Bill and Jane Buchsbaum
When Bill Buchsbaum answers the door, he’ll joyfully point to his wife and tell you, “I’m Tarzan and this is my Jane.”
The couple will lead you down a hallway lined with shelves holding hundreds of Native American ceramic pieces. Jane has a love for Native art and culture.
When they have a seat in the living room, the couple’s dog, Beau, will jump into Bill’s lap, and Jane will reach for Bill’s hand.
The Buchsbaums, a close couple, spend much of their time volunteering in tandem, serving on nonprofit boards and engaging in philanthropic efforts.
It’s fitting they were chosen together as two of the newest Santa Fe Living Treasures.
“We’ve both just tried to make life better for people who have not been as fortunate as we’ve been,” said Bill, 87.
Jane, 81, who grew up in New Orleans, has dedicated most of her life to the civil rights movement, advocating for AfricanAmericans in the South. Bill made enough money as a stockbroker to support them both, Jane said, so she was able to work as a full-time volunteer for more than a decade.
When the Buchsbaums moved to Santa Fe in 1992, they quickly became involved in the community through organizations such as the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, the Museum of New Mexico Foundation, Audubon New Mexico, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and the Santa Fe Symphony.
Bill now serves as chairman of Mentoring Kids Works, which helps boost literacy rates and prevents students from dropping out of school.
Jane spent 25 years as a docent with the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture.
To support Jane’s love for Native American arts and culture, Bill helped establish the museum’s Buchsbaum Gallery of Southwest Pottery, which showcases about 300 vessels by Pueblo artists from New Mexico and Arizona.
And after Jane fought two rounds of cancer, Bill helped launch the New Mexico Cancer Foundation, on whose board he continues to serve.
Bill’s pet project: taking Beau to hospitals, nursing homes and cancer centers around the city to cheer up patients. They have visited with thousands, he said.
As art collectors, the Buchsbaums say they’ve sought to build bridges between diverse groups.
“It’s changed our lives tremendously getting to know different people from different cultures,” Bill said.
After learning they’d been named Living Treasures, the two said they were in awe.
“We were just spellbound,” Bill
said, adding their accomplishments stem from their love for each other.
“We always tend to do things together. … We’ve never tried to make a difference. We’ve just tried to do what’s right and live our lives.”