News Flash: Launch of the 2012 Year of the Remarkable Women of Taos

It's official! The 2012 Town of Taos Remarkable Women of Taos media launch made a big splash in this week's Taos News. Covering up and overlapping the paper was a big cover page/fold out announcing this year's theme--tied to New Mexico's Centennial of Statehood.

So what does the Remarkable Woman of Taos encompass? Earlier, Cathy Ann Connelly,  Director of Public Affairs and Tourism for the Town of Taos, explained:

Each year, the Town puts together a traveler education media theme for Taos’ creative community to pinpoint the traveler who will appreciate what we offer, educate them about Taos, and attract them to visit the area that year. This year, in conjunction with the state’s centennial, we are celebrating our remarkable women and underscoring why they were drawn to Taos’ unique and wonderful attributes.

My part in this? I helped lay the groundwork by identifying, researching and writing  about remarkable women, helping conduct planning meetings, and creating or assisting with the creation of events. Mabel's biographer Lois Rudnick, Karen Young (my "guidian" angel at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House) and I have two Remarkable Women of Taos events already on the books: the 90th anniversary of the Mabel Dodge Luhan House (building completion in 1922) in February, and our workshop "Meetings with Remarkable Women" scheduled for June 1 through 3, 2012. (*See note below my signature.)

You may be interested to know that the Town of Taos hired me to write 30 profiles on historic and contemporary women. The photos above represent 4 of those women: at the top weaver and Weaving Southwest gallery owner Teresa Loveless (and her grandmother, the famous weaver Rachel Brown); top left Mabel pictured with her husband Tony; bottom left Adriana Blake third-generation family member and owner/operator of Taos Ski Valley; and on the right fashion designer Patricia Michaels from Taos Pueblo.

This wonderful work has occupied my thoughts and time (average 10 hours a day, 6 days a week) since last May. The effort took me away from this blog--but rest assured, I'm back with a Cecil B. DeMille cast of characters. You'll meet them on the blog. With so many women to tell you about, I'll be posting about 3 times a month. In the meantime, to read what I've written on historic and contemporary women, visit the new Town of Taos remarkable women website

Stay tuned!

Adios for now,

Liz

* Space is limited: workshop can accommodate 60; Mabel Dodge Luhan House has 19 rooms available for double or single occupancy.