Luis Valley American Indian Center

Thursday July 20, 2023

3pm

240 East 5th Street, Center, CO

and

The Range

Friday July 21, 2023

4pm

307 4th Street, Saguache, CO

In Conjunction with Somos Agua at The Range July 21-July 30, 2023

In partnership with HEART of Saguache, AHEC, The SLV AIC, The Range, and Sisters of Color United for Education with funding from a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant

Image: Carlos Sandoval, Sierras y Colores, 1986. Mural on building in San Luis, Colorado. Courtesy of Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado.

The Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado Project (CMCP) protects, promotes, and preserves the ongoing legacy of community murals within the state of Colorado. The project is a grassroots community effort to preserve this critical component of Colorado’s visual heritage in response to the threats presented by the murals’ increasing age, as well as the ongoing development and gentrification in neighborhoods, towns, and cities tied to the history of Colorado’s population. The project offers opportunities for collaboration between artists, archivists, activists, students, and community members, as well as the broader population across the state.

Lucha Martínez de Luna was born and raised in Colorado. She is director of the Chicano/a/x Murals of Colorado Project. She actively advocates for cultural inclusivity in scientific and cultural facilities and conducts research of the Hispano/Chicano people and arts in the American West and Southwest. She has served as associate curator of Latino heritage at History Colorado, curatorial assistant and research associate at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Museo de las Americas, the Regional Museum of Guadalajara, and division director for the State Council of Culture and Arts in Chiapas, Mexico. She is an archaeologist and has worked on numerous archaeological projects in the American West and Southwest, as well as in central and southern Mexico. She is a visiting professor at Universidad de las Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas where she directs an archaeological field school at the Zoque site of O’na Tök, Mexico.

The San Luis Valley American Indian Center is located at 240 East 5th Street in Center, Colorado. The Range is located at 307 4th Street in Saguache. Lucha Martínez de Luna’s presentation will correspond to the opening of Somos Agua, an intergenerational silk painting mural to educate communities on the importance of clean water.

This Chicano/Chicano Murals of Colorado (chicanomuralsofcolorado.com) presentation is organized through a partnership of three Saguache County organizations: HEART of Saguache (heartofsaguache.org), San Luis Valley American Indian Center (a SLV AHEC project, slvahec.org), and The Range (therangeontheinternet.com). Funding for this program is provided through a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant.

Saguache Adobe Workshop

In Summer 2023, HEART of Saguache partnered with the Town of Saguache Historic Preservation Commission to host an adobe building repair and brick making workshop.

From an article printed in the Thursday July 6, 2023 Saguache Crescent :

Over the June 30 through July 2 weekend, Cornerstones Community Partners guided Saguache Adobe Workshop participants in making 450 adobe bricks. These bricks will be used in August to build a short wall at the front of Floyd Smith Kids Park in Downtown Saguache. Workshop participants learned about structural repairs for adobe buildings, common maintenance issues, and how to select materials for construction and repair. People in Saguache with adobe building issues had one on one site visits with Cornerstones workshop leaders. Thank you to workshop leaders Issac Logsdon, Lea Andersson, Kateri Lopez for the invaluable lessons and support - and we look forward to having them back in town in August.

The Town of Saguache Historic Preservation Commission would like to thank the community and Cornerstones Community Partnerships for the wonderful weekend. Thank you to the Town Administration, Town Maintenance, and the Board of Trustees for supporting the program needs. Thank you to the BLM and Saguache County Road and Bridge for the ideal adobe dirt from the Saguache County Landfill. Thank you to Conley Waste Management for

getting it to town. Thank you to the Northern Saguache County Fire District for helping with water and power to the brick yard. Thank you to Rebie Hazard for providing the straw for the bricks. Thank you to Lori Lujan for a perfect building site to learn adobe repair. Thank you to Tasha Pino and Joe Abeyta for a beautiful garage for mud plastering. Thank you to Alex DeCarli for helping preparing the work sites. Thank you to the Saguache Town Market, The Oasis, and The Village Pub for the wonderful lunches. Thank you to Big Valley Motel for the accommodations. Thank you to Michael Pacheco for documenting all of the activities.

Thank you to Dr.Lindsey Flewelling, Saguache’s Certified Local Government Preservation Planner at History Colorado for helping the Town of Saguache organize and fund the Saguache Adobe Workshop. Thank you to the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior for History Colorado, and to the Saguache County Commissioners for funding through a CLG Grant and a Saguache County Sales Tax Grant. Thank you to HEART of Saguache for providing logistics and helping bring our community together on this important and fun cultural, educational, historic preservation program.