Earth Day 2025 in Questa a Success!
On Wednesday, April 16th over sixty Junior-Senior High School Students, volunteers, folks from the Village of Questa, LEAP and Taos County Solid Waste all gathered for a Community-Wide clean-up and beautification effort. The group fanned out across the Questa area, along roadways and at Questa Park to pick up trash, remove invasive plant species and beautify the area. Special thanks to the senior students who helped at the Questa Park; and to all students who spent their morning beautifying our community. We appreciate you! Lorenzo Gutierrez, from Taos County Solid waste kindly hauled the trash collected and reports that the group picked up 980 lbs of trash. Students and volunteers enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Questa Youth Center catered by Erica Apodaca and Joyce Archuleta.
This year’s Earth Day clean-up was made possible by collaborations with Santana Santistevan and Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society, Taos County Solid Waste, LEAP, Village of Questa, Localogy, and Community Volunteers. LEAP’s clean-up and beautification efforts at the Questa Municipal Park is funded by Chevron Grants for Good through Taos Community Foundation as well as individual donors.
Let’s keep the momentum going; if you see trash, pick it up or if you have trash to throw, find a trash can. Together, we can keep our community clean and beautiful!
Earth Day 2025: April 16 at Questa Park
Celebrating 55 Years of Earth Day
Community Connection and Beautification in Questa
Student-Led Community & Village of Questa Clean-up Days
On Wednesday, April 16th from 9 am – 2 pm, community members are invited to join Questa Junior-Senior High School Students, Village of Questa, LEAP and Taos County Solid Waste for a Community-Wide clean-up and beautification effort. All are invited! Let’s come together in solidarity with thousands of other communities around the world to celebrate Earth Day and Community Connection.
The day will include garden bed improvement and trash pick-up in the center of town and around Eagle Rock Lake, with the Questa Junior-Senior High School Students and Taos County Solid Waste. At the Questa Municipal Park there will be trash pick-up, invasive plant species removal, irrigation repair and more, led by LEAP. Cleaning and beautifying our community is our goal, but equally important is staying safe, having fun, strengthening friendships, and coming together to shape the collective future vision we want for our community. The Earth Day clean-up is also in solidarity with the Village of Questa Beautification Committee’s efforts.
Volunteers are invited to meet at the Questa Park at 9 am. Lunch for volunteers will be provided midday. Bring a water bottle, layers for weather, hat and sun protection, and if you have them, work gloves, and yard cleaning tools; we’ll have additional tools and trash clean-up supplies on hand as well.
Also in honor of Earth Day the Village of Questa will be providing roll away dumpsters for disposal of large items and spring cleaning. They will also be offering green waste and tire collection. Join in these Village of Questa Clean-up Days for two weekends: Friday 1-3:30 and Saturday 9-3 April 25th and 26th and May 2nd and 3rd. Let’s all do our part at home too!
The first Earth Day was celebrated 55 years ago on April 22, 1970. This day of education and action was created by US Senator Gaylord Nelson, to mark the importance of keeping our planet healthy and clean, and for people to renew their commitment to make positive changes in their communities. According to nelsonearthday.net, Senator Nelson suggested April 22, a Wednesday, as an ideal day to hold the teach-in, as a weekday event would mean students would be involved. On the first Earth Day, Nelson, spoke to a large crowd in Denver, Colorado:
Today we are continuing to work towards Nelson Gaylord’s vision in Questa with students at the core of the Community Connection Day event. Community Connection Days are collaborative, intergenerational days of community give-back and celebration in and around Questa, initiated by LEAP and collaborators in 2021. Each gathering is an opportunity to connect with friends and make new ones, to care for and improve our public spaces and envision together what we want for our community. LEAP has been hosting collaborative Earth Day events in Questa Since 2015. The first was a multi-media youth art event held at OCHO Art & Event Space.
This year’s effort is made possible by collaborators Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society, Taos County Solid Waste, LEAP, Village of Questa, Localogy, and Community Volunteers. LEAP’s clean-up and beautification efforts at the Questa Municipal Park is funded by Chevron Grants for Good through Taos Community Foundation as well as individual donors.
