• Spoonfool: Wise Fool created a new family show in the fall of 2002. Spoonfool was inspired by Joe Hayes' book "A Spoon For Every Bite". This beautiful puppet, mask and stilt show played to appreciative audiences in Peñasco and at El Museo Cultural in Santa Fe. Thanks to Marya Erin Jones who joined our cast for this show.

• Haha Monkey Flower: our new original show HAHA MONKEY FLOWER, directed by WFNM core artist Robbie Ann Pino, opened at Plan B in Santa Fe in April, and toured to Tucson, Prescott, AZ and San Francisco, CA in May and June. As well as the usual visual splendor and aerial wonder of WF artists and performances, HAHA featured a metal sculpted tree complete with flaming flowers thanks to the talent of Christina Sporrong , live music by Sarah Jane Moody and Anne Cullerton and more breathtaking swinging trapeze by Amanda Crocket.

• In the Schools: Kaune Elementary/IAIA Museum Children’s Day: Once again we collaborated with the IAIA Museum Outreach Program and the Native American Youth Outreach Program (NAYOP) to work with the kids at Kaune to create a giant puppet play for the IAIA Museum’s Children’s Day. Salazar Elementary: We built giant skeleton puppets with 50 kids at Salazar and they performed with their puppets in the Dia de los Muertos Processions. Las Cruces Residency: Wise Fool artists were in residence for a week in Las Cruces where they performed numerous shows for kids from the entire school district as well as performing at the annual Children's Day event.

• Challenge NM: We spent July and September collaborating with our friends at CNM, a non-profit organization founded on the principle that all individuals should have the opportunity to achieve their full potential, regardless of ability, which ended in a beautiful performances of there original work.

• Library Tour: Our read-iculous puppetry show “Too Smigg to be Bittle” toured to public libraries all over the state of New Mexico this summer as part of the state’s Roadrunner Summer Reading Program. We reached and delighted thousands of kids and families with these free performances and were met with accolades and invitations to return.

• Penasco Kids Workshops: Wise Fool collaborated with Art for the Heart ,Mike “360” Ipiotis, Albert Rosales (from The Tortuga Project), Miel Castagna and Miguel Santistevan to offer a two week tuition-free summer workshop. Youth (8-21) from Peñasco and Picuris Pueblo studied mural painting, Flamenco dance, stilt walking, shadow puppetry, and mask-making, culminating in a free performance for the community and the dedication of a mural covering the façade of El Puente Theatre and Cultural Center.

• All Species Day: Wise Fool artists collaborated with all species day to create the fabulous Corn Circus! Lot s of trapeze bees were flying around that day ! A fabulous celebration at the Railyard, Alessandra and Isabella then worked with Jon McCloud to bring a smaller version of the corn circus to 3 other NM sites.

• The Circus of Neverending Fun: Wise Fool produced a two week kids circus camp in July, teachers included, Rima Miller, Kate Russell, Michel Margolis and Wise Fool artists and members. 40 kids learned acrobatic, stilt walking, trapeze, clowning and juggling. The camp ended with a fabulous show!

• Vivos Entre Los Muertos: October was spent in a flurry of Free Puppet Workshops and Dia de los Muertos Events. We collaborated with El Museo and MOIFA to offer a month's worth of activities which culminated in two processions and altares exhibits on El Dia. Along with Outside In, we taught mask-making workshops at Santa Fe County Youth Development Center to youth 14-18. Lots of great puppets were created and paraded by participants and we hope to make art with even more of you at the workshops this fall!

• El Puente Theatre and Cultural Center: Highlights of this past year, included: a youth open mic, a winter Saturday performance series for kids and their families, a Feast of Fools dinner theatre banquet, three fabulous trapeze recitals , and a two week youth arts workshop which ended in a performance, and a beautiful mural on the front of the building and Wise Fool’s new winter show, “Spoonfool”. Contact Robbie Ann Pino or Alessandra Ogren at (505)587-2726 or elpuente@wisefoolnm.org

• Down Under: Wise Fool folks and friends traveled to Australia for a private stilt-acrobatics intensive with master stilt-artist David Clarkson from Stalker Theatre in Australia. David choreographed a new piece for stilts on us and generally busted our butts on a daily basis - and we love him for it! We also spent time training and socializing with the Vulcana Women’s Circus in Brisbane and met women from Wollongong Women's Circus, Circus Monoxide, Circus Oz and the Spaghetti Circus (a kids circus project). We all returned inspired and with new tricks up our sleeves.

• General Mayhem: Throughout the year we participated in and supported lots of community and cultural events and organizations including, the Milner Plaza Opening (hosted by Museum of International Folk Art), Sunday on Central and The Fiesta Bowl Parade in Phoenix AZ, Homegrown Show at Azulito Boutique, Zuni Mountain Sanctuary, Santa Fe Opera Ball, Santa Fe Children’s Museum Birthday Event and Kids Performances, Plan B Evolving Arts’ Beaux Arts Ball, and performances of the National Dance Institute to name a few...oh - and of course the puppets have been to an anti-war demonstration or two this year!!!

• Company News: We have 6 new Members of the Wise Fool company, making some of the people who have been working hard behind the scenes for many years official members. We are proud to have Anna Jacobs, Amy Bertucci, Lisa Thomas- Adeymo, Rulan Tangen, Sarah-Jane Moody, and Isabella Coehlo, join us. We also had changes in our Board Of Directors, sadly losing Nadine Tafoya and Sandra Wechsler, and happily gaining Alia and Neal from Azulito Boutique. And The newest member, born Jan 26, 2002 Noquisi Christian- Smith. Who in her 13 months of life has already participated in many wise fools shows and events!

Thanks: We’d like to take a moment to thank all those who’ve helped keep us going... our wonderful Board Members: Argos MacCallum, Carmen Henan, Pete Jackson, Sandra Wechsler, and Nadine Tafoya, Alia Munm and Neal from Azulito Boutique. And we would like to thank all of the individuals, organizations and artists who made the events possible this past year; especially Jean Nichols from Art For the Heart, Sarah Williams at Just the Basics, Douglas Patinka our webmaster, the Peñasco-Picuris Community Coalition, La Jicarita Enterprises, Juliana Anastasoff and Americorp, Juliet Gonzales, Mike “360” Ipiotis and Albert Rosales from The Tortuga Project, Miguel Santistevan, Hogle’s Theatrical, and all the artists of Wise Fool New Mexico.... our numerous volunteers and of course YOU!!

Funding for Wise Fool New Mexico is provided in part by The City of Santa Fe Arts Commission, The McCune Charitable Foundation, NM Arts, A Division of the Office of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts and the Just Woke Up Fund of the Santa Fe Community Foundation.