Debra Garcia y Griego, Cabinet Secretary for Department of Cultural Affairs | americansforthearts.org
Truths Be Told: Artists Activate Traditions, a new exhibition at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, will run from December 5, 2025, to January 20, 2027. The exhibition brings together over a dozen contemporary artists who use folk traditions from their communities to address social issues and recover lost histories.
The show features a range of traditional art forms such as quilt-making, ceramics, regalia, basketry, and video. These mediums are used to encourage civic dialogue and healing.
Artists participating in the exhibition include 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.
Curator Laura Addison stated: “This exhibition redefines how we think about tradition. 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.”
The artworks explore topics such as Native American boarding schools' legacy as well as environmental degradation and other urgent concerns like housing insecurity and gender violence. Some pieces use irony or beauty to confront painful histories while others highlight resilience and hope.
The Museum of International Folk Art is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs under the Board of Regents for the Museum of New Mexico System. Its programs receive support from several organizations including the International Folk Art Foundation and Friends of Folk Art. The museum’s mission is to connect people through creative expression and artistic traditions; its collection includes over 163,000 objects from more than 160 countries.
