Skip to main content

Celebrating 50 Years of Art & History at Albuquerque Museum: 1967 - 2017

2017 EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS AT ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM

ALBUQUERQUE, NM (October 2016) – On September 7, 1967, a group of forward-thinking community members opened the doors of the Museum of Albuquerque at the old Albuquerque Municipal Airport (Sunport). The creation of the Museum during that turbulent time marked the desire for the preservation, sharing, and continuation of the history and culture that makes Albuquerque unique.

Fifty years later, the community celebrates the astonishing growth and impact of its municipally-owned museum. Currently located in the heart of Albuquerque’s Old Town in a showcase facility designed by Antoine Predock with expansion and renovations by Rohde May Keller McNamara (RMKM) architects, Albuquerque Museum is the home of 10,000 works of art, 27,000 historical objects, and more than 130,000 items in photo archives. The Museum is the rock-solid cornerstone of Albuquerque’s cultural community and in its short history has had unprecedented growth in the quantity and quality of its collections.

As part of its 50th anniversary celebration, Albuquerque Museum is producing four collection guides to the permanent collection: Casa San Ysidro: The Gutiérrez/Minge House; Photo Archives Collection; History Collection; and the Art Collection. Scheduled to be published by the Museum of New Mexico Press in 2017, these four guides will present an overview of the rich and diverse collections at Albuquerque Museum with accompanying texts by scholars, and former and current curatorial staff.

Throughout 2017, Albuquerque Museum will share stories of its history and its people with special events and programs. Details are subject to change. For additional information and events, visit our website at cabq.gov/museum or call (505) 243-7255.

2017 EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS AT ALBUQUERQUE MUSEUM

January – December
50 YEARS IN 50 WEEKS
A social media campaign will present a year-by-year glance back at important objects,  people, events, and exhibitions in Albuquerque Museum’s vibrant history. #TBT

Through April 2
THE JEWS OF ALBUQUERQUE IN THE 20TH CENTURY
The pride and satisfaction of a century of Jewish achievements in business, law, medicine, and the arts are seen in this contemporary issues exhibition. The Jews of Albuquerque features photographs, artifacts, and Judaica from ritual and celebratory Jewish life.

January 14 – April 16
THE CARVED LINE: BLOCK PRINTS AND NEW MEXICO
Block prints, including new works, by New Mexico’s best-known printmakers as well as little-known artists deserving of a place in New Mexico’s art historical canon.

February 25 – August 27
HOLLYWOOD SOUTHWEST: NEW MEXICO IN FILM AND TELEVISION
From Billy the Kid to Breaking Bad, movies and television have portrayed and marketed our state into the present day. Guest curated by American cultural historian Paul Andrew Hutton, this pop culture exhibit includes westerns, war movies, comedy, and science fiction.

April 22 – October 29
CHASING THE CURE TO ALBUQUERQUE
Tuberculosis in the late 19th and early 20th century impacted New Albuquerque socially, politically, and economically. This community history project includes photographs, medical artifacts, games, artwork by patients, and pop culture materials including movie bills, books, and music.

May 13
HERITAGE DAY AT CASA SAN YSIDRO
Experience history at Casa San Ysidro: The Gutiérrez/Minge House. The historical heart of Corrales will bustle with opportunities for people to engage with culture and history. Fun for the entire family!

May 21
33rd Annual NMCCC Auto Show
The New Mexico Council of Car Clubs honors our 50th Anniversary with a special section of cars from 1967 including a couple VW buses. Calibrate your time machine to the Summer of Love and view more than 400 cars in the Museum’s parking lot.

June 24 – September 24
THE LEEKYA FAMILY: MASTER CARVERS OF THE ZUNI PUEBLO
Marketed by regional traders including C.G. Wallace of the DeAnza Motor Lodge and the C.G. Wallace Trading Post, Zuni carver Leekya Deyuse emerged in the early 1900s as the preeminent maker of stone figural sculptures, fetishes, mosaic work and figural jewelry in the 20th century.

Summer 2017
PHOTO ARCHIVES
The photo archives collection at Albuquerque Museum consists of more than 130,000 images and ephemera. A new installation of works to be featured in the soon-to-be-published collections guide will celebrate the history of Albuquerque through historically significant images of people, places and events.

September 21, 5 – 8:30 p.m.
3rd THURSDAY: BIRTHDAY PARTY
We are throwing a party to celebrate our Big Five-O! Music, art, games, and of course, cake. Come wish us a happy birthday. No presents please!

September 30 – December 31
WHEN MODERN WAS CONTEMPORARY
Recognizing the significance of the art of his own time, Financier Roy R. Neuberger acquired work by a remarkable selection of modern masters, include ng Alexander Calder, Stuart Davis, Willem de Kooning, Marsden Hartley, Jacob Lawrence, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Jackson Pollock. When Modern Was Contemporary illuminates the artistic transformations that took place in the U.S. during the first half of the twentieth century.

November 11, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
AUTHOR FESTIVAL
Second annual book event showcases local writing talent. The finest of the New Mexico writers’ scene will gather at Albuquerque Museum to share their experiences, sell merchandise, and sign books for their fans. Whether you are a mystery addict, a hard-core sci-fi fan, or a history buff you’ll be amazed at the diversity of writers working across a range of genres, who call New Mexico home.

November 18 – May 20, 2018
CENTRAL AVENUE REDEVELOPMENT
Dramatic changes occurred in the Huning Highland neighborhood along Central Avenue during the rerouting of Route 66 and into the present.  This community contemporary issues project will include a unique timeline, historic and contemporary photographs, Sanborn maps, and artifacts.

Media Contact:
Denise Crouse
Communications Manager
Albuquerque Museum

(505) 764-6544
[email protected]