The Adams State University Luther Bean Museum hosts a closing reception for “Rio Grande Blankets: Hispanic History and Tradition,” traditional Hispanic weavings currently on display. The closing reception is from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. Thursday, July 28, in the Luther Bean Museum, located on the second floor of Richardson Hall. The event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Curated by the Salazar Rio Grande del Norte Center intern Patricia Rodriguez, four of the Rio Grande blankets woven by Hispanic weavers from the San Luis Valley, date from the late 1880s. A 1939 double-width blanket donated to Adams State by the artist, Dan Fisher, is also on display.
During the course of her internship, Rodriguez curated and mounted an exhibition of five representative blankets from the Luther Bean Museum Hispanic weaving collection. She devoted her first year to study and scholarly research including visiting nearby museums with extensive textile collections and consulting with curators and conservators.
“I am very pleased to invite the public to view these weavings before they are returned to storage, to keep them in the best condition for generations to come,” Rodriguez said. “I appreciate the Emma and Henry Salazar family for their generous support of the Luther Bean Museum and my invaluable internship.”
The weaving display includes historical maps and extended interpretive labels regarding the political, economic, societal, historical, and cultural climates surrounding the creation of the objects. “The labels provide key areas of interest and describe two methods used to create these textiles,” Rodriguez added.
