CELEBRATE! Grand opening party for Home Lands

The American West fires imaginations across the globe. From Native Americans to Spanish conquistadors, the railroads to the pioneers, adventurers, cowboys and artists capture our imaginations. 

Too often ignored in the legends and lore are the stories of the women who created the homes and provided the nurturing spirit to help settle the West with comfort, sustenance, and strength.

CELEBRATE! with the History Museum and the Museum of New Mexico Foundation on Saturday, June 18, at 6:30 pm at the New Mexico History Museum for the opening of Home Lands: How Women Made the West, an exhibit organized by the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. You'll be treated to fine wines and creative cuisine in the Palace of the Governors Courtyard and be the first to experience this highlight of a summer-long exploration into women of the West.

Home Lands sets the scene, dividing women’s roles into three areas of Western settlement: Rio Arriba & Northern New Mexico; Denver and the Front Range; and the Puget Sound.

In addition, the museum will showcase Heart of the Home, a collection of unique kitchen items in La Ventana Gallery, including a Monarch wood stove and culinary items that might surprise you. In the Triangle Gallery, Ranch Women of New Mexico features photographer Ann Bromberg and writer Sharon Niederman's documentation of women who have "cowgirled" or owned ranches for over 50 years. New Mexico's African American Legacy: Visible, Vital, Valuable in the upstairs Gathering Space highlights the contributions of African Americans to building that place called “home.”

Put on your fancy Western finery and CELEBRATE! the unsung heroes of the American West. Tickets for the June 18 opening party cost $200 and are available at the Lensic box office, or online at www.ticketssantafe.org.