Art Shorts
New in Town
Smith-Benton Gallery, Silver City's newest art venue in the historic Yankee-Texas Street art district, is exhibiting works in watercolor and acrylic, as well as sculptures, assemblages, wire and clay creations and handcrafted jewelry. The gallery represents exclusively the works of New Mexico artists Jackie Ritke-Jones, Ellie Martinson, Tim Read, Julia Smith, Mary Yardley and gallery owner Major Benton, as well as Claudia Richards, Vivien Segel, Gabriella Fiabane, Jill Caldwell and Mary Gravelle. Other works by Denny Winters, New Yorker magazine illustrator Richard Merkin and Connecticut watercolorist Priscilla Souder also are on display.
211 N. Texas Street, Silver City, 590-2200.
Grand Opening
The Monte Cristo Gift Shop & Gallery, located in the mountain ghost town of Chloride, will celebrate its grand opening on July 1, 10a.m.- 4 p.m. The artists will be on hand and there will be music and cowboy poetry throughout the day. The gallery is at the west end of Chloride next to the Pioneer Store Museum.
Email montecristo@zianet.com or call 743-0190 .
In Las Cruces and Mesilla
The Branigan Cultural Center currently is exhibiting "Colorful Women: Women in Native Folkwear from Mexico to the Middle East," works by Las Cruces artist and teacher Valerie Purpura. The show will be on display through July 29. 500 N. Water Street in the downtown mall, 541-2155.
"Light Through Stone," the works of Doug Gray, will be on display at the the Las Cruces Museum of Art, July 14-August 19. An opening reception for the artist will be held Aug. 4, 5-7pm.
490 N. Water Street in the downtown mall, 541-2137, museums.lascruces.org.
"LandShapes in Color," abstracts by Phoenix artist Jane Rathbun, will be shown at the Patio Art Gallery through July 31, with an opening reception for the artist July 8, 1-4 p.m.
El Paseo and University Ave., Las Cruces, www.patioartgallery.com, 541-7401.
Digital Art is the theme of the exhibit at the Tombaugh Gallery of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Las Cruces, featuring works by the husband and wife team of JD Jarvis and Myriam Lozada-Jarvis for the month of July. An opening reception will be held July 9, 2-4 p.m., with a presentation and talk in the gallery July 16, 3-4 p.m.
2000 S. Solano, Las Cruces, 522-7281.
The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery will host a reception for artists of the month Yvonne Postelle and Phil Yost on Saturday, July 8, 2-4 p.m. Postelle, whose paintings have earned awards at local and regional art exhibits, is primarily a landscape artist, painting in oils. Yost, describing himself as an "old wrestler, ex-forester, returned Peace Corps volunteer, retired science teacher. . . and watercolorist 'til the end," paints a variety of detailed Southwest scenes.
2470-A Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla, 522-2933.
The Old Tortilla Factory will host an opening reception July 14, 5-7 p.m., for several of its artist/gallery owners presenting their latest works in a variety of media.
Avenida de Mesilla and Calle de Parian, 523-1890.
Ongoing Shows
JW Art Gallery, at The Old Hurley Store, is showing the works of New Hampshire artist Shannon Stirnweis, Loren Schmidt of Truth or Consequences, Arizona artists Jaxine Cummins, Christine Sandifur and Hal Stewart, and works by the proprietor of the gallery, Joseph W. Wade Jr. The show includes paintings in watercolor, oil and acrylic and bronze sculptures.
99 Cortez Avenue, Hurley, www.thetown.com, 537-0300.
New Mexico State University Art Gallery's current exhibit, "Mysterious Journey: Art & Enigma from the Permanent Collection," will continue until August 6, featuring popular works from its permanent collection and some new acquisitions, including several never seen by the public.
Call for summer hours, 646-2545.