La Nueva Mexico: Art & Life in the Interior Lands

Explore the history of La Nueva Mexico (present day New Mexico) via 150 historic objects and rarely seen pieces from the Museum of International Folk Art’s permanent collections.​​

This exhibition explores the rich heritage that flourished in La Nueva Mexico between 1598 and 1848, a period when Spanish and Mexican influences merged inextricably with the traditions of local Native communities. For 250 years the people of La Nueva Mexico existed as a part of the wider Spanish Empire and as a territory of Mexico. This land is home to the oldest capital city in what is today the continental United States. The original name itself, La Nueva Mexico, was first referenced as early as 1610. Also referred to as la tierra de adentro (the interior land), the geographic area was comprised of present-day New Mexico, southern Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and southwestern Texas.

​​New Mexico is a land of artistry, innovation, and cultural adaptation. Throughout this historical period cross-cultural influences, reliance on the land, the use of materials brought up the Camino Real (the Royal Road from Mexico City to Santa Fe), and the use of materials sourced locally merged to create a unique Nuevomexicano culture and regional artistic traditions.

Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, La Nueva Mexico features a special section highlighting the contributions made by Nuevomexicanos in support of the US War of Independence.

Items on display date from the early 1600s to the mid-19th century. All were either brought up the Camino Real from Mexico and used in New Mexican homes or made right here in the tierra de adentro. Highlights include men’s and women’s dress and adornment, regional textiles, furniture, 18th century hide paintings, bultos and retablos, horse gear, and utilitarian items made of copper, iron, and silver. Many items have never been on view and are coming out of the museum’s vaults for the first time. The objects show how ingenuity and creativity enhanced everyday life in La Nueva Mexico.

Credit: Overview from museum website