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