The Millicent Rogers Museum will present a new exhibition examining the cultural and historical significance of New Mexico’s traditional irrigation systems, highlighting both their legacy and the challenges they face.

“La Acequia, Nuestra Madre: Art and history of New Mexican waterways,” co-curated by artist Toby Morfin and Claire Pelaez Motsinger, brings together contemporary artists whose work reflects a shared commitment to land stewardship and water conservation. The exhibition focuses on acequias, community-managed irrigation systems rooted in Indigenous practices and later shaped by Spanish and American influences.

Acequias — networks of surface ditches and headgates used to distribute water — have long served as both an agricultural tool and a communal institution in the American Southwest. Their history traces back to centuries-old traditions, including the influence of Moorish irrigation methods in Spain and their introduction to the region during Spanish colonization, followed by changes under U.S. governance.

Today, organizers say that tradition faces mounting pressure from drought, declining snowfall and development. Advocates warn that reduced water flow and shifting land use threaten not only agricultural practices but also a way of life centered on shared responsibility and cultural continuity.

The exhibition honors the role of parciantes — community members who maintain acequias — and features work by a range of New Mexico artists, including Floyd Archuleta, Luis Barela, Erin Currier, Steve Chavez, Jodie Herrera, Nicholas Herrera, Steven Katzman, Juanita J. Lavadie, Felix Lopez, Krissa Lopez, Morfin, Jody Naranjo, Michael Naranjo, Roxanne Swentzell and Jim Vogel.

An opening reception is scheduled for May 2 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A related film screening, “Acequias: The Legacy Lives On,” will take place May 30 at the Taos Center for the Arts.

The exhibition is supported by the Taos County Lodgers Tax, the Sangre de Cristo Acequia Association, the Taos Valley Acequia Association and Des Montes Art Gallery.

Located at 1504 Millicent Rogers Road, the Millicent Rogers Museum partners with communities across the Southwest to share regional art, history and culture. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday through Tuesday. General admission is $20, with discounted rates for seniors, students and veterans. Taos County residents receive free admission on Sundays, and children under 6, museum members and tribal members are admitted free daily.