The birth of the Placitas Artist Series came about as a result of the happy confluence of a couple of timely events as well as the vision and eager participation of several Placitas folks. In 1984 the Las Placitas Presbyterian Church completed its new sanctuary and the pastor and congregation were eager to promote and share it with the larger Placitas community. One concert had been held there and the acoustics proved to be very fine indeed. Around the same time a group of string musicians recently arrived in Albuquerque from Mexico formed what became the Helios String Quartet and began looking for performance opportunities. The wife of the organizing cellist was a reporter with The Albuquerque Journal with friends in Placitas, who suggested she interview the pastor of the church for a story idea. The resulting article was “Placitas Church Serves as Hub: Varied Activities Foster Spirit of Community.” The other result of that interview was an idea: a Helios String Quartet concert in the new sanctuary! The success of that concert seemed to beg for more of the same and a committee was formed to set in motion a whole series for the following season. The pastor, the church treasurer, the church music director, the cellist, the friend, and a local artist organized themselves into the first board of directors, chose a name, wrote by-laws and planned the concerts. The pre-existing local art shows in the church’s fellowship hall would be promoted alongside the concerts and would later be incorporated into PAS itself. After its first season PAS incorporated as a not-for-profit 501(c)3, wholly independent of the church. In 2026-2027, PAS is ready to celebrate its fortieth season! * * * Article author Sally Curro is a founding member of the Placitas Artists Series and continues to serve the organization as a board member Emerita.