Fundraiser in honor of our friend, Jim Gautier
We are very excited to be celebrating the life and work of our friend, Jim Gautier, who we lost last year. In the weeks before his untimely death, Jim was out in the field doing what he loved best—photographing the old mission churches of Northern New Mexico for Cornerstones. In his honor, we are holding a fundraising sale of his photos and a catered reception on Thursday, September 29, from 5:00 to 7:00 at Nedra Matteucci Galleries at 1075 Paseo De Peralta in Santa Fe.
Throughout his decades as a photographer, Jim continuously donated proceeds from his prints to Cornerstones. He also routinely called us to ask about projects underway so he could catch an action shot. His dedicated and devoted spirit expressed themselves through his work to capture the essence of a place. Jim began his professional career with the YMCA; soon he became Director of the Los Alamos YMCA where he loved developing youth programs. Towards retirement, he served on numerous boards, including ours.
Honoring Jim, we are establishing a fund in his name to support training and intern development. Our goal is to raise $30,000. This celebratory event kicks off this endeavor. Months before his death he was preparing photos for a Cornerstones fundraiser. Sadly, he is no longer with us, but we still have the photos he prepared, matted, and framed.
Limited gallery space and caterer planning require us to request an RSVP. To do so, by Tuesday, September 20th, contact us by calling (505) 982-9521 ext. 100, emailing contact@cstones.org, or mailing us at 227 Otero St, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Your name must be on our list to enter the gallery.
Over 34 years, Jim Gautier volunteered to document the mission churches of New Mexico tying his work to our projects. We hope you will purchase one of his photographs or donate to the fund we are establishing. All proceeds will support Cornerstones Community Partnerships. We look forward to seeing you at the show.
To see some of Jim’s work, check out this page.
UNM Summer Academy
In addition to the work we do in the field, we often partner with local institutions to educate local youth on all things adobe. This summer Issac Logsdon, our Assistant Program Director, visited the University of New Mexico’s Architecture and Design Summer Academy. This program is intended to immerse interested high school students in architecture and design. This year the program had a special focus on designing a structure using adobe.
Alongside Cornerstones, the group made miniature adobes, learned about historic preservation, and the cultural history of adobe construction in New Mexico.
