Guadalupe Goler made a name for herself in Santa Fe as one of the premiere shoe retailers in the city. The Art of the Shoe Luncheon on Saturday, March 19 acknowledges the woman behind Goler Fine Imported Shoes, and pays tribute to local female artists as well as the craft of shoe retail.

Goler gained an appreciation for shoes as a young woman working in her grandfather's shoe factory in Mexico. For over 25 years now she has been sharing that appreciation with local Santa Fe residents and people from all over the world through her retail store. While the world of shoe retail may seem mundane to some, Goler's daughter Paula, who is floor manager and buyer at the store, believes that there is more to the business than just finding the right size.

"It’s a very artistic endeavor to go into shoe retail. People who live here and who visit really want something different. It takes a little more artistic savviness." Goler tells SFR.

It's those artistic qualities that the organizers of the luncheon want to emphasize on Saturday. Presented as part of International Women's Month by the New Mexico Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the event is part art exhibition, part fashion show and part tribute.

The day kicks off with a luncheon to honor Guadalupe Goler. During lunch, models clad in nothing but beach towels and footwear show off the store's spring collection. In addition, attendees can check out shoe-themed art by five local female artists.

Each artist approaches the concept in her own unique way. Shirley Klinghoffer creates giclée triptychs of shoe photographs four to five feet in size. Kathleen Kinkopf combines fanciful images of boots and shoes with text in her small oil paintings. Bunny Tobias assembles jewelry and small sculptures from found objects, incorporating shoes and shoe accessories.  Teri Greeves is best known for her hi-top tennis shoes modified with high heels and covered in intricate bead work. Multimedia artist Rachel Stevens designs metal sculptures of various fantastical shoes.

Ultimately, the luncheon's co-chair, Carol Olmstead, hopes that attendees walk away with a better understanding of Guadalupe Goler's contributions to the community and of women artists in general.

"Whether they are jewelers or painters or shoemakers, there are all sorts of different ways to make art. This is an exciting chance to showcase this unique woman and her art." Olmstead tells SFR.

Art of the Shoe: A Tribute to Guadalupe Goler

Noon-2 pm
Saturday, March 19

$50-$100

La Posada
330 E Palace Ave
988-1234