D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
October
2008
Arts Happenings
Grant County
The Mimbres Region Arts Council will display works by local photographer Dennis Weller at its gallery in the Wells Fargo Bank building, with an opening reception for the artist Oct. 3, 5:30 p.m. See story in Arts section. 1201 Pope St. 538-2505.
Oct. 3-5 is the last weekend for the 23rd annual Grant County Purchase Prize Award Exhibit at the Pinos Altos Hearst Church Gallery. 538-8216.
Besides the locations listed in this issue's Weekend at the Galleries guide, the San Vicente Artists will also be having an exhibit of their art at Alotta Gelato on Bullard Street.
The Gila House Hotel and Gallery 400 will host "An Enchanted Evening with Mike Moutoux," Oct. 24. The evening starts with a gourmet New Mexican supper and ends with an hour of cowboy songs and cowboy poetry. Moutoux performs a mix of classics and original pieces that put an audience as close to being in the saddle as words and music allow. Seating is limited for this dinner with the artist and private show; tickets are $45. Moutoux's new CD, "Headin' Home," was nominated in 2007 for Cowboy Poetry CD of the Year by the Western Music Association. Reservations required. 400 N. Arizona, 313-7015.
Las Cruces and Mesilla
Luna CountyThe Preston Contemporary Art Center in Mesilla will introduce the work of seven artists in its 2008 Fall Exhibition running Oct. 10-Dec. 21, with an opening reception for the artists Oct. 10, 6-8 p.m. Artists featured include Marika Bordes, wood sculpture; Daniel Boylan, painting; Anki King, painting and sculpture; Shelley Lake, photography; Gregory Litinsky, watercolor painting; Frank Morbillo, sculpture; and Sue Simon, painting. The center's director, Paul Schranz, says the exhibition provides an interesting mix of figurative works, both painting and sculpture, in strong, expressive and abstract presentations. Also on exhibit are panoramic photography and sculptures of steel, bronze and glass. Works by three artists with roots in the Ukraine, Norway and Haiti maintain the intent to show pieces with an international flavor. Additionally, works by two artists in the 2008 Fall Exhibition are included in the settings of feature films scheduled for release this winter. 1755 Avenida de Mercado, 523-8713, www.prestoncontemporaryart.com
"Together 33 Years," Jo-an Smith's new show of paintings and jewelry, is on exhibit at Glenn Cutter Jewelers and Gallery. The show celebrates the 33-year collaboration of friendship and art between Smith, Sally and Glenn Cutter and more recently, Steve Boudreau, now owner of Glenn Cutter Jewelers. The show runs to Oct. 22. 524-4300.
"Images of the Southwest," an exhibit of fine art photography by Glenn F. Hohnstreiter and plein aire paintings by Mark Hohnstreiter, will run at the Tombaugh Gallery Oct. 1-31, with an opening reception for the artists Oct. 5, 12-2 p.m. Both artists, who are father and son, choose landscapes as their subject matter and are decorated with numerous awards and honors. The gallery is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Las Cruces, 2000 S. Solano. 522-7281.
The Branigan Cultural Center will exhibit "Black/White & Beyond," works by Virginia Maria Romero, with an opening reception for the artist Oct. 3, 5-7 p.m. Romero's art will be accompanied by poems by Keith Wilson, a long-time source of inspiration. In conjunction with its current "Three Dreamers" exhibit, the Cultural Center will screen "Vision of the Soul: The George Mendoza Story," a documentary on the inspirational, legally blind artist, Oct. 11, 10 a.m. Mendoza will be present and participate in a question and answer session following the film. "Three Dreamers" is a two-man, one-woman group art show featuring the work of Mendoza, Virginia Maria Romero and Paul Hoylen, Jr. The exhibit will remain on display through Oct. 25. 501 N. Main St. on the downtown mall. 541-2154, museums.las-cruces.org
The Las Cruces Museum of Art has extended gallery hours during the run of "Rodin: In His Owns Words; Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation," the comprehensive exhibit featuring 42 sculptures, including various sized bronzes, as well as journal entries and letters by the famed French artist, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Accompanying the show is an educational exhibit on the traditional lost-wax casting process, used to create bronze sculptures. The new extended hours are: Monday-Thursday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The exhibition closes Nov. 22. In conjunction with the Rodin exhibit, New Mexico sculptor Michael Naranjo will present a lecture, "Experiences in Figurative Sculpture," at the Rio Grande Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 4, at 12:30 p.m.
