We need your help in bringing this issue to the attention of our state leaders. We need to show them that there is widespread support for this important part of Santa Fe’s culture and history. Here is what you can do to help:
- Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/new-mexico-cultural-affairs-secretary-debra-garcia-y-griego-keep-public-art-public-save-santa-fe-s-multi-cultural-mural
- Complete the questionnaire: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CQ3BQVH
- Show your support through social media and local publications. If you are a member of any community organizations, work with them to publicly support the preservation of the Multicultural mural.
- Letter to editor in local newspapers
- Public posts and letters on social media and websites
- Posting and changing your social media profile image to the Keep Santa Fe Multicultural image, you can download it here, square version here.
- Take a photo with the mural or post any photos you have related to the mural and tag it with #keepsantafemulticultural
- Call and email Secretary Debra Garcia y Griego at the State Cultural Affairs Department
- 505-827-6364
- debra.garciagriego@state.nm.us
- Call and email your city, county, and state representatives. Ask them to publicly support the mural through open letters and resolutions
- see the maps below to find your representatives
- Or search by your address https://www.nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_By_Address?PoliticalBody=House
House of Representatives
43: Christine Chandler
505-986-4226 christine.chandler@nmlegis.gov
45: Linda Serrato
505-986-4464 linda.serrato@nmlegis.gov
46: Andrea Romero
505-986-4254 andrea@andrearomero.com
47: Brian Egolf
505-986-4782 brian.egolf@nmlegis.gov
48: Tara Lujan
505-986-4254 tara.lujan@nmlegis.gov
Senate
24: Nancy Rodriguez
505-986-4264 nancy.rodriguez@nmlegis.gov
25: Peter Wirth
505-986-4727 peter.wirth@nmlegis.gov
39: Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics
505-986-4377 liz.stefanics@nmlegis.gov
Based on the information we have collected via research and meetings, these are our demands to the Department of Cultural Affairs:
- A timely public town hall that invites thoughtful engagement around the topic of the mural, its beloved role in the community, and art historical value, locally, nationally, and internationally.
- A timeline on the Vladem Contemporary’s construction and any (all) plans for demolition for the Halpin Building.
- A cost estimate proposal from a qualified professional conservator examining all the options offered by Cynthia Lawrence and valuations of all those options for the mural.
- A postponement of any further plans regarding the mural’s “retirement” until all of the aforementioned have been satisfied.
- A commitment to reevaluate past decisions regarding the mural and the mural’s future, based on information gained through the public town hall, cost estimate proposal, and the knowledge of DCA’s misrepresentation of the conservator’s report.
Here is a sample script you can use or draw from for a phone call or email:
“Hello, my name is [insert your name] and I am your constituent from [insert city and state]. I am calling to ask [senator or representative’s name] to do everything in his/her/their power to save the historic Multicultural mural that currently resides on the Halpin Building on 2118 S Guadalupe Street. The Department of Cultural Affairs has not been transparent about their plans to demolish an important artwork, painted by renowned artists (Gilberto Guzmán, Frederico Vigil, Zara Kriegstein, Rosemary Stearns, David Bradley, and Linda Lomahoftewa) and members of the community, without public input. I am calling on you to ask the DCA to postpone any further plans to demolish the mural. The DCA should host a public townhall and provide a timeline on Vladem Contemporary’s construction and all plans for demolition of the building. Given that DCA has misrepresented the conservator’s report on the mural, they should also seek a cost estimate proposal by a qualified professional examining all the options provided in Lawrence’s original report. And while the DCA’s mission is a ‘dedication to preserving and celebrating the cultural integrity and diversity of our state,’ by pushing for the destruction of a significant cultural and historical marker in Santa Fe, they are not only evading their stated mission, but treating the museum’s construction and the mural’s destruction as if it were entirely funded by private money when that is not the case. Please advocate for this significant public artwork and all that it stands for.
keepsantafemulticultural.org 