Natural Albuquerque: Our Open Spaces

A duet of high-altitude clacking drew my eyes upward as a pair of sandhill cranes negotiated two mammoth cottonwoods and gracefully landed on the cornfield in back of Albuquerque’s Open Space Visitor Center. A kettle of their stately compatriots were making short work of the recently cut agricultural field specially planted for their delectation.

The late winter day was in the 30s, and I knew we were fortunate to see the cranes before they undertook their yearly spring migration to Nebraska’s Platte River. Wintering along the Rio Grande Valley from Albuquerque to Bosque del Apache and south, they are one of the delights of our region.

It was my first visit to the Center and I was impressed by the facility, which had opened in 2006. Perhaps I hadn’t visited before because it was so darn accessible, a short distance off Coors Boulevard on the West Side where I live. I’d brushed it off thinking it probably was some uninspiring shack on the bosque. I was so wrong.

The center sits on 55 acres, half of which is harvestable cropland planted in sorghum for the wildlife, and half contains the unexcavated site of Piedras Marcadas, prehistoric pueblo ruins. The building was originally the private residence of Mr. and Mrs. Coda Roberson. Little evidence of the home remains since the structure has been transformed into a multi-use facility with an art gallery, meeting rooms, kitchen, exhibit space interpreting the natural and cultural resources Open Space protects, and lots and lots of big windows opening out to one of the most beautiful views in Albuquerque. The Center hosts special art exhibits and educational programs throughout the year.

Albuquerque’s Open Space program is one of the most ambitious in the Southwest. Since 1969 the city has acquired more than 24,000 acres of open space land, and it manages another 4,000 acres. To name a few plots, this includes Elena Gallegos/Albert G. Simms Park at the base of the Sandias; Rio Grande State Park including Alameda/Rio Grande wetlands; Rio Grande Nature Center; Los Poblanos Fields; and in Petroglyph National Monument a number of areas of cultural and geologic importance like Piedras Marcadas Canyon, Boca Negra Canyon, and Rinconada Canyon.

To support the city’s program, the Open Space Alliance (OSA) is a group of volunteers working with the town to preserve, maintain, and improve our natural, historical, and cultural resources. Funded solely through membership dues, the OSA provides a tax-exempt means for citizens, organizations, and corporations to donate to the city’s Open Space Division.

The cranes will soon be gone on their unending journey between nesting and wintering grounds. They will be missed as we trace their journey by the faint sounds of their passing. As the seasons transform the unparalleled views of bosque and mountains, visitors in the know will stop at this quiet place for hiking the river trail, nature study, and contemplation.

City of Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center
6500 Coors Blvd NW
Between Montano Blvd. and Paseo del Norte at the end of Bosque Meadows Rd.
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 897-9931
www.cabq.gov/openspace/visitorcenter.htm
Open Space Alliance
P.O. Box 91265
Albuquerque, NM 87199
(505) 452-5200
www.openspacealliance.org

Pueblo Women Artists

On a hot, humid summer day in the upper Susquehanna River Valley, I discovered a passion. Always a hound for hand-thrown pottery, I went on a day trip to visit my favorite Pennsylvania craftsman, Bill Lynch of Penns Creek Pottery. After a sojourn with Bill and lemonade and cookies with his wife and family, I decided to continue on to Mifflinburg, a tiny town known mainly as the site of a buggy museum and a store selling Amish quilts.

Strolling down the quiet streets I came upon an old white Georgian home advertising antiques. It looked deserted but a jangle on the bell brought the stooped, grey-haired proprietor to the door.

“Wha’ cha’ lookin for,” he queried without much grace. “Old Indian stuff,” I replied. I’d visited the Southwest recently and admired the Pueblo pottery. “Well, I got some arrow heads,” he said. When I shook my head, he reached under the counter and brought up a pot. “Had this ugly black thing for 30 years, and I’d like to ride myself of it. You can have it for $25.” I almost fainted. He had a 1920 Santa Clara wedding vase. Of course, I paid the ridiculously low price, grabbed the vase, and ran out the door like a thief in the night.

Eventually I moved to New Mexico, the genesis of my treasured pot. Luckily Albuquerque and Santa Fe are rife with museums highlighting Native American art. Currently, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in collaboration with the Adobe Gallery of Santa Fe is presenting “Timeless Beauty: Pueblo Women Artists of the 20th Century.”

