D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
April
2009
Art Shorts
Silver City/Grant County Arts Scene
The Blue Dome Gallery will exhibit a new show of works by Carlene Roters (see "Taking Flight," November 2007) this month with an opening reception for the artist April 4, 4-7 p.m. The works are monotypes and paintings, representing a new artistic exploration for the Silver City artist. "After three months away from my studio I had so many ideas, I did not know where to start. I wanted to paint, but painting in my usual manner was not going to allow me to try out all that was filling my head. I knew I needed to make painted sketches," Roters says.
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Work by Amanda Gordon Dunn of Denver,
in the "Nylon Show" at
the Preston Contemporary Art Center. |
"I chose monotypes because I had not done them in color before and the process would allow me to paint and print at the same time. With monotypes, I paint on Plexiglas, experiment with various techniques of applying paint, and transfer multiple layers of color to my paper until I reach my goal: a print that makes my statement and is pleasing to my critical eye. I have been enjoying this process in that I am able to do many takes on one idea." The exhibit's opening day is part of the Celebration of Spring on Texas and Yankie, and will be punctuated with gunfire as the Texas Street Outlaws perform their humorous "shootouts" at 12 p.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. A street dance with Brandon Perrault and Rhythm Mystic will follow at 6 p.m. 307 N. Texas St., 534-8671, www.bluedomegallery.com
An exhibit of Pierre Nichols' gourd art, as featured on last month's Desert Exposure cover, will be held at the Mimbres Region Arts Council gallery in the Wells Fargo Bank Building in Silver City, with an opening reception April 3 at 5 p.m. For more about the artist, see www.artisticgourds.com or call 538-2505.
The arts council will also sponsor the latest in its "Evening with the Artist" series, featuring Barry Namm, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. 538-2505, www.MimbresArts.org
Local fiber artist Jean McLaughlin Cowie will have two of her sizeable, quilted pieces of art in the Las Cruces Parade of Homes this month. She is also exhibiting works in a duo exhibition at Riverviews in Lynchburg, Va., starting May 1. www.paintedrockquiltdesign.com
The Grant County Art Guild announces the opening of its Hearst Church Gallery in Pinos Altos for the 2009 season, with a reception for a Member Show on April 28 at 6 p.m. The show will be on display the weekend of May 1-3. Visitors are encouraged to vote for their favorite art and craft.
The Hearst Church Gallery will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until Oct. 4, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors are invited to visit the historic church, and view the artwork by local artists. The gallery is located on Golden Avenue in Pinos Altos (see "Tall Pines Tales" in this issue), seven miles north of Silver City, 538-9761 or 538-8216.
Hutchings Fine Art will be celebrating the season with a special Spring Sale. 211 B N. Texas St., 313-6939, www.debhutchings.com
Kate Brown will hold a one-day intensive tile-making class at her studio in the Mimbres on April 25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 536-9935, www.katebrownpottery.com
The Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Collective will offer several classes during April: Beginning Inkle Loom Weaving, Beginning Knitting, Altered Fiber Art Book, and Using and Adjusting Knitting Patterns. For more information, contact the group through The Common Thread, 107 Broadway, 538-5733 or visit www.fiberartscollective.org
San Vicente Artists is sponsoring its third annual Judged Student Art Show, April 17-18 at the Silco Theater, 311 N. Bullard St. in downtown Silver City, in conjunction with the Silver City MainStreet Celebration of Spring. An opening reception will be held April 17 5-8 p.m. Students' work can be dropped off at Creations & Adornments Gallery, 116 N. Bullard, April 13-16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; entries must be matted and framed, but a large selection of donated frames are available for students who would like to enter and cannot afford frames for their work. In addition to ribbons for the winners, seniors will be awarded scholarships to pursue art in college. For more information, contact Diane Reed at 534-4269.
Las Cruces/Mesilla Arts Scene
It's a busy spring at the Preston Contemporary Art Center in Mesilla, with several events and new exhibits this month. The 2009 Spring Exhibition opens April 10, showcasing the works of five artists in a variety of mediums, with a reception 6:30-8:30 p.m. Included in the show are works by Dan Burkholder, photography; Jeffrey Curto, photography; Elizabeth Galvin, painting; Jed Schlegel, ceramic sculpture; and Richard Warrington, steel sculpture.
Dan Burkholder is an acknowledged master of digital fine art photography. His works in the Preston exhibition are selections from "The Color of Loss," presenting a powerful new way of seeing the ravaged homes, churches, schools and businesses of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. In addition to exhibiting in the Spring show, Burkholder will teach a workshop in "High Dynamic Range" techniques at the Mesilla Digital Imaging Workshops at the Preston, April 18 and 19. For information, call 523-8713 or visit the website www.mesillaworkshops.com
Jeffrey Curto has been photographing the architectural landscape of Italy since 1989, exploring the visual splendor of its religious, public and vernacular structures. He works with a large-format camera because of its ability to express nuances of tone and detail, as well as the deliberate actions, which the camera requires and he enjoys.
