The Corn Mothers and Return of the Corn Mothers: Inspiring Women of the Southwest exhibits are traveling exhibits honoring women in the southwestern U.S.

Corn Mothers are indigenous Mexican deity-figures that represent growth, community, and sustenance. The honorees are Corn Mothers "who have become the backbones of their community. They provide their own types of sustenance, whether that be through their own community work or support of other community members," according to curator Renee Fajardo.[1]

The project began in Denver in 2007 with a small grant from the Rocky Mountain Women's Institute. Eight women were honored in the first year.[2] Fajardo wanted to keep alive the stories and oral history of important aunties in her life, and it expanded to include women in the community.[1]

The creators of the project are curator Fajardo, photographer Todd Pierson, editor Ed Winograd, and graphic designer Toinette Brown. The project was supported by the Chicano Humanities Arts Council; the Colorado Folks Arts Council; MSU Denver’s Department of Chicana/o Studies, the MSU Denver Office of Diversity and Inclusion, the Journey Through Our Heritage program and U.S. Bank.[3]

The Return of the Corn Mothers exhibit book was a 2021 Indie Book Awards Publishing Finalist for Coffee Table Book/Photography and Anthology.[4]

Honorees

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Corn Mothers
Name Image Birth–Death Year Location Ref(s)
Elizabeth Aragon-Blanton (b. 1969) 2019 Rye, Colorado [5]
Amy Banker 2012 Denver, Colorado [6]
Lois Burrell 2008 Brighton, Colorado [7]
Barbara Clark 2010 Cascabel, Arizona [8]
Maria de la Cruz 2012 Aguilar, Colorado [9]
Dawn DiPrince 2019 Pueblo, Colorado [10]
Amy Duncan 2008 Gila, New Mexico [11]
Kristy Duran 2016 Alamosa, Colorado [12]
Claudia Ebel 2016 Alamosa, Colorado [13]
Geneva Escobedo (b. 1949) 2010 Tucson, Arizona [14]
Nellie Escobedo Plasencio (1925-2014) 2010 Safford, Arizona [15]
Dora Esquibel (1937-2012) 2012 Denver, Colorado [16]
Ann Esquibel Redman 2019 Cheyenne, Wyoming [17]
Belinda Garcia = 2012 Crestone, Colorado [18]
Concepción Garcia Allen 2008 Santa Fe, New Mexico [19]
Peggy Godfrey 2016 Moffat, Colorado [20]
Carol Guerrero-Murphy 2016 Alamosa, Colorado [21]
Ivette Guzman 2008 Denton, Texas [22]
Lois Harvey 2008 Denver, Colorado [23]
Carrie Howell 2008 Wheat Ridge, Colorado [24]
Sylvia Lee (b. 1958) 2013 Tucson, Arizona [25]
Arlette Lucero 2012 Denver, Colorado [26]
Lucy Lucero (1919-2010) 2008 Denver, Colorado [27]
Oneyda L. Maestas 2016 Alamosa, Colorado [28]
Brenda Kay Manuelito 2010 Phoenix, Arizona [29]
Tori Vigil Martinez 2016 Capulin, Colorado [30]
Rita J. Martinez (1955-2020) 2019 Pueblo, Colorado [31]
B. Afeni McNeely Cobham 2012 Denver, Colorado [32]
Carolina “Carrie” Sandoval Mejía (1922-2009) 2008 Rye, Colorado [33]
Raven Winston Mercado (b. 1970) 2010 Tucson, Arizona [34]
Judy Newland 2010 Niwot, Colorado [35]
Cynthia Ramu (b. 1953) 2019 Pueblo, Colorado [36]
Sara Ransom (b. 1946) 2008 Durango, Colorado [37]
Ella Maria Ray 2012 Denver, Colorado [38]
Alfiria Casaus (Alfie) Salazar (1935-2023) 2019 Pueblo, Colorado [39]
Lisa Saldaña 2019 Denver, Colorado [40]
Cherie Karo Schwartz 2008 Denver, Colorado [41]
Barbara Shannon-Bannister 2008 Aurora, Colorado [42]
Christina Maxine Sigala (b. 1953) 2012 Denver, Colorado [43]
Patricia Sigala 2008 Santa Fe, New Mexico [44]
Charlene Garcia Simms 2019 Garcia, Colorado [45]
Stella Teller (b. 1929) 2008 Isleta Pueblo, New Mexico [46]
Jessica Tumposky 2008 Silver City, New Mexico [47]
Evelyn Valdez Martinez 2008 Denver, Colorado [48]
Bertha A. Velarde (1957-2018) 2016 Alamosa, Colorado [49]
Aurora Villareal-Aguilera (1945-2019) 2010 Phoenix, Arizona [50]
Rita Flores deWallace Rita Flores deWallace 2008 Denver, Colorado [51]
Ellen Alires-Trujillo (1952-2023) 2022 Boulder, Colorado [52]
Batkhishig Batochir (b. 1969) 2022 Denver, Colorado [53]
Genevieve Canales 2022 Greeley, Colorado [54]
Alicia Cardenas (1977-2021) 2022 Denver, Colorado [55]
Tina Cartagena (b. 1953) 2022 Denver, Colorado [56]
Connie Margaret Coca (b. 1943) 2022 Laramie, Wyoming [57]
Juliana Aragón Fatula 2022 Cañon City, Colorado [58]
Karen D. Gonzales 2022 Denver, Colorado [59]
Norma Johnson 2022 Boulder, Colorado [60]
Elena Holly Klaver 2022 Niwot, Colorado [61]
Lucha Aztzin Martínez de Luna 2022 Golden, Colorado [62]
Deborah Martinez-Martinez 2022 Rye, Colorado [63]
Jennifer McBride 2022 Parker, Colorado [64]
Laura (Laurita) Naranjo 2022 Denver, Colorado [65]
Adrienne Norris 2022 Denver, Colorado [66]
Erica Padilla 2022 Denver, Colorado [67]
Jo Elizabeth Pinto 2022 Brighton, Colorado [68]
Sandra Ortega (b. 1952) 2022 San Luis, Colorado [69]
Shirley Romero Otero (b. 1955) 2022 San Luis, Colorado [70]
Evangeline Roybal Sena 2022 Blanca, Colorado [71]
Marge Taniwaki 2022 Denver, Colorado [72]
Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero 2022 Denver, Colorado [73]
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References

