President William Howard Taft signing the proclamation that made New Mexico a state, on January 6, 1912. (Other people in the photo, I have not yet identified; can you help?). Image from Library of Congress Harris and Ewing Collection, via Albuquerque Historical Society.
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.
U.S. and New Mexico flags fly from the state education administration building in Santa Fe, 2014. The third flag is the U.S. POW/MIA flag.
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.
“Emergence,” a representation of the creation of the present Earth and people, by Michael A. Naranjo, 2000. Part of the massive collection of New Mexico Art at the State Capitol — this one outside the building itself.
“Simple Pleasures of New Mexico,” stunning painting in acrylic by Gary Morton, 1992
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:
- “The One Thing President Taft Got Right: New Mexico Statehood,” New Mexico History Museum, January 6, 2012
- 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
USPS stamp honoring the centennial of New Mexico’s statehood, in 2012. The stamp features a representation of the beauty of the state found in its desert hills and mountains. VirtualStampClub.com
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 
President Taft – who had a better tailor than the current president. I know – nothing to do with New Mexico’s special day – just commenting on the photo. :-)
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Gotta confess I don’t know much of Naranjo’s work — are most of his works on that massive scale?
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I love the photo of Michael Naranjo’s sculpture. I had the opportunity to attend an exhibition of his work at the Booth Museum of Western Art here in, of all places, Georgia.
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It is impressive that a state capitol has so much art – free and no lines!
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