Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past Comes to Albuquerque Museum

Albuquerque Museum announces Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past on view November 1 through February 8, 2026. Organized by the Figge Art Museum (Davenport, Iowa), Tales of Futures Past is the first national traveling exhibition to bring together the artwork of acclaimed contemporary artists Cara Romero (Chemehuevi) and Diego Romero (Cochiti).

Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past features 40 works including 18 of Diego Romero’s thought-provoking pottery pieces and lithographs, and 22 of Cara Romero’s evocative photographs including selections from her Indigenous Futurism series. While both artists maintain separate studios, they each engage with shared themes of past, present, and future Indigenous identity; the impacts of colonialization; and social and environmental justice through a lens of pop culture references and personal experiences.

Reflecting on the significance of this collaboration, Cara and Diego Romero shared, “We are very excited and moved to have our first two-person show together that illuminates how our works are in conversation with each other and our artists' lives intertwine. We deeply enjoy creating in this life together and center our existence in art and work to support each other's endeavors. It will be so touching to see the works travel together.”

“Cara and Diego are among the most sought-after artists working today and are known nationwide for their vigorous innovations in contemporary photography, sculpture, and pop culture,” said Albuquerque Museum Curator Dr. William Gassaway. “That they are based in New Mexico is a particular note of celebration for the Albuquerque Museum, and we’re thrilled to bring these important and stunning works home again to the Land of Enchantment.”

Unique in the run of this national exhibition, the Albuquerque Museum will feature the first public presentation of two large-scale photographs by Cara Romero. Titled Four Horsewomen I and II, these striking photographs highlight the leadership of Indigenous women and the power they have in their communities and beyond. In addition, a short documentary by Kaela Waldstein of Mountain Mover Media on the making of these works, titled The Gathering, will be shown in-gallery.

“From Picasso and Dali to two artists who call New Mexico home, the Albuquerque Museum continues to surprise and inspire with unique exhibitions you can’t find anywhere else,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “It’s another example of how our museum brings the world to Albuquerque while celebrating incredible local talent.”

Organized thematically into five sections, the work of both Cara and Diego Romero delves into rewriting historical narratives, celebrating the power of Indigeneity, exploring shared mythologies, advocating for environmental consciousness, and tracing ancestral evolution.

Public Events: 

• Saturday, November 1, at 2 p.m.: Opening panel featuring artists Cara and Diego Romero and moderated by artist and scholar Deborah Jojola (Isleta/Jemez).
• Thursday, November 20, from 5 to 7 p.m.: Third Thursday evening events in honor of Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past. Full program will be available at albuquerquemuseum.org.

Cara and Diego Romero: Tales of Futures Past is organized by the Figge Art Museum and made possible in part through the generous support of the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation.

About the Artists: 

Cara Romero (Chemehuevi, born 1977) is a photographer who collaborates with people from various tribal backgrounds to create powerful imagery drawing on Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture, heritage, and identity. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero was raised between the rural Chemehuevi reservation in the Mojave Desert, California, and Houston, Texas. A skilled photographer and visual storyteller, Romero’s expansive body of work is informed by a background in cultural anthropology, photojournalism, and commercial photography.

Diego Romero (Cochiti, born 1964) is a potter and printmaker who draws on various sources of inspiration for his sharp-witted narrative imagery and design aesthetics. Born and raised in Berkeley, California, to a Cochiti father and a non-native mother, he often visited New Mexico as a child. Trained in traditional pottery techniques at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA), Romero combines his love of comic-style illustrations, Mimbres-style figures, Greek amphora, and pop culture to create his distinctive artwork.