Raúl E. Burciaga
The governor is free to maintain a permanent exhibit of photographs of children up for adoption in the Governor’s Gallery. However, permanent or long-term exhibits of agencies or organizations throughout the State Capitol are not permitted, no matter how meritorious.
This is in response to the Albuquerque Journal’s editorial “Roundhouse Good Place For Foster Kids’ Photos” and NMPolitics.net’s “Kids’ photos should hang in Roundhouse hallways.”
In late 2011, Governor Susana Martinez’s administration verbally requested that the Heart Gallery’s photos of children be displayed in the State Capitol rotunda during the legislative session. Because space in the rotunda is reserved months in advance, administration officials were advised by Legislative Building Services, which is part of the Legislative Council Service (LCS), that only certain times and spaces were available.
Administration officials declined to reserve any of the remaining available spaces for the photos. The rest of the State Capitol is reserved for art that primarily showcases New Mexico artists, and the art that is displayed is selected by the Capitol Art Foundation and not by legislators, public officials or the LCS.
This policy helps to ensure that art that is displayed is not selected for any political purpose, however worthy or noncontroversial it may be.
On Dec. 9, 2011, Governor Martinez unveiled some of the photographic portraits in the Governor’s Gallery, which is on the fourth floor of the Roundhouse and receives many visitors each day. Many of those photographs are still there.
The governor indicated that she wanted to add these portraits to the artwork throughout the State Capitol and that she would ask the New Mexico Legislature to add portraits from the Heart Gallery to the State Capitol. (See Albuquerque Journal, Dec. 10, 2011.) But as of this date, the LCS has not received a specific or formal request indicating where, for what length of time, or how many photographs the Heart Gallery would like to exhibit.
Although the LCS has never received a written or specific request from the administration, I have spoken about this issue with Secretary of Cultural Affairs Veronica Gonzales, Chief of Staff Keith Gardner and Governor Martinez. Further, we have explained that numerous state agencies, schools, universities and other organizations have used and are welcome to continue to use the rotunda and certain other space in the Roundhouse to showcase their programs and missions. The Heart Gallery of New Mexico Foundation, as a nonprofit partner of the Children, Youth and Families Department, is welcome to any of the limited spaces and times still available.
Additionally, other state agencies under the governor’s control have had and are scheduled to have exhibits in the State Capitol, any of which could have been and could still be replaced at the governor’s direction with the Heart Gallery’s photographs of children. The LCS does not allow permanent exhibits for state agencies, schools, universities or other organizations, but we do allow temporary exhibits in certain areas.
We have advised the administration several times that the merits of the Heart Gallery are not at issue, and that we would be happy to accommodate a temporary exhibit in the rotunda or its east or west wings for times or dates that are not already reserved.
The governor is also free to maintain a permanent exhibit of these photographs in the Governor’s Gallery. However, permanent or long-term exhibits of agencies or organizations throughout the State Capitol are not permitted, no matter how meritorious.
Burciaga is the director of Legislative Council Service.