"Unearthing Futures/Desenterrando Futuros" Artist Panel

Hear from the artists featured in Unearthing Futures/Desenterrando Futuros. This event is ticketed in the Arthur Bell Auditorium. Details forthcoming.

Unearthing Futures / Desenterrando Futuros explores contemporary earthen artworks, establishing a profound dialogue between regional roots and global perspectives. As visitors engage with the exhibition, they embark on a journey through time, examining the intricate relationship between humanity and the elemental material of unfired earth.

At its core, this exhibition highlights the transformative power of mud—a substance that bridges tradition and innovation, ecology and artistry. Through the work of rafa esparza, Christine Howard Sandoval, Ronald Rael, Santino Gonzales, Joanna Keane Lopez, and Gabriel Chaile, Unearthing Futures navigates the intersections of technological progress, societal change, and environmental stewardship. Each artwork invites reflection on a rapidly evolving world, encouraging viewers to consider the past, engage with the present, and imagine futures shaped by deeper connections to the land.

Situated within the striking landscapes of Northern New Mexico and Southern Colorado, Unearthing Futures extends beyond the Harwood Museum’s galleries, incorporating historic and contemporary earthen building sites throughout the region. These sites and their histories become integral to the exhibition, emphasizing the enduring interplay between art, architecture, and environment.

The legacy of adobe and earthen clay in the Southwest is deeply rooted in Indigenous traditions and enriched by successive cultural influences. From Pueblo communities to Spanish settlers, adobe architecture embodies resilience, adaptation, and collaboration. Unearthing Futures reflects on this legacy, challenging audiences to reconsider their relationship to the land and its materials while engaging with contemporary reinterpretations of these practices.

Image: Christine Howard Sandoval, Arch – A Passage Formed By A Curve, 2020, adobe mud and graphite on paper, 60 x 96 inches. Photo by Rachel Topham Photography.