SFR Picks—Week of June 12

Get Caught in the Web

Adopt-A-Native-Elder comes to Santa Fe

It's pretty rare that a newspaper article has a palpable and almost immediate effect on actual human lives—but that is exactly what happened after SFR published "All Hands On Rez" (Nov. 14, 2018), an article about a Salt Lake City-based nonprofit called Adopt-A-Native-Elder. The organization provides food, medicine and other supplies to Diné elders living traditional lifestyles on the Navajo Nation, and Linda Myers, executive director and founder of ANE, says more than 20 folks from Santa Fe have "adopted" elders of their own since.

"It's wonderful!" Myers tells SFR of the combined effects of the story, plus the tireless efforts of local volunteers. "We've had quite a few people from Santa Fe sign up and come on the spring food run and meet their Elders, which was amazing. … It really helped the program assist some of the newer elders, and the Elders who didn't have sponsors. It seemed like right after that article came out [in November], the adoptions started coming in … into February."

To keep the momentum going in Santa Fe, Myers and other representatives from ANE visit Santa Fe this weekend for a casual gathering on Friday night and a more formal presentation Saturday morning.

On Friday, head to Casa Chimayó for a taco bar and to meet Myers and other folks involved (or who want to be involved) with ANE. Then on Saturday, Myers says, "Because I work with the 70 weavers and have for 30 years, I'm going to be telling their stories a little bit about their lives, and why they weave the certain patterns of rugs. … I'll be showing what they use as plant dyes, and showing where they're used in the rugs. I'll also talk about the yarn that the program provides for the weavers."

ANE provides about $30,000 worth of high-quality wool yarn to elders each year, and Myers will bring along a few dozen rugs and some jewelry from ANE's elders for Santa Feans to shop (and the elders get all proceeds).

Myers' presentation is followed by others about ANE's programs from Assistant Director CJ Robb, about the Navajo story of Spider Woman from ANE board member Rodger Williams, plus a firsthand account of life in a weaving family from Alice Running Hawk. (Charlotte Jusinski)

Adopt-A-Native-Elder Meet 'n' Greet
5 pm Friday June 14. Free (pay for food).
Casa Chimayó,
409 W Water St.,
428-0391

The Weavers' Stories
9:30 am-noon Saturday June 15. Free.
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian,
704 Camino Lejo,
982-4636

Reel to Real

California's Blank Tapes' upcoming Santa Fe show—courtesy of Lost Padre Records owner George Casey—acts as a sort of unofficial kickoff to summer, and with the band's dreamy pop-rock-folk-surf sound, it's about as apropos as it gets. Fans of Dr. Dog can find a lot to love here in songwriter Matt Adams' laid-back style, though a reference to onetime Foxygen drummer Shan Flemming's Diane Coffee solo project might be more appropriate. There are subtle doo-wop undertones and some bluesy elements at play, maybe even a nod or two to Jerry Garcia and company at the height of their powers. In a nutshell, though, this is that shimmery West Coast sound you've heard so much about, and it sounds so nice. (Alex De Vore)

Blank Tapes with Tan Cologne: 
8 pm Thursday June 13. Free.
La Reina,
El Rey Court,
1862 Cerrillos Road,
982-1931

Artists at Work

Everybody knows Santa Fe is an art town. It's practically all we ever talk about. And while it's obviously great fun to wend one's way through the galleries and DIY spaces and museums, the studio process is often shrouded in mystery for people who don't work in the the field. Not so for the next few weeks during the Santa Fe Studio Tour. Starting Friday with a special preview event, interested parties can visit more than 50 working artists' studio spaces. The tour otherwise runs Fridays and Saturdays through Saturday June 30. While touring, one might learn a great deal about the nuts and bolts of creation, gain insight into motivations and practices and, perhaps best of all, get to know the people who help make Santa Fe's art scene the envy of much of the world. Oh, and you can buy stuff, too, if you're so inclined. (ADV)

Santa Fe Studio Tour: 
Preview Night: 5 pm Friday June 13. Free.
Santa Fe Woman's Club,
1616 Old Pecos Trail, 983-9455;
Official Tour: 10 am-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays June 15-June 30. Free.
Various locations,
santafestudiotour.com

School of Hard Rhymes

For some folks, school is stifling. But for others, a class is precisely the intellectual catalyst needed to create awesome art. A community poetry workshop, taught by local poet Elizabeth Jacobson, sees its first half devoted to craft study. Then, Jacobson gives the class a prompt based on the "lesson" (though that word sounds rigid for fun conversation and poetic ecstasy), and students are invited to share after 20 minutes of writing. The first two meetings were awesome—who knows what the next six weeks will bring? And if a class isn't your thing, you should at least go pick up Jacobson's new poetry collection, Not Into the Blossoms and Not Into the Air, which seamlessly melds Eastern philosophy, personal inner-workings and, for a reason you can discern on your own, a whole lot of dead birds. (CJ)

RAP Community Poetry Class:
 5:30 pm Tuesdays June 18-July 23. Free.
Railyard Community Room,
701 Callejon St.;
for info: communitypoetryrap@gmail.com.