1 Weave art and culture.
On Saturday, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture lifts the curtain on its latest exhibit, Horizons: Weaving Between the Lines with Diné Textiles, which explores the Diné art form and its connection to the land, language, and memory. The immersive exhibit, on view through June 2, 2024, features more than 30 textiles from the museum’s collection juxtaposed with tool, materials, digital prints, photographs, and other media. Co-curators Rapheal Begay (Diné) and Hadley Jensen sought input from an advisory committee of Diné artists, educators, and scholars.
“There was once a time when we wove for one another—pieces of clothing created to protect the wearer from harm,” says fiber artist Kevin Aspaas (Diné) in a press release. “It is important for our weavers to know their lineage, and to know where they came from.”
2 Explore the borderlands.
More than 30 prints made by artists living in the United States and Mexico are featured in Nexo Entre Raíces/Nexus Between Roots at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Using imagery such as conchas (a sweet cookie), jaguars, and the Sierra Madre, the woodcut and linocut prints speak to the experience of Mexican-American identity, heritage, and tradition. On Friday from 4 to 7 p.m., a public reception for the exhibit, which runs through September 10, includes art activities and a panel discussion.
3 Let mariachi move you.
Musicians from around the globe come to the Duke City during the annual Mariachi Spectacular de Albuquerque to educate and promote the traditional folk music. The event includes performances and classes that focus on the art form’s cultural heritage. On Saturday at 7 p.m., the culminating concert showcases the renowned ensemble Mariachi Los Camperos on the Sandia Resort & Casino amphitheater stage.
4 Support the next generation.
On Saturday and Sunday, the courtyard at the New Mexico History Museum hosts emerging artists during the Native American Portal Artisans’ Summer Youth Show. Many of the 48 participating Indigenous artists, ranging in age from five to 17, come from multigenerational creative families with grandparents and parents who are portal artists. “The artists have different mediums passed down from elders,” says Christina McCorquodale, head of education and engagement at the museum. Enter through the blue gate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to see innovative and traditional lapidary inlay, pottery, painting, leather, and woodwork. “They are young, upcoming artists that will someday sell in local galleries, and beyond.” Admission to the museum is free during this event, so you can also check out the museum’s current exhibition, Enchantorama! New Mexico Magazine Celebrates 100, while you’re there.
5 Look to the stars.
Spend a special Saturday night at the Jemez Historic Site for a Summer Star Party, where you can locate planets, galaxies, and constellations with the help of local astronomers. Plus, Pueblo food and art vendors will be on-site at the 700-year-old village. Then return on Sunday at 10 a.m. for Looking at the Skies, with activities on how different Native people viewed the day and night skies as well as how modern science it learning more about the heavens.
Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.