The papers of sculptor Arnold Rönnebeck and painter Louise Emerson Ronnebeck measure 4.24 linear feet and date from 1884-2002. The collection contains biographical material, family and professional correspondence, sketches and drawings, writings, a scrapbook, and printed material. There are also numerous photographic prints, copy prints, negatives, and 7 glass plate negatives of the Rönnebecks and their artwork, travels, family, and friends, including Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, Alfred Stieglitz, and Tony Luhan.
Scope and Content Note:
The papers of sculptor Arnold Rönnebeck and painter Louise Emerson Ronnebeck measure 4.24 linear feet and date from 1884-2002. The collection contains biographical material, family and professional correspondence, sketches and drawings, writings, a scrapbook, and printed material. There are also numerous photographic prints, copy prints, negatives, and 7 glass plate negatives of the Rönnebecks and their artwork, travels, family, and friends, including Charles Demuth, Marsden Hartley, Alfred Stieglitz, and Tony Luhan.
Biographical materials include articles on the Rönnebecks by Betsy Fahlman, curriculum vitae, and documentation on the Emerson family. Correspondence is primarily between Arnold Rönnebeck to Louise, and also includes letters in German to Arnold's sister Irmgard Rönnebeck. Among the professional and personal correspondence from friends and family to both of the Rönnebecks are letters from Kenneth Hayes Miller to Louise Ronnebeck.
Writings include essay drafts, notes, and poetry by the Rönnebecks, including Arnold Rönnebeck's "Paint-As-You-Go Plan." There is a scrapbook of clippings covering Louise Ronnebeck's work. Additional printed material includes Christmas cards, clippings, and exhibition announcements and catalogs of both the Rönnebecks' work. Artwork consists of drawings and sketches by Arnold Rönnebeck.
Photographic materials include photographs of the Rönnebecks and their travels to Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, New York, and Europe. The series also contains photos, copy prints, negatives, and 7 glass plate negatives of artist friends, and formal and informal documentation of their works of art and public and private art commissions.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 7 series.
Missing Title
Series 1: Biographical Materials, 1926-2002 (9 folders; Box 1, OV 7)
Series 2: Correspondence, 1909-1998 (0.6 linear feet; Box 1, 5)
Series 3: Writings, 1920-1944 (6 folders; Box 1, 5)
Series 4: Scrapbook, 1926-1966 (1 folder; Box 1)
Series 5: Printed Material, 1923-1999 (0.5 linear feet; Box 1-2)
Series 6: Artwork, 1915-1950 (2 folders; Box 2, 5)
Series 7: Photographic Materials, 1884-1976 (2.6 linear feet; Box 2-6)
Biographical Note:
Sculptor Arnold Rönnebeck (1885-1947) was part of the "Stieglitz circle" and settled in Denver where he served as director of the Denver Art Museum from 1926-1931. Rönnebeck married Louise Emerson (1901-1980) in 1926. Emerson was a painter and muralist who worked on New Deal mural commissions in Colorado and Wyoming.
Arnold Rönnebeck was born in Nassau, Germany and was a noted sculptor and lithographer. From 1905 to 1907, Rönnebeck studied architecture at the Royal Art School in Berlin and spent a year studying sculpture in Munich. In 1908, he moved to Paris where he furthered his studies in sculpture under Aristede Maillol and Emile Bourdelle. From 1914 to 1918, Rönnebeck served as an officer in the German Imperial Army during World War I. In 1923, he emigrated to the United States where he became part of the Stieglitz circle.
In 1925, Rönnebeck visited Mabel Dodge Luhan at her ranch in Taos, New Mexico, where he met his future wife, the painter Louise Emerson, born Mary Louise Harrington Emerson in 1901. After their marriage, the Rönnebecks lived in Denver where Arnold Rönnebeck worked as director of the Denver Art Museum and continued to execute commissioned works, including bas reliefs, portrait busts, and sculptures. He died in Denver, Colorado in 1947. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Louise Emerson Ronnebeck continued to receive commissions for frescoes and murals in Colorado and Bermuda and died in Denver, Colorado in 1980.
