EL IRRIGADOR: Flowing Traditions – The Art & Acequia Legacy of Floyd Archuleta
Des Montes Art Gallery
EL IRRIGADOR: Flowing Traditions – The Art & Acequia Legacy of Floyd Archuleta
June 27–28, 2025 | Des Montes Folk Art Gallery | Arroyo Seco, NM
TAOS, NM — One of the most iconic symbols in New Mexico isn’t found in a museum or on a postcard. It’s found in the rhythm of water, the bend of an old shovel, the callused hands of those who still walk the ditches each spring. That spirit lives in El Irrigador—the now-iconic sculpture created by artist Floyd Archuleta, and also in the illustrated logo inspired by the same figure, now used by the Des Montes Folk Art Gallery and celebrated across the state.
Both image and sculpture are rooted in the same origin: Floyd’s father, Jose Manuel Archuleta, who irrigated the Rebalse Acequia—locally known as “the ditch that flows uphill”—until the age of 97. Fed by the Rio Hondo out of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Rebalse has been the life source of the Archuleta family farm for generations.
This June, the Des Montes Folk Art Gallery invites you to El Irrigador: Flowing Traditions, a celebration of Floyd Archuleta’s life’s work—a body of art that spans sculpture, painting, and wood carving, but always returns to the earth from which it came. The two-day event will feature an exhibition of Floyd’s work, a screening of the short film “Acequia – The Legacy Lives On,” and live community performances and music that honor the stories and spirit of Northern New Mexico’s acequia culture.
The Artist and His Legacy
Floyd Archuleta is more than an artist—he’s a storyteller of the land. Born and raised in Des Montes, his family has irrigated these fields for generations. His artwork doesn’t just depict Northern New Mexico ranch life—it emerges from it. His pieces are forged from paint, bailing wire, the wood of old barns, and the memories of branding days and irrigation mornings.
And it is El Irrigador—a tribute to his father and to all who tend the ditches—that has become one of the most recognized and revered images of New Mexico’s cultural landscape. More than just a sculpture, it is a call to remembrance, and to care.
A Weekend of Water, Art & Community
Featuring Floyd’s artwork, food and drinks, acequia education film, and live music.
Friday, June 27
5:00 PM – Show Opening
6:00 PM – Performance by You Can Do It, Mija!
7:00 PM – Film Screening: “Acequia – The Legacy Lives On” (limited seating)
Saturday, June 28
11:00 AM – 8:00 PM – Open House
Made Possible by the Community
This event is made possible with the heart and hands of many. The Taos Valley Acequia Association stands as a pillar of support, alongside Kit Carson Electric Cooperative, Taos Soil & Water Conservation District, and You Can Do It, Mija!
Promotional support was proudly provided by UNM-Taos HIVE, whose team worked in collaboration with visiting students from SMU Taos to help uplift Floyd’s story and bring this vision to life. As Rose Reza of UNM-Taos HIVE shares:
“Floyd’s art is like the acequia water itself—it carries our history, it shapes our path, and it calls us to remember who we are.”
Agua es Vida
This is not just an art show. It is a gathering of generations. A remembering. An honoring. And an invitation to see the water—and each other—a little more clearly.
Join us at Des Montes Folk Art Gallery and let the water speak.
Free and open to all ages.