Abad Eloy Lucero

The following video is an interview with Abad Lucero and his wife Emma at their home in Albuquerque, NM on October 11th, 1999.

The interview was done by Kathy Flynn, who is the executive Director of the National New Deal Preservation Association and the New Mexico Chapter of the NNDPA.

He was born in Cerrillos, New Mexico on September 1st, 1909. Abad Lucero began his artistic career making cabinets for George Gormley's Tile and Pine Shop in Santa Fe in the 1920s. His New Deal era career began in 1933, when he taught woodcarving and furniture making at the Taos Vocational School. Among the many projects he and his Taos students completed were woodwork and children's furniture for the Harwood Center, signs for the US Forest Service, and furniture that is still in use at La Posada (formerly the Hilton Hotel) in Albuquerque.

During the 1930s, Lucero also created furniture for the Native Market Store in Santa Fe, making Spanish Colonial furniture. In 1938, he went to Mora, New Mexico, to initiate the woodworking program at the Mora Vocational School. In 1939, Lucero began his career with the WPA's National Youth Administration (NYA) in Tucumcari, later returning to Taos. As an NYA instructor he taught traditional Hispanic arts inspiring hundreds of students. Many pieces he created with other Federal Art Project (FAP) artists are still in use at the University of New Mexico's Zimmerman Library.

After serving in World War II, Lucero returned to New Mexico for a series of jobs: construction, U.S. Forest Service shop foreman, trainer at the Springer Boys School, instructor in woodworking, sculpting, upholstery and painting in vocational institutions in Taos, Mora and Quay counties. For the US Forest Service, he was making completely hand-carved signs. Although most of these have been replaced with metal signs, some can still be seen in locations such as the Grand Canyon National Park.

Wood into art. That has been the lifework of Abad Eloy Lucero. Since retiring from public service in 1971 he has concentrated on his art. His santos have been featured at the Museum of Albuquerque; and others of his works are in the permanent collection of the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Visitors to business offices outfitted with his furniture sometimes think they are in a museum.

Among his honors is the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Abad Eloy Lucero passed away on October 11th, 2009.