We look forward to beautifying Questa with you on Wednesday, April 16th! Thanks to all involved for making this community effort possible.
Deatails:
What: Earth Day Clean-up and Beautification
Where: Questa Municipal Park, Eagle Rock Lake & Questa Village Center
When: Wednesday, April 16th, 9 am – 2 PM
Who: Everyone welcome!
Cost: Free
Village of Questa: 575-586-0694
Questa Junior-Senior High School: Santana Santistevan, 575-779-5601LEAP:
Claire Coté, 575-224-9066
Who Am I Now? – Youth Story Quilts
Who Am I Now?
Cyanotype Youth Story Quilts
by Alta Vista Elementary Students
with Questa Stories: Voices of the Northern Rio Grande
Spring 2024
These collaborative youth quilts are glimpses into the inner worlds of our young community members responding to the question: Who Am I Now?
In Spring 2024, Questa Stories: Voices of the Northern Rio Grande educators Claire Coté and Cat Gilliam spent a month and a half working with 2nd, 3rd and 5th grade students at Alta Vista Elementary School. Through this Art and Story Workshop 62 students shared fascinating and tender stories and created reflective cyanotype artworks including the identity portraits in these quilts.
Cyanotype is an early photographic process that uses sunlight to develop prints. In this project students created “negatives” by drawing on transparencies that we then printed onto cyanotype fabric. Each student took home a print and contributed to the collaborative quilt project. These quilts are also a community invitation for reflection; they invite you to ask: Who Am I Now?
Quilt Creators, Facilitators & Supporters
Spring-Summer 2024
2nd Grade – Gerry Roybal
Student Artists: Aspen, Rigel, James, Zevin, Felicity, Andrew, Mia, Magnolia, Benjamin
2nd Grade – Naomi Gomez
Student Artists: John, Ezekiel, Cataleya, Davian, Davyna, Abel, Eli, Amberly, Anna, Analaya
3rd Grade – Feliz Ortega
Student Artists: Emerson, Fernando, Mya, Enrique, Jackson, Emma, Jason, Faith, Eliseo, Chris
3rd Grade – Ariana Ortega
Student Artists: Aiden, Aspen, Zachary, Leah Grace, Asher, Susannah, Zylie, Alexandria, Manuel, Adriel
5th Grade Savannah Segura
Student Artists: Elijah, Mariah, Estevan, Mikayla, Tiara, Jeremiah, Maddix, Evanie, Liam, Damian, Joshua, Xavier, Sofia, Mary, MaKenzie, Zachary, Brenda, Abby, Avi, Hope, Cadi, Aiden, Kayliana
Guest Youth Artists: Simon Sisneros, Olivia Coté and Amber Coté
“Who Am I Now?” Art and Story Workshops facilitated by Claire Coté, Cat Gilliam (Questa Stories: Voices of the Northern Rio Grande) and Maya MacDonald (Alta Vista Art Teacher). Quilt designed and assembled by Claire Coté and Joan Long (LEAP) with guidance from Sharon Nicholson (Questa Public Library Head Librarian). Gratitude for patient guidance and collaboration from Alta Vista Art Teacher Maya MacDonald, Alta Vista Principal Deyhle Adkins, and Alta Vista School Administrator Lisa Romero. This project was made possible by funding from the LANL Foundation and Taos Community Foundation Chevron Grants for Good and in-kind personal donations of time and supplies.
April 20th Honor Student-Led Questa Community Clean-up and Beautification
On Thursday, April 20th from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm, community members are invited to join Questa Junior-Senior Honor Society Students, Village of Questa Beautification Committee, LEAP and local Churches in a Community-Wide clean-up and beautification effort. All are invited! Let’s come together in solidarity with thousands of other communities around the world to celebrate Community Connection and Earth Day.
The day will include trash pick-up along Hwy 522, Hwy 38 and around Eagle Rock Lake, led by the Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society and members of the Questa Beautification Committee. At the Questa Municipal Park there will be trash pick-up, invasive plant species removal, irrigation repair and more at the Questa Municipal Park, led by LEAP. Cleaning and beautifying our community is our goal, but equally important is staying safe, having fun, strengthening friendships, and coming together to shape the future we want for our community. This clean-up day is one of many local events and efforts organized by the Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society this spring. The Village of Questa Beautification Committee will host regular clean-up days once a month throughout the summer and fall.
