Celebrating culture: Poeh Museum marks 35 years with 'Then & Now' exhibit

Apr. 4—Thirty-five years have passed since the Poeh Museum & Cultural Center opened.

The northern New Mexico museum is set to open a new exhibit, "Then & Now: Poeh Cultural Center" from 5-7 p.m. Friday, April 5.

"This is celebrating the last 35 years of the center," says Jacob Shije, Poeh marketing manager. "We're focusing on the rich history that the center has brought over the years."

The exhibit will feature interviews from individuals who were a part of the Poeh's construction and early beginnings, photos from the last 35 years, and items on display.

Shije says in the Tewa Pueblo language, Poeh translates to "path" and the Poeh Cultural Center embodies that pathway, the essence of what it means to be a Tewa person — to be pueblo.

He says like all Tewa pueblos of northern New Mexico, the Pueblo of Pojoaque, which translates to "water gathering place," was systematically stripped of its culture and traditions by European contact in the 16th century.

The Pueblo of Pojoaque is revitalizing and sustaining its cultural traditions in part through the efforts of the Poeh.

In 1988, the Pueblo of Pojoaque established the Poeh Cultural Center as the first permanent tribally owned and operated mechanism for cultural preservation and revitalization within the pueblo communities of the northern Rio Grande Valley.

"The Poeh has since become a resource for Pueblo People to learn the arts and culture of their ancestors," he says. "The facility resembles a traditional pueblo village with its adjacent art studio buildings and outdoor gathering areas. The center emphasizes the arts and cultures of all Pueblo People, focusing on the Tewa-speaking pueblos of Pojoaque, San Ildefonso, San Juan, Santa Clara, Tesuque and Nambé."

Shije says there was a publication called "Then & Now," which was a picture book that featured the last 100 years of Pojoaque Pueblo.

"Families from the area were highlighted," he says. "We're planning on putting together four publications this year and it will focus on the cultural center. Everything will be tied together."

Shije says there are more than 30 pieces in the exhibit.

"One item is an Apple computer from the 1990s," he says. "We're also highlighting all the awards that the Poeh Center has received over the years. There are design awards as well as others that highlight the significance of the center."