Nuevo Mexico Profundo

Nuevo Mexico Profundo is a nonprofit cultural-heritage organization based in New Mexico, United States. Established in 2019 and granted 501(c)(3) status in 2022, it operates independently and often collaborates with community, tribal, and institutional partners. The organization describes itself as a home-based entity staffed by volunteers, developed by Frank Graziano, Rebecca Montoya, and Pete Warzel. Its current board members are William deBuys, John Gray, Frank Graziano, Susan Horn, and Sana Morrow. The organization's mission centers on offering unique cultural experiences in heritage settings, restoring historic churches, conserving santero art, and innovating projects in cultural-heritage preservation. Its recent accomplishments include the Profundo Heritage Archive, conservation of historic santero art at the churches in Córdova and Las Trampas, expansion of tours to historic and heritage-culture sites statewide, and the comprehensive restoration of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas. In 2022, Profundo was featured in a suite of articles on historic churches in New Mexico Magazine, and in 2023 it received a Heritage Preservation Award from the State of New Mexico. Profundo's public programming includes concerts in historic churches, described as informal gatherings that fuse music and ambience into unique experiences. Some events are candle- and lantern-lit because village churches often have no electricity, and many take place in churches rarely seen by non-parishioners. Performances are generally preceded by informal church visits and conversation with the musicians, and prefaced by a welcome and/or a brief talk. The organization also leads tours to historic and heritage-culture sites across New Mexico. As a small volunteer-driven nonprofit, Nuevo Mexico Profundo operates within the niche of cultural-heritage preservation and heritage tourism in New Mexico. It works with parishes, mayordomos, and communities to maintain and restore historic churches, and collaborates with a range of partners. Its activities combine preservation, education, and cultural programming, with a focus on the state's historic churches and santero art traditions.

Nuevo Mexico Profundo was established in 2019 and received its 501(c)(3) status in 2022. It was developed by Frank Graziano, Rebecca Montoya, and Pete Warzel. The organization operates independently and often collaborates with community, tribal, and institutional partners. It is a home-based organization staffed by volunteers. Its current board members are William deBuys, John Gray, Frank Graziano, Susan Horn, and Sana Morrow. Profundo's recent accomplishments include the Profundo Heritage Archive, the conservation of historic santero art at the churches in Córdova and Las Trampas, the expansion of tours to historic and heritage-culture sites statewide, and the comprehensive restoration of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas. In 2022, Profundo was featured in a suite of articles on historic churches in New Mexico Magazine. In 2023, Profundo received a Heritage Preservation Award from the State of New Mexico. The organization offers unique cultural experiences in heritage settings, restores historic churches and conserves santero art, and innovates projects in cultural-heritage preservation. Its concerts in historic churches are informal gatherings that fuse the music and the ambience into unique experiences. Some of the events are candle- and lantern-lit (village churches often have no electricity), and many are in churches rarely seen by non-parishioners. The performances are generally preceded by informal church visits and by conversation with the musicians, and they are prefaced by a welcome and/or a brief talk.

• 2023

  Received Heritage Preservation Award from the State of New Mexico

• 2022

  Received 501(c)(3) status

• 2022

  Featured in New Mexico Magazine articles on historic churches

• 2019

  Nuevo Mexico Profundo established

Nonprofit cultural-heritage preservation and heritage tourism organization focused on New Mexico's historic churches and santero art.

• Profundo Heritage Archive

  A project of Nuevo Mexico Profundo.

• Restoration of San José de Gracia in Las Trampas

  Comprehensive restoration of the historic church.

• Conservation of santero art at Córdova and Las Trampas churches

  Conservation of historic santero art.

• Statewide heritage tours

  Expansion of tours to historic and heritage-culture sites statewide.

• Concerts in historic churches

  Informal gatherings that fuse music and ambience into unique experiences.

1. 1Official websitenuevo-mexico-profundo.com
2. 2Wikidatawikidata.org