About Us:
On December 15, 1965, the Temple of Mercy Religious Foundation
(T.O.M.) was incorporated as a New Mexico non-profit corporation by
Rev. Ruth Johnson, Rev. Jay Victor Scherer and Tomasita Naranjo. The
primary intent of the organization was to express the importance of
the personal religious or spiritual experience gained from the
practice of an individually chosen belief system. This was partly
manifested through community service.
Rev. Ruth Johnson, the first president of T.O.M. was a local artist.
In 1999, ten years after her death, the direction of the group sought
to include the promotion of artists and their art in the Northern New
Mexico area. Board President Gail Karr and a committee established
the Northern New Mexico Fine Arts and Crafts Guild a year later. The
Guild activities now focus on arts and crafts shows and the Plaza
Space to highlight the excellence of art and working artists of
Northern New Mexico. There are now three juried arts and crafts shows
each year. Future directions include encouraging young talented high
school students through show venues and apprenticeship programs as well as an older women's living cooperative.
Northern New Mexico Fine Arts and Crafts Guild
We are a New Mexico nonprofit corporation, a project of the T.O.M. founded in 1965, a 501(c) organization.
