FELIPE ARCHULETA elipe Benito Archuleta was born in Santa Cruz, New Mexico, the oldest of six children. He quit school in second grade and as a young man held several jobs, including harvesting crops, playing the drums, and working for the Civilian Conservation Corps. He worked as a carpenter for thirty years and was a member of the carpenterÆs union. Work was not always available, however, and in the 1960s he found himself without means to support his large family. He begged God for guidance and within days found himself collecting pieces of cottonwood and carving animals. A long tradition of wood carving exists in Spanish New Mexico, but rather than carve religious figures and saints, Archuleta was moved to carve large and often ferocious animals. Irregular, menacing fangs are one of his trademarks. By the 1970s his fame was widespread and his animals in great demand. People who knew Archuleta observe that the animalsÆ expressions of ferocity and whimsy match their makerÆs own irascible and fun-loving personality. Until his death in 1991, Felipe Archuleta was one of the most recognized folk artists in the United States. His animals are included in several museum collections. His son Leroy and other apprentices who worked closely with him at his modest backyard studio continue to work in his style.						Teodora Blanco JosΘ Francisco Borges Felipe Archuleta Candelario Medrano Photo: Davis Mather. Courtesy of Davis Mather Folk Art Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501.