Part of the March 1 Questa Beautification Crew: Councilwoman Gonzales and her 2 kids, Amalia Gonzalez, Robert (Robbie) Ortega, Kingston, and Casey (Soupman) Eason at Questa Veteran’s Memorial Park, photo by Councilman Gonzalez
Lunch for volunteers will be provided midday (soup, sandwiches etc.). Bring a water bottle, layers for weather, hat and sun protection, and if you have them, work gloves, and yard cleaning tools; we’ll have additional tools and trash clean-up supplies on hand as well.
The first Earth Day was celebrated 53 years ago on April 22, 1970. This holiday was created by US Senator Gaylord Nelson, to mark the importance of keeping our planet healthy and clean, and for people to renew their commitment to make positive changes in their communities.
Questa Park Volunteers taking a break and surveying their accomplishments from the day, April 30, 2022, photo by Claire Coté
Community Connection Days are collaborative, intergenerational days of community give-back and celebration, taking place in and around Questa. Each gathering is an opportunity to connect with friends and make new ones, to care for and improve our public spaces and envision together what we want for our community.
This effort is made possible by collaborators Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society, Village of Questa, Taos County Solid Waste, LEAP, Localogy, Local Churches, North Central Food Pantry, and many Community Volunteers. The Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society activities are sponsored by the LOR Foundation. LEAP’s clean-up and beautification efforts at the Questa Municipal Park is funded by Chevron Grants for Good through Taos Community Foundation as well as individual donors.
We look forward to beautifying Questa with you on Thursday, April 20th! Thanks to all involved for making this community effort possible. Next month, join in the May Community Connection Day in downtown Questa preparing the Questa Farmers Market, Visitor Center and Village Center for opening Memorial Day weekend.
Please insert these details in an info box:
What: Honor Student-Led Questa Clean-up and Beautification
Where: Eagle Rock Lake, Hwy 522 and 38, Questa Municipal Park
When: Thursday April 20th, 9:30 am – 2:30 PM
Who: Everyone welcome!
Cost: Free
Info: Facebook + www.LEAPsite.org
Councilman Gonzalez, Village of Questa Beautification Committee, 575-741-5013
Santana Santistevan, Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society, 575-779-5601
Claire Coté, LEAP, 575-224-9066 – Questa Municipal Park
Photo Credits and Captions:
- Questa Park Volunteers taking a break and surveying their accomplishments from the day, April 30, 2022, photo by Claire Coté
- Part of the March 1 Questa Beautification Crew: Councilwoman Gonzales and her 2 kids, Amalia Gonzalez, Robert (Robbie) Ortega, Kingston, and Casey (Soupman) Eason at Questa Veteran’s Memorial Park, photo by Councilman Gonzalez
5th Community Connection Day TODAY!
Join us TODAY, September 17th for the 5th Community Connection Day this season, 9 am – 12:30 PM (and beyond), downtown Questa; meet at the Questa Farmers Market site.Volunteers are needed to help chip branches, spread wood chips, pull and “wack” weeds, cut back elm tree shoots and load organic waste for removal.This beautiful historic home in downtown Questa with the huge Grandfather apricot tree, active acequia and various outbuildings is the site for the proposed Casa de Cultura. The property is owned by Estevan Rael-Galvez who is working with Localogy to bring about the vision for Casa de Cultura, a center for creativity, consciousness and community in downtown Questa. Learn more about this project HERE.
Painting of the new shipping container mural at the market site begins on Friday! Please join in painting this lovely quilted landscape ~ the mountains near Questa. The design of this mural invites all abilities and ages to paint together. A pattern will be drawn for you to fill up with color and design!
The design, by artist Rae @rubysofrae was inspired by the land and the practice of quilting that carries on in this community (and in many places). This mural seeks to bring many small pieces together to create beauty through our brushes!
