Remembering Jim Gautier

This week our close friend and one of Cornerstones’ longest-serving and most dedicated volunteers, Jim Gautier, passed away. In the weeks before his untimely death, Jim was out in the field doing what he loved best - photographing the old mission churches of Northern New Mexico. He routinely called the office to ask what projects were planned or underway so he could document the buildings. He was an extraordinarily talented photographer and encaustic artist. His work has been exhibited in numerous venues including, lately, a show benefiting Cornerstones and Historic Santa Fe Foundation held at El Zaguán on Canyon Road.

In the past few weeks, Jim headed to Mora and San Miguel Counties with several Cornerstones staff to meet Mayordomos and photograph several churches. He was also documenting any damage, cracks in the walls, roof problems, drainage issues, etc.

He was very careful about getting permission for any photographs of old buildings. If we didn’t have a contact, he would stop at a nearby residence and ask permission. He was rarely turned down because of his gentle, direct and sincere personality. And he always shared his work with the owners or people in the parish or community. His photos represent an enormously valuable archive of Cornerstones efforts all over the state.

In recent years Jim began experiments with his photos using encaustic techniques and he became so skilled at this art from, he began offering workshops. He was also an avid student of the human form. Jim was one of the most generous individuals I’ve ever known. Along with his wife Peggy who was also a dedicated volunteer, Cornerstones Community Partnerships has never had a more devoted friend and contributor. We shall miss him greatly.

More Solar Success!

The Solar Initiative, a collaboration of Cornerstones Community Partnerships and Remy’s Good Day Fund, is pleased to announce its support of The Energy Sovereignty PhD.

Funding has been awarded for a joint project of The Energy Sovereignty Institute (Santa Fe) and Rochester Institute of Technology to support a PhD student to research energy sovereignty-related topics with field work expected to include the southwest, and specifically New Mexico. Research will include both quantitative and qualitative approaches to understanding what energy sovereignty means to various Native communities, challenges and opportunities, and recommendations for policies and technologies. The work will be utilized to understand the New Mexico stakeholder ecosystem and current state of tribal energy development.

Sherralyn Sneezer (Navajo/Dine) has been selected from a highly competitive field of applicants as the first PhD student in energy sovereignty research topics via the Energy Sovereignty Institute and Rochester Institute of Technology. Her credentials are outstanding: BA degree with a Major in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College, where she conducted thesis research on “Solar Energy Development on the Navajo Nation”. She also studied renewable energy and sustainability at Reykjavik University School of Science and Engineering and is now completing her MS in Energy at Texas A&M University, studying Energy Systems Engineering.

Congratulations, Sherralyn, we look forward to your findings to guide the Solar Initiative toward substantive goals!

Build History at the Aqua Fria Torreon