Hands-On Curatorial Program

The Coe Center Hands-On Curatorial Program provides high school students with a unique opportunity to engage directly with the Coe Collection—over 2,500 Indigenous artworks spanning history and the globe. Through museum visits, interactions with artists and art professionals, and weekly sessions, our young curators develop both individual and collaborative skills, gaining the expertise to create their own exhibition from inception to completion. The acquired skills are not just for the moment but are lifelong.

Hands-On Curatorial Program

"in the woods, is perpetual youth"

The 2023 Hands-On Curatorial program concluded in May 2023, marking the ninth year of collaboration with high school students in Santa Fe. The exhibition “in the woods, is perpetual youth” opened on May 12, 2023, accompanied by a small catalog. The exhibition showcased the efforts of the young curators from high schools across Santa Fe. The curators were Evangeline (Eva) Miranda, Gabe Castillo, Toby Servoss, and Net De La Riva from New Mexico School for the Arts and Himaja Sunkara from Santa Fe High School.

The program now in its tenth year, continues with a new cohort of dedicated students from the Academy for Technology and the Classics, Mandela International Magnet School, and the New Mexico School for the Arts. Stay tuned for updates on their journey and their upcoming exhibition to open in May 2024.