Nat Gold Players
Educating, entertaining, and inspiring through performing arts
Who knew that the key to bringing life back to a post-COVID community would involve scaring the living daylights out of its people? Years ago, when Nat Gold Players (NGP) first started its partnership with the local Masonic Lodge to turn their historic building into a premier Halloween Haunted House, it was a fundraiser for both organizations. It would become far more for the community and for the participants.
Once the COVID restrictions were lifted which had forbidden public performances, the annual Haunted House was one of the first public events held in Las Vegas. That event attracted over 1,100 attendees, making it one of the most successful public performances in the community. In an unexpected way, it resuscitated a sense of community and enthusiasm for life after long isolation for its residents, human interaction frequently limited to those within each household or the confines of a computer screen and teleconferencing. Not only was it successful in overall numbers, but it continued and continues to be one of the most successful cross-cultural audience attractions in the minority-majority area.
The Haunted House offers just one example of NGP’s efforts to help its community through difficult times. For several months, during the prolonged evacuations tied to the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in 2022 NGP, like most everything else in area, shut down for several months. The acting executive director’s house was one of hundreds of homes burned, and for some months she lived the life of a vagabond, including living for a time outside of the state. It was impossible to operate during that time, but as soon as performances became possible again, NGP created original materials, largely through living history events in collaboration with Fort Union National Monument and the Citizens Committee for Historic Preservation (CCHP). Characters created by NGP and brought to life by its actors reminded the community that the people of northern New Mexico have long been resilient and continue to be so during modern challenges.
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The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited local nonprofits to submit stories related to our July topic of Arts & Culture
Santa Fe Indigenous Center
The Santa Fe Indigenous Center is a Native-led nonprofit serving Indigenous families across Santa Fe County. Through biweekly food drives, cultural events, community programs, emergency financial assistance, and a robust network of referral resources, SFIC supports the diverse needs of the local Indigenous community. Each year, the organization hosts its signature event — the Honoring Native Nations Powwow on Indigenous Peoples’ Day — bringing dancers, drummers, Tribal Dignitaries, artists, and community members together to celebrate Indigenous culture, joy, and resilience. This year’s powwow was a vibrant success, and SFIC looks forward to continuing this tradition in 2026.
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
Last year, the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian opened Carved Stories by Hopi artist Mavasta Honyouti. Featuring all sixteen low-relief carvings from the Coming Home series — created in tandem with Honyouti’s children’s book Coming Home: A Hopi Resistance Story — the exhibit recounts his grandfather Clyde Honyouti’s experience at an off-reservation federal boarding school. This Indigenous-led project offers a powerful and visually compelling reflection on Hopi life, culture, and history. As Brian Vallo notes, “Carved Stories… is both powerful and beautiful.”
Kha'p'o Community School
With support from the Native American Advised Fund, sixth-grade students at Kha’p’o Community School embarked on Our Voice, Our Stories — a year-long documentary project blending traditional Tewa arts and modern digital storytelling. Through pottery, weaving, sewing, and film, students explored their cultural identity and celebrated their voices as young Tewa people.
