Arts Scene: November 2023

OPPORTUNITIES

Deming Art Fest, Dec. 9, includes original art and fine handcrafts designed and produced by artists of many mediums and will be held at the United Methodist Church Gymnasium, 1020 S Granite, Deming. All artists who would like to participate should to contact the Deming Arts Council for an application to participate for free in this event by email to demingarts@hotmail.com or stop by the Deming Arts Center for and application. The set-up will be at 7 a.m. with the Art Fest opening at 9 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m., take down is 4-5 p.m. pm. Info: 575-546-3663.

SILVER CITY

• The Silver City Art Association (SCAA) is holding its Second Annual Holiday Art Market from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Nov 24 and 25 in the ballroom of the Murray Hotel, 200 West Broadway in historic downtown Silver City. The market features art and creations made by the members of the SCAA. The Market features performances by local musicians and food and beverages will be available for purchase from baker Bev Bean. Info: silvercityart.com.

• The Fiercely Independent Exhibit is the hallmark event of the SCAA members who call themselves independent. A selection of work by 27 independent artists is on display at Light Art Space Gallery, located at 209 West Broadway, in Silver City, New Mexico. Beginning Thursday, Nov. 9, during regular gallery hours this exhibit is open to the public. An opening celebration is from 5 to 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 10 with refreshments and live music. The show runs through Nov. 26. Also, on view at Light, Art, Space is work in various media by the Light Art Space Artists: Joel Armstrong, Joe Huebner, Karen Hymer, Kathleen Koopman, Rhonda Munzinger, Art Peterson, Susan Porter, Eric Renner, Nancy Spencer, and Juan Velasco. The gallery is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (until 7 p.m. on First Fridays); 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday; and by appointment. Info: lightartspace.com. For more information about the Independent Artists Exhibit, contact Kathleen Koopman at artistsguesthouse@gmail.com

• Francis McCray Gallery is proud to present the Bi-Annual Department of Expressive Arts Faculty Exhibition through Nov. 16. The exhibition showcases a wide range of traditional and contemporary media and processes including drawing, digital art, ceramics, painting, photography and sculpture. Featured Artists: Ed Brandt, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design; Matt Drissell, assistant professor of drawing and painting; Cynthia Gutierrez, adjunct instructor; Michael Metcalf, professor of sculpture and department chair; Courtney Michaud, associate professor of ceramics; Jim Pendergast, associate professor of photography; and Erin Wheary, assistant professor of sculpture. The Francis McCray Art Gallery can be found at 237 W. Rhoda Road on the WNMU campus in Silver City. Info: 575-538-6517.

DEMING

• November at the Deming Art Center is the annual Recycle Show which is sponsored by Luna County and “Keep Luna County Beautiful.” Featured will be pieces of art made from at least 90 percent recycled materials and crafted by artists of all ages. From 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Nov.5, is the official show opening and a time to meet the artists. The show runs through Nov. 29. The

Deming Art Center is at 100 S. Gold St., Deming. The gallery hours are 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday. Info: 575-546-3663 and at www.demingarts.org.

TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES

• Rio Bravo Fine Art, 110 North Broadway in Truth or Consequences, presents “Mood Drawings - The Good Grief Series" by Delmas Howe. The artwork in Howe’s show are abstracts he calls “mood drawings.” Howe, while creating his usual representational pieces, would take a break to capture a sense of his mood on a nearby sketch pad or canvas. These reflections with a mixture of motion and color have a deep, contemplative aura. His show runs through November 26. Rio Bravo Fine Arts Gallery is at 110 N. Broadway in Truth or Consequences. Info: riobravofa@gmail.com.

CLOUDCROFT

• The Cloudcroft Art Society's Gallery (CAS) annual Holiday Arts and Crafts show and sale is on display in the back room of the Nivison Library in the old red brick schoolhouse, 90 Swallow Place, Cloudcroft. CAS serves Cloudcroft, the surrounding Sacramento Mountain communities, and the Alamogordo-Tularosa area. Info: sznana@totacc.com.

MAGDALENA

• “DARK SKY LAND Exhibition Series,” is a transdisciplinary time-based exhibition, featuring works by astronomers and artists in the context of a Night Sky environmental project. This exhibition takes place in one of the darkest regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The project offers an innovative situation where art, science, nature, culture, community, advocacy and the unknown converge. Co-curated by Catherine DeMaria / Warehouse 1-10 and Marisela La Grave / Magnetic Laboratorium the exhibition is conceived as a three-part series: One. DARK/The Astronomers, Two. SKY/Time and Three. LAND/Space. It features a collection of astronomical artifacts, astrophotography, and works by 27 artists in a broad range of media. The exhibition runs through Nov. 18 at 1-10 Art Space, 110 North Main Street, Magdalena. Info:  www.warehouse110.com;  www.darkskylandfilm.com; www.magneticlaboratorium.com; 575-517-0669

LAS CRUCES

• The annual Artists of Picacho Hills “Holly Day House Art Show” is Nov. 17-18 at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, at 225 W Griggs Avenue. Members of the Potter's Guild participating as guest artists in this annual event. More than 25 artists display various fine art, including ceramics, paintings, jewelry, folk art, handmade books, decorative gourds and fabric and fiber art. This event is free and open to the public. Friday hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Saturday. Parking is south of the church. Turn on May Avenue (one way) from Alameda Boulevard. Info: pmaxwell@bnsl.org or www.pottersguildlc.org.

