SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – With the 100th anniversary of the Burning of Zozobra approaching at the end of August, the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe is opening an exhibit to showcase the past of Old Man Gloom.
“It explores the history of Zozobra, and it shows how members of the community have contributed to and sustained a tradition like Zozobra,” said Hannah Abelbeck, curator of photographs and archival collections at the New Mexico History Museum, and co-curator of the exhibit.
The exhibit “Zozobra: A Fire That Never Goes Out” will open at the museum on Aug. 23, one week before people will flock to Fort Marcy Park to watch Zozobra go up in flames.
Objects that will be on display include a ceramic koshare-inspired Zozobra figure by Virgil Ortiz, on loan from the Albuquerque Museum; 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 items on loan from community members, including an original Zozobra burning party invitation, piñatas, candles, and Zozobra portraits.
“We talk a little bit about some of the founding inspiration for it, which is not always featured in the event of Zozobra, and it gives people a chance to see some original things like burned eyes from the past up close or the frame models used to construct Zozobra in the mid-century. It kind of celebrates the people who have built Zozobra and contributed ideas,” Abelbeck said.
Artist William Howard “Will” Shuster Jr. created Zozobra in 1924. The first one was 6 feet tall, and over the years, Zozobra has grown to a 50-foot-tall marionette. The giant effigy is made of wood, wire, and cotton cloth and stuffed with bushels of paper. Those pieces of paper often have negative emotions or experiences written on them by residents and visitors. In the past, divorce papers, wedding dresses, and obsolete police reports have been burned inside Zozobra.
The exhibit will be open at the museum through Sept. 30, 2025. To learn more, click here.