On the tremendous loss of the Taos Wool Festival

Imoved to Taos 45 years ago. As a professional weaver from California, I quickly met weaving legends Rachel Brown and Christina Wilson. Weaving has been a vital part of Northern New Mexico for centuries. It is of particular importance to Taos and the surrounding communities of Tierra Amarilla, Mora and Chimayó. It is who we are.

When I received a New Mexico Film Office New Visions Grant, we had the rare opportunity to meet many weavers, spinners and fiber people in the making of “Woven Stories: Weaving Traditions of Northern New Mexico.”

Weaving is art and culture, it brings us together, much as threads become a whole.

Celebrating 30 years of the traditional Taos Wool Festival, one of our biggest cultural and social events of the year, it’s hard to imagine Taos without it. The festival includes four states as well as our community. It crosses boundaries and gives us a deeper sense of community as we gather in Kit Carson Park. Llamas, bunnies, sheep, spinners, weavers, artisans, our children, ourselves and our community are enriched.

It is unimaginable how the Town of Taos could have lost this tradition for us. How in the world could the Taos Wool Festival happen in Santa Fe? Over the years, we’ve lost the wonderful Taos Talking Pictures and Taos Mountain Film Festival.

Really, would our town leaders please explain to us how this happened and how you might retrieve it?

We need answers and actions to keep this tradition in Taos. It is too important to lose. We need cooperation, priorities and attention to detail to save this festival for Taos.

Shame, shame, shame on you as the leadership of Taos if we lose the Taos Wool Festival.