Related Material:
Correspondence between Arnold Rönnebeck and Alfred Stieglitz and Marsden Hartley is located at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University.
Provenance:
The papers were donated in 2001 by Ursula Moore Works and Arnold Rönnebeck, the artists' daughter and son.
Restrictions:
Use of original papers requires an appointment.
Rights:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Arnold Rönnebeck and Louise Emerson Ronnebeck papers, 1884-2002. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Sponsor:
Funding for the digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art. Glass plate negatives in this collection were digitized in 2019 with funding provided by the Smithsonian Women's Committee.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
The 1998 Festival program formed part of a larger, multi-year Río Grande/Río Bravo Basin project that included:
Folklife Field Research Schools held in Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado to train local academic and community scholars and to direct local research for the Folklife Festival and other public programs;
Production of local public programs in collaboration with local organizations to present research carried out in the region (sponsored by Texas Folklife Resources and the Texas Council for the Humanities);
Smithsonian Folklife Festival programs for 1998 and 2000;
Production of a traveling exhibition, educational materials, and a film documentary.
This collaborative training and research approach built upon several years of work with binational institutions, researchers, and community members, some of whom had participated in earlier Smithsonian projects in the U.S.-Mexico borderlands region. The particular challenge was to research, plan, and produce a program on how local cultures contribute to a sustainable river-basin environment. The Smithsonian's approach was to engage scholars, educators, and individuals - whether formally or nonformally trained - who are involved in community cultural work. We sought to understand relationships between culture and environment and to see how contemporary traditions can be relevant to balancing human prosperity with environmental sustainability. Three questions guided the project: 1) What kinds of communities live in the region today? 2) What is their traditional knowledge for managing the environment? 3) Can local culture provide a foundation for sustainable development projects?
These questions led to in-depth explorations of the many meanings of the Río Grande/Río Bravo. The 1998 Festival offered initial answers through a small Festival program that previewed cultural regions, expressive traditions, and issues that were featured in subtantially greater depth at the 2000 Festival program, El Río.
Olivia Cadaval and Cynthia L. Vidaurri were Curators, and Heidi McKinnon was Program Coordinator; Patricia Fernandez de Castro was Research Advisor.
This project was cosponsored by El Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes with support from the U.S.-Mexico Fund for Culture (The Rockefeller Foundation, Fundación Cultural Bancomer, the Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes), SBC Foundation, Texas Folklife Resources, and the Texas Council for the Humanities. Folklife Fieldwork Research Schools were supported by Colorado College, Tierra Wools, the University of New Mexico, University of Texas-Pan American, and a grant from Smithsonian Outreach Funds.
Armando Acosta, Estevan Arellano, Alejandro Arrecillas, Angelica Bautista, Mike Blakeman, Norma Cantú, Imelda Castro Santillán, David Champion, Jerry Chapman, Karen Chapman, Cynthia L. Chávez, Cynthia Cortez, Peter J. García, Gregorio Garza, Bárbara Gonzales, Steve Harris, Victor Manuel Hernández, Alma Jiménez, Ramón de León, Heidi H. McKinnon, Genevieve Mooser, Marisa Oliva, Francis Ortega, Beverly Ann Ortiz, Gustavo Palacio Flores, Marcos Rodríguez, Rose Rodríguez-Rabin, Erin Ross, Ken Rubin, Joanna Stewart, John Stockley, Bob Tenequer, Elaine Thatcher, Molly Timko, Curtis Tunnell, Ethel Warrior, William Warrior
