In this unique exhibition, explore decades of marriage traditions in New Mexico through portraits, candid shots, heirloom dresses, and of course, fond stories passed down through the Baca Families.
The ceremony lasts an hour, the celebrations might last a few days, and the outcome could last a lifetime, but these pictures and dresses show that the memories of family weddings can stay with us for generations.
ABOUT THE EXHIBIT CURATORS
NORA CHAVEZ
American costume designer Nora Chavez was born and raised in south Texas. Nora gets the burning desire for creating beautiful things and an eye for fashion from her grand aunt Tia Cruz Rodriguez, a Lipan Apache from Laredo, Tx who taught her sewing and designing skills. Tia Cruz learned by attending an Indian Mission School in southeast Texas. Nora remembers designing and creating outfits from scratch, sewing by hand with her grand aunt and on her Singer, treadle sewing machine. Nora’s love for traditional costumes from cultures around the world led her to study fashion design and costuming at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) in Los Angeles, CA.
Working for the Baca Family Historical Project led her to meet James Baca, a member, and genealogist. James had been collecting wedding photos of the Baca Family going back to when photography began. In 2020, James and Nora planned on a photo exhibit for their annual summer Baca Family conference. By August 2020, the country was shut down and so were our plans for a photo exhibit.
Never forgetting these photos, we thought about submitting a proposal to the Gutierrez Hubbell House to host a photo exhibit. The publication of the Baca Family Historical Project’s book “Legacy of Family” featured one of James’ historical photos on the cover. Our proposal was accepted, and Nora agreed to make a reproduction of the 1920’s wedding dress to show. One dress led to two, three and four.
By the end of Summer 2022, Nora had acquired ten wedding dresses each representing one decade of the last one hundred years of wedding fashions. So evolved this exhibit!
JAMES BACA – GENEALOGIST
James is a native New Mexico having been born and raised in Albuquerque. He devoted his adult life to saving others and worked with the Albuquerque Fire Department for twenty years and served as a Lieutenant for 16 years.
After retirement, James sought other interests dabbling in real estate until he found his passion, genealogy. Joining the Baca Family Historical Project in 2016, James volunteered his experience as a genealogist assisting many New Mexican families in learning about their family history and their relationship to Cristobal Baca, one of New Mexico’s founding families. Cristobal Baca and his family settled in New Spain in 1600 as part of the military reinforcement campaign of Juan de Onate. As a direct descendant of Cristobal Baca and Josefa Baca, owner of what is now the Gutierrez-Hubbell House, James not only has deep roots to this land, but to the home itself.
Through his genealogical research James began collecting photos of Baca family weddings through the years. Eventually, his collection was shared with Nora Chavez and the idea of developing an exhibit began. Delayed by covid closures, the exhibit was put on hold. Through dedication to the project, this exhibit has come together to share with all lovers of history of New Mexico.
