RELEASE: �Long live the state of New Mexico� � New exhibition takes a fresh look at statehood
“1912” opens September 5, 2026, at New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe
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RELEASE: “Long live the state of New Mexico” – New exhibition takes a fresh look at statehood
“1912” opens September 5, 2026, at New Mexico History Museum
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 17, 2026
MEDIA CONTACT Christina Claassen 505-946-7149 christina.claassen@dca.nm.gov
Santa Fe, NM – As America celebrates its 250th birthday, New Mexico celebrates 114 years as a state. A new exhibition at New Mexico History Museum, “1912,” opens September 5, 2026, offering a snapshot of the state at a time of remarkable change and growth, and exploring what formally tied 327,000 Nuevo Mexicanos to the union.
The exhibition lets visitors step back into 1912 and explore a striking matrix of 36 historic objects that reveal interesting, surprising, and sometimes unusual connections from that time, sparking curiosity about the past.
“The state we know and love today is rooted in this time,” says Mark Dodge, Curator of Southwest Memories at the History Museum. “This exhibition shows how our government, schools, economy, and many of the towns were forged by the whirlwind of struggle and triumph of statehood.”
Highlights in the show include the first elected governor, William C. McDonald’s, top hat, a rare Wooten desk belonging to pioneer merchant Charles Ilfeld, one of the first state flags, an ore car from one of the largest open pit copper mines, and an oversized valve cylinder from Elephant Butte Dam.
A special aspirational video project titled “Voices of 1912,” proclaiming the future will be what we make it, blends words from 1912 politicians and poets and is presented in both English and Spanish. Visitors will also see early film footage from across the state in “100 Years Ago, New Mexico’s Early Film History,” by ¡COLORES! New Mexico PBS.
“1912” will be on display through September 12, 2027. Join the museum for a celebratory public event on Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, 5 – 7 p.m. The event will feature music in the Palace of the Governors Courtyard performed by the Santa Fe Concert Band, including the state song, a button-making activity with symbols of statehood, and refreshments provided courtesy of the Museum of New Mexico Women’s Board. The event is free and open to the public.
About New Mexico History Museum New Mexico History Museum, a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, offers a welcoming place for exploration of multifaceted views on history, dialog that bridges social and cultural divides, and reflection on the conditions needed for a more resilient, just, and sustainable future. The museum campus is located on the north side of the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Learn more at nmhistorymuseum.org .
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