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Clara Apodaca, 91, a lifelong advocate for arts and culture in New Mexico, was honored Monday with a dedicated gallery space at the sa国际传媒官网网页入口 Convention Center. Her art wall, on the second floor of the East Building, will feature a rotating selection of artworks.

Apodaca told the Journal: 鈥淚 really appreciate the mayor and the city of sa国际传媒官网网页入口 acknowledging my contributions to the arts and culture in the state, because I鈥檝e been doing that for a lot of years. It鈥檚 a great honor.鈥�

Approximately 60 people were present for the dedication ceremony, including leaders from the worlds of politics and the arts. Also present were several of Apodaca鈥檚 children and grandchildren, who came from as far afield as California and Washington, D.C.

As Mayor Tim Keller unveiled the stainless steel wall plaque etched with a likeness of Apodaca and her biography, he said the Convention Center was chosen partly because it is one of only three venues in sa国际传媒官网网页入口 to host over 1 million visitors annually, the others being Balloon Fiesta Park and the airport. Given Apodaca鈥檚 belief that the arts should be accessible to all, he wanted her art wall to be seen by the greatest number of people possible.

鈥淐lara Apodaca鈥檚 vision has helped make sa国际传媒官网网页入口 a place where art and community thrive together,鈥� Keller said. 鈥淒edicating this gallery space in her name is a way to honor her remarkable legacy and ensure that her story continues to inspire future generations.鈥�

Apodaca served as first lady of New Mexico from 1975 to 1979, when her then-husband, Jerry Apodaca, was governor.

鈥淲hen I traveled the whole state campaigning, I realized that the arts were not visible to a lot of children,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o, when the Apodaca administration was inaugurated in January 1975, the arts became my primary interest. And within four months, I kicked off the Governor鈥檚 Art Gallery with Georgia O鈥橩eeffe.鈥�

The Governor鈥檚 Gallery in the New Mexico State Capitol, commonly known as the Roundhouse, remains one of Clara Apodaca鈥檚 most visible contributions to the arts in the state.

鈥淎t that time, there was no art in the whole Capitol building. You couldn鈥檛 hang one picture, one nail, anywhere. So, we started that. And today, our Roundhouse is like a museum,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hat was April of 1975, so exactly 50 years ago, this year.鈥�

At Monday鈥檚 ceremony, Keller quipped that Apodaca鈥檚 Convention Center wall will be 鈥渢he sa国际传媒官网网页入口 version of the Governor鈥檚 Gallery.鈥�

Among her other accomplishments, Apodaca served as president and CEO of the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation and as a board member for Opera Southwest. And, at the national level, she served on the Commission on the Arts and Humanities in Washington, D.C., during the Clinton administration.

At Monday鈥檚 event, Apodaca took the podium with the aid of a walker due to an injury she sustained this March.

鈥淚 fell and had a broken hip, a broken vertebra and broken ribs. So, I went through surgery and then went through three and a half weeks of rehab,鈥� Apodaca told the Journal. 鈥淚鈥檓 still in a walker. But I鈥檓 still going strong, because you can do a lot in politics and in fundraising over the phone, right?鈥�

Apodaca said she refused to let a physical injury slow her down or spoil her positive attitude.

鈥淵ou鈥檝e got to be a positive thinker,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e had the long life that I鈥檝e lived and accomplished the things I have, you just keep going.鈥�

Apodaca鈥檚 tireless energy was a common refrain among friends and collaborators who attended the event.

鈥淚 so admire Clara鈥檚 sharpness, her clarity of mind and her never-ending energy,鈥� said Julie Heinrich, a former executive director of the Meow Wolf Foundation, whose husband is Sen. Martin Heinrich.

Julie Heinrich said she has known Apodaca socially for 鈥渨ell over 10 years.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e had lunch together on a regular basis, in conjunction with Martha Burke, who has a rich history of advocating for women and pay equity, and also LaDonna Harris, who has played a really critical role in Indigenous issues nationally and empowering young Indigenous people,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 call them my New Mexico divas.鈥�

鈥淐lara has an incredible capacity to connect people and to bring wealth into the community,鈥� she continued. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have the same level of wealth in our arts community (in sa国际传媒官网网页入口) that Santa Fe has, so it鈥檚 all the more important that we have people like Clara.鈥�

Woody Kuehn, who sits on the board of Opera Southwest and previously served as its president for 11 years, called Clara Apodaca 鈥渁 spectacular board member.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e never met anyone else, who, when she places a call to anyone in the state, they return her call,鈥� Kuehn said. 鈥淪he organized meetings for us with all sort of important people in the state and was just an absolute delight to work with.鈥�

Opera Southwest鈥檚 executive director, Tony Zancanella, agreed.

鈥淐lara Apodaca鈥檚 involvement with Opera Southwest was nothing short of transformational,鈥� Zancanella said. 鈥淭he scope of the company has more than tripled since she鈥檚 been involved, in terms of what we鈥檙e doing for the community.鈥�

Tracy Hartzler, the president of Central New Mexico Community College, said Clara Apodaca has 鈥渁lways been inspiring.鈥�

鈥淚 know Clara because I鈥檓 a member of the New Mexico International Women鈥檚 Forum. It鈥檚 a group of women leaders, and Clara is one of the founding members here in New Mexico,鈥� Hartzler said. 鈥淐lara is inspiring, not only to me, but certainly to the arts community and to our community in Central New Mexico Community College.鈥�

Jackie Apodaca, Clara Apodaca鈥檚 daughter-in-law, said only a fraction of her mother-in-law鈥檚 contributions to the arts are known to the public. Others have not been well publicized.

鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 know that when the Georgia O鈥橩eeffe Foundation was going bankrupt, Clara was the one who stepped in and agreed to wipe the debt clean,鈥� Jackie Apodaca said.

鈥淪he鈥檚 an absolute icon,鈥� Julie Heinrich added.