A new gift shop, El Mercado de los Museos, sponsored and operated by the Foundation for Las Cruces Museums to support all four city museums, is now open within the Museum of Art. 491 N. Main on the downtown mall, 541-2137, museums.las-cruces.org
The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery will feature two Texas artists, Nanci Bissell and Yvonne Postel, this month. Bissell's artistic interests reflect a wide range of subject matter, including seascapes, street scenes and landscapes. Postelle works primarily in oils as a landscape painter. 2470 Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla. 522-2933, www.zianet.com/mvartgallery
The New Mexico Watercolor Society, Southern Chapter, will hold its monthly meeting Oct. 12, 2 p.m., at the Good Samaritan's activities room on Buena Vida, just east of Telshor. After a short business meeting, fall workshop instructor Marie Siegrist will demonstrate creating a variety of textures. The meeting is open to the public, with a nominal charge for non-members. 526-5374.
The Center for Latin American and Border Studies at NMSU currently is exhibiting "Lomas del Poleo: Struggle for Land at the US-Mexico Border," photographs by Jon Williams and Bruce Berman, documenting the current land conflict in the Ciudad Juarez border community. The exhibition will run through Oct. 16. Nason House, 1200 University Ave., 646-6814.
The NMSU Museum will host "Mimbres Myth and Imagination," an exhibit of Mogollon pottery and photographs of Mimbres classic black-on-white vessels from museums in the Southwest, with an opening reception Oct. 2, 6-8 p.m. Kent Hall, University Ave. and Solano Dr. 646-5161.
"What I Did Last Summer," an exhibit in theatregallery of works by members of the Las Cruces Arts Association, opens with a wine and cheese reception Oct. 3, 5-7 p.m. The show, with works in watercolor, fabric art and photography, runs through October. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
The Cottonwood Gallery presents the Las Cruces Arts Association's "Recycled," a show of environmentally themed art created out of old paintings and recycled materials. The show will run Oct. 15-Dec. 2 at the Southwest Environmental Center. There will be a reception Nov. 7 in conjunction with the Friday Night Ramble. 275 N. Downtown Mall, 522-5552.
The Demming Arts Council will hold its 6th Annual Art-Fest on Oct. 11, 4-6 p.m. The event is a benefit for New Mexico artists and Deming Arts Council programs and features a wine and cheese reception showcasing area artists, plus entertainment by Guitar Greg. Tickets ($10 donation) are available at the Deming Arts Center, Chamber of Commerce, 1st New Mexico Bank and 1st Savings Bank. The Art-Fest will be held at 4515 Columbus Hwy. SE, the home of Betty and Richard Gilmore.
Sierra County
Percha Creek Traders, Main Street in Hillsboro, will host an "Artists and Artisans Celebration Day," Oct. 18, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Artists will demonstrate pottery working, hat making, woodworking, pastels, watercolors, quilting and more. 895-5116, www.perchacreektraders.com
The M Gallery at 406 Main St. in Truth or Consequences will host "Winklers Distilled," an opening reception and special event featuring art, bourbon and food, Oct. 3, 7 p.m. For the $35 ticket price, attendees get to sample 10 bottles from Jim Beam to 20-year-old Rip Van Winkle bourbon, and enjoy culinary delights and the new art exhibit. Limited seating. 740-4526, iam@moshekoenick.com, www.moshekoenick.com/m
The Sierra County Arts Council will host the fifth annual Hot Springs Cool Art Festival (formerly Destination Sierra County), a regional fair of art and culture, Oct. 3-5. The theme of this year's three-day event is "Art of the Tale, Tale of the Art," and will feature the literary arts including storytelling and bookmaking as a form of art. Along with workshops, book signings, bourbon and food tastings, this year's event will be highlighted by the "Black Tie Bizarre" Oct. 4, 8-12 p.m. That event will include a no-host bar, food, contests, a silent auction and door prizes, DJ Bond and live music by The Saltine Ramblers, Conspiracy of the Insignificant and others at the Senior Center in downtown Truth or Consequences. www.hotspringscoolart.com