Preserving culture through art, language, architecture, and other rich New Mexico traditions enriches our lives and communities and preserves our state’s rich cultural patrimony for today and for future generations.

New Mexico Community Foundation (NMCF) has a long history of cultural preservation on behalf of New Mexico communities statewide.

Preserving and Nurturing New Mexico’s Cultural Treasures

In the early 1980s, for example, NMCF served as the fiscal sponsor for “Churches: Symbols of Community,” which took an innovative community-based approach to the preservation of New Mexico’s historic, but fragile, adobe churches.

In time, the organization built the organizational foundation and secured the resources to become its own nonprofit. Now called Cornerstones Community Partnerships, the organization is among the state’s finest examples of community collaboration and cultural preservation. Its church restoration efforts have saved historic landmark examples of faith and community and touched the hearts of New Mexicans statewide.

Whether it’s supporting arts programs in the schools, fostering cultural exchanges, or improving access to literature in small towns, NMCF works hard to preserve and nurture our state’s unique cultural treasures. Our initiatives  improve access to culture and foster a shared appreciation for creativity for all New Mexicans.