Cosmic Trees and Feathered Crosses: Art of the Missions of New Spain

The Spanish colonial campaign to convert and missionize the Indigenous peoples of the Americas resulted in what was the most extensive artistic project of the Renaissance. The effort to build and decorate thousands of religious establishments across the continent yielded a richly expressive legacy, created largely by Native artists as they engaged and transformed European cultural ideas through their labor and creativity.

This course focuses on ground zero for these transformations: the 16th-century missions among the remnants of the Aztec empire in central Mexico. We will explore the diverse backgrounds of mission participants, and their cultural negotiations through architecture, sculpture, and painting. We will also consider the legacy of the Mexican Renaissance for Borderlands regions such as New Mexico, including a walking tour to discuss local landmarks connected to the mission period.

Klinton Burgio-Ericson is an interdisciplinary art historian focusing on intercultural negotiations and materials worlds of the Spanish Borderlands. With a doctorate in Latin American art history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he has been a Peter Buck Fellow at Smithsonian Institution, a Tyson Scholar in American Art at Crystal Bridges Museum, and an Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow in Latinx studies at the School for Advanced Research. He has previously taught at the University of New Mexico and is now an assistant professor in art history of the Americas at Texas Tech University. His current book focuses on Spanish missions among ancestral Zuni Indian towns in 17th-century New Mexico, and he continues to work collaboratively with Zuni Pueblo and other descendant communities.

Join Flannery Burke, PhD, for three-days of learning and discussions on the historic SAR campus in Santa Fe. Dr. Burke will illuminate the legacies of New Mexican women, past and present, and teach about the unique experiences of women of the Lost Territory, the sacred lands of Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico.

Each day will focus on a different topic. The stories of will serve as a springboard each day. Participants will be provided with PDF format reading materials (see “Reading List” below) in advance.

Classes will be held each morning in the historic Administration Building from 9:30 a.m. to noon. After class, enjoy lunch on the tented patio with a view of the President’s Garden and terraced grounds at the heart of the campus. Afternoons are free with an option to join Dr. Burke for a late-afternoon excursion around town, possibly to an historic site or a museum. Excursions are included in the course tuition; however, participants are asked to pay any applicable entrance fees, such as to a museum.

Class size is limited to 15 participants.

Upon request, SAR will organize tours of the SAR campus and Indian Arts Research Center for course participants.

Registration Deadline: Monday, May 26

Cancellations and Refunds: Requests for refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

School for Advanced Research, 660 Garcia Street, Santa Fe, United States