Conversations Different with Inez Russell Gomez

The Traditional Spanish Market returns to the Santa Fe Plaza July 25-27. Known for highlighting the rich Hispanic culture in our region, the market carefully selects artists from New Mexico and Southern Colorado for the chance to share their creative pursuits for a weekend and vie for awards.  The Traditional Spanish Market has been managed by the Atrisco Heritage Foundation since 2023 and it...

The Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe is bidding farewell to its current president, Dr. Robert Martin, this month. Martin has been with the school since 2007, making an extraordinary impact on its development through his leadership, particularly in infrastructure, degree programs and enrollment growth. Martin joins “Conversations Different” to reflect on his 40-year legacy...

Dr. Wendy Johnson, a longtime physician, health activist and writer in Northern New Mexico, joins “Conversations Different” to discuss her new book Kinship Medicine: Cultivating Interdependence to Heal the Earth and Ourselves .   Johnson shares what guided her in writing the book along with discussing its theme of kinship medicine, a belief that individual wellbeing is determ...

The International Folk Art Market, a staple in Northern New Mexico for bringing together multicultural artists from around the world, returns to Santa Fe’s Railyard Park July 10-13. Nadia Hamid, IFAM director of artist development, and Alison Brushaber, IFAM volunteer chair of artist transportation, join “Conversations Different” to preview this year’s folk art market. Hami...

Alcoholism impacts the lives of many individuals and their families across the country and in New Mexico. According to the New Mexico Department of Health website , the state has been a leader in alcohol deaths since the 1980s with domestic violence, crime, poverty and unemployment also surging as related negative impacts.   Ted Alcorn, a writer/researcher and native New Mexican, joins &...

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico’s junior U.S. senator, joins the latest episode of “Conversations Different” to discuss what he’s working on in the Senate, from a bill that would help families take care of their aging loved ones to holding hearings on the implications of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on everyday Americans. Luján also discusses congress...

Catching up with former students came with an element of sadness for longtime Santa Fe music educator Marilyn Barnes as she found they lacked opportunities to showcase their talents in front of an audience after graduation. So she and her husband, Cris Barnes, did something about it. They created a musical theater company to give young adults the chance to retake the stage — and the result h...

Students Demand Action is an organization of high school and college students across the United States advocating against gun violence. The organization reports to have active volunteers in every state and 900 groups across the U.S. During New Mexico’s 60-day legislative session earlier this year, Students Demand Action activists had a presence in the Roundhouse advocating for gun safety leg...

Singing, performance and community. Those are the traits that make up The Zia Singers, a local nonprofit women’s choir in Santa Fe. The concept originated in the living room of voice teacher Marilyn Barnes, who founded the group in 1993 with the goal for women to come together to share their love of music, according to its website. Now, that mission still stands under the new leadership of a...

What should I recycle? What can't be recycled? Where does the city send the items that we recycle? Peter Olson, outreach director with the city of Santa Fe's Environmental Service Department, joins the "Conversations Different" host Inez Russell Gomez to answer those questions and more on an episode focused on recycling. Olson talks about how residents can be more effective at recycling and how to...

Heather Cox Richardson is an author, historian and professor of American history who has examined the presidency of Donald Trump since his rise to power in 2016. During his first term in office she launched the popular newsletter “ Letters from an American ” to share her insight on his and the Republican Party's policies while offering the history behind the country’s current pol...

The Santa Fe International Literary Festival is returning to the City Different May 16-18, with esteemed and award-winning writers from around the world slated to speak about their work and take questions from audience members. According to the festival’s  website , the experience is meant to bring writers, readers and free thinkers alike into one space for an interactive and inclusive...

The Food Depot has served Northern New Mexico residents for over 30 years, aiming to bridge the gap between hunger and food security. According to its website, 1 in 7 New Mexicans experience food insecurity because of a lack of consistent access to food. The percentages are higher in smaller rural communities where there are few, if any, grocery stores and economic challenges may prevent people fr...

