100 years of burning: 2024 Zozobra T-shirt, poster artists announced

The 100th anniversary of Will Shuster’s Burning of Zozobra will take place on Aug. 30 in Santa Fe.

Organizers have spent months — even years — preparing for the milestone.

Ray Sandoval, Zozobra event chair, and the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe announced the artists that were selected for the poster and T-shirt merchandise for the centennial celebration.

100 years of burning: 2024 Zozobra T-shirt, poster artists announced

“It was obvious that this year’s centennial moment lit a fire in the minds and hearts of these artists, whose amazing work shows just how much our fellow New Mexicans are going to enjoy this once-in-a-century event,” Sandoval says.

The 2024 Zozobra poster artist is Robb Rael.

Rael is a Santa Fe native.

Sandoval says Rael’s work clearly reflects the aesthetic influences of his environment.

“The landscape, color, traditions and culture of the area find representation in (Rael’s) work and serve as the state settings in which his mystical storylines flourish,” Sandoval says. “(His presence) in Santa Fe’s art community has been a constant since his first participation in Contemporary Hispanic Market in 2004 in which he was awarded ‘Best in Painting.’ From that moment, critics, collectors and local community organizations have embraced and lauded Robb’s work for its unique style.”

Sandoval teamed up with Mike Graham De La Rosa to create the 2024 Zozobra Commemorative Poster.

Sandoval turned to his lifetime of Zozobra memories for the design.

“This centennial image is not merely a visual piece,” Sandoval says. “It’s a celebration of our enduring spirit and a beacon for the future of our storied tradition. Embrace this symbol of history and festivity, and join us as we step into a new century of Zozobra with the same fervor that has united us for generations.”

Brandon Parras is the 2024 Zozobra T-shirt artist.

Parras is a graphic designer and illustrator born and raised in Albuquerque and works in digital art.

The 2024 Youth Zozobra Poster Collaborative was created by Isaac Varela and Josiah Montoya.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Zozobra Toddler T-Shirt artist is 13-year-old Alice Wilkins of Santa Fe.

“Art has always been a huge part of who I am, and my earliest memories are of coloring with crayons or drawing dinosaurs on the backs of napkins at restaurants,” Wilkins says. “Santa Fe has always had a huge part to play in my passion for art, specifically the numerous museums around town. My largest influence is Meow Wolf, a common practice I use is actually using pictures of the exhibits to base color palettes on. I’ve come up with some pretty unique pieces in this manner.”

Sandoval says the 2024 Zozobra Hot Air Balloon T-shirt artist is Joseph Montoya and Jessica Knox is the 2024 Zozobra Ticket Sales Poster artist.

To complete the list of artists, the 2024 ZozoFest Image artist is Anita Ashfield-Salter.