Our 2026 Spanish Market exhibition features three of the most important artists working in the traditional woodcarving traditions of Northern New Mexico.
Gustavo Victor Goler is a former recipient of the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts and one of the most celebrated santeros of our time. He was first juried into the Traditional Spanish Market in 1988 and has been recognized for his craftsmanship and innovative designs ever since. James M. Long, former chairman of the board of New Mexico’s Spanish Colonial Arts Society, once referred to Goler as the “Michelangelo of New Mexico’s Spanish Colonial traditions.”
Goler comes from a family of art conservators and first learned the delicate art of woodcarving while apprenticing in their studio. As he grew older and began seeking more creative outlets for his craft, he discovered santos and the rich history of Northern New Mexico’s woodcarving traditions.
As a historian of the art form, Goler is often asked not only to consult on restoration projects across the state but also to participate in them. One of the most famous examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico is the San José de Gracia Catholic Church in Las Trampas. The church was built in 1760, and its altar screens were painted somewhat later. When the church decided to renovate its interior, it turned to Goler and Nicolas Otero.
Goler began his career working in a fairly traditional style, carving popular saints and using natural pigments he gathered by hand. His work has always stood out because of its incredible attention to detail and his nuanced handling of paint and color. More recently, Goler has added contemporary twists—and often humor—to his work. One 2026 piece depicts a steel-blue rocket ship named Flight Into Egypt, equipped with saints’ wings, taking off and ascending into the sky above a trio of pyramids. Another portrays a contemporary St. Michael wearing a cowboy hat and Western attire as he battles Satan, who is engulfed in flames.
Nicolas Otero is another of New Mexico’s most accomplished woodcarvers. Otero began making santos when he was only 16 years old. In 2017, he received the Grand Prize Best of Show award at the Traditional Spanish Market, and in 2019, he received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. In addition to his santos, bultos, and retablos, Otero has become well known for his altar screens.
For the current exhibition at Blue Rain Gallery, Otero will present both small- and large-scale santos, as well as a very special carving of the Virgin Mary. These highly detailed new works feature designs inspired by mid-19th-century New Mexico santero traditions.
“The use of carved panels and natural pigments is part of this body of work,” says Otero. “I am excited to be able to share it at the opening. I will also be receiving the Master’s Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Traditional Spanish Market, which is celebrating its 74th Market this year. My next project will be a large-scale altar depicting St. Francis of Assisi for a church in Golden, New Mexico.”
Andrew Montoya was awarded Best of Show at the 2025 Traditional Spanish Market for his piece depicting St. Francis cradled in a nest, with doves circling above him. At the time, Montoya told the Santa Fe New Mexican, “Those birds grow from the time that they’re in the egg all the way until they grow and eventually leave the nest, so St. Francis being in the nest, the symbolic part of it is really his growth.” It was Montoya’s 26th year participating in the Traditional Spanish Market.
Montoya was raised in Santa Fe’s Agua Fría Village and began learning traditional Spanish Colonial art from his aunt, Arlene Cisneros Sena, after the sudden death of his mother. During his childhood summers, Montoya would attend the Spanish Market and study the techniques of the artesanos as they carved beneath their tents. One summer, an artist named Manuel Lopez was carving a bulto depicting Saint James on horseback. Watching him complete the carving had a profound effect on the young artist.
“That’s when I fell in love with carving, and I would not leave that spot until I gleaned all I could and then some,” says Montoya. “Without my transcendence into devotional arts, I believe I could not live my life to its fullest expression. I try to tell a story with each piece and use my favorite art renditions for guidance and inspiration.”
Blue Rain Gallery also has a number of works from private collections in its inventory, including pieces by other notable santeros such as Alcario Otero, Catherine Robles Shaw, and Lorrie Garcia. Our commitment to preserving this cultural art form extends beyond the gallery walls, and we are always interested in private collections of such material for potential consignment. We have a long and successful history of connecting these works with our extensive client base.
