Adams State alumni Herman, ’69, and Patsy, ’70 & ’90, Martínez, recipients of 2016 Adams State University Educators Hall of Fame, established Hilos Culturales, Inc., in 2000. For the last 22 years, the couple has recognized and have awarded the Premio Hilos Culturales Lifetime Achievement Award.
The award is presented to folk musicians and folk dancers who maintain centuries-old Indio-Hispano cultural traditions of popular ritual music, traditional folk ballads, and social dances. These musical and social dance traditions have been kept vibrant throughout the Upper Río Grande region of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico and beyond, into the 21st century.
Recently, Hilos Culturales Inc. and History Colorado of Denver partnered to produce “Hilos Culturales: Cultural Threads of the San Luis Valley,” a 22-year profile on 46 awardees of the Premio Hilos Culturales Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Hilos Culturales: Cultural Threads of the San Luis Valley” includes an extensive introduction by Enrique R. Lamadrid, University of New Mexico Press; and a prologue by Adams State Charles Nicholas Saenz, Ph.D., professor of history and chair of the history, anthropology, philosophy and political science department.
“Working with Herman and Patsy on this project has been an inspiration,” Dr. Saenz said. “Their continued dedication to celebrating the Hispano arts and culture of this region is reflected in the quality of this book. I was honored to write a prologue.”
San Luis Valley Premio Hilos Culturales award recipients include: Elva Valdez, Amos and Juanita Bernal, Salomón López, Rose Vialpando, Ann Marie and Aurora Vialpando, Luis Madrid, Glenda Maes, Lucía “Lucy” Jaramillo, Andy Manzanares, Val and Evangeline Sena, Padre José Alfonso Muñíz and Rubén Domínguez.
Book release events this fall will also include the Hilos Culturales photo/biography “Desde Ayer Exhibit” at History Colorado Museums in Fort Garland, Trinidad, Pueblo, Montrose, and Denver.
