Santa Fe, NM—A multi-million dollar collection of seventy Spanish Colonial paintings and 3 bultos from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries has been donated to the Palace of the Governors. The gift from the International Institute of Iberian Colonial Art (IIICA) is a collection of New World masters showing some of the inspiration for the santeros whose work has become a staple of New Mexico art and history. "The Iberian donation is a fabulous gift to the people of New Mexico," said the Palace�s Senior Curator Louise Stiver. "It's a welcome addition to the Palace of the Governors' Spanish Colonial collections, illustrating connections between Spanish history in New Mexico and the extensive New World empire to the south." Renowned artists from Mexico and South America represented or attributed to in the donation include: (Incan) Diego Quispe Tito and other artists from Cuzco; Diego de la Puente from Lima; Circle of Gregorio Gamarra, Alto Peru; Mauricio Garc"a y Delgado from Cuzco; Jos� de Paez from Mexico; Juan Correa from Mexico; Fray Miguel de Herrera from Mexico; Miguel Cabrera from Mexico; Jos� del Castillo from Mexico; Jos� de Alc"bar from Mexico; Melchor P�rez Holgu"n and other Holgu"n school artists from Potos" as well as other unknown artists from Mexico, Guatemala and South America. The collection, originally assembled by Charles W. Collier and curated by Gabrielle Palmer, complements the extensive Spanish Colonial holdings held by other institutions in New Mexico, including the Museum of International Folk Art, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, National Hispanic Cultural Center and University of New Mexico Art Museum, among others. The Palace of the Governors has been a candidate for receiving the collection through donation since it was partially loaned in 1978. With construction of the New Mexico History Museum underway, there will be a new storage facility and exhibition areas in both the Palace and new museum for the large collection. The museum plans to raise funds to conserve, exhibit and publish a catalog on the assemblage. "We look forward to having the space to house and exhibit the collection and the opportunity to provide such an important body of work for all New Mexicans," said Palace of the Governors Director Frances Levine. "We wanted to make sure that this magnificent collection of paintings and sculptures would be properly housed, exhibited and seen," said Palmer, who was a key figure in the collection being donated to the Palace. "We felt confident all that would be taken care of." With Collier as President and the Archbishop of Santa Fe James P. Davis as an ex-officio member, the International Institute of Iberian Colonial Art was incorporated in 1967 with the goal of preserving what remained of colonial religious artwork and architecture produced in the former colonies of Spain and Portugal. The art is of profound historic, aesthetic, and spiritual significance, and expresses the impact of European culture on vast populations. In a 1968 letter addressed to the Reverend Fathers of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe on the protection of sacred colonial art, Archbishop Davis wrote, "Some of these works of art are quite simple and almost rude�some quite sophisticated. All of them are the fruit of talent inspired by faith and reverence." A portion of the Iberian collection was published in "Cambios: The Spirit of Transformation in Spanish Colonial Art" (University of New Mexico Press, 1992) with essays by Palmer and Donna Pierce in conjunction with a major Spanish Colonial art exhibit at the Santa Barbara Museum. The Palace of the Governors, built from 1609 to 1610, is the state history museum for New Mexico and is housed in the oldest continuously occupied public building in the United States. The Palace of the Governors served as the initial site of the Museum of New Mexico, which was established in 1909. During its nearly 400-year history, five governments have occupied the Palace: Spanish, Pueblo Indian, Mexican, Confederate and United States. It continues to serve as the cultural heart and soul of Santa Fe. The museum�s collection of more than 17,000 historical objects documents the Spanish Colonial, Mexican, American Territorial and recent eras in New Mexico history. Items date from the time of the earliest Spanish explorations in the 16th century and chronicle 223 years of Spanish administrative control; 25 years as part of Mexico; 66 years as a territory of the United States; and from statehood in 1912 to the present. The Palace of the Governors/The New Mexico History Museum, is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. ### From: Museumofnewmexico.org
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