NUEVO MEXICO PROFUNDO was established in 2019

and received its 501(c)(3) status in 2022. We operate independently and often collaborate with community, tribal, and institutional partners.

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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, here, here, and here. Profundo received a 2023 Heritage Preservation Award from the State of New Mexico. 

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NUEVO MEXICO PROFUNDO offers unique cultural experiences in heritage settings, restores historic churches and conserves santero art, and innovates projects in cultural-heritage preservation. Profundo is a home-based organization staffed by volunteers. It was developed by Frank Graziano, Rebecca Montoya, and Pete Warzel; the current board members are William deBuys, John Gray, Frank Graziano, Susan Horn, and Sana Morrow.

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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 on the church’s history and culture. 

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TOURS first departed from the Santuario de Chimayó to the historic churches in Córdova, Truchas, and Las Trampas, and these tours continue. The High Road churches are particularly outstanding for their historical and cultural importance and their conservation of santero altar screens. Tours to relatively unseen churches elsewhere in  New Mexico were later developed: in Mora County, along the Pecos River, at Isleta Pueblo, in Ranchos de Taos, in the Gallinas River valley, and at the Zuni, Mescalero Apache, and Navajo reservations.

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