Near Melrose in Curry County, New Mexico — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Estella García
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Fabric Artists: Women of the WPA
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 29, 2014
1. Estella García Marker
Side A:
Estella García. Estella García taught colcha embroidery at Melrose, New Mexico, for the Federal Arts Program in the 1930s. Anglo and Hispana women in Garcia's class collaborated to design and produce embroidered theater curtains, wall hangings, and seat coverings for institutions across the state including the Albuquerque Little Theatre. García is one of the few Hispanic women artists recorded in FAP documents. Unfortunately, few examples of her work remain.
Fabric Artists: Women of the Works Progress Administration. Under the umbrella of the WPA, the National Youth Administration, and the Federal Arts Program, instructors and students were recruited to work in community-based art centers that produced fabric arts, including weaving, colcha embroidery, and lace-making. While the artistic creativity of these mostly unrecognized women was considered “women's work for home use” by WPA administrators, this now popular New Mexican art form has been revitalized.
Erected by New Mexico Historic Preservation Division.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music
this page online
Location. 34° 25.332′ N, 103° 35.535′ W. Marker is near Melrose, New Mexico, in Curry County. It is on U.S. 60 at milepost 366, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Melrose NM 88124, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Eastern New Mexico. It is also in the American Southwest, on the Great Plains, on the Southern Plains, and specifically on the High Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Comanchería, the Dust Bowl, and the Republic of Texas.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: All Gave Some Some Gave All (approx. 1.9 miles away); F-100A Super Saber (approx. 1.9 miles away); Llano Estacado (approx. 8.7 miles away).
Also see . . . Embroidery Techniques from Around the World: Colcha.
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 29, 2014
2. Fabric Artists: Women of the WPA Marker
Side B:
Excerpt:(Submitted on November 1, 2026, by Trudi Jacobson of Slingerlands, New York.)
History: The history of Colcha embroidery is circuitous and uncertain. While contemporary surviving examples of Colcha embroidery certainly hail from areas of northeastern New Mexico (Taos, Truchas, and Cordova) and southern Colorado (San Luis Valley), historians don’t agree on Colcha’s original source.
Some believe Chinese silk embroidery, with its similar laid stitch techniques, influenced early Colcha when it was imported into Mexico. Others have pointed to Spanish origins, with an even older history tracing back to Persia and Suzani textiles. The techniques then followed early Spanish settlers as they made their way north, into the southwestern United States. The designs and motifs themselves undoubtedly and unsurprisingly reflect traditional Spanish and Mexican embroidery styles. All agree that Colcha is a folk art that today reflects the traditions and culture of the southwestern United States.
Photographed by Bill Kirchner, April 29, 2014
3. Estella García/Fabric Artists: Women of the WPA Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on November 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 14, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,230 times since then and 33 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 14, 2014, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
