Art Shorts
Silver City
Four downtown Silver City galleries on Texas Street, Reese-Benton Gallery, Last Day in Paradise, Bloomin' Gourdworks and Lois Duffy Galler, will hold a combined silent auction March 10, 3-4:45 p.m., with winning bids announced at 5 p.m. Artists from all four galleries will have work in the auction, with individual bid sheets listing the pieces' regular retails and lowest minimum bids. Works will be on display the prior week.
Reese-Benton Gallery, 211-D N. Texas St., Silver City, 590-2200, majorsigns@aol.com, www.reesebenton.com
Last Day in Paradise, 211-B N. Texas St., 313-5610
Bloomin' Gourdworks, 211-A N. Texas, 534-1071
Lois Duffy, 211-C N. Texas, 534-0822, loisduffy@signalpeak.net, www.loisduffy.com.
Hurley
JW Art Gallery in Hurley will feature "The Cats Meow!," works by Victoria Chick, along with paintings, monotypes and monoprints by other artists, March 3-31, with an opening reception March 3, 2-4 p.m.
And on April 12, the gallery will hold an opening reception for "Barelas a Través de los años—Barelas across the Years: A Pictorial History of a Community," a portion of the traveling Barelas Oral History Exhibit, jointly sponsored by the National Hispanic Cultural Center and Casa de la Cultura en Santa Clara. JW Gallery, 99 Cortez, Hurley, 537-0300, www.thetown.com.
Las Cruces
The Cottonwood Gallery will be showing "Gila River: Photographs of New Mexico's Last Wild River," a photography exhibit co-sponsored by The Gila Conservation Coalition and the Southwest Environmental Center, through March. 275 N. Downtown Mall, 538-8078, 522-5552.
The Las Cruces Museum of Art will show "Against the Grain," woodcuts by Mesilla artist Anthony Lazorko, in the Director's Gallery, March 2-April 28, with an opening reception for the artist March 2, 5-7 p.m. Spanning a 50-year career of printmaking, the exhibit depicts the American experience and focuses on beauty found in the ordinary. The museum's Main Gallery will continue to exhibit "North & South of the Border" through April 7, featuring the works of Antonio Castro, Gaspar Enriquez and Diana Molina. That exhibit will be followed by the annual Las Cruces High Schools Seniors' Exhibition, April 20-28. 491 N. Main St., Las Cruces, 541-2137, museums.las-cruces.org.
As part of the world recognition of International Women's Day 2007, the Branigan Cultural Center will take part in the exhibition, "Women Without Borders," a multidisciplinary exhibit that will be celebrated at three locations, featuring the work of more than 40 internationally recognized artists. An opening reception for the artists, March 9, 5-7 p.m., will include remarks from Las Cruces Mayor William Mattiace and Mexican Consul General Juan Carlos Foncerrada. The exhibit will run through March 31.
The Branigan also will host two quilt shows, the President's Challenge exhibit of the Las Colcheras Quilt Guild and the traveling Hoffman Challenge Collection, which will be on display through March 31, with an opening reception March 2, 5-7 p.m. in conjunction with the monthly Ramble in the downtown mall. The event also includes hand-quilting demonstrations March 3, 7, 10, 14 and 17. The theme of the President's Challenge exhibit is "From Kansas to Oz." 501 N. Main St. in the downtown mall, 541-2155, museums.las-cruces.org.
And in the Branigan Library's Dresp Room, the New Mexico Watercolor Society-Southern Chapter will hold its monthly meeting, March 15, featuring Dorothy Petersen, watercolorist, on the topic, From Abstract to Representational. A fee of $3 to members, $5 to non-members, will be charged to cover speaker's costs.
The Patio Art Gallery's "Fur and Feathers" show opens Saturday, March 3, with a reception from 1-4 p.m. "It is our first animal show ever, and we are having fun trying something different," says artist Carolyn Bunch, gallery co-owner. Patio Art Gallery artists participating in "Fur and Feathers" are Winfrey Hearst, Annetta Hoover, Judy Licht, Joyce T. Macrorie, Julie Ford Oliver and Dan Tapper. University at El Paseo, 541-7401.
Mesilla
The Allegre Gallery, which takes the place of the former Nash Gallery, is featuring the works of 28 artists, some continuing from the former gallery and some new. 1701 Calle de Mercado suite 1, 523-2311.
The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery in March will feature the works of Carol Lopez, Mayanna Howard, and 30 other local artists in many media. 2470 Calle de Guadalupe, 522-2933.
Artist Laurel Weathersbee will teach a "Spring Greeting Card Class" in the Tea Shop at Funky Karma, Thursday, March 29, 3-4:30 p.m. Cost is $7.50 and includes all materials. Space is limited, so register early. 207 Avenida de Mesilla, 635-2275.