New Mexico Humanities Council Funding Cut
Article by Melanie McWhorter
This spring, the Historic Santa Fe Foundation was awarded a grant by the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) for an exhibition and public programming focusing on acequias, water, and cultural preservation in Northern New Mexico. We received a grant from the NMHC supplied by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Like many organizations, our grant was approved and then reneged as part of the funding issues with the National Endowment for the Humanities. NMHC needed to cut the budget by 70-80%.*
Before they were denied our funds, we were approved for a grant for an acequia exhibition and public programming in the Thaw Education and Research Center in our historic house, the Edwin Brooks House, at 553 Canyon Road. The exhibition would feature the work of Sharon Stewart, resident of eastern New Mexico, whose framed silver-gelatin photographs illustrate acequia cleaning in San Miguel County. The black-and-white images demonstrate the vitality of the acequia life presented in contrast with the artist’s color photographs of the fire damage to the acequias after the Calf Canyon/Hermit’s Peak Fire in 2022. The exhibition’s intention was to provide public education on the acequia system, water issues, and environmental concerns. We planned to host various speakers including approaching a mayordomo and the Santa Fe Water Division Manager Jesse Roach.
These programs were designed not only to educate, but to foster community dialogue, bring awareness to the intersections of environment, history, and cultural continuity.
While the grant was only $2,000, the loss of these funds has put the project’s educational programming and honoraria for artists and speakers at risk. We will not be hosting the exhibition and programming without the funding. For nonprofits, this small amount made a big difference.
Now, we’re turning to you—our supporters and members—to help keep this program alive. Your contribution would support:
Honoraria for Sharon Stewart and guest speakers
Public exhibition costs
Exhibition guide printing (bilingual English/Spanish)
Radio and social media promotion
Free community Salons on water, history, and culture
This educational opportunity provides a venue for conversations we need to have about water, memory, and the future of New Mexico. Please help us continue the dialogue.
*Find out more about other New Mexico organizations that were affected in the Santa Fe New Mexican’s article, “Trump administration slashed funding for New Mexico Humanities Council in late-night email.”
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