SFR Digital-ish Picks—Week of Feb. 17

Big Land For Big Talks

El Rancho de las Golondrinas' and the NM Museum of Art bring history home

We've lost out on adventurous days at El Rancho de las Golondrinas for the past year—whether that be the Lavender Festival, the Renaissance Fair or any other community-based, outdoorsy and sunny festival day. But our friends over there are keeping on.

The upcoming "Acequias, Mayordomos and Norteño Traditions" talk is part of Rancho de la Golondrinas' ongoing Speaking of Traditions series conducted in partnership with the New Mexico Museum of Art and broadcast via Facebook Live. The living history museum's Education and Volunteer Coordinator Laura Gonzales hopes locals will learn the people of Santa Fe have a lot of history of which they can and should feel proud, particularly when it comes to our acequias.

"Our speaker is Stanley Crawford, an author and farmer," Gonzales says. "He's usually selling at the Santa Fe Farmers Market, and he's got that unique perspective to come and talk about the history and community around acequias."

Maybe you're a parent in search of another educational component for your kids, or maybe you're a history fanatic looking to absorb some interesting New Mexico factoids. Either way, Crawford's lecture is just one way Golondrinas is offering up online content. The Las Golondrinas Channel on YouTube, for example, boasts everything from past lectures to good old-fashioned tortilla-making and hide-tanning.

"Even if you're just growing your own vegetable garden or wanting to know about climate change in our environment, we'll address that," Gonzales tells SFR of the next talk. "This talk will be interesting, informative and fun. We're all about sharing with the New Mexico community."

While Golondrinas remains closed for now, donations keep it going and volunteers are still welcome, for whom virtual training for begins March 6.

"We always want people to know that we're here and still trying to make programming," Gonzales adds. "We're looking forward to bringing people back soon." (Riley Gardner)

Acequias, Mayordomos and Norteño Traditions:
6 pm Tuesday, Feb. 23. Free (but donate if you can).
golondrinas.org

Oh Man, Look at Those Cavemen Go

Did you know a rover has been en route to Mars since July? It's true, and with help from Los Alamos National Lab scientists, that li'l robot should start collecting data before you know it—and that's worth celebrating. Los Alamos' Bradbury Science Museum hosts a virtual event lauding the upcoming landing of the Perseverance rover featuring the very New Mexico-based scientists and engineers who helped develop parts of the rover—including the rock-vaporizing laser first developed for the 2015 Curiosity rover. The thought of rock-vaporizing lasers makes us appreciate science just a little more. And, of course, there will be discussion about life on Mars and what the new space-machine hopes to space-find in space. (RG)

Mars Perseverance Rover Landing After-Party:
6 pm Thursday, Feb. 18. Free.
lanl.gov/museum/

Such Great Lights

We don't know about you, but if the mere term "holographic art" doesn't make you exclaim something like "Whoa, cool!" then you might not have a soul. The Currents New Media Festival people open Altered Light this week, a virtual showcase featuring artists working in holographic and projection art (whoa, cool!). Many of these creators, like August Muth, have decades of experience in crafting euphoric displays, and Currents' thesis is that we might just find some brightness within the darkness of global turmoil. In addition to Muth, find C Alex Clark, Fred Unterseher, Joan Stango, Alison Nitkiewicz, Dora Tass and Yuge Zhou. (RG)

Altered Light Virtual Opening:
Noon-4 pm Friday, Feb. 19th. Free.
facebook.com/currentsnewmedia

Etsy Bitsy Advice

The Institute of the American Indian Arts' Continuing Education series kicks off a new four-session workshop for artists who want in on the Etsy game. You know the site—it's for people who make stuff and want to sell the stuff. Whether Etsy is part of that next career move or more of a casual side hustle, the class hits all angles, from marketing, branding, pricing, product photography and the snoozer technical stuff—all taught by renowned artist MaryBeth Timothy (Cherokee). Participants also get workbooks and access to other special materials to keep it going afterwards, and the whole thing is open to anyone who wants to learn. (RG)

Etsy Craft Entrepreneurship:
11 am-1 pm Friday, Feb. 19. $14
iaia.edu/outreach/continuing-education/