Presenters:
David Champion, Juanita Elizondo Garza, Enrique Lamadrid, Ramón de León, Mario Montaño, Genevieve Mooser, Daniel Sheehy
Participants:
Charles Aguilar, musician, farmer, fiesta organizer, Bernalillo, New Mexico
Estevan Arellano, centenary rancher, historian, sculptor, writer, Embudo, New Mexico
Michael Blakeman, San Juan, Rio Grande National Forest, Del Norte, Colorado
José Guadalupe Alejandro Bautista, Ramámuri woodcarver, bilingual teacher, runner, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
David Champion, -- conjunto -- musician, Mercedes, Texas
José Cisneros, Big Bend National Park, Big Bend, Texas
Marta Cruz Moreno, Ramámuri basket weaver, seamstress, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Luis Román, retablo painter, muralist, sign painter, Ojinaga, Chihuahua, Mexico
María Elena Russom, Tierra Wools weaver, Los Ojos, New Mexico
Juan Antonio Tapia, -- conjunto -- musician, Brownsville, Texas
Dolores Venegas, paper crafts, Río Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
Clemente Zamarripa, vaquero, horsehair braider, Santa Elena, Texas
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1998 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
Before the people there was the land. High mountains in northern New Mexico fork southward, forming arms. One curls westward to embrace the high mesa and plateau land, while the other thrusts directly south to separate the dry grasslands of the east from the fertile valley carved by the Rio Grande. Stories tell that the First People found this land when they emerged onto its surface, born from the womb of Mother Earth.
The Spanish and later the Mexicans also found this land, as they wound their way north on horseback or in carretas, following the course of the long, wild river, and establishing a permanent connection - the Camino Real - between northern New Mexico and Mexico. Then, from Texas, California, Oklahoma, came still others, determined to transform the land and tame the river. And today people still come, on family odysseys that began in Italy, Lebanon, Iran, Czechoslovakia, India, Poland, Japan, or Germany. In one short stretch, the Rio Grande recounts this history as it passes near old communities like San Juan Pueblo and Embudo, then the new atomic city, Los Alamos, and then Albuquerque, a city of a half-million people.
Five hundred years after Columbus, the complex engagement between Europe and America, which his voyage has come to symbolize, continued to produce patterns of accommodation and resistance that were presented in the 1992 Festival program. Conflicting uses and meanings for the same land seem inevitable in New Mexico, where more than 70% of the land is managed by the state or federal government, and where a significant percentage of local income is derived from tourism. Cultural traditions of New Mexico's diverse communities were not seen, at the Festival, as immutable heirlooms passed down from one generation to the next. Rather, visitors could see how today's New Mexicans shape traditions by the conflicted choices they make today, weaving a design that can never be wholly foreseen.
José Griego and Andrew Wiget were Curators, with Philippa Jackson as Research & Program Coordinator and Francesca McLean as Program Assistant.
The New Mexico program was made possible with the support of the State of New Mexico, Bruce King, Governor; with the collaboration of the Department of Tourism, the Office of Cultural Affairs, the New Mexico Arts Division, and the Museum of International Folk Art; and with the assistance of the Tourism Association of New Mexico.
