SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
When planning the calendar of events to celebrate our centennial anniversary this year, we turned to our founding documents—specifically our Articles of Incorporation—for inspiration on how to best represent all that originally inspired the formation of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society (SCAS) 100 years ago. As stated in those Articles, among the many ways our founders sought to encourage and promote “Spanish Colonial art of every character” was through “entertainments.”
We are excited therefore to invite you to join us November 13 as New Mexico State Historian Rob Martinez presents an engaging lecture and musical demonstration exploring the history and cultural legacy of Spanish Colonial New Mexico. A celebrated folklorist, musician, and educator, Martinez brings the past to life through stories, music, and lived experience.
This event offers a unique perspective on the traditions and rhythms that have shaped communities across the region — blending history with performance in an accessible, memorable format.
Limited to 50 tickets per event.
15 seats remain!
To guarantee your place, be sure to reserve your spot today by purchasing a ticket through the links below.
WHO IS ROB MARTINEZ?
Rob provided the following bio during an interview with publication Bold Journey in April 2024. To read his entire interview click here.
I am a historian who has been fascinated by New Mexico’s past for decades. My family has Spanish, Mexican, Puebloan, and Genízaro Indian roots in northern New Mexico going back centuries, and I was always engaged by stories my mom and dad would tell about our family. I wanted to learn more, and started reading books about New Mexico when I was fifteen years old. I was perplexed by the self-examining question, am I Spanish or Mexican? I took history classes at the University of New Mexico and eventually earned an MA in History. I wanted to know about our witchcraft beliefs, which led me to study Catholic Church history, ethnic studies of the multicultural peoples of New Mexico in the 1700s, as well as the Inquisition. This resulted in my work as a research assistant at the Vargas Project at UNM, where I worked for five years learning paleography, transcribing and translating 18th-century Spanish colonial documents, and editing. I then worked for the Sephardic Legacy Project of New Mexico, researching family histories in Mexico and Spain, working in church and civil archives. I taught high school history for ten years before becoming deputy state historian of New Mexico. I then was hired as state historian in 2019 and am still in that position, a job I love and plan to continue in for many more years to come. I am also a musician, as my whole family are singers and play instruments. My father was a mariachi musician and composed Mexican corridos about New Mexico historical events. My sisters and brothers are also musicians and singers, and I have performed and recorded music for almost forty years now.
SUPPORT OUR MISSION
As we celebrate the Spanish Colonial Arts Society’s 100th anniversary during 2025, there are many ways for you to get involved and share your support.
Your generous support today will help to ensure our mission remains vibrant for the next century.
GIVE YOUR GIFT TODAY!
To learn about our Centennial Campaign to raise funds to name and endow leadership positions and funds for the collections, building, and education, as well as other opportunities, please contact our Development team at development@spanishcolonial.org.
There are many ways to support SCAS, and gifts of all sizes make a difference. Your support helps SCAS continue to build an ever-more vibrant and relevant platform for current and future generations to explore, appreciate, and enjoy the heritage arts of New Mexico.
Click to learn about other ways to give.
Thank you for considering making a gift today!
