Los Lunas Educator and Santero Wins Governor's Award For The Arts

Spencer Beckwith On The Arts

Nick Otero teaches art at Bosque Farms Elementary School south of Albuquerque. In his spare time he makes saints -- New Mexico's traditional santos. Nick's retablos, bultos and altar screens are made using centuries-old methods of preparing pigment and carving wood panels by hand. He's been doing it since he was 16, and he's pretty good at it. This fall, at age 38, Nicolas Otero was one of six individual recipients of the prestigious New Mexico Governor's Awards for Excellence in the Arts. He spoke with KUNM about his work and what the award means to him.