Fieldworkers and consultants:
Fieldworkers
Tomás Atencio, Charles Carillo, Beaumont Chrisner, Patricia D'Andrea, Tobias Duran, Judith Goldberg, José Griego, Jim Harris, Stanley Hordes, Theodore Jojola, Kenneth Keppeler, Gina L'Acqua; Enrique Lamadrid, Katherine Liden, Jack Loeffler, Felix Lopez, Helen Lucero, Gwendolyn Mintz, Lynn Moncus, Stephan Moore, Pat Music, A. Rudy Padilla, Patricia Ruiz, Marilee Schmit, Glenda Sours, Elizabeth Taliman, Soge Track, Sandra Turner, Maria Varela, Marta Wiegle, Peter White
Consultants
Olivia Cadaval, Richard Kennedy
Presenters:
Charles Carrillo, Andrew Connors, José Griego, Kenneth Keppeler, Enrique Lamadrid, Felix Lopez, Tessie Naranjo, Gilbert Sanchez, Maria Varela, Andrew Wiget
Participants:
New Mexico Crafts
Charles Carrillo, santero, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Cordelia Coronado, 1933-, weaver, Medanales, New Mexico
Frances Naranjo Dennis, 1949-, potter, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico
Austin "Slim" Green, saddle maker, Tesuque, New Mexico
Sam Leyba, 1950-, muralist, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Felix Lopez, 1942-, santero, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Irene E. Lopez, 1949-, weaver, Española, New Mexico
José Benjamin Lopez, 1947-, santero, Española, New Mexico
Jerome Lujan, santero, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Deana McGuffin, 1950-, bootmaker, Clovis, New Mexico
Wilberto Miera, adobe worker, furniture maker, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Patricio Mora, 1937-, -- paño -- artist, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Madelyn Naranjo, 1915-, potter, Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico
Felipe Ortega, potter, cook, La Madera, New Mexico
Alberto Parra, 1954-, adobe worker, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Carolina Paz, potter, -- quiote -- maker, Tortugas, New Mexico
Lydia Pesata, 1942-, basket maker, storyteller, Dulce, New Mexico
Eliseo Rodriguez, 1915-, straw applique, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Paula Rodriguez, 1915-, straw applique, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Timothy P. Roybal, 1947-, furniture maker, Española, New Mexico
Bonifacio Sandoval, 1922-, tin worker, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Thelma Sheche, 1928-, fetish carver, Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
Ada Suina, potter, Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico
Elizabeth Taliman, 1953-, bead worker, cook, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Carmen Romero Velarde, 1928-, adobe worker, cook, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
Priscilla Vigil, 1919-2001, potter, cook, storyteller, Tesuque, New Mexico
Maria Vergara Wilson, -- colcha -- embroiderer, La Madera, New Mexico
Home and Garden
Paulette Atencio, 1947-, storyteller, Chama, New Mexico
Alice Hoppes, 1939-2003, cook, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Edward Kretek, 1927-1997, cook, Deming, New Mexico
Geraldine Kretek, 1929-, cook, Deming, New Mexico
Gertrude Kretek, cook, Deming, New Mexico
Consuela Martinez, 1948-, curandera, Mora, New Mexico
Elizabeth Taliman, cook, bead worker, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Maclovia Zamora, 1931-, cook, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Range
Ganados del Valle -- Ganados del ValleEstafanita Martinez, 1968-, weaver, Tiera Amarilla, New MexicoNorma Martinez, 1963-, weaver, Chama, New MexicoSophie Martinez, 1959-, weaver, Tierra Amarilla, New MexicoNena Russan, 1964-, weaver, Chama, New Mexico
Ramah Navajo Sheep Camp -- Ramah Navajo Sheep CampKatie C. Henio, Ramah, New MexicoSamuel Henio, 1952-, Pine Hill, New MexicoAnnie L. Pino, 1925-2006, Ramah, New MexicoLorraine Wayne, Ramah, New Mexico
Mountain Spirit Dancers -- Mountain Spirit DancersFreddy Apache, 1963-, dancer, Mescalero, New MexicoAbraham Chee, 1959-, dancer, drum maker, Mescalero, New MexicoNathaniel Chee, Sr., 1936-2004, drummer, singer, Mescalero, New MexicoNathaniel Chee, Jr., dancer, Mescalero, New MexicoSamuel Chee, 1970-, dancer, drum maker, Mescalero, New MexicoJoseph Geronimo, 1949-, drummer, singer, drum maker, Mescalero, New Mexico