A native of El Paso, Elizabeth Galvin set up a studio in her home in the midst of her career in advertising. Her passion for creating fine art grew, and for the past 10 years, she has been painting full time. The playful, dreamlike qualities of an illustrator are still visible in the surreal interiors and landscapes she creates. She is the 2006 recipient of the Purchase Award and 2007 recipient of the Preston Price Memorial Award at the El Paso International Exhibition.
Clay sculptor Jed Schlegel works with white stoneware and porcelain, fired to in a gas-reduction atmosphere. Sculptural work can involve many types of construction, and Schlegel's attention to form and an emphasis on craftsmanship are the foundational elements and the driving force of what he does.
For Richard Warrington, the Pacific Northwest is not just home, but a landscape that makes a bold impact on his art. His impressionistic sculptural work reflects years spent exploring that area's dramatic cliffs and canyons, basalt plateaus, towering rock formations and steep gorges. His preferred medium is aluminum, due to its workability and weight; he also works occasionally in corten steel, stainless steel and bronze. His designs are a simple, bold and rhythmical reaction to his environment.
Also at the Preston Contemporary Art Center this month, the juried "Nylon Show" opens with a reception April 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. "Nylon" has numerous connotations within the art world that can offer nylon as either an artistic medium or as the artwork's context. A textile with surface, weight and strength, it also suggests elements of sexuality or spirituality. Nylon's applications are multiple and diverse, as evidenced by the art in a wide range of mediums — including photography, mixed media, sculpture, video and large installations — in this exhibit of works by 14 artists from across the country. Preston Contemporary Art Center, 1755 Avenida de Mercado, Mesilla, 523-8713, www.prestoncontemporaryart.com
The Branigan Cultural Center will host and sponsor a variety of arts events this month, including two art exhibits and a dance event. The New Mexico Watercolor Society Southern Chapter's 2009 Spring Membership Exhibit opens April 3 with an artists' reception 5-7 p.m. Twenty-two artists will show 34 paintings selected by juror Bill Rakocy of El Paso. This show, the Southern Chapter's third juried Spring exhibit, features a wide variety of works, from realistic to expressive abstractions of subjects including figurative, floral, landscape, still life and animals. The exhibit continues through April 28.
Also, the exhibit "Colors and Textures of Southern New Mexico" will be held over for an additional month at the Branigan. The exhibit opened March 6 and was scheduled to close at the end of the month, but will remain on display through April 25. The show features the work of three Las Cruces artists, Judy Licht, Lynn Unangst and Laurel Weathersbee. The artists have included a variety of two- and three-dimensional works, interpreting their visions of this area's flora, culture and landscape. "The exhibit has been very well received, and we are pleased to be able to extend the exhibit another month," says Garland Courts, Branigan Cultural Center manager. In addition, a gallery talk has been set for April 11, 11 a.m., in which Weathersbee will discuss the theme and her technique of torn-paper watercolor collage. The program is free and will take place in the exhibit hall. 501 N. Main St., on the Downtown Mall, 541-2155, 541-2154, www.las-cruces.org/museums
And the 4th Annual Day of Dance, sponsored by the Branigan Cultural Center, is set for April 26, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The program has become so popular that it has moved from the Cultural Center down the street to the Rio Grande Theater to accommodate larger audiences. The International Day of Dance was initiated in 1982 by the International Dance Council, under the auspices of UNESCO. The council's purpose is to act as a worldwide forum for bringing together international, national and local organizations, and individuals active in dance. Branigan Cultural Center began hosting a local International Day of Dance in 2006 to present culturally diverse dance forms found in the Las Cruces area.
An eclectic one-person exhibit by local artist Margaret Bernstein, "Flowers and Sunshine, with occasional dark," opens at thetheatregallery in the Black Box Theater April 17, with an artist's reception as part of the May Downtown Ramble. The works foretell the mood and tone of the play, Enchanted April, running April 17-May 3 at the theater. "To create artwork inspired by a playwright's look at the world is a unique experience and one I enjoy," Bernstein says, "because the playwright's view often coincides well with my concept of making art." 430 N. Downtown Mall.
Artists of the Las Cruces Arts Association celebrate their fifth decade of supporting the arts with the opening of an exhibit, "The World Around Us," at the Cottonwood Gallery April 3, 5-7 p.m. The opening is in conjunction with the Downtown Ramble. It is the group's 47th annual Membership Show, featuring works in a variety of art mediums. Prizes will be awarded in four categories. The show runs through April 27. The gallery is in the Southwest Environmental Center, 275 N. Downtown Mall, 522-5552.
