NM2007 - Culture - New Mexico Museums

Celebrated as one of the most historically significant buildings in Santa Fe, the Palace of the Governors holds the future and the past of New Mexico's story. The long building anchoring the north side of the city's downtown Plaza was erected in 1610 when Santa Fe became the Spanish capital in the New World. Also known as las casas reales, or the royal houses, the palace was the seat of nearly three centuries of government, serving as headquarters for Spanish, Pueblo, Mexican, Confederate, and American regimes.

Occupants renovated the interior to suit their various functions, but since 1909 — three years before New Mexico became a state — the palace has served as a history museum. It holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously occupied government building in the nation.

With each new function, remnants of the past linger. Today, under the palace portal, you can lay your eyes on authentic jewelry, pottery, sand paintings, and other contemporary Native American crafts. Seated against the building with their wares spread on blankets, artisans carry on a tradition that has endured for more than 80 years and has 4,000 participants — all certified and monitored by a board of their peers. Members of all 19 of the state's Pueblos, Jicarilla, and Mescalero Apache tribes; the Navajo Nation; and the Hopis take turns under the portal seven days a week. They work with museum staff to ensure integrity, quality, and diversity of the goods available.

Inside the museum, artifacts from the Colonial and Territorial periods and earlier bespeak the deep history of the land. For example, painted hides dating to the early 18th century depict early Indian encounters with the French. Scholars believe indigenous New Mexicans learned European painting techniques to create the rare Segesser murals on the available "canvas" — animal skin.

The Palace Print Shop offers an exhibition of 19th century publishing, with demonstrations of a press that still turns out limited-edition books. And a complete mail wagon from the last horse-drawn service to deliver on the Santa Fe Trail also impresses.

The collections of early art, weapons, instruments, and coins are also noteworthy, although they are hardly the museum's primary draw. "One of the main reasons people come to the Palace of the Governors is to see the structure — the building itself," curator Louise Stiver says.

Glass encloses cut-away portions of the entryway to provide access to original adobe walls, wooden support beams, ceiling vigas, and other architectural features. Historical photographs of the palace and the city hang inside the gallery.

The traditional enclosed courtyard provides an outdoor gathering spot for the annual Mountain Man trade fair and Indian Market, both held each August, as well as other events.

Behind the original structure, construction has begun on an addition scheduled to open in summer 2009. New Mexico's history needs more space, and the 30,000-square-foot facility will provide a permanent home for more displays, as well as a hall for special exhibitions.

GuestLife Don't Miss — Segesser Hide Paintings

Curiosity about the first-known depictions of Spanish colonial life in the United States draws many visitors to the Segesser Hide Paintings exhibition at the Palace of the Governors. These are American treasures — colorful 18th century paintings on large hides that shed light on two events in New Mexico history. One painting depicts an encounter between rival tribes, the attacking side possibly accompanied by a Spanish leader. The other painting illustrates the 1720 ambush (in present day Nebraska) of the Villasur Expedition.

Many New Mexico families can claim a special connection to the later Segesser paintings through their ancestors, many of whom were involved in the battle.
Information: The Plaza, Santa Fe. Open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (505) 476-5100.