Courtesy/NMDCA
NMDCA News:
SANTA FE — Truths Be Told: Artists Activate Traditions, a groundbreaking new exhibition, opens Dec. 5, 2025, through Jan. 20, 2027. Museum of International Folk Art proudly presents the timely show bringing together more than a dozen contemporary artists who draw on folk traditions from their own communities to address urgent social issues, reclaim erased histories, and accelerate a transformation through art.
Truths Be Told highlights how traditional art forms—ranging from quilt-making, ceramics, and regalia to basketry and video—are being reimagined as powerful tools for civic dialogue, resistance, and healing.
The landmark exhibition brings together an extraordinary lineup of artists including Roberto Benavidez, Mary Lee Bendolph, Ambreen Butt, Kathryn Clark, Sonya Clark, Nicholas Galanin, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Carolyn Mazloomi, Elyse Pignolet, Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, Beverly Y. Smith, Colectivo Subterráneos, Sarah Mary Taylor, Kukuli Velarde, and Marie Watt
“This exhibition redefines how we think about tradition,” Curator Laura Addison said. “The artists in Truths Be Told are not simply preserving culture, they’re actively using it to challenge injustice, build community, and imagine more equitable futures. In their hands, tradition becomes a living language for truth-telling.”
From critiques of the legacy of Native American boarding schools to reflections on environmental degradation, housing insecurity, racism, and gender violence, the artworks featured in the exhibition demonstrate the vitality and relevance of cultural practices in today’s most pressing issues. Some artists expose painful histories through irony, satire, or beauty, while others focus on resilience and hope, inviting audiences to reflect and engage deeply.
Through compelling artworks, the exhibition emphasizes that tradition is not static; it is a dynamic force for social engagement and cultural continuity.
About the Museum of International Folk Art:
The Museum of International Folk Art is a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, under the leadership of the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico System. Programs and exhibits are generously supported by the International Folk Art Foundation, Museum of New Mexico Foundation, and Friends of Folk Art. The mission of The Museum of International Folk Art is to shape a humane world by connecting people through creative expression and artistic traditions. The museum holds the largest collection of international folk art in the world, numbering more than 163,000 objects from more than 160 countries.