Susannah Walden says the mountains in Afghanistan remind her of the Sangre de Cristos near her former home of Santa Fe. The familiar landscape makes her feel homesick, but she stays busy with her work telling the stories of the people who have spent generations living amid war and instability. Walden, the Kabul bureau chief for Agence France-Presse, has spent much of her career reporting abroad an...

Santa Fe’s first, now former, poet laureate Arthur Sze joins “Conversations Different” to discuss his latest books Into the Hush and The White Orchard, his life path to becoming a professional writer and an upcoming book event on April 24.   Sze first became interested in poetry while writing in the back of a math notebook in his freshman calculus class at the Massachus...

Spring is upon us, and with the change in seasons comes a heightened risk of wildfires igniting due to high wind and drought in our state. Last month, Santa Fe Fire Department  Chief Brian Moya joined “Conversations Different”  to discuss what homeowners in the Santa Fe area can do to prevent wildfires from destroying their personal property. This week, we welcome Dr. Adam At...

The month of April is National Community College Month, and it aims to showcase the various opportunities and resources that individuals can explore at smaller institutions of higher learning. Whether it’s obtaining a two-year degree or learning a new trade, these institutions can provide a gateway for future success in a person's desired career field. In Northern New Mexico, Santa Fe Commun...

Whether in the middle of the night or the light of day, search and rescue teams heed the call whenever an individual or group has gone missing, is lost or is injured. Search and rescue teams can play an essential role in locating people and getting them the proper resources in those types of scenarios, especially when time is of the essence.   Al Webster, Lee Kolosna and Yvonne Gillespie...

The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts has almost 10,000 pieces of work from 1962 to present day from Indigenous people from across the world. Museum Director Patsy Phillips and Chief Curator Manuela Well-Off-Man join "Conversations Different" to discuss contemporary Native art and what goes into putting the museum's exhibits together.  The pair talk about current exhibits including "The...

A former chef at the Blue Heron Restaurant and Palace Prime, Rocky Durham is a well-known name in Santa Fe’s dining scene. Nearly three years ago, just after Russia invaded Ukraine in February of 2022, he and his wife, Emmy, felt the call to help.  Rocky and Emmy, who are both fluent in Russian, sold their belongings and moved to Ukraine without a real plan but soon found their place. T...

Solace Sexual Assault Services has been providing support and healing for survivors of sexual assault and child abuse for more than 50 years. The nonprofit organization offers forensic interviewing, therapy, advocacy services and education and prevention services in the Santa Fe area. Executive Director María José Rodríguez Cádiz has been with Solace for more than 23 ye...

U.S. Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández has been busy since President Donald Trump took office last month, working with the other members of New Mexico's Congressional delegation to push back against Trump's agenda. The two-term congresswoman from Las Vegas, N.M., who serves as chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus has been making the media rounds to speak out against the Trump administration&rsq...

As CEO of Ultra Health, which operates more than two dozen licensed medical marijuana dispensaries in New Mexico, Duke Rodriguez is a major voice in the state’s cannabis industry. Nearly three years after legal retail sales began in New Mexico, Rodriguez says the industry has been turned upside down.  Prior to legalization, Rodriguez said the state had 35 licensees. Now, it’s over...

Cultural historian and author Carmella Padilla joins "Conversations Different" to discuss the Nuevo Mexicano Heritage Arts Museum’s new exhibit —  100 Years of Collecting • 100 Years of Connecting . The exhibit focuses on the Spanish Colonial art forms that have long represented the cultures and people of Northern New Mexico, as well as their connections to the Spanish C...

New Mexico ranks among the top four states in the nation for suicide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the numbers aren’t any better for youth and teens. The impact that suicide leaves on families, friends and communities for years to come can be insurmountable. It’s why the nonprofit organization The Sky Center, home to licensed health professionals, is...