Philip Pike, dancer, Mescalero, New Mexico
Jose Castro, charro, La Mesa, New Mexico
Thelma Castro, charro, La Mesa, New Mexico
Banjo Garcia, camp cook, Continental Divide, , New Mexico
Cindy Jo Gainer Graham, 1959-, ranch skills, Tatum, New Mexico
R.W. Hampton, 1957-, ranch skills, guitarist, vocalist, Sedan, New Mexico
James Keith, farrier, blacksmith, Tucumcari, New Mexico
Pete Lewis, 1938-, ranch skills, fiddler, Dell City, New Mexico
Musicians
Antonia Apodaca, 1923-, accordion, vocals, Rociada, New Mexico
Fernando Cellicion, flute, Zuni Pueblo, New Mexico
Vodra Dorn, 1957-, vocals, Albuquerque, New Mexico
William Dorn, 1952-, vocals, sermon traditions, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Juan Manuel Flores, guitar, Las Cruces, New Mexico
J.P. Lewis, 1950-, guitar, Dell City, New Mexico
Charla Nettleton, 1955-, bass, Mesilla Park, New Mexico
Cleofes Ortiz, fiddle, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Buster Payne, 1915-, fiddle, Eunice, New Mexico
Floyd Trujillo, 1934-, vocals, bone carver, Abiquiu, New Mexico
Gretchen Van Houton, 1963-, fiddle, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Cipriano Vigil, 1941-, guitar, fiddle, vocals, Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico
Johnny Whelan, 1946-, guitar, poetry, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Luther Whelan, 1975-, harmonica, bass, poetry, Las Cruces, New Mexico
Los Alegres -- Los AlegresFrank Jaramillo, 1950-, bass, Ranchos de Taos, New MexicoJulia Jaramillo, 1922-, mandolin, Ranchos de Taos, New MexicoPablo Trujillo, 1916-, bass, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
Los Reyes de Albuquerque -- Los Reyes de AlbuquerqueMiguel Archibeque, 1938-, guitar, vocals, Albuquerque, New MexicoIsidro Chavez, 1921-, guitar, Albuquerque, New MexicoRay Flores, trumpet, Albuquerque, New MexicoLorenzo Martinez, violin, Albuquerque, New MexicoRoberto Martinez, 1929-, vihuela, guitar, vocals, Albuquerque, New MexicoAngela Perez, 1970-, violin, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Plaza Dancers
Los Bernalillo Matachines -- Los Bernalillo MatachinesTheresa Acosta, 1952-, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoCharles J. Aguilar, 1946-, violin, Bernalillo, New MexicoRalph Chavez, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoJohn Crespin, 1952-, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoJocelyn Duran, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoJoseph R. Garcia, 1950-, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoEddie D. Gutierrez, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoLeroy J. Lovato, 1955-, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoLaurence Lucero, 1966-, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoPhillip Montano, 1961-, dancer, Albuquerque, New MexicoLeonard Prairie, dancer, Bernalillo, New MexicoMelanie Wiggins, dancer, Bernalillo, New Mexico
Los Comanches de la Serna -- Los Comanches de la SernaDavid Antonio Gonzales, 1965-, dancer, Ranchos de Taos, New MexicoFrancisco Gonzales, 1941-, singer, dancer, Ranchos de Taos, New MexicoMoises Romero, dancer, Ranchos de Taos, New MexicoJulian Struck, dancer, Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico
Concha Dancers -- Concha DancersAdeline Concha, 1973-, dancer, bead worker, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoBenito Concha, 1965-, drummer, flautist, dancer, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoCelestina Concha, 1937-, dancer, bead worker, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoJodie Concha, dancer, bead worker, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoMichelle Concha, dancer, bead worker, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoMike Concha, 1932-, vocals, drummer, dancer, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoNicolas Concha, dancer, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoDonna Sandoval, 1964-, dancer, bead worker, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoSonny Spruce, dancer, Taos Pueblo, New MexicoBransen Velarde, dancer, Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1992 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
Recorded in: Washington (D.C.), United States, June 29, 1992.