You have just two days to catch the 2009 NMSU Juried Student Exhibit. Joy Miller, curator at the Museum of Art, juried the show, which runs through April 2. NMSU Art Gallery, DW Williams Art Building, University at Solano, 646-2545. www.nmsu.edu/~artgal
And the artistic talents of Las Cruces high school seniors will be on display at the Museum of Art during the annual "All-City High School Seniors' Exhibition," opening with a reception for the artists April 17, 5-7 p.m. The crowd-pleasing show runs through April 26 and will include artwork by students graduating from Alma de Arte, Las Cruces, Mayfield, and Oate High Schools. The works cover a wide range of artistic mediums, including ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, drawing and painting, photography and mixed media. "We are always delighted to be part the High School Seniors' Exhibition," says Museum of Art manager Lisa Pugh. "This tradition is one of my favorite events." The opening reception will be catered by senior students in high school culinary arts programs, whose creations will be judged for taste and presentation. 491 N. Main St., 541-2137, museums.las-cruces.org
Artist members of the Teacup Garden Studio group will present "Animal Dreams," an exhibit introducing and illustrating local wildlife, at the Tombaugh Gallery this month, with an opening reception April 5, 12-2 p.m. The works in a variety of mediums, created by 11 regular studio members, will display the artists' many interpretations of wildlife habits — and perhaps dreams! The gallery is in the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2000 S. Solano, 521-3917.
The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery will feature Joyce Ann Key and Sally Quillen this month. 2470-A Calle de Guadalupe, 522-2933.
John Boler has opened a Las Cruces- and Internet-based art business, John A. Boler Fine Art, providing art sales, consultations, art brokerage and appraisals within his established expertise in contemporary Southwest art and American Indian art. Bohler currently showcases the works of eight area artists: Amy Cordova, Taos, painting and printmaking; Dan Enger, Taos, painting and printmaking; Pamela Enriquez-Courts, Las Cruces, painting; Sally McDevitt, Albuquerque, painting; John Northcutt, Las Cruces, metal sculpture; Yvonne Postelle, Las Cruces, painting; Dolona Roberts, El Paso, painting and printmaking; and Ouida Touchon, Las Cruces, painting. Several works of each artist are available for viewing on the website, in Boler's home office or in the client's home or office. Boler has been a specialist in the Southwest and American Indian art genres for 25 years and recently relocated from Minneapolis to Las Cruces. 4372 Camino Dos Vidas, 382-6914, www.johnabolerfineart.com
Luna County Arts Scene
The Deming Arts Council will sponsor an Open Studio Art Tour, April 25-26. For more information, contact the council at 546-3663 or stop in at 100 S. Gold St.
Sierra County Arts Scene
To celebrate "Spring with a Zing," the artists and artisans of Percha Creek Traders in Hillsboro will present craft and fine art demonstrations to the public, April 4, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. "We'll have several fascinating demonstrations going on all day, everything from quilting and thread painting to wood turning to wire sculpture," says Matilde Holzwarth, president of the artists' cooperative. "And, of course, our galleries will be full of new works — something for everyone at affordable prices. It's time to celebrate spring!" Participating artists include Marge Myers, demonstrating free-motion quilting and thread painting; ceramic artist Kathy Lovell, creating whimsical animals in clay; Sandy Hopper, applying dyes and resists on silk; Jane Dobrott, shaping wire into complicated animal sculptures; Geno Washburn, turning bowls from native sycamore; Ellie Nordgren, sharing soap-making secrets; and Melody Sears, inviting visitors to help her paint in oils and pastels. Members of Percha Creek Traders are local artists who share the work of operating their large cooperative store, which is located in an historic building on the main street running through Hillsboro, an old mining town laid out along picturesque Percha Creek.
Percha Creek Traders also will have a special showing of wire-sculpture art by Jane Dobrott, with a reception and refreshments April 25, 10- a.m.-4 p.m. Dobrott brings years of ranch life, coupled with a degree in fine arts, to her wire sculptures of horses and other animals. Her subject matter comes from the life around her: She lives on a buffalo ranch in south-central New Mexico managed by her husband, Steve, and the two of them also manage a conservation-breeding group of rare Spanish Barb horses, the breed brought to the Americas by the conquistadors. For several years, she has experimented with wire-bending techniques, testing types and gauges of wire and types of twists to sculpt her animals and give them personalities. "My hands look kind of shredded most of the time," she says, "but it sure is fun!" Hwy. 152 in downtown Hillsboro, 18 miles west of I-25 at exit 63. 895-5116, www.perchacreektraders.com
The April Art Hop in downtown Truth or Consequences will be April 11, 6-9 p.m. Galleries, studios, shops and restaurants will be open late; see the Downtown Gallery Association website for info on opening exhibits and other special events. www.torcart.com