State of the Foundation

At the 2025 Garden Party and Members' Meeting, we gathered to reflect on another year of dedication to the Historic Santa Fe Foundation’s mission: “to preserve, protect and promote the historic properties and diverse cultural heritage of the Santa Fe area, and to educate the public about Santa Fe's history and the importance of preservation.” Whether you attended in person or are catching up now, we invite you to revisit the highlights of this year’s "State of the Foundation" address and celebrate with us the work, relationships, and community that make it all possible.

Highlights of this year’s State of the Foundation recording:

• New Faces, New Roles

• Anne Kelly completed 12 exhibitions, expanded local artist presence, organized a benefit show called 100% solely with donated works, and two partnership exhbition with Tamarind Institute and Galisteo Arts.

• Story Coleman joined as Communications, Development, and Events Manager.

• Giulia Caporuisco advanced to Education Manager and Historial, focusing on projects like easements and the expanded archives.
  
  

• Edwin Brooks House & Thaw Education and Research Center

• The facility transformed into a research hub, summer intern residence, and educational exhibition space.

• Interns and staff discovered treasures: A video of one of Gustavo Baumann’s puppet shows; correspondence between Sylvia Loomis and the tenants and an old tenant application that included the applicant's height and hair color; and cards from Margretta’s Dietrich when she hosted an event to “learn about protection in case of Air Raids over Santa Fe”.

• HSFF received a significant bequest from Hope Curtis, including 30+ binders of archival photos
  
  

• Support and Partnerships

• Key projects funded by the Tia Collection for the hanging systems and gallery improvements.

• Acknowledgment of volunteers and community donors who make these advances possible. We have made progress on the archives thanks to the donor-funding in 2024.
  
  

• Exhibitions and Arts Programming

• Sharon Stewart’s Timeless Waters: Acequia Culture in New Mexico opened in July 2025 and continues through September 2025, contrasting acequias’ traditions and contemporary challenges.

• The use of the building includes collaborations with organizations like AIA Santa Fe, Currents New Media, Olive Rush Memorial House & Studio, and PBS New Mexico
  
  

• Education & Youth Engagement

• Two Family Days engaging kids and families hosted at El Zaguán in partnership with Santa Fe Extension Master Gardenersm, the Santa Fe Children’s Museum, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, and New Mexico Humanities Council

• High School Fellow Colette Lee and Mac Watson Fellow Ryuichi Nakayama's projects further research and education of historical properties.

• Revitalized docent program—Friday tours at El Zaguán and the Brooks House
  
  

• Preservation in Practice

• Ongoing maintenance at El Zaguán: mud plastering, fence repairs, limewashing, rescreening, brick work, and humane squirrel relocation.

• Partnerships with Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity to address affordable housing through preservation—addressing complexities and seeking new solutions with the Endangered Properties Program.
  
  

• Community Recognition & Symposium

• Annual Preservation Awards’ celebration in partenership with the City of Santa Fe and Old Santa Fe Association and held at San Miguel Chapel.

• Launched the Preserving Place: Santa Fe Symposium, hosting thought leaders on policy and the future of Santa Fe’s historic fabric.
  
  

• Remembering Nancy Owen Lewis

• This year’s celebration honored the legacy of Nancy Owen Lewis with readings and remembrances from her friends and family.

Questions for Reflection

• We encourage your thoughts and participation. Our programs and successes are only possible because of a dedicated membership, volunteers, and friends. Thank you for helping us carry forward the mission of Historic Santa Fe Foundation.

  What does preservation mean to you?
  How are history and preservation important to Santa Fe?
  Where is history’s place in today’s world?
  How can we address modern challenges—like climate change, inclusion, and affordable housing—through preservation?
  What role do governments and nonprofits play?What does preservation mean to you?

Get Involved

• Attend our exhibitions and events.

• Share your preservation stories and ideas.

• Become a member or donor to help us archive, educate, and preserve Santa Fe’s heritage.

Stay tuned for updates on our website, sign up for docent tours, or visit us at El Zaguán and the Thaw Center—and thank you for being part of our story.

The Nancy Owen Lewis Memorial section is included here as an excerpt of the Garden Party recording embedded above.

For the annual Members’ Meeting and Garden Party, we usually have a speaker, but this year we are remembering a former HSFF Board chair, volunteer, researcher, scholar, green-chile cheeseburger connoisseur, and all-around funny and lovely woman, Nancy Owen Lewis. We will have three speakers who will share a brief memory of Nancy and present a self-selected short reading from Nancy’s extensive catalogue including books like A Peculiar Alchemy: A Centennial History of School for Advanced Research, Chasing the Cure in New Mexico: Tuberculosis and the Quest for Health, and the upcoming book on dogs in the war effort during WWII published by SAR.

Readers of Nancy Owen Lewis’ works included Pete Warzel, Janet Stroker, and Laura Holt.

Pete Warzel was our Executive Director at HSFF from 2014 until his retirement in 2024. Previously he held executive positions in major telecommunications and entertainment companies. He now writes quirky essays about the American west and is teaching his granddaughter to drive.
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Janet Stoker worked in fundraising and membership at the School of American Research. She then led fundraising at United World College-USA. Nancy and she worked together in preparing grant applications for the resident scholar program at SAR. She and Nancy were also both members of 15 Club.
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Laura Holt was librarian at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology for 25 years and another 15 at the School for Advanced Research where she worked with Nancy Owen Lewis to provide support for the resident scholar program as well as organizing the archives at the SAR Library.