Restrictions:
Restrictions on access. Some duplication is allowed. Use of materials needs permission of the Smithsonian Institution.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Smithsonian Institution. Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Search this
Type:
Archival materials
Introduction:
Based on research in the rich and dynamic living culture of the border, the Borderlands Festival program of 1993 was designed to provide a glimpse of the border - its histories, its diverse communities, local and regional identities, and its music, arts, crafts, healing practices, foodways, and narrative. The program was about community-based culture. It presented cultural practices found on the border and cultural expressions about the border, and it explored cultural patterns that were created by the border. It also addressed the cultural heritage, adaptability, and creativity of Native Americans and of the Mexican, Hispanic American, Anglo, and other immigrant communities that have played a part in creating the life that surrounds the Mexico-U.S. border - those who maintain it, those who cross it, those who are left behind, and those who dwell in the border region. The program explored the processes through which such groups create, adapt, and preserve culture to meet the challenges of life on the border. It sought to present and understand community codes of behavior that evolved on the border including confrontation, evasion, violence, and romance, especially as these have been transformed into narrative and other forms of artistic expression.
Music performances at the Festival included emergent forms such as the conjunto, which grew out of the interaction between different cultural communities; older forms, such as the corrido, which has been used to preserve a historical vision in the defense of disputed territory; and adapted forms such as the string band music now incorporated into the traditional repertoire of the Tohono O'odham Native American communities. Also featured in the program were five muralists, whose work reflects the traditions of Mexican cholo and United States Chicano muralism. Murals continue to be touchstones of common historical experiences, archaeologies of sociocultural movements, and powerful statements of identity, ethical principles, and community aspirations. The unique fusion of border aesthetics and handcrafted technology was embodied for Festival visitors in lowriders - distinctively customized automobiles. These lowslung, hopping cars complemented the iconography of murals as statements of cultural identity.
Vaqueros of south Texas demonstrated their skills, crafts, and foodways associated with their cowboy tradition, which dates back to the Spanish colonial era. A fisherman from the port of Brownsville demonstrated shrimping techniques. A Laredo blacksmith forged stirrups, belt buckles, and other implements of vaquero life, along with a number of traditional and contemporary decorative objects. A ropemaker demonstrated the use of the local fiber called lechuguilla (a fibrous plant of the agave family). While fine craft traditions like guitar- and furniture-making are not specific to the border, craftspeople have incorporated motifs and instruments native to the region, like the bajo sexto guitar. Other occupational groups characteristic of the border environment included federal Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) agents who regulate movement across the border; coyotes and polleros, who help migrants evade immigration regulations; and workers in maquiladora assembly line industried. Narrative sessions focused on the culture of craft and occupation in the context of the border.
Artisans also demonstrated crafts used in the home and for special celebrations, including quilt-making, flower- and piñata-making, candlemaking, and reverse-painted glass. Participants prepared regional specialties, traditional foods served for fiestas, and offered a sampling of typical vaquero outdoor cooking. Finally, the Festival presented members of the Mixteco Indian community in Tijuana, a recent migrant group, which preserves its cultural identity and contributes to the economy at the border by maintaining ties with other Mixteco communities in Oaxaca and California.
The United States-Mexico border has had a profound effect on the lives of millions of people. The then-pending NAFTA free trade agreement was only the latest in a long line of international socioeconomic arrangements with wide ranging local impacts. Critical attention in Mexico and the U.S. had increasingly focused on the historical consciousness created in this borderland and on its expression in traditional and other forms of art. Recognition of the vitality and value of borderland culture was growing in 1993 at the margins, among borderland populations, as well as in the centers of power and opinion in both countries. Scholars and political leaders increasingly realized that the cultural encounters, syntheses, and resistances characteristic of border life signaled similar cultural developments in the larger societies. This intensifying concern and scrutiny centered on the margin, but could it reduce the marginality in human rights, social dignity, and economic opportunity at the border? Festival organizers hoped that listening to community voices of the border from the Mexican and United States sides could better inform our thinking and decision-making.
Olivia Cadaval served as Program Curator, with Peter Seitel as Research Advisor; Héctor Antonío Corporán was Program Coordinator and Betty Belanus was Presentation Coordinator.
