Celebrating Gloom: A People's History of Zozobra

Every Friday of Labor Day weekend, Santa Fe’s beloved Zozobra goes up in flames. This fiery farewell to summer, embodied in a towering 50-foot marionette stuffed with slips of paper onto which we’ve scribbled our most pressing concerns, represents the release of the city’s pent-up anxieties and gloom.

This summer, in honor of Zozobra’s centennial burning on August 30, the New Mexico History Museum debuts Zozobra: The Fire That Never Goes Out, the first-ever exhibition examining the history of the so-called “Old Man Gloom” in the newly renovated Palace of the Governors.

As a shared experience, the ritual of Zozobra is a powerful binding force for the community—transcending age, background and social barriers. Initially conceptualized by the artist Will Shuster as a means of injecting a sense of play into the stoic observation of Santa Fe Fiestas, Zozobra dates to the painter’s first backyard burn of a much-smaller marionette in 1924. Inspired by Yaqui Indian (Mexico and Arizona) traditions of burning Judas effigies during Holy Week, the puppet’s name is derived from the Spanish word for "anxiety," perfectly capturing its purpose.

Beginning in 1926, Zozobra was burned publicly as part of the annual Santa Fe Fiestas. In 1964, Shuster transferred sponsorship of the event and rights to Zozobra’s image to the Kiwanis Club, transforming it into a major fundraiser for local children's charities and directing the specter’s negative energy to a positive social cause.

The burning of Zozobra might seem like a quirky spectacle to some, but the History Museum exhibition will provide historical context, exploring the event's origins, evolution and its significance to the community. “The historical and philanthropic aspects of the burning of Zozobra are given equal weight to the iconic aesthetics of Santa Fe’s favorite villain, expanding our understanding of what getting rid of gloom can really do,” says exhibition co-curator Hannah Abelbeck.

Co-curator Delaney Hoffman adds that the exhibition is “an important opportunity to continue the museum’s examination of the intersections of identity and place in New Mexico.” Among the objects on view from the museum’s collection are Will Shuster’s Zozobra sketches; the flaming red Fire Dancer hat worn by former New York City Ballet dancer and fire dance creator, Jacque Cartier, who performed the role for 37 years; and never-before-seen images from the Santa Fe New Mexican.

Emphasizing the community impact of the event, the museum also hosted four drop-in days, or open calls for objects, encouraging folks to
bring any ephemera that may be relevant to Zozobra. This turned up original

Zozobra burning party invitations as well as objects created by community members, including piñatas, sculpture and Zozobra portraits.

“This exhibition could be considered a people’s history of Zozobra, centering the community’s creative output,” says Hoffman. Abelbeck agrees, saying, “By incorporating into the exhibition community submissions like memorabilia and stories, the museum furthers its mission of fostering public participation, highlighting the community's role in shaping and sustaining this tradition.”

Abelbeck and Hoffman say that Zozobra’s intangible, ephemeral nature—the object burns to the ground every year—makes it all the more important to preserve this cultural element for future generations. Kiwanis Club event chair Ray Sandoval concurs, saying, "As we celebrate Zozobra's 100th anniversary, we recognize the History Museum’s vital role in preserving this rich legacy, weaving with this exhibition a vibrant tapestry of cultural heritage within our community."

The New Mexico Museum of Art is mounting a concurrent, companion exhibition in the Plaza building, on view August 23 through December 2. Christian Waguespack, the head of curatorial affairs and curator of 20th-century art, notes the inclusion of a “fresh variety of styles and media not normally seen in the Plaza building,” including Zozobra as interpreted by artist Fritz Scholder, as a clay Cochiti storyteller and a Zozobra straw applique image.

This article and images are from the Museum of New Mexico Foundation’s Member News Magazine.