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  1. ^ a b Mathurin, Desiree (October 21, 2022). ""Return of the Corn Mothers" exhibit celebrates women making a difference in their communities". Denverite.
  2. ^ "Return of the Corn Mothers - Inspiring Women of the Southwest". Denver Month of Photography.
  3. ^ Phare, Cory. "Return of the Corn Mothers 2022". Metropolitan State University of Denver.
  4. ^ "Next Generation Indie Book Awards Winners & Finalists". Indie Book Awards.
  5. ^ "Elizabeth Aragon-Blanton".
  6. ^ "Amy Banker".
  7. ^ "Lois Burrell".
  8. ^ "Barbara Clark".
  9. ^ "Maria de la Cruz".
  10. ^ "Dawn DiPrince".
  11. ^ "Amy Duncan".
  12. ^ "Kristy Duran".
  13. ^ "Claudia Ebel".
  14. ^ "Geneva Escobedo".
  15. ^ "Nellie Escobedo Plasencio".
  16. ^ "Dora Esquibel".
  17. ^ "Ann Esquibel Redman".
  18. ^ "Belinda Garcia".
  19. ^ "Concepción Garcia Allen".
  20. ^ "Peggy Godfrey".
  21. ^ "Carol Guerrero-Murphy".
  22. ^ "Ivette Guzman".
  23. ^ "Lois Harvey".
  24. ^ "Carrie Howell".
  25. ^ "Sylvia Lee".
  26. ^ "Arlette Lucero".
  27. ^ "Lucy Lopez Dussart Lucero".
  28. ^ "Oneyda L. Maestas".
  29. ^ "Brenda Kay Manuelito".
  30. ^ "Tori Vigil Martinez".
  31. ^ "Rita J. Martinez".
  32. ^ "B. Afeni McNeely Cobham".
  33. ^ "Carolina "Carrie" Sandoval Mejía".
  34. ^ "Raven Winston Mercado".
  35. ^ "Judy Newland".
  36. ^ "Cynthia Ramu".
  37. ^ "Sara Ransom".
  38. ^ "Ella Maria Ray".
  39. ^ "Alfria Casaus (Alfie) Salazar".
  40. ^ "Lisa Saldaña".
  41. ^ "Cherie Karo Schwartz".
  42. ^ "Barbara Shannon-Bannister".
  43. ^ "Christina Maxine Sigala".
  44. ^ "Patricia Sigala".
  45. ^ "Charlene Garcia Simms".
  46. ^ "Stella Teller".
  47. ^ "Jessica (Jessa) Tumposky".
  48. ^ "Evelyn Valdez Martinez".
  49. ^ "Bertha A. Velarde".
  50. ^ "Aurora Villareal-Aguilera".
  51. ^ "Rita Flores deWallace".
  52. ^ "Ellen Alires-Trujillo".
  53. ^ "Batkhishig (Baja) Batochir".
  54. ^ "Genevieve Canales".
  55. ^ "Alicia Cardenas".
  56. ^ "Tina Cartagena".
  57. ^ "Connie Margaret Coca".
  58. ^ "Juliana Aragón Fatula".
  59. ^ "Karen D. Gonzales".
  60. ^ "Norma Johnson".
  61. ^ "Elena Holly Klaver".
  62. ^ "Lucha Aztzin Martínez de Luna".
  63. ^ "Deborah Martinez Martinez".
  64. ^ "Jennifer McBride".
  65. ^ "Laura (Laurita) Naranjo".
  66. ^ "Adrienne Norris".
  67. ^ "Erica Padilla".
  68. ^ "Jo Elizabeth Pinto".
  69. ^ "Sandra Ortega".
  70. ^ "Shirley Romero Otero".
  71. ^ "Evangeline Roybal Sena".
  72. ^ "Marge Taniwaki".
  73. ^ "Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero".