King of the Road - July 2009
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New Wave
Welcome change washes over historic Peñasco
Story and Photography by Lesley S. King
While driving through the northern New Mexico village of Peñasco, I see a flash of light followed by brilliant colors—emerald, persimmon, azure. I stop the car to examine this lovely diversion. It’s a mural made of broken pottery, an elaborate mosaic of mirror shards and handmade tiles that depict suns, moons, and phrases such as “Let laughs and smiles rain on your path.”
Stepping back, I see more signs of change—in the theater next door, and its accompanying restaurant. But as I explore this town of some 275 residents set along N.M. 75, 25 miles south of Taos, I find that these are only the most recent such signs. Peñasco shows evidence of waves of change over centuries, each bringing its own
new vision.
“I used an axe rather than a chain saw,” says Richard Mermejo, governor of Picuris Pueblo, “and a plow pulled by a team of horses rather than a tractor.” He is describing his childhood at the Pueblo, also along N.M. 75 and just a few miles outside of Peñasco, where he grew up to the sounds of the running river, hooting owls, and howling coyotes. Today, the Pueblo of some 300 residents still retains the serenity of its roots, which date back to A.D. 1050. The ancient history is apparent in the Upper Plaza, where houses built of raw adobe stand above ceremonial kivas hidden underground.
The Pueblo church, a 1770s Mission-style gem, stands as a reminder of the next wave of change that came to the area. The Spanish arrived in 1591, initiating a rich farming tradition that remains today. Back in Peñasco, I meet up with two sisters whose Spanish family settled here in the early 1800s, and who carry on a craft from those days.
“Our grandmother used old blue jeans sewed together with thread from flour sacks,” says Susan Trujillo of her quilt-making legacy. In a similar fashion, she and her sister Delores Elkins now piece together material to make elaborate designs. They sell these during the High Road Art Tour, which each September leads visitors through the mountain villages between Santa Fe and Taos. “I’m inspired in myself,” says Delores of how she creates. Certainly, the setting of her home, with views across pastoral meadows, helps. The valley nurtures many traditional Spanish artists, whose work ranges from carving santos to painting retablos.
DAY-TRIP TIPS Where to Dine: Where to Stay: Casa Escondida Bed & Breakfast Where to Shop: Walking Woman Gallery |
I wave goodbye to Susan and Delores and make my way through town to Sahd’s, the local general store. Here, in a big Quonset hut, amid pliers, nails, and cans of Campbell’s tomato soup, I meet Randy Sahd, part of a family that brought another wave of change to Peñasco.
Randy’s father came here from Lebanon and, in 1946, bought the general store—part of a post-World War II phase in which many newcomers arrived in New Mexico, including my own family. “He used to bring in flour and groceries, including 100-pound bags of potatoes,” Randy says. He points out some of the complexities of change: “Sometimes, newcomers try to make it into the world they escaped from. But they also help stabilize the population.”
I make my way down the road to Art for the Heart, where I meet Jean Nichols. Her gallery, filled with paintings, pottery, and wood carvings, echoes back to the 1960s,when she arrived here with a wave of hippies. Many came to northern New Mexico during that time, leaving city life for the solitude and simplicity of the country, some setting up in communes, and others, such as Jean, settling in small towns such as this.
“I realized I always wanted to have a big studio where people could come and do art,” Jean says, and that’s what she’s created. A woman of many talents, she teaches as well as creates. “People come in and say, ‘I’m not artistic.’ But I love the stuff they do, because they just pour out their hearts.” Indeed, I find in Jean’s shop, among her own whimsical watercolors, clay ornaments and matchbox altars made by visitors. Teaming up with others, Jean has helped with community projects, including the mosaic I saw this morning.
Back at that mosaic wall, I meet Peñasco’s newest wave of imaginative creators, talented visionaries who have come seeking a place to fully express themselves. “I worked at high-end, high-volume restaurants in San Francisco,” says Kai Harper, a former chef at the notable Greens, and today co-owns the Sugar Nymphs Bistro. “I wanted to be able to change the menu daily, make what I want, mix it up!”
My brunch of bison stew with meat from Picuris Pueblo, accompanied by crispy potatoes and house-made focaccia, attests to the creativity here, as do the yellow walls and the local art hanging from them. I finish my feast with the most delectable pie I’ve had to date: chocolate pecan with whipped cream, made by Sugar Nymphs co-owner Ki Holste.
My day ends next door, in the 1940s Peñasco Theater, the structure now decorated with bright murals painted by local teens. Run by Alessandra Ogren, cofounder of Wise Fool New Mexico, the theater provides after-school programs for kids and workshops for all ages. “Our goal is to ignite imagination and build community,” Alessandra says. Participants learn to walk on stilts, fly on a trapeze, and perform acrobatics. As well, Wise Fool teams up with the bistro to host fundraisers in a range of forms, from cabarets to puppet shows.
Between adobe walls, I settle into a tattered leather seat to watch an afternoon of circus acts, including juggling, clown antics, and trapeze work, accented by lots of children’s giggling. The place bustles with locals and visitors inspired by this latest wave of change. It may upset the local balance,
but it will surely add a lot of color.
IF YOU GO: Near Peñasco, Picuris Pueblo performs the Corn Dance on July 24, and hosts the San Lorenzo Feast Day on August 10. For info and to tour the Pueblo: (575) 587-2519. To explore the region's arts: www.highroadnewmexico.com. To participate in Wise Fool New Mexico events: (505) 992-2588.
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"King of the Road" columnist Lesley S. King visits another little-known community in New Mexico each month.
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