Las Cruces Falls in Love With Art in February
An ArtForms Member Show at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces will keynote the city's ninth annual For the Love of Art Month.
An opening celebration with the artists will be held on Thursday, Feb. 8, from 5-7 p.m., and the show will continue through Feb. 28 during regular museum hours (Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-1 p.m.). Artwork on display will include paintings, photographs, sculptures, fabric arts and multimedia works, featuring the work of more than 40 artists.
For the Love of Art Month brings opportunities to meet artists, see how and where they work, and purchase art directly from them. Two weekends of studio and gallery tours will be Feb.10-11 and Feb. 17-18, with studios open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day. Studio tour maps and venue lists are available at locations including the Convention and Visitor's Bureau (211 N. Water St.), Blue Gate Gallery, Branigan Cultural Center, White Raven Studios and the new Alegre Gallery.
ArtForms members will also be showing their art at venues all around Las Cruces, including restaurants and businesses, in addition to a number of art galleries. Venues exhibiting ArtForms member art during For the Love of Art Month include:
Alegre Gallery, 1701 Calle de Mercado #1, 523-2311–Joyce May, collage and pastel landscapes
Black Box Theater, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223–Susan Long, acrylic paintings
Blue Gate Gallery, 311 N. Downtown Mall, 523-2950–Flo Hosa Dougherty, paintings
Bountiful Baking Company, 3050 E. Lohman, 532-6886–Rebecca Courtney, abstract and landscape acrylic paintings
Branigan Cultural Center, 500 N. Water, 541-2155–ArtForms Member Show, Las Colcheras Quilt Guild Show (opens Feb. 23)
Branigan Library, Terrace Gallery, 200 E. Picacho Ave., 528-4000–New Mexico Watercolor Society
Drawings by Maria Cristina Studio, 1910 Calle de Parian, Mesilla–Cristina Fridenstine, freehand drawings and folk paintings
Emerald Isle, 1710 Calle de Mercado, Mesilla, 525-9177–Kathleen Squires, oil paintings
Glenn Cutter Gallery, 2640 El Paseo Road, 524-4300–Lois Wilson, fused glass; Brian Fallstead, metal sculptures
Insta-Copy, 318 N. Downtown Mall, 526-6602–Sharlene Glock, photography
International Delights, 1245 El Paseo Rd,. 647-5956–Frank Parrish, photography
Las Cruces Farmers & Craft Market, Downtown Mall–T. LaPierre, sculptures; F. Parrish, photography; S. Gaskill, multimedia
Laughing at the Sun Gallery, 1910 Calle de Parian, Mesilla, 523-1890–C.C. Cunningham, acrylic paintings
M. Phillips Fine Art Gallery, 300 N. Downtown Mall, 525-1367–Russian and European art
Mastery in Life Center, 575 N. Main, 523-4847–Original works by several local artists
Rising Sky Artworks, 415 Foster Road, 525-8454–Richard and Dorothy Rising, stoneware and porcelain ceramic creations
Roffler Family Hair Care Center, 1750 E. Lohman, 524-1500–Ron Cooper, photography
Studio 309, 309 E. Organ, 649-3781–Ken Stinnett, photography and jewelry; Ruth Drayer, acrylic painting
The Planet Restaurant, 2293 Divot, 525-8009–Rebecca Courtney, acrylic paintings
White Raven Studios, 425 W. Griggs, 525-9543–Valice Raffi, ceramic/mixed media
Other events throughout February will celebrate the arts. Fabric arts will be the focus when the Branigan displays Las Colcheras Quilt Guild President's Challenge Show, "From Kansas to Oz," opening on Friday, Feb. 23, 5-7 p.m. Quilts will be created based on the theme and quilters are limited to using the materials in a provided kit. The traveling Hoffman Challenge Exhibit will also be on display.
Another event hosted by the Las Colcheras Quilt Guild will be a lecture and trunk show entitled "The Beauty of the Southwest" by J. Michelle Watts of Roswell, a quilt-book author, teacher and designer. The event is free for guild members; non-guild members are welcome for a $5 fee. The event will be held at the guild meeting at the Elks Club, 3000 Elks Drive in Las Cruces.
Metal sculptor and ArtForms member Susan Frary will be among the artist blacksmiths demonstrating their skills on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 1-5 p.m. at the Farm and Ranch Museum forge. This demonstration is part of the Regional Blacksmiths' Conference, a special meeting of the SouthWest Artist Blacksmiths. Visitors are encouraged to drop by and observe. Those interested in learning more about the ancient craft of blacksmithing may attend the two-day event. The cost for the two days, including lunch, is $20 if pre-registered or $25 at the door. For more information about the schedule or to pre-register, contact the Farm and Ranch Museum's Education Department at 522-4100.
The Terrace Gallery of the Branigan Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave., will feature the New Mexico Watercolor Society's For the Love of Art Show. It will begin with an opening reception on Friday, Feb. 2, from 4-6 p.m. and will continue through Feb. 28. The show can be viewed during regular library hours.
What do "Three Crazy Girls From Las Cruces" have in common? Humorous art! Martha Randall Brown, Sally Quillin and Laurel Weathersbee will combine talents for a show they call "Dramedy." The exhibit, which opens at the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Downtown Mall, with an artists' reception on Friday, Feb. 2, from 5-7 p.m., will hang during the month of February.
Do you consider yourself an expert on the master artists? Even if you're not, join the fun at the Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery. Artists participating in "My Masterpiece" during February will exhibit works in the style of their favorite masters; gallery visitors will have the chance to match artists with masters and win prizes. The public is invited to a special artists' reception Saturday, Feb. 10, 1-4 p.m. The gallery is located at 2470 Calle de Guadalupe, in the historic Fountain Building.
If you have questions about For the Love of Art Month, e-mail love-of-art@comcast.net. For information on joining ArtForms, which is an association dedicated to the promotion of artists and the business of art, call the direct voicemail line at 541-4353 and leave a message.