Museum Showcases Panhandlers' Cardboard Signs
An exhibit in Santa Fe's Railyard displays cardboard signs collected from local panhandlers over several years.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Philanthropy
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El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe opened Sonder on October 30, an exhibit of cardboard signs used by panhandlers in the city. The signs were collected by Ericka Kidd, former program manager of the Santa Fe Suites affordable housing complex.
Why it matters
The exhibit draws attention to people who are often ignored and overlooked on Santa Fe streets. Kidd's collection offers a personal record of how local panhandlers presented themselves to passersby.
Ericka Kidd has collected hundreds of signs from Santa Fe panhandlers over four years, beginning with a single sign she found on the side of a road. The total number of signs on display at Sonder and the number of panhandlers in the city were not reported.
The players
Ericka Kidd
Former program manager of the Santa Fe Suites affordable housing complex who has collected hundreds of panhandler signs and displays many of them in her office.
El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe
A Santa Fe cultural institution located in the Railyard district that hosts exhibitions on the region's history and communities.
The details
Kidd, who said she got to know the city's panhandlers while working with local housing programs, began collecting the signs after finding the first one four years ago. A selection of the collected signs is displayed at the Sonder exhibit, which is on view on weekends through November 15.
Timeline
Four years ago: Kidd finds the first cardboard sign on the side of a road.
October 30, 2026: Sonder opens at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe in the Railyard.
Weekends through November 15, 2026: Sonder is on view.
Philanthropy Landscape
Sonder is a museum exhibit rather than a grant or donation program, but it draws attention to a population that local housing and charitable efforts in Santa Fe have long addressed. Kidd's work with the Santa Fe Suites affordable housing complex links the collection to that broader local response.
Visitors to the Railyard can view the Sonder exhibit on weekends through November 15. The display offers a direct look at signs that Santa Fe residents have used to request assistance on city streets.
The takeaway
The Sonder exhibit shows how a single collected object can preserve a personal record of people who are often overlooked. Readers interested in local community life can visit the exhibit in person during its weekend run.
Further reading
Explore more Philanthropy coverage tied to housing and community support in Santa Fe.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Santa Fe New Mexican.
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