Painted Faith: New Mexico's Santos

“Painted Faith: New Mexican Devotional Images,” featuring santos from a never-before-exhibited Santa Barbara Museum of Art collection, will be on exhibit at Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery Nov. 1 through Dec. 18.

An opening reception for the exhibit, the college’s annual holiday show, will be 4-6 p.m. Nov. 18 in the Art Center. A lecture on “New Mexican Santos,” will be given by Cody Hartley, guest curator at the Museum of Art, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 10 in Room 101 in the Art Center.

New Mexico’s santos, painted and carved images of Catholic saints, are one of America’s great regional folk traditions and a lasting legacy of the Spanish presence in the New World, Hartley explained.

Isolated from Mexico by distance, supplies of devotional images were limited. To fill the needs of the faithful, 18th-century missionary priests produced their own paintings and sculptures and trained local artists. By the 1750s, specialized local craftsmen were found in Santa Fe and the surrounding area. These artists, now called santeros, were respected figures in their society, expected to lead exemplary lives expressing a deep commitment to their faith.

In this exhibit are examples from the production of the most prominent santeros of the early 19th century (ca. 1800-1850). The 19 santos feature some of the most popular and beloved New Mexican saints, including St. Barbara and St. Michael.

Hartley said the pieces can be appreciated as American folk art, icons of Hispanic history or devotional objects from a global tradition. They were highly sought after by collectors in the early 20th century.

For more information, contact the Westmont Art Center at (805) 565-6162. Directions to campus are at www.westmont.edu.