For the third straight year, the Institute of American Indian Arts and Santa Fe Community College will both host open houses on the same day. On Thursday, Sept. 19, the schools will welcome community members and prospective students on their campuses to showcase their facilities and highlight the programs they offer. Both schools will open their studios for art demonstrations and provide tours of their facilities. IAIA President Robert Martin and SFCC President Becky Rowley join "Conversations Different" to speak about all their schools have to offer and what to expect for the open houses at the campuses that are just a seven-minute drive from each other. 

SFCC's open house takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. More information can be found at https://www.sfcc.edu/iaia-sfcc-open-house-24/. 

IAIA's open house is scheduled for 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit https://iaia.edu/about/2024-iaia-open-house/.

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The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Site is by far the largest such site in New Mexico with estimates of more than 100,000 petroglyphs at the location. The site near the Rio Grande north of Española covers a patchwork of private land, as well as some Bureau of Land Management Land. Artist Katherine Wells purchased property on Mesa Prieta in the 1990s and soon discovered there were thousands of petroglyphs on her land. She started the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project in 1999 to document the remarkable cultural resources and to advocate for their preservation. Wells donated the majority of the property to The Archaeological Conservancy in 2007 to ensure its continued protection. Volunteers have helped record approximately 80,000 petroglyphs so far.

The Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a two-day symposium Sept. 13-14 at Northern New Mexico College. Wells and Matthew Martinez, the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project’s executive director, join “Conversations Different” to talk about the people who left their mark on the rocks, share the impact the project has had for them and for others, and discuss how the organization has supported educational opportunities to teach local students about the significance of the site.

Learn more about the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project at www.mesaprietapetroglyphs.org.

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Court Appointed Special Advocates First Judicial District, known as CASA First, is an organization that supports and promotes volunteer advocacy so that children and youth who are trauma-impacted or system-involved can be safe, develop permanent connections and have the opportunity to thrive. CASA First volunteers offer a voice in and out of court for infants, children and youth who are currently in foster care in Santa Fe, Rio Arriba and Los Alamos counties. Executive Director Annie Rasquin, Program Support Specialist Grace Korthuis and board Vice President Veronica Krupnick join "Conversations Different" to explain the mission of CASA First, talk about the impact of the organization and its volunteers on local youth, spotlight CASA First's recruiting effort and talk about what it's been like being part of the organization. They also discuss Abrigo Advocates, who offer support for those who are not actively in the foster care system but have been impacted by trauma or have been system involved. To learn more about the organization and how to get involved, visit https://casafirst.org/. 

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Labor Day weekend 2024 kicks off Friday night with a major milestone for one of Santa Fe's biggest and most beloved annual events. The buildup for the 100th burning of Zozobra has been years in the making. Ray Sandoval, the event chair for the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, joins "Conversations Different" along with 9-year-old volunteer David Kesler to preview the big event. Sandoval talks about his early beginnings with the event and the promise he made as a teenager to Harold Gans, the longtime voice of Zozobra, to get Zozobra to its 100th burning. Sandoval shares some of the history of the event, talks about how it has grown and evolved over the years to keep the public's interest, offers an overview of the security that's needed to put on such a large-scale event, goes over some misconceptions about Zozobra, and teases what Old Man Gloom will look like this year.

To learn more about Zozobra and find ticket information, visit burnzozobra.com.

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Meghan Montelibano Gorman, a mother of two young children, said she struggled to find community in Santa Fe when she moved to the city freshly postpartum. While working to compile resources, she has shared her knowledge with others online and, in turn, has found support from other parents and caregivers. Montelibano Gorman's website, santafam.com, includes a calendar with free and low-cost events for young children as well as guides for dining out and visiting parks in Santa Fe with babies and/or toddlers. She also organizes regular "Coffee & Crying" meetups for mothers and caregivers to talk about experiences and feelings that have come with raising young children. Learn more by visiting santafam.com or following on Instagram @_santafam_.

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Each year an estimated 100,000 people attend the Santa Fe Indian Market, the largest juried Native American art show in the world. This year's market takes place Aug. 17 and 18, with related events occurring in the days leading up to the market. Kenneth Johnson, a Muscogee/Seminole jeweler and sculptor with a studio in Santa Fe, has been involved in the market since the 1990s. Johnson joins "Conversations Different" to discuss the impact the Santa Fe Indian Market has had on him and his career, talks about relationships among the artists, and shares how his contributions to the design of an Indian Market-themed 2025 Indian Scout Bobber that is up for auction. 

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Water is a precious resource in New Mexico, the state with the lowest percentage of its area covered by water. That makes how water is managed in the state incredibly important. In this episode of "Conversations Different," Deputy State Engineer Tanya Trujillo and Interstate Stream Commission Director Hannah Riseley-White share their insight on New Mexico's water management and resource planning. They discuss New Mexico's compacts with neighboring states and water issues facing New Mexico. They also talk about the Water Security Planning Act passed unanimously by the during the 2023 state legislative session, and upcoming opportunities the public has to share input on how the statute will be implemented.

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The month of July is recognized as Disability Pride Month in the United States. On July 13, the first Disability Pride Parade held in New Mexico was organized in Santa Fe by Disability Pride New Mexico. The new nonprofit was recently created to advance the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities through policy advocacy and community awareness initiatives. Disability Pride New Mexico's three board members — Eli Fresquez, Kathlyne Gish and Angelique Montoya-Chavez — join "Conversations Different" to talk about the mission of the organization and share their backgrounds. They discuss what it's like for people with disabilities to live in Santa Fe and the attitude they've encountered that since Santa Fe is a historic city, it doesn't need to comply with ADA standards, which is untrue. 

Learn more about Disability Pride New Mexico at https://www.disabilitypridenm.org/.  

Read the transcript at https://share.descript.com/view/swFzGygxkFK

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The Atrisco Heritage Foundation took over Santa Fe's troubled Traditional Spanish Market in 2023 and has sought to bring stability to one of the city's premier summer market events. In the second year of stewardship of the country's oldest and largest juried art show of its kind, the organization looks to promote and strengthen the unique cultural event. Atrisco Companies CEO Peter Sanchez and COO/CFO Brian O'Connell join "Conversations Different" to share information on what the Atrisco Heritage Foundation is and why the organization felt it was the perfect fit to take over operations of the Traditional Spanish Market. They also talk about future plans for the market, the importance of developing trust with the artists, the need to encourage the youth to stay involved in the art forms, and how "traditional Spanish art" is defined. 

To learn more about the Traditional Spanish Market, which takes place July 27-28, 2024, on the Santa Fe Plaza, visit traditionalspanishmarket.org.

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Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in April called for the state's legislators to convene for a special session to address New Mexico's public safety needs. Democratic leaders in the Legislature, a coalition of advocacy organizations and others have since expressed concerns about the five proposals the governor is pushing. Ben Baker, senior public safety advisor to the Office of the Governor, joins "Conversations Different" to review the governor's public safety-related priorities for the special session. He also discusses the input he and other officials have received related to public safety concerns from citizens across the state, shares a personal experience of gun violence involving children, and talks about how crime stats don't always reflect the feelings of members of a community.

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