An Art Show for our Kids in Questa!
A collaboration of schools & programs in Northern Taos County
A first-ever, five-day art exhibit featuring young local artists will be held at the Questa Youth Center, April 16–20. The event is hosted by a collaborative team from Questa Creative Council (QCC), Village of Questa, Vida del Norte Afterschool Program, Harwood Museum of Art, LEAP, and local schools (Alta Vista Elementary & Intermediate School, Roots & Wings Community School, and Red River Valley Charter School).
A reception for the artists, their families, and the community will take place Thursday, April 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm. The show offers open hours Friday and Saturday, April 17–18, from 12 to 6 pm.
“Supporting youth artistic expression and bringing together students and teachers across programs is what this show is all about,” says coordinator Claire Coté, who is also a QCC board member and LEAP director. As a Harwood Teaching Artist she leads a weekly art project at Vida del Norte’s After School Program at Questa’s Youth Center.
“We empower kids with tools for healthy minds and drug-free lives, and art is part of that,” says Kristie Ritchie, youth coordinator for the Vida del Norte Program.
Art teacher Maya McDonald adds, “Alta Vista is excited to be part of an event that showcases the excellence and expression of our students!”
“We at the Harwood Museum of Art believe in the transformative power of arts experiences. We’re grateful to Claire Coté for leading this and honored to support the creativity of Questa youth,” says Gwendolyn Fernandez, Curator of Education and Public Programs.
The exhibit features a variety of mediums, including clay works created by youth in QCC’s seasonal Ceramic Café, back in session Thursday evenings from 5–9 pm at the Youth Center Art Room.
Come support budding artists at their reception on Thursday, April 16, from 4:30 to 6:30 pm at the Questa Youth Center!
For more information contact: Claire Coté, 575-224-9066, clairecote575@gmail.com
Monday April 20th: Earth Day Clean-up & Beautification Workday in Questa – calling all volunteers!
On Monday, April 20th from 9:30 am – 2:30 pm, community members are invited to join Questa Junior-Senior High School Students, Village of Questa, LEAP, US Forest Service and Taos County Solid Waste for a community-wide clean-up and beautification effort. All are invited! Let’s come together alongside thousands of other communities around the world taking action for Earth Day.
Volunteers are invited to Questa Municipal Park at 9:30 AM for spring cleaning and beautification. There will be trash pick-up, invasive plant species removal, tree pruning and other beautification efforts. Lunch for volunteers and students will be provided midday. Please 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.
Students will simultaneously participate in other Earth Day efforts; trash collection along Questa roadways supported by Taos County Solid Waste and the installation of fishing line recycling receptacles at Eagle Rock Lake supported by US Forest Service. 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.
Also in honor of Earth Day and to encourage spring cleaning, the Village of Questa will be providing roll away dumpsters for disposal of large items and deep cleaning. Join in these clean-up days for two weekends: Friday 1-3 and Saturday 9-2 April 24th and 25th and May 8th and 9th. Let’s all do our part at home too!
The first Earth Day was celebrated 56 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 week day, 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 Care & Connection Day event. Community Care & 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.
This year’s effort is made possible by collaborators Questa Junior-Senior High School Honor Society, Taos County Solid Waste, LEAP, Village of Questa, US Forest Service, Localogy, and Community Volunteers. LEAP’s clean-up and beautification efforts at the Questa Park is funded by Chevron Grants for Good and the IMPACT Grant through Taos Community Foundation as well as individual donors.
We look forward to beautifying Questa with you on Monday, April 20th! Thanks to all involved for making this community effort possible.
What: Earth Day Clean-up and Beautification
Where: Questa Municipal Park
When: Monday, April 20th, 9:30 am – 2:30 PM
Who: Everyone welcome!
Cost: Free
Info: www.LEAPsite.org
Village of Questa: 575-586-0694
Questa Junior-Senior High School: Santana Santistevan, 575-779-5601LEAP: Claire Coté, 575-224-9066
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Photo Captions:
- 2025 Earth Day clean-up group photo: Questa Junior Senior High School Students, Community Members and Taos County Solid Waste. Photo courtesy of Claire Coté.
- Students and Jr/Sr. Honors Society Sponsor Santana Santistevan at 2025 Earth Day Clean-up with collection trailer. Photo Courtesy of Lorenzo Gutierrez.
LEAP Updates from 2025
We wanted to give you all a little summary update on what LEAP has been up to in 2025 (and a little bit from 2024 too)! Read on to find out…
LEAP expanded its art and nature programs this year while continuing stewardship efforts at Questa Park. A major spring focus was the community-wide Earth Day clean-up in April, where over sixty Questa Junior-Senior High School students, volunteers, and local partners joined together to pick up trash, remove invasive plants, and beautify the area. Nearly 1,000 pounds of trash were collected, and participants celebrated with lunch at the Questa Youth Center. The event was made possible through collaborations with local organizations and funded by Chevron Grants for Good and individual donors.
Throughout the summer, LEAP expanded its creative, nature-centered workshop offerings. At Columbine Campground, Vida Camp youth took part in a “Printing with Nature” workshop, where they learned about local plants while creating leaf prints on paper and fabric. LEAP also co-facilitated the first experimental PEAR Workshop Series (People and Plants, Education and Environment, Art and Restoration) organized by Maggie Gaddis, Executive Director of the Colorado Native Plant Society, and Lee Lee of the historic Taos Distillery, an emerging arts-and-ecology initiative. As part of PEAR, LEAP hosted a plein-air art day at the Taos Land Trust, where volunteers from the Taos Chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico developed plant cyanotypes, printed leaves and flowers and sketched botanical shadows, surrounded by the species they help protect and promote.
Voices of the Northern Rio Grande
The Voices of the Northern Rio Grande Project continues to grow its story-gathering work through interviews with elders and community members of all ages, field recordings, and partnerships with the Questa Public Library, the Questa Farmers Market, local schools, and other community groups.
A big highlight was the launch of Voces de Nuestro País – Voices of our Area in the fall of 2025, a monthly story-sharing event curated and hosted by Michael Rael, where community members – especially elders, nuestros tesoros – share their memories, humor, struggles, and life experiences. These events are now also available as audio and video podcasts on major platforms, and all recordings, photos, and videos are added to a growing digital community archive developed with the library and the Manitos Community Memory Project. By sharing stories both in person and online, the project strengthens connections across the Northern Rio Grande and helps keep our shared history alive for the future.
The Community Memory Lab at the library is growing, and we’re excited to share that our fleet of Story Boxes is expanding as well. Featuring rotating, locally voiced stories, these interactive installations are bringing people together in creative ways and helping our community preserve and celebrate the unique stories and culture of North Central New Mexico.
LEAP was also invited to participate in a Manitos Community Memory Project Cohort with the Shift Collective & History Pin in an exploration of decentralized digital storage strategies for community-based archives. It was an educational and insightful experience and we love History Pin! Check it out, make an account and start pinning!
The project is also opening up new, creative ways for people to share their stories. Last year (2024), students at Alta Vista Elementary participated in an immersive art-and-story workshop led by Claire Coté and Cat Gilliam, in collaboration with art teacher Maya MacDonald. Students created reflective cyanotype prints and shared heartfelt stories, which were later sewn together by Joan Long and Claire Coté into two youth story quilts, now on display at Questa Library as part of their permanent art collection.
We’re deeply grateful for the opportunity to work with community members of all ages – youth, elders, and everyone in between – on meaningful projects that celebrate art, nature, culture, and the stories that connect us. Your support keeps this work thriving.
Please help us continue our work by making a donation today!
Donate to LEAP’s community art, nature, and story sharing projects!
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 