From June 6 to 10, took place the 13th World Congress on Earthen Architecture TERRA 2022 in Santa Fe, NM (USA). Organized by Getty Conservation Institute, National Park Service, Vanishing Treasures Program and University of Pennsylvania, Stuart Weitzman School of Design. Under the aegis of the International Council on Monuments and Sites, International Scientific Committee on the Conservation of the Earthen Architectural Heritage.
On June 6, an opening reception was held at the Palace of Governors, where over 200 professionals and practitioners in the field could finally meet in person. Attendees enjoyed a traditional cultural welcome performed by Native American dancers from the pueblo of Ohkay Owingeh.
On June 7, activities started with an opening prayer led by the Governor of the Pueblo of Tesuque, Robert Mora, Sr. The day continued with keynote speakers, a group photo, paper presentations, and a poster session.
On June 8, A keynote presentation about the conservation of earthen architecture in New Mexico, was followed by a roundtable session in which Latin American communities discussed the care of their heritage. The afternoon included tours of Santa Fe, the Barrio de Analco and San Miguel Chapel, the Acequia Madre House, Taos Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh, Georgia O’Keeffe’s home and studio, and La Luz del Oeste—all sites built of earth.
On June 9, a plenary session about the challenges of preserving monumental mud-brick structures was followed by a roundtable discussion about the experience of the National Park Service in the Southwest. The presentation of papers followed, and the day ended with a formal dinner.
On June 10, the last day of the congress, included discussions about the representation of earthen heritage on the World Heritage List and paper presentations. The day ended with an overview of the next Terra Congress in Cuenca, Ecuador, in 2025. Post-congress tours the following day included visits to Dar al Islam, the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, and Georgia O’Keeffe’s home and studio.
On June 11, optional one-day post-conference tours took place. These tours visited earthen sites in the region around Santa Fe, which demonstrate different approaches to conservation, restoration, and maintenance by communities and conservation professionals in different contexts: Preservation in the Pueblos – Taos Pueblo and Ohkay Owingeh; Then and Now – A Century of Conservation at Pecos National Historical Park and Fort Union National Monument Tour; and Modern earthen architecture in and around Abiquiú – Georgia O’Keeffe House and Studio, Dar al Islam, Monastery of Christ in the Desert.
(pictures and text from Getty Conservation Institute)
You must be logged in to post a comment.