ABQ Museum annex in new hands

The 19th-century historic house is an annex of the museum. It was once privately owned by Ward Alan and Shirley Jolly Minge, who assembled most of the Spanish Colonial pieces still displayed there. The city bought the collection from the Minges in 1997 for $1.3 million. In turn, they donated the house to the city so it could display the artifacts.

	If you go Where: Casa San Ysidro is located at 973 Old Church Road in Corrales. Guided tours are available Wednesday through Saturday at 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. How Much: Fees are $4 for adults; $3 for seniors 65 and older; $3 for students; and $2 for children 12 and younger. Albuquerque Museum Foundation members get in free. More information: Call (505) 898-3915

Kennis Lopez has more than 20 years’ experience as a site manager and program coordinator at two museums in Colorado. She worked at the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, as well as the Rock Ledge Ranch, a 270-acre living history farm and museum in Colorado Springs.

Marriage brought Kennis Lopez to Santa Fe from Colorado in 2009, and she and her husband moved to Albuquerque in 2010.

“I didn’t move here for this job,” she said. “But I sure was glad I was here when this job became available.”

The position had been vacant for some time and Kennis Lopez has been on the job two months.

She and her husband were familiar with Corrales and the museum long before she was hired there.

Her husband participates in the yearly mudding of the Historic Old San Ysidro Church that is across the street from Casa San Ysidro.

“We are very interested in living farms and historic sites,” she said. “We had been to the museum several times.”

Kennis Lopez said one of her main goals as site manager is to boost the museum’s attendance, which she said gets between 8,000 and 9,000 visitors a year. She hopes to bring in more visitors by expanding the school programs, adding additional programs and events, and promoting the museum through different venues. She recently started a Casa San Ysidro Facebook page.

“We want to raise our profile,” she said. “We want to continue to be good neighbors to Corrales.”

Kennis Lopez earned a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University in American history, specializing in park history. She went on to earn a master’s in American history from the University of Colorado.

Visitors stroll the grounds of Casa San Ysidro museum annex in Corrales. The house contains Spanish Colonial artifacts.

— This article appeared on page 16 of the Albuquerque Journal