SFCC hosts reception for Following the Manito Trail exhibition from Millicent Rogers Museum

Opening from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, August 26
Main Hallway, 6401 Richards Ave.

Cultural and historical exhibition will continue through Oct. 15

Santa Fe Community College will host an opening reception for the traveling exhibition Following the Manito Trail from the Millicent Rogers Museum from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, August 26 in the Main Hallway on campus, 6401 Richards Avenue. The exhibition will continue through October 15.

SFCC’s Director of Art on Campus Linda Cassel said, “We’re so pleased to be able to share the rich cultural history shared in the Following the Manito Trail exhibition so well-prepared by the curators at the Millicent Rogers Museum on our campus. It’s an enlightening exhibition that will also touch the hearts of so many Hispanic families from northern New Mexico.”

Representatives from the Millicent Rogers Museum will be at the opening reception to talk with attendees about the development of the exhibition. Refreshments will be served.

The Millicent Rogers Museum shares this about the exhibition:

“Following the Manito Trail is a cultural heritage exhibition that shares the migration experiences, creative practices, and largely untold stories of Manito (Hispanic New Mexican) families from Taos County and its surrounding area. These families carried their culture with them through their migrations to other states for seasonal and permanent work during the 19th and 20th centuries. These migrations represent Manito family values in surviving, even if it meant leaving the homes they cherished.”

Their contributions significantly impacted the American West through their labor in sheepherding, coal mining, railroad construction, and the sugar beet fields. Wherever they went, they never forgot their roots in New Mexico, and they shaped their new homes in other states to preserve and adapt their cultural traditions that they brought with them. For some families, the following generations stayed in their diaspora homes, and, for others, they returned to New Mexico. Through their descendants, Manito families carry on the legacy of shaping the northern New Mexico cultural landscape through professions in medicine, the humanities, the arts, linguistics, and agriculture.”

The exhibition highlights Manito family histories; the significance of storytelling, agricultural, poetic, religious and culinary practices to Manito families.

The public is welcome at the reception and is invited to stop by any time during SFCC campus open hours to view the exhibition.

For more information about the exhibition, contact Director of Art on Campus Linda Cassel via email at linda.cassel@sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1501.


Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.

Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.

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