New Mexico became the 47th member of the Union on January 6, 1912. New Mexicans should fly their U.S. flags today in honor of statehood, the U.S. Flag Code urges.
I don’t think Statehood Day is a big deal in New Mexico. New Mexicans love art, though, and statehood and history of the land and the peoples who live there are celebrated throughout Santa Fe and New Mexico. The New Mexico Art Museum features a lot about history.
The New Mexico State Capitol is one of the more unique in the U.S. There is no grand dome. Instead, the building is a large, circular structure, a giant kiva, honoring New Mexico’s ancient residents and ancestors.
We toured the Capitol in July 2014. It features a massive collection of art by and about New Mexico, and is worth a stop as one would intend to visit any great art museum.
If you’re in Santa Fe, plan to spend a half of a day, at least, looking at the Capitol and its art collections. There are more than 400 pieces on display, sculpture, paintings, mixed media, and more. It’s a world class gallery, free for the browsing. Much of the art packs a powerful emotional punch, too, such as the sculpture outside the building honoring the vanished native tribes of North America.
Happy statehood, New Mexico.
More:
- Virtual exhibit of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on the statehood of New Mexico and Arizona — great materials for classrooms and student reports; the exhibit features the letter from President Millard Fillmore nominating James S. Calhoun as the first Territorial Governor for the Territory of New Mexico, on December 23, 1850
- New Mexico Genealogical Society, “Quest for New Mexico Statehood”
- BluehenCreative.com story of Gary Morton and his art