Santos, Statues and Sculpture: Contemporary Woodcarving in New Mexico

From the Preface:

The Craft and Folk Art Museum is proud to present the catalogue, SANTOS STATUES AND SCULPTURE which represents the substantial research and fieldwork conducted by CAFAM Curator, Laurie Beth Kalb, over the past several years.

It is significant that this work addresses change and transition in a traditional folk art form. It represents the museum's latest effort in a series of programs on major contemporary trends in world folk arts. While linked to a rich artistic and religious heritage, the santeros here described are making their individual contributions to a dynamic art form and in so doing are shaping its future.

Ms. Kalb's essay is both descriptive and anecdotal. It captures change as it is being made and will provide valuable information for subsequent scholars and historians. While not seeking to provide all of the answers, the essay asks many provocative questions and makes the reader aware of the complex evolution now taking place among the New Mexico santeros. It is an exciting sort of living history written on a high knoll in the forest and mindful of the trees below.