Christina Martinez

Christina Martínez (born 1952, Silver City, NM) lived in Las Cruces, NM, until age five, when her family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona. She studied anthropology at Arizona State University prior to attending graduate school in library science at the University of Denver. Christina had a lengthy career at the University of Colorado—Colorado Springs, retiring as Associate Dean of the library in March 2020. Several years ago Christina's aunt, Irene Brandtner de Martínez, introduced Christina to colcha embroidery and gifted her a piece of cloth with a turkey design on it and showed her how to embroider. Although Christina had never tried embroidery before, she immediately took to it. She now embroiders at home for relaxation and pleasure. Christina also helps her aunt with her booth in the Spanish Market in Santa Fe, which has increased her interest in and knowledge of traditional arts. At Spanish Market Christina has been exposed to other embroiderers' work and has come to know some of the artists themselves. She credits her aunt with mentoring and guiding her on her discovery of colcha embroidery. Christina uses readily available and mostly commercial yarns to stitch on various fabrics including linen, cotton, and wool. Many of her designs are created by her aunt, and both artists have exhibited in the Colcha Embroidery: Traditional to Contemporary exhibition at Martinez Hacienda in Taos, NM.

(photo courtesy of Christina Martinez)