Represented artists include Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso; Lucy Lewis, Acoma; Pablita Velarde, Santa Clara; Helen Hardin, Santa Clara; Margaret Tafoya, Santa Clara; Helen Cordero, Cochiti; Tonita Pena, San Ildefonso/Cochiti; and Blue Corn, San Ildefonso.

Not all are potters. Paintings include Pabilta Velarde’s watercolor of Mimbres Turtles and Helen Hardin’s geometric abstracts like “Medicine Woman.” If you’re attracted to pottery, you won’t want to miss Blue Corn’s eggshell polychrome pot or Helen Cordero’s storytellers, which she described as coming “out of my heart. They’re singing. Can’t you hear them? I talk to them. They’re my little people. Not just pretty things I make for money.”

Leaving the exhibit room I walked over to a single display attributed only to an early Santa Clara potter. Before signing became the norm, potters did not dignify their work this way. The huge black storage pot had a true timeless quality and lent a baseline for the remarkable pottery which came after. Its rag and stone polished surface mirrored the finish of my old wedding vase, and I wondered once again at the skill, talent, and patience which created such timeless beauty.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW, Albuquerque 87104; (866) 855-7902. www.indianpueblo.org. Timeless Beauty runs through June 14.

Two Albuquerque Mysteries

Two Albuquerque businesses sitting side by side on Lomas have deceptive names. Monroe’s is a restaurant serving New Mexican food, and The Palms is a store selling Native American jewelry, Pueblo pots, and other assorted hand-crafted goods.

My first trip to Albuquerque in the 1980’s introduced me to Monroe’s. Asking around for good local food in a non-pretentious atmosphere, I was steered to the small restaurant. I have been returning ever since for its enchiladas, huevos rancheros, excellent green chile cheeseburgers, and sweet potato fries.

My curiosity was piqued on the history of the non-Hispanic name, and I discovered Monroe’s originally was owned by Monroe Sorensen, a Scandinavian who had a little chile parlor on the corner of Rio Grande and Mountain. When Sorensen retired, Miguel Diaz, a native of Puerto Rico, purchased the eatery in 1979 and moved it to a refurbished gas station on Lomas, retaining the name and customer base. A second Monroe’s is located on Osuna, and although the menu is the same, the decor is the more typical adobe style. You can’t go wrong eating at either location. For my dollar, Monroe’s fresh ingredients and consistency rate it among Albuquerque’s best little gems.

The Palms was a discovery made one day after lunch at Monroe’s. Somewhat off the beaten path for a trading company, the selection and prices make The Palms a must-stop for any visiting friends and family wanting to purchase Native American art.

Guy Berger, the owner, worked at the trading post during summer vacations as a young man, and now has over 20 years experience in the business. Berger says the unusual name came from the original owners, the Del Frate brothers, who opened a beer garden at the corner of Rio Grande and Central in 1941. Searching for a name, they glanced at a cut-out ad featuring a group of palm trees and decided The Palms would fit their purpose nicely.

The beer garden location, which thrived on weekends, needed cash flow during the week so a small food market was instituted using The Palms name. In 1967 the market moved to a larger location on Lomas and 15th NW. Popular among local residents and many Indians from Albuquerque’s surrounding pueblos, The Palms often accepted trade goods in lieu of payment for groceries.

In 1968 the market acquired so much jewelry that Angelo Del Frate decided to open the back room to collectors, and the Palms Trading Company was born. Currently, the 5,000 square foot showroom contains one of the most complete inventories of Pueblo pottery and Indian jewelry in the industry.

The entry room is chock-a-block full of silver from concha belts to bracelets, and the side room displays pots, storytellers, rain gods, kachinas, antique pottery and more. There’s a small selection of Navajo rugs. You won’t go wrong purchasing a piece from The Palms, and you might be treated to the sight of a potter from Acoma or Jemez auditioning their wares for Berger or one of his knowledgeable staff.

Monroe’s New Mexican Food, 1520 Lomas Blvd. NW, 87104; (505) 242-1111 or 6051 Osuna Road NE, 87109; (505) 881-4224. www.monroeschile.com

The Palms Trading Company, 1504 Lomas Blvd. NW, 87104. (505) 247-8504. www.palmstrading.com
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