Cibola Arts Council Celebrates Mt. Taylor

GRANTS, N.M. - On Saturday, April 1, over fifty-five art lovers gathered at the Double Six Art Gallery on Santa Fe Avenue for the annual Mount Taylor Celebration. Beautiful renderings of Mount Taylor created by local artists hung on the gallery walls for the public to appreciate. Gallery Membership Specialist, Robin Webb, estimates that this is the eighteenth gathering of Mount Taylor celebrants. The iconic, snow-peaked mountain has special meaning for many people; but for several groups of Native Americans, the mountain is a sacred, ancestral land that is home to many religious shrines.

The event featured Petuuche Gilbert from Acoma, Ernest Skeet from the Navajo Nation, and Edward Wemytewa spoke from the Zuni perspective. There was also a written statement from the Hopi Nation by Stewart Koyiyumptewa and one from Laguna written by Gilbert Waconda.

Each speaker and letter conveyed to the audience what the sacred mountain means to their people. Tsiipiya is what the Hopi people call Mt. Taylor. The place is critical to their way of life and remembrance. When the Spaniards prohibited them from visiting the mountain and performing their spiritual rites, the Hopi built shrines near their villages and named them Tsiipiya. That way they could carry on with their traditional beliefs, according to the letter provided by Stewart Koyiyumptewa. Ernest Skeet moved the audience when he spoke about the Navajo connection to Mt. Taylor and his personal connection to Tsoodzil Turquoise Mountain. “Home” is ultimately what it means to him.

Milan-based sculptor, Robert Gallegos was honored with a beautiful, wood-carved plaque thanking him for twenty years of service to the Cibola Arts Council. He served as executive director for seventeen years and was also an active board member for several years before accepting the role of ED. Gallegos not only worked tirelessly to keep the Arts Council relevant and engaging, but he is a practicing artist who creates elaborate metal sculptures that can be viewed at galleries throughout the state as well as in his own front yard.

The Cibola Arts Council received its non-profit status in the early 1970’s and still plays a critical role in supporting the arts in Cibola County. The Council is currently on the lookout for a new part-time Executive Director. The Cibola Arts Council is located at 1001 W. Santa Fe Ave. Grants, NM.

Editor’s Note: At least one participant of this event tested positive for COVID-19. Those who attended this event who did not practice COVID-Safe protocols such as social distancing and mask wearing are encouraged to be tested for the disease.