A new generation of Colorado santeros and santeras has revived the art of making Christian religious icons in the folk-art tradition – to the glory of the Hispanic people and also as a precious gift of the Hispanic people.
One of the main factors driving the revival is a growing interest within the Colorado/New Mexico Hispanic communities in recapturing and celebrating their cultural traditions and identity. We are not sure how people specifically acquired santos in this tradition, but assuming that it was like the worldwide Roman Catholic and Orthodox church traditions, you received a santo to commemorate a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual event such as baptism, first Communion, confirmation, marriage or death.
These usages have largely faded away. Nevertheless, some traditional Hispanics still give santos as gifts and use them to enhance and sanctify their homes. I frequently make santos for wedding or housewarming gifts or as funeral commemoratives. Of course, I still make them for use in churches and chapels.
In contrast to these traditions, I have witnessed several modern usages of santos, such as giving santos as a means of comfort or as a token of celebration. These usages are making a 300-year-old art form become more relevant and helps put a more attractive and humane face on our 21st-century world.
The revival of santo art has attracted the attention of people outside of the Catholic Hispanic community as well. Increasingly, the general public realizes that santo art has the potential to enhance their lives and to affect the world in a positive way so that the world becomes more humane and sensitive. This is because the intent of this folk art is to portray compassion, pain and sacrificial love in the most direct and sincere manner by using images of the saints and by depicting scenes from the Bible.
The revival also is supported by a renewed interest on the part of churches such as Santa Maria de la Paz church in Santa Fe that is entirely decorated with contemporary santo art. Contemporary santo art made by Colorado santeros and santeras can even be found in several Denver-area churches.
Santo art also has attracted the attention of museum-based art experts and university art gallery directors. The broad scope of the interest in santo art by this influential sector of the art community is evident in the fact there have been at least 13 major santo art exhibits in Colorado museums and university art galleries in the past seven years. Santo art is increasingly being juried into prestigious mainstream art venues such as Foothills Art Center’s biennial Colorado Art Open and the North American Sculpture Exhibition and is increasingly being accepted as “legitimate” art.
The scholarly interest in santos is evidenced by the fact that nine of the 14 best books on santo art were published since 1992. Six of the best books were published since 1995.
The reason for the popularity of santo art outside of the Catholic Hispanic culture and the art community is difficult to articulate. The attraction to santos is akin to the attraction to gospel music or Negro spirituals hold in popular appreciation.
You can enjoy good gospel music and singing if you are highly educated or if you are not educated at all. You can enjoy it whether you are very religious or not.
This is because the vernacular of popular art forms like gospel music and santo art are universal forms of expression capable of crossing over language, religion, class or educational barriers.
That’s the “good news” for this Easter season: People are relating to this art form in truthful and meaningful ways.