Collaborating institutions included Centro de Información de Historia Regional, Universid Autónoma de Nuevo León; Consejo Nacional para las Culturas y las Artes – El Programa Cultural de las Fronteras; El Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF); El Paso-Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Embajada de México en Washington, D.C.; John E. Conner Museum, Texas A & I University; Institute of Texan Cultures; Instituto Cultural de México; Instituto de Bellaas Artes del Estado de Baja California; Instituto Nacional Indigenista; Instituto Mexicano de Cultura, San Antonio; Laredo State University; Mexican Cultural Institute; Museo Regional de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California en Mexicali; National Museum of the American Indian; New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico; Pimería Alta Historical Society, Arizona; Texas A & I University; Texas Folklife Resources; Tumacácori National Historical Park, Arizona; University of Arizona Library's Southwest Folklore Center; University of Arizona – Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology; University of New Mexico, Albuquerque; University of Texas – Brownsville; University of Texas, Center for Mexican-American Studies; University of Texas – Pan American; and U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
United States-Mexico Borderlands was made possible with the support and collaboration of the Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes - El Programa Cultural de las Fronteras, El Colegio de la Frontera Norte, Texas Commission on the Arts, Cerveza Tecate - Imported Beer, Texas Folklife Resources, University of Arizona Library's Western Folklore Center, Tumacácori National Historical Park, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo Léon - Centro de Información de Historia Regional, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Gubierno de Nuevo Léon, Mexican Cultural Institute, and the recording industries Music Performance Trust Funds.
Fieldworkers:
María Eugenia de la O, Enrique Madrid, Angel Norzagaray Norzagaray, Manuel Peña, Kathy Raglan, Michael James Ritchie, Suzie Reyes, Irene Vásquez Valle, Kathy Vargas, Felipe de Jesús Valenzuela
Presenters and fieldworkers:
Enrique Avilés, Norma Cantú, Jessica Chapin, Andrew Connors, Maricela González Felix, Mary Lou Gortárez, Everardo Garduño, James S. Griffith, Celso Garza Guajardo, Ian F. Hancock, Pat Jasper, Enrique Lamadrid, Laura Larco, Francisco Javier Moreno, Daniel Sheehy, Emily Socolov, Michael C. Stone; José Manuel Valenzuela Arce, Meynardo Vásquez, Laura Velasco Ortíz, Thomas Vennum, Jr., Cynthia Vidaurri
Participants:
Tijuana, Baja California
Olga Lidia Cortés, Mixteca, hat and basket maker, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico
José Luis Lee Sandoval, furniture maker, Tecate, Baja California, Mexico
Mexicali, Baja California
Taller Universitario de Teatro -- Taller Universitario de TeatroAngel Norzagaray Norzagaray, 1961-, Mexicali, Baja California, MexicoHeriberto B. Norzagaray Norzagaray, 1959-, Mexicali, Baja California, MexicoLoreto Ramón Tamayo Rosas, Mexicali, Baja California, MexicoAlejandra Rioseco de la Pena, Mexicali, Baja California, MexicoAndrés García Moreno, Mexicali, Baja California, MexicoPedro Gabriel González Castro, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
San Simon Village, Arizona
Tohono O'odham String Band -- Tohono O'odham String BandBlaine W. Juan, 1936-, violin, dancer, San Simon Village, ArizonaJoseph Alonzo García, 1924-, violin, dancer, San Simon Village, ArizonaFrank N. Pedro, 1928-, guitar, San Simon Village, ArizonaVictor Augustine García, 1922-, violin, San Simon Village, ArizonaNacho J. Feleys, 1909-1994, snare drum, San Simon Village, ArizonaMike L. Francisco, 1926-, bass drum, dancer, San Simon Village, Arizona
Lupe Lopez, 1927-, Tohono O'odham basket maker, San Simon Village, Arizona
Marie Leon, 1930-, Tohono O'odham basket maker, San Simon Village, Arizona
Nogales, Sonora
