At the Georgia O'Keeffe Research Center, our monthly lecture/"conversations" are held in the Education Annexe. There today for Martin Padget's talk on Paul Strand: I love the fact that at the back of the room is evidence that if you give a bunch of kids some colored chalk and a blackboard, they come up with some vaguely flower-like forms, the New Mexico state symbol, and the word "love." That state symbol, by the way, comes from an ancient Zia Pueblo water jar (found in the late C19th): its four sacred points stand for North, East, South and West; Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter; sunrise, noon, evening and night; childhood, youth, adulthood and old age. "The Zia also believed" - I quote the official page on official state symbols "that with life came four sacred obligations: development of a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit and devotion to the welfare of people/family. All of these things are bound together within the circle of life." It's a good symbol to have.
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