FOH News:

SANTA FE — Friends of History relaunches its public lectures in 2026 as the New Mexico History & Heritage Lectures, a bimonthly in-person series at the New Mexico History Museum. Every other month beginning in February, the museum’s auditorium will host a guest speaker exploring an event, place, individual or community that has shaped New Mexico. A moderated conversation with audience members follows.

The 2026 New Mexico History & Heritage Lectures are being inaugurated at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 4 with an illustrated talk on Rio Grande Weaving by Irvin Trujillo, a seventh-generation weaver and award-winning fiber artist. Dating back centuries, Rio Grande Weaving is a significant part of New Mexico’s cultural tradition held in the hands of only a few Hispano families in Chimayó. 

New Mexico History & Heritage Lectures are open to all. Tickets are free for Friends of History members, $15 for the general public, and $10 for students. Seating is first come, first served.

In 2026, the New Mexico History & Heritage Lectures will present talks on the first Wednesday in February, April, June, August, October, and December. Each of the six 60-minute events is recorded live and then posted on the Friends of History’s YouTube channel for history buffs, artists, writers, educators, and New Mexicans everywhere to enjoy free. 

“Friends of History lectures illuminate and celebrate New Mexico through presentations by influential historians and researchers, authors and artisans,” stated the organization’s spokesperson, Michael Ettema. “The lectures also support the state’s History Museum by advancing its public education mission. We invite everyone to explore New Mexico with us.” 

Friends of History lectures return to in-person museum events after pivoting in 2020 to monthly, pre-recorded virtual talks. More than 60 past lectures may be viewed online for free at any time.  

About Friends of History

Friends of History (FoH) is a nonprofit organization of volunteers dedicated to supporting the New Mexico History Museum, under the auspices of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. Activities include offering historic walking tours of downtown Santa Fe by museum-trained docents, sponsoring museum exhibitions and public programs, organizing special events for FoH members, and the relaunched New Mexico History & Heritage Lectures. https://friendsofhistorynm.org/