Press Release

Dianne Archuleta Named Director of History Colorado’s El Pueblo History Museum

Archuleta’s commitment to public service and deep community ties made her the top candidate for this significant leadership role. h-co.org/elpueblo | #HistoryColorado

EN ESPAÑOL | PUEBLO, Colo. — Aug. 10, 2021 — History Colorado is proud to announce that Dianne Archuleta is the new director of El Pueblo History Museum.

PRESS CONTACT
Zach Werkowitch
Director of Community Relations, History Colorado
719-583-0453 | zach.werkowitch@state.co.us

Born and raised in Pueblo, Archuleta joined the staff of History Colorado in 2017, serving as Community Museum Operations Manager to support eight History Colorado museums around the state. She is eager to celebrate her new role with the community that she is proud to serve at El Pueblo History Museum’s annual Bruja Brew Fest on Saturday, Sept. 11. All proceeds from the event support educational programming at the museum. Tickets ($25–45, ages 21+) are available at the door and at h-co.org/BrujaBrewFest.

Archuleta was instrumental to the development and installation of the Borderlands of Southern Colorado exhibitions at El Pueblo History Museum and Trinidad History Museum in 2018 and 2019, and helped to lead work on Indigenous captivity that is now part of a new Borderlands exhibit at Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center, Unsilenced: Indigenous Enslavement in Southern Colorado. She served as the Women’s Vote Centennial Colorado project manager from 2019 through 2021, supporting outreach to multi-generational audiences in all 64 Colorado counties about the largest voting-rights expansion in U.S. history. Archuleta is committed to serving her community through educational and historical connections, especially within her work on History Colorado’s Museum of Memory initiative and a teen mentoring program, called Bridging Borders, that connects young women and adult mentors to learn about Pueblo’s history and the contributions of women to Pueblo and the southern Colorado community. Her passion is to create a space for all of Pueblo’s history to be told.

“Dianne is such a success story. I first met her when she was a non-traditional student at CSU-Pueblo. She then served as an intern for both History Colorado and the Smithsonian. She joined our team after graduation and has led important statewide initiatives for us,” said Dawn DiPrince, chief operating officer for History Colorado. “Her deep roots and heart, which are pure Pueblo, are perfect for leading El Pueblo History Museum into the future.”

“I am excited to increasingly serve my community as I move into this new role,” said Archuleta. “I love working with people and making a difference in the lives of young people, especially those who find themselves left out of the historical narrative of Pueblo and Southwest history.” 

In addition to several acclaimed core exhibitions, High Water Marks: Pueblo's Resilience in the Face of Disaster is currently on view at El Pueblo History Museum through Oct. 31, 2021. The museum opens its first new exhibition under Archuleta’s leadership, exploring the rich history and traditions of ballet folklórico, with a celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 5. The museum also hosts Fandango, a ballet folklórico showcase, during the Pueblo Chile & Frijole Festival on Saturday, Sept. 25. In addition to the new Borderlands exhibition at Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center, a new Borderlands exhibition at the Trinidad History Museum opens September 24, developed in conjunction with the 250th anniversary of the Santa Fe Trail.

A full bio for Dianne Archuleta is available here in PDF format.

About El Pueblo History Museum
El Pueblo History Museum is located at 301 N. Union Avenue in the heart of historic downtown Pueblo. The museum stands on the site of the original El Pueblo trading post, constructed in 1842, and current exhibits include Borderlands of Southern Colorado, the award-winning Children of Ludlow, and the Museum of Memory. El Pueblo History Museum is a museum of History Colorado. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.ElPuebloHistoryMuseum.org or call 719-583-0453.

About History Colorado
History Colorado is a division of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and a 501(c)3 non-profit that has served more than 75,000 students and 500,000 people in Colorado each year. It is a 142-year-old institution that operates Colorado’s oldest museum, nine additional museums and historic sites, a free public research center, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, and the History Colorado State Historical Fund (SHF), which is the nation’s largest preservation program of its kind. The SHF currently administers more than 250 grants across Colorado, of which more than 70 percent are allocated to rural areas.

History Colorado’s mission is to create a better future for Colorado by inspiring wonder in our past. We serve as the state’s memory, preserving and sharing the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through educational programs, historic preservation grants, collecting, outreach to Colorado communities, the History Colorado Center and Stephen H. Hart Research Center in Denver, and nine other museums and historic attractions statewide. History Colorado is one of only six Smithsonian Affiliates in Colorado. Visit HistoryColorado.org, or call 303-HISTORY, for more information.