Culture Vultures and The Ostrich Syndrome

PUBLIC ART AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION:

In New Mexico and Taos, Yesterday and Today

Culture Vultures

At Saturday’s informative day-long discussion of public art and historic preservation, hosted at the Historic Taos County Courthouse by Taos County, the County’s Art and Artifacts Review Committee, and the Taos Council of the Arts, it became apparent that the community of Taos, regardless of political inertia, is poised to enter a new phase of activity in response to its own historical-cultural roots.

Perhaps the most inspirational example of hard work in pursuit of the New Deal contribution came from Kathryn Flynn, Executive Director of the “National New Deal Preservation Association” of New Mexico. She reiterated the buzzwords that keep her organization’s attention riveted on its goals: “preservation, conservation, and restoration.” Flynn’s book, Public Art and Architecture in New Mexico, 1933-1943, a guide to the New Deal Legacy, is considered a classic compendium of the era.

Throughout her presentation, Flynn referred to representative examples of New Deal art objects, her organization saved from decay and damage throughout the state, a veritable hotbed of artistic production during the depression era, which included many household names from Taos. Not only did artists from Taos create work for public buildings in this state but they produced art for other states and federal buildings in Washington D.C.

Listening to all the presenters while sitting adjacent to the 10 historic frescoes, finished in 1935 by Taos artists in the courtroom, only served to inspire one during architect David Henry’s presentation of the study he’s done for the Town and County of Taos re: the 1934 Historic Preservation of Taos County Courthouse, a WPA project itself. Henry’s thorough study is serving as a springboard for Taos County Commissioners, who are expected to authorize in the next month about $500,000 for phase one of the project: ADA compliant access, bathrooms, and electrical upgrades.

Members of Taos County Art and Artifacts Review Committee have been discussing the further pursuit of grants and a fundraising campaign to complete the project. The Art and Artifacts Review Committee along with Fall Arts, and the Taos Council of the Arts, presented a WPA Historic Photo exhibit last year and expect to present an exhibit involving the recognition and preservation of acequias as part of Fall Arts. There is some interest in trying to raise funds to bring a portion of UNM’s Maxwell Museum’s show,  “El Agua es Vida: Acequias in New Mexico: “New Mexico has ancient agricultural and water management traditions, with the longest, continuously traceable history of human water management in the United States,” to the Historic Taos County Courthouse.

During the Saturday seminar Rachel Preston-Prinz discussed her participation in a study, called the “Taos, 2011 Existing Conditions Survey & Acequia Restoration Plan.” Prinz mentioned Madre Acequia, La Loma Ditch, Paseo Ditch, and Kit Carson Laterals but said the laterals in general were not part of the survey, which focused on the historic district in the Town of Taos. Due to development and political decisions, many of the acequias have been damaged beyond repair of even the most imaginative social engineer.  Prinz showed a map detailing what she called “380 interventions” in the acequias throughout the District. A “living history museum” could preserve a remnant of the Town’s acequia system in the historic district.

Though Commissioners Blankenhorn and O’Donnell as well as Councilor Hahn were present yesterday, I urge my readers to remember that the value of historic preservation and public art, are not a priority for los politicos. Public safety, roads, and a host of challenges very often require urgent attention from elected officials. The more that we volunteers can do on our own, the better off we are in terms of generating official support.

While the County is getting up to speed and refinancing a loan to find the money for the Historic County Courthouse, the Town has gotten a grant to “study,” once again, the historic district, a district that I suggest has been studied to death. Now we need to implement the plans already in place as the County is beginning to do.

The Ostrich Syndrome

The voters in the Town of Taos last March elected a new mayor and two new councilors. After almost one year in office, little has been accomplished beyond focusing some controversial attention on the Plaza itself and unwelcome attention on administrative/council disagreements. Recently, an uninformed mob was allowed to weigh in on ambiguous personnel matters, only adding to the inertia at Town Hall.

As of today and according to Tuesday’s agenda, the new administration has yet to hire a marketing person to coordinate advertising and public relations; the Town has yet to hire a planning and economic development director or even a senior planner; the Town has yet to hire a finance person to oversee the economic health of the town’s internal organization and its balance sheet in general; the Town has yet to announce the just implementation of sewer and water regulations. While La Gente is grumbling louder and louder each day about potholes, the agenda on Tuesday is silent on this and the above-mentioned items.

By conserving and preserving the notion of “inertia,” the Mayor and Council are restoring the status quo. Flavio said he recently found a discarded monograph in a Town Hall wastebasket, entitled, “Cultural Restoration and the Town that Time Forgot.” He said it was subtitled: “The Ostrich Syndrome.” Sometimes, when folks come to work, they apparently forget their “work” gloves.