August 20 Community Connection Day Reflection
The August 20th Community Give-Back Crew left to right: Desiree Martinez, Madalena Miera, Kingston Gist-Trujillo, Benita Muniz and Nancy Parker
On Friday August 20th Taos Behavioral Health in collaboration with LEAP and Vida del Norte teamed up to do the first of what we hope to be several senior yard clean ups in the Questa community, as part of the monthly Community Connection Days. The yard chosen for this month was that of Berna Trujillo, who is a business owner in the community as well as a Grandmother raising three grandchildren.
It was a pleasure to see not only her grandson Kingston Gist-Trujillo work to improve their yard but to also see community involvement. After a couple of hours of hard work, and a final look around at the improvements with pride in his eyes and approval of a job well done and the crew enjoyed some pizza donated by Berna from Village Stop & Go.
Madalena Miera, Kingston Gist-Trujillo and Desiree Martinez enjoy outdoor pizza lunch
We look forward to helping to improve the yards of other senior members of our community in the upcoming months. If you or someone you know are in need of help please contact Benita Muñiz at 720-662-9652 or b.muniz3@gmail.com.
In the month of September, our Community Connection Day takes place Friday, September 17th in and around downtown Questa and we’ll also work tocontinue to serve seniors in our community. We hope you will join us for a fun and meaningful day of Community Investment and Give-Back in September!
In August we shift our focus from beautification of shared public spaces to collectively supporting the well-being of senior individuals in our community. Questa honors and values our community seniors and knows you’d like to continue to age in place in your own home safely and comfortably. By connecting with youth and other capable community members, we will come directly to your home and do general clean-up and basic maintenance in your yard. Our payment from you will be to share stories of your youth with our youth.
Benita Muñiz, organizer of the August Community Connection Day works with two young people removing invasive weeds from Questa Park, May 21, 2021, Photo by Claire Coté
For further information about the August Community Connection Day and Focus on Seniors contact: Benita Muñiz, 720-662-9652 or b.muniz3@gmail.com
LEAP brings Drawing Box A5 Touring Exhibition to Questa!
Update: Show dates extended for another month! Exhibition us up through September 28th! Thank you Questa Public Library!
LEAP is honored to be collaborating with Questa Library to bring this show to our village!
Come see this wonderful show of over three hundred works by artists from around the world, including LEAP’s founder/director, Claire Coté.
See full press release below.
Sneak preview can be found here – a film created as part of the Virtual Drawing Box A5 Exhibition hosted by Galway Art Centre:
Artists from Around the World Show Work
at Questa Library in “Drawing Box Exhibition”
Exhibition Dates: August 7 – 28, 2021
For Immediate Release:
What: Drawing Box A5 Exhibition – International Artists
Where: Questa Public Library
When: August 7 – September 28, Open Hours: Monday – Saturday, 12 – 5 pm
Who: All welcome!
Cost: Free
Event Contact: Claire Coté (LEAP) – emailforleap@gmail.com (575) 224-9066, LEAPsite.org
OVER SIXTY ARTISTS from around the world are presenting drawings created in a variety of mediums during the Covid-19 pandemic in The Drawing Box A5 Exhibition, on view at the Questa Public Library, August 7 – 28. All artists in the show are part of the international Drawing Box collective; each submitted five works on A5 sized paper (5-7/8 x 8-¼ inches). All works are unframed and for sale. The Drawing Box exhibition at the Questa Library is organized in partnership with LEAP (Land, Experience and Art of Place), an arts, education and community program of the Questa-based nonprofit, Localogy.
The Drawing Box A5 show is a touring exhibition of over 300 unframed works, curated by Diane Henshaw, artist and curator in Northern Ireland. The tour kicked off in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland in December 2020 and then as an online exhibition at the Galway Arts Centre. The works then began their international tour in 2021 to Paphos and Cyprus. Now the works arrive in Questa, New Mexico, the tour’s only stop in the United States and also the homeplace of participating artist and LEAP founder/director, Claire Coté. After this showing, the works continue their international exhibition journey by mail to Australia, Greece, Nètherlands, Scotland, Ireland and India.
