Saturday, September 20, 2008

Eppie Archuleta

Today was my last day working at the hospital in Alamosa. It was a good job most days, but being a medically based therapist is really no longer for me. I'm glad to be finished and have some more time for weaving--and also to only have to focus on one job (at the schools) besides my REAL job of being an artist and making fabulous tapestries.
My co-worker Julie didn't know that it was my last day today. But she left me a gift which was far more appropriate than she could have guessed. She is from La Jara which is also the home of famous Rio Grande tapestry weaver Eppie Archuleta. (Actually I think Eppie might live in Capulin, but close enough.) Eppie is one of the even more famous Agueda Martinez's children. Agueda died in 2002 (at the age of 102 I believe) after leaving a legacy in both weaving and famous weaving children. Julie was at a Hispanic Heritage Festival in La Jara recently and met Eppie... and she bought me a little sample of Eppie's weaving (a bookmark). Somehow I felt that it was a good sign for me... leaving the hospital and going forward with Eppie's work in my pocket. They say to follow your bliss, and really I can't think of any other way to find happiness. So maybe with Eppie's talisman on my studio wall and one less job to worry about, I can create some happiness of my own.

2 comments:

  1. I came across your blog while doing an internet search for a poster that features Agueda Martinez at the Spanish Market in the early 90's. Augeda Martinez' is my great grandmother. Eppie is my late grandfather's sister. It is really nice to see my great grandmother has touched so many lives.

    I hope you created happiness!

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  2. Wow Amy, thanks for letting me know! As a tapestry weaver in northern NM, I think Agueda and Eppie have contributed a great deal to my art form. It was great to hear from one of their grandchildren. I was living in Alamosa and worked at an elementary school there where Eppie came to teach the kids to weave. This was just last year. What an amazing lady!

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