• Art lovers in the region have an opportunity to experience 40 years of boundary-breaking artwork by conceptual multimedia artist Celia Álvarez Muñoz. More than 35 of her works are on display at the University Art Museum at New Mexico State University. “Celia Álvarez Muñoz: Breaking the Binding” The show, which includes large-scale immersive installations, photographic series and book projects, will run through March 2. The museum is hosting a series of in-person bookmaking workshops Nov. 4, Nov. 18, and Dec. 2 in Devasthali Hall room 106. The workshops are open to anyone interested and participants can choose to exhibit their books in the Mullenix Bridge Gallery alongside artwork by Muñoz. Info: uam.nmsu.edu.

• Camelot Studio announces its fall exhibit: “East Meets West: Chihuahuan Desert Artists from Southern NM and the Big Bend of Texas.” The show runs through the Renaissance Arts Faire weekend and will be available for viewing by appointment through Nov. 12. Open hours for viewing at 2008 Camelot Drive in Las Cruces are 6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 3; noon-6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4; and 1-4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 5. Info: contact Mary Diesel at 432-294-0771. 

• Gallery 925 will be hosting the Border Artists group for the month of November. The members exhibiting in the show, “Small Gems,” represent a variety of disciplines in painting, sculpture, textiles, ceramics, photography and printmaking. Each artist will be giving the viewers a glimpse inside their studio practice, their use of materials and subject matter. The participating Border Artists are: Diane Alire, Chris Bardey, Margaret Berrier, Emmitt Booher, Sherry Doil-Carter, Tauna Cole Dorn, Patricia Dunn, Amanda Jaffe, Suzanne Kane, Cassandra Lockwood, Rosemary McLoughlin, Andrew Nagem, Jeanne Rundell, Storm Sermay, Jo-an Smith, David Sorensen, Jean Wilkey, Nolan Winkler, Terry Wolfe and Naida Zucker. An opening reception is First Friday, 1-8 p.m. Nov. 3 and work will be on display from through Nov. 26. Gallery hours are 1-5 p.m., Fridays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. Gallery 925 is at 925 Mesquite Ave. Info: gallery925nm.com.

• As a member of Agave Artists Gallery, Kathy Baker is featured in November as Artist of the Month.  She's a fiber and ceramic artist. She is a long-time member of the Potters Guild of Las Cruces, Cruces Creatives, and Agave Artists Gallery. At 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. Baker will present “The Making of Art Yarn.” The presentation includes preparing materials, carding, solar dyeing, and spinning. Participants will have an opportunity to try their hand at spinning and weaving. This event is free and open to the public. Also at Agave, potter George Holland is a new member. The gallery is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday to Monday and until 8 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month at 2250 Calle de San Albino. Info: 575-339-9870.

• For Elizabeth Abrams, whose work is on display at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces, the art of photography offers an opportunity to connect deeply with the world, especially in the form of nature. Her exhibit, “Antidotes: Seeing Beauty, Finding Connection,” continues in the Museum’s Arts Corridor through Dec. 2. The show features 24 landscape and wildlife images by Abrams, who lives in Las Cruces. The show also includes the “Death and Life” display, a memorial work dedicated to horses and other animals. Info: 575-522-4100.

• The Las Cruces Museum of Art, is featuring “Artistas de las Fronterizas – Borderland Contemporary Artists.” Sixteen contemporary artists from local borderland communities, including Las Cruces, El Paso, and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, come together in this colorful and expressive exhibit to showcase their work as prominent Borderland artists, on view from Friday, Oct. 6 to Saturday, Dec. 16. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at 491 N. Main St. Info: www.lascruces.gov/museums or 575-541-2137.

• The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery, 2470-A Calle de Guadalupe, across from the historic Fountain Theatre features two local artists for the month of November: Kurt Van Wagner and Mary Zawacki. Van Wagner, a photographer, is a native of California and has been a MVFA Gallery member for fourteen years. Kurt’s photographs capture the local scenes of New Mexico as well as tasteful figurative nudes and his world travels. Zawacki paints primarily with oils and pastels. MVFA has a Holiday Market open house from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4.
  These gallery artists will be demonstrating their techniques: Patricia Black (gourd art); Mark Morden (pastels); Kerry O’Neill (ceramics); and Noel Sandino (mono printing). Holiday Market gift items are available for sale until Dec. 31. First American Bank in Mesilla is well represented by gallery members who rotate the galleries artists’ work monthly. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Info: 575-522-2933, www.mesillavalleyfinearts.com.

• The Tombaugh Gallery, 2000 South Solano, Las Cruces, features the “Art of Navajo Textiles” Nov. 3-26 with two special openings 5-8 p.m., Nov. 3 and 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Curating the show is Bruce Begin, collector/trader, of Navajo rugs. More than 25 rugs will be on display, selected specifically for the show from various Navajo regions/styles. Also available will be Navajo jewelry- sterling silver and turquoise mostly. Handouts include “History of Navajo Weaving,” “Navajo Rug Styles” and “How to Care for your Navajo Rug.” Regular Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. The Gallery is located in the Unitarian Universalist Church.

• At Branigan Cultural Center the newest exhibition, “A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico,” explores the history, heritage and traditions of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations in Oaxaca, Mexico. It features 26 photographs that capture a typical Oaxacan Day of the Dead celebration. The exhibit opens Oct. 6 and runs through Dec.30. Also, at the Branigan, on display through Jan. 13, “The Amadors: Family, Culture, and Identity in Early Las Cruces” exhibit, follows the Amadors’ experience of Mexican families living along the U.S. side of the international boundary following the Mexican American War, as they adjusted to new social, economic, educational, and political systems of the U.S. while holding on to their Mexican identities and cultural values. The museum is open from 10 a.m.- 4:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday. Info: www.lascruces.gov/Museums or 575-541-2154.