Will Shuster:
Legend and Legacy in old Santa Fe

A Salon Talk by Ray Valdez
Thursday, September 24, 3pm
Thaw Education Center
553 Canyon Road

ABOUT THE SALON

Please join us as Ray Valdez, former producer of Zozobra (1994–2012), presents a talk on the life and work of Will Shuster. Hosted at the Edwin Brooks House—the former home of Fremont Ellis, who co-founded Los Cinco Pintores with Shuster in 1921—this event offers a unique opportunity to explore Santa Fe’s art history inside the very space where that history unfolded.

Will Shuster (1893–1969) was a celebrated painter, craftsman, and legendary Santa Fe personality. Moving to New Mexico in 1920 for his health, he quickly immersed himself in the local art scene, co-founding Los Cinco Pintores in 1921 to bring modern art to the high desert. Beyond his oils and watercolors, Shuster’s creative spirit extended to ironwork, ceramics, and printmaking. Renowned for capturing Northern New Mexico’s land and people, he is equally remembered as the creator of Zozobra, an iconic Santa Fe tradition he introduced in 1924.

Ray Valdez is an Artist, contractor, and Photographer who was born and raised in Santa Fe, NM. Inspired at a young age by the local Las Fiestas and the annual Burning of the Pagan Effigy known as Will Shuster's ZoZobra, Ray became the Producer and Builder of the famous Old Man Gloom through the years from 1994 to 2012. As a past member of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, the local nonprofit that owns the huge event held every year in September since 1964, Ray was able to amass a large historical and artifact collection of photographs, memorabilia, and histories from one of Santa Fe's most beloved traditions.

The Burning of Will Shuster's Zozobra over the years has helped raise millions of dollars in a one-night event that goes back into the community in the form of grants to help the local youth programs and important nonprofits that benefit local children.

An avid local historian and storyteller, Ray's many accomplishments over the years include:
Santa Fe Area Home Builders Association annual Parade of Homes volunteer and judge for over twenty-five years.
Producer of the movie "Will Shuster's Zozobra de Santa Fe", a historical documentary that was submitted to the Library of Congress in the bicentennial commemoration in 1999.
Builder and fabricator of the City of Albuquerque Tricentennial celebration Birthday Candle, an over forty-five-foot pyrotechnic sculpture in 2006, and included in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta event that same October.

PARKING

Parking on Canyon Road, Camino Escondido, and Delgado Streets as available. Paid lots are located on Delgado Street and on Canyon Road across from El Farol.

CHECK-IN

Check-in starts at 2:40 pm. HSFF staff or a volunteer will check you in by asking for your name. Come early or stay late to view our history and art exhibitions.