Exhibition Background
Claire Coté met Diane Henshaw in 2011 while participating in a collaborative artist residency in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland and Cavan County, Ireland. The Drawing Box Facebook group was created soon afterward in 2012 by John Crabtree, Andrew Crane, Patil Rajendra, and Diane Henshaw, with the idea of linking Irish and International artists interested in contemporary drawing and global networking. After a significant touring exhibition in its first years, the group lapsed into inactivity, but was rekindled in March 2020 by Diane Henshaw. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the reactivated Drawing Box collective has helped give participating artists unique opportunities to be profiled internationally through new networks and shared programming, such as “meet the artist” online studio visits and international exhibitions like this one.
Exhibition curator and Drawing Box co-founder Diane Henshaw reflects:
“A key focus of the events and programming has been to visually nurture members and their interests by sharing information, creating connections, and in general being there for each other.There are many negative impacts the pandemic visited upon the world; the art world too. The generosity of spirit and the courage to reach across…differences, the initiative of each of our host artists and host venues in some way define our ways out of the paralysis of Covid-19. The Drawing Box group feels privileged to connect with host communities around the world.”
When Claire Coté decided to submit her work to be a part of the touring show, she also offered to host a stop on the tour in Questa through LEAP. LEAP is an experimental, place-based art and education initiative creating fertile ground for collaboration in Northern New Mexico communities and beyond. Construction of the new addition for the Questa Library was in full swing as Claire negotiated the details of the Drawing Box show in NM. When Claire heard that art display space had been figured into the design of the new Library addition, she felt almost certain this was the place for the show. Sharon Nicholson, Questa Librarian, graciously welcomed the exhibit.
Claire says, “I am honored to be a Drawing Box collective member. It’s a rare treat to have contemporary art from around the globe in Questa. We are grateful to the Questa Public Library for working with us to show this collection of works in their beautiful new space. This community hub is a perfect place to host this unique show, and gives Northern New Mexicans and visitors access to this unique touring exhibition.”
For more information call Claire Coté (575) 224-9066 or visit LEAPsite.org.
July 16 Tree Planting – Community Connection Day!
Friday, July 16th dawned bright and sunny. Seven beautiful trees lined the east wall of the Youth Center, standing tall, in the sunshine awaiting planting; crabapple, maple, ash, poplar and hackberry, all sponsored to honor loved ones and beautify our park. Despite the rising heat of the day, forty-three willing volunteers gathered in a circle at the Questa Youth Center; seventeen adults and twenty-six youth “checking-in” together before getting to work. The mission of this third Community Connection Day was to plant these trees together. And plant them we did, with all hands on deck! This brings the number of trees planted in the park this year up to fourteen. Special thanks to Benny Gallegos, Richard Holmes, Rachel Kuc, Maria Gonzales and Chris Coté for inclusive youth mentorship during the tree planting process. Thank you also to Cristina Masoliver who played her “Los Flamencos” puppet show to conclude our morning work and to Questa Economic Development Fund for sponsoring the delicious lunch provided by Wendy Medina and Alex Romero of Evelyn’s Treats.
Community Connection Days are intergenerational days of community service and celebration, taking place in and around Questa, May through October, 2021 on the third Friday of the month. This consistent coming together, showing up for each other and our community is part of ongoing, Creative Placemaking efforts in our area and is made possible by collaborators: Vida del Norte, LEAP, Localogy, Taos Behavioral Health Questa SUCCESS Center, Village of Questa, Questa Economic Development Fund, Questa Farmers Market and Community Volunteers.
Auntie Nannie’s Seed Exchange at Questa Library
There are two beautiful Seed Exchange Stations in Questa, “Auntie Nannie’s Seed Exchange” created by Alianza Agricultura and sponsored by the LOR Foundation. One has been placed at the beautiful Questa Library addition (a lovely upgrade to our temporary DIY system, and one is also available at Rael’s Store). We are so happy to be a part of this larger community project in Questa! Thank you Gillian Joyce and all those at Alianza Agricultura that made this possible and to LOR Foundation for sponsoring the project! Find out more about it HERE.
LEAP 