Maria Gloria Moroyoqui de Roques, 1930-, Yaqui cook, piñata and flower maker, herbalist, Nogales, Sonora, Mexico
Imuris, Sonora
Anastasio Léon, birdcage and frame maker, Imuris, Sonora, Mexico
Francisco Silva, birdcage and frame maker, Imuris, Sonora, Mexico
Magdalena, Sonora
Felipe de Jesús Valenzuela, regional historian, Magdalena, Sonora, Mexico
Tumacácori, Arizona
María Rodríguez, 1912-2001, tortilla maker, flower maker, cook, Tumacácori, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Reynaldo B. Hernandez, INS border patrol, storyteller, Tucson, Arizona
Los Hermanos Cuatro, Yaqui Norteño Band -- Los Hermanos Cuatro, Yaqui Norteño BandJesús Juan Yucupicio, 1965-, electric bass, Tucson, ArizonaAlbert M. Yucupicio, 1954-, accordion, Tucson, ArizonaAngel M. Yucupicio, 1966-, drums, Tucson, ArizonaPeter S. Yucupicio, 1957-, bajo sexto, Tucson, Arizona
Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua
Brigada por La Paz -- Brigada por La PazAlonso Encina Herrera, 1968-, muralist, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MexicoJesús Alberto "Pee Wee" Rodriguez Medina, muralist, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MexicoGustavo "Sleepy" Grado Tiscareño, 1973-, muralist, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MexicoMiguel Angel "El Tandy" Sandoval Lira, 1971-, muralist, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Oscar Ramírez, 1944-, guitar maker, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Los Alegres del Norte, norteño band -- Los Alegres del Norte, norteño bandJosé Flores Cordova, accordion, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MexicoDiego Hidalgo Alvarez, 1944-, bajo sexto, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, MexicoEmilio Chaírez Muñoz, tololoche, Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico
El Paso, Texas
Agustín Castillo, 1950-, woodcarver, furniture maker, El Paso, Texas
Carlos Callejo, Chicano muralist, El Paso, Texas
Romulo Frías, lowrider, El Paso, Texas
El Divisidero, Chihuahua
Guadalupe Carrasco Leyva, 1923-, quilter, cook, El Divisidero, Chihuahua, Mexico
Ethel I. Warrior, 1919-, oral historian, cook, Del Rio, Texas
William F. Warrior, 1927-, oral historian, storyteller, Del Rio, Texas
Laredo, Texas
Armando Flores, 1953-, blacksmith, Laredo, Texas
María Paredes de Solís, 1923-, quilter, Laredo, Texas
Monterrey, Mexico
El Palomo y el Gorrión, Norteño Band -- El Palomo y el Gorrión, Norteño BandMiguel "El Gorrión" Luna Franco, 1948-, drums, composer, vocals, Monterrey, MexicoMoisés García, guitar, Monterrey, Mexico
Joe O. Mendietta, 1961-, vaquero, horsehair braider, Kingsville, Texas
San Diego, Texas
Canuto Soliz, 1924-2006, vaquero, leatherworker, storyteller, guitarist, San Diego, Texas
Elsa, Texas
Los Hermanos Layton, Conjunto Band -- Los Hermanos Layton, Conjunto BandAntonio V. Layton, 1946-, guitar, vocals, Elsa, TexasRené Layton, drums, Elsa, TexasNorfilia Layton González, vocals, Elsa, TexasGilbert González, bass guitar, Elsa, TexasBenigno Layton, 1950-, accordion, vocals, Elsa, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Julius Collins, 1928-, shrimper, net maker, cook, Brownsville, Texas
Collection Restrictions:
Access to the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is by appointment only. Visit our website for more information on scheduling a visit or making a digitization request. Researchers interested in accessing born-digital records or audiovisual recordings in this collection must use access copies.
Collection Rights:
Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections. Please visit our website to learn more about submitting a request. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections make no guarantees concerning copyright or other intellectual property restrictions. Other usage conditions may apply; please see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for more information.
Collection Citation:
Smithsonian Folklife Festival records: 1993 Festival of American Folklife, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections, Smithsonian Institution.
