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For over a century, El Palacio has been a forum for voices exploring New Mexico’s art, archaeology, history, and landscape. Explore the writers, photographers, historians, and scientists whose perspectives have defined the magazine’s pages—past and present.
Arthur Sze is the current U.S. Poet Laureate. Sze is a poet, translator, and editor. He is the author of twelve books, including Into the Hush, Sight Lines, and others. Sze’s poems have been translated into fifteen languages, and he is the recipient of the National Book Award among many other honors. He lives in Santa Fe.
Deborah Jackson Taffa is a citizen of the Quechan Nation and Laguna Pueblo. Her memoir Whiskey Tender was a 2024 National Book Award Finalist and was longlisted for the 2025 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. Taffa serves as the director of the MFA in creative writing program at the Institute of American Indian Arts.
Cara Romero is an award-winning contemporary fine art photographer. An enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, Romero’s expansive oeuvre has been informed by formal training in film, digital, fine art, and commercial photography. She maintains a studio in Santa Fe, regularly participates in Native American art fairs, and was featured in PBS’ Craft in America (2019).
Phil Karshis ’ 50-year career as an educator and photographer has given him decades of experience working with Native communities, including the Poeh Cultural Center and Museum, where he served as arts training coordinator and director.
![Bronze sculpture of a seated nude person with long hair, looking slightly upward, hands resting on thighs, and legs folded beneath. [gen-ai]](https://elpalacio.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/S010-400x225.jpg)
On June 14, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Arts Commission announced this year’s recipients of the Governor’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts. “Art is intimately woven into the fabric of our great state,” Lujan Grisham said. “Artists uplift us, inspire us and tell the stories that define us. I’m humbled to have the opportunity to celebrate the diverse and unique talents of these incredible artists and supporters of the arts.
