Felipe Archuleta: A Sculptor Rooted in Faith and Fierce Observation Born in Santa Cruz, New Mexico (1910), Felipe Archuleta’s life was profoundly shaped by poverty from an early age—a circumstance that instilled resilience and fundamentally influenced his artistic worldview. Abandoning formal schooling, he embraced labor – initially as a field hand, followed by stints as a stonemason, cook, and for decades as a carpenter—experiences that instilled a deep understanding of rural New Mexico culture and traditions, particularly the veneration of religious imagery. This formative background becam…