Ever since the devastating floods of October 2024, when the Roswell Museum’s priceless art and artifact collection was severely damaged, locals were asking how to help. This Saturday, from 6 to 9 p.m., the Roswell Museum and Art Center Foundation invites the public to its POP (Preserve our Past) event at the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art, 409 E. College Blvd. The evening is full of promise and possibilities, where attendees celebrate the stories that shape Roswell and Chaves County while helping to preserve the Roswell Museum’s collection for generations to come.
RMAC Foundation Executive Director Reagan Hardy talked about the event and what is different than other fundraisers the organization held in the past.
“This is going to be an auction. It’s going to be an event like an evening, a fun evening kind of gala-style with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. We’re going to have some welcome champagne. The main event is going to be a conservation auction for the conservation of the flood-damaged items. … So we have 35 pieces that we are going to try to raise conservation funds for this time,” she said.
Some of the items that need restoration funds are paintings; others are historic artifacts. As an example, Hardy said that one of Peter Hurd’s paintings, a self-portrait, is looking for sponsors to cover the cost of cleaning, stabilizing and repairing. The 1956 painting has a conservation goal of $11,928. The flood left dried mud and staining on it, while widespread microscopic flaking threatened the delicate egg tempera paint layer.
One of the historic artifacts belonged to the Rogers and Mary Ellen Aston donation, a 16th-century hauberk, which was worn by a Spanish colonizer. It stands for the difficult history of warfare of the Spanish conquistadors against Native Americans. The chainmail has thousands of interlocking steel rings. One can only imagine the stories this chainmail could tell. With more than 20 pounds, its weight would have been grueling. According to historic documentations and letters, these steel armors didn’t last long in New Mexico. They were notoriously hot, difficult to maintain in the arid climate and exhausting for long-distance horseback tracking. Conquistadors and colonial soldiers quickly realized that full steel protection was unsuited for the high-desert terrain.
Asked if there is a dress code, Hardy said, “We’re kind of trying to make it more like an elegant event. So if people would like to dress up, the more the merrier.” However, the dress code isn’t mandatory; everyone is welcome.
For more information, visit rmacfoundation.com/pop.
