Urban Muralist Jaque Fragua Brings Talents to the Streets of Albuquerque

Street art is a form that is often misunderstood by the general public. In recent years, though, in cities all over the word, it is an expression that is finding its way into the limelight and legitimizing the talents of its creators.

Visual artist Jaque Fragua, who hails from Jemez Pueblo, is one of those artists. Fragua, a rebel of sorts, has the vision and pluck reminiscent of the kind of contemporary artists one would meet in New York. On top of that this proud drop-out from IAIA (Institute of American Indian Arts) is naturally gifted with a sharp mind, articulate tongue, charming personality and thoughtful creativeness that makes it seem impossible that he won’t succeed in the art world in some form or another. He contends that he has the tools already necessary to carve out a niche for himself. Not to be contained by the label “Native American Artist,” Fragua vehemently shuns the world of Native art markets to be himself and find his own identity in a climate where the term art has come to mean so many things.

Currently, Fragua is a participant in a new show in downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico, which opens on Saturday, October 2. “Street Text” is a two-part exhibition examining Street Art and its evolution into a worldwide cultural movement. It is the centerpiece for an event “Street Arts: A Celebration of Hip Hop Culture and Free Expression,” with a wider scope, which will be taking place all over the Duke City. The festival of sorts, organized by 516 Arts and sponsored by the ACLU, is a collaborative effort between twenty-five local organizations and will incorporate film, music, written word, and, of course, visual arts created by local and international guest artists.

Fragua is currently in the process of creating a gatekeeper mural on the backside of the El Rey Theater on Central Avenue with fellow artists Chris Stain and Lichiban. Lichiban, who hails from Brooklyn, New York, and has worked at 5 Points in Queens, is accustomed to working on wood with ink and watercolor, but is excited to have brick and acrylic as her mediums on this project. She began doing larger works last April and has wanted to collaborate with Fragua for over a year. The result of their efforts will be a piece that moves from ancestral to cosmic as its subject climbs a ladder to the heavens.

Earlier in the week, I had the chance to speak with Fragua hard at work on his mural project in the hot New Mexico sun about “Street Text” and his philosophy about art. HERE’s what he had to say:

"Street Arts" runs through the month of November at various locations throughout Albuquerque. For more information and a complete list of events visit http://www.516arts.org/.

PUEBLO POTTER WALL'S "CELEBRATING NATIVE LEGACIES" NAMED IN TOP 5 EXHIBITS IN THE ABQ

Jemez Pueblo potter Kathleen Wall's solo exhibition "Celebrating Native Legacies: Works in Clay by Kathleen Wall"  was recently extended through May 2010 at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  I've written about it before and raved, but, honestly, every time I go see it, I learn something new. 

It was recently named one of the top 5 art exhibits in Albuquerque for 2009 by The Albuquerque Journal.   The work is as special as the artist herself. 

Last week, she spoke with Diego Mulligan of KSFR Santa Fe Public Radio's "The Journey Home."  Here is the link so that you can learn about Kathleen Wall and her exhibit (NOTE:  Her interview took place in the last ten minutes of the radio cast):

http://diegoradio.com/wp-content/uploads/1-22-10.mp3

Scaling the 'Wall' to Artistic Perfection at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center

One of the most exciting things about Albuquerque is that there is always something going on, whether it's waking up to a crew filming the cable TV series "Crash" on your street, hearing the B-52s at the casino, taking in mariachis in the Plaza at Old Town, attending an ArtsCrawl, or stumbling upon fantastic art exhibits that you didn't even know were going on!

For locals and tourists alike, if you haven't been to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, there's no excuse for not taking the time to check it out. I've been meaning to go for a while now, but by chance I found myself in "el barrio" and thought I'd pop in to have a look--SO glad I did.

Since I'm now a New Mexican, I actually got in for four bucks instead of the normal six. This was pretty exciting, and my dinero was way better spent there than at Starbucks. The lobby currently features a marvelous display of art created by children from the Indian school on the Jemez reservation. A number of these kids are the offspring of some of the most famous and esteemed potters from the Jemez tribe. Avid Native American pottery collectors will recognize the names Wall, Gachupin, Yepa, among others. From paintings on canvas to handmade aprons to friendship bowls, the works elicit awe in light of the fact they were made by children. Nonetheless, they all bring a smile to your face. And the best part is, most of the pieces are available for purchase! How special for these children that, while most public schools in this country are cutting art programs, they are learning the ropes from master artisans and carrying on the tradition of generations.

Part of the overall experience of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is getting to browse through the books and manhandle contemporary pottery in the gift shop. You can also take in a wonderfully informative and up-close and personal video of the late Maria Martinez and her son making their distinct San Ildefonso pottery, view examples of Native pottery through the centuries, or watch Native performers bring their tribe's dances to life in the courtyard. At present,however, the main event is taking place in the South Gallery with the exhibition of Celebrating Native Legacies:Works in Clay by Kathleen Wall of Jemez Pueblo.

I was completely unprepared for this exhibit, mostly due to the scope, and the overwhelming detail that Ms. Wall, one of the most skilled Native potters working today, brings to these characters that include some depictions of herself and fellow tribespeople. Immediately upon entering the gallery, which allows the spectator to go right up to the pieces and touch them, I was moved to tears. Wall's ability to fully capture the spirit, energy and warmth of the Jemez people in the eyes and physicality of her figures is remarkable. From room's corner to corner, the gallery was filled with distinct personalities, who seem to whisper, in an amalgamation of voices, "Come to me. Welcome. This is who we are. Let us show you." While Wall's works depict tradition--honoring family, elders and making pottery--it is quite exciting to see how contemporary her style is. Like all art forms, they are constantly evolving, and the old ways give way to new traditions and forms. Perhaps the only thing traditional about her creations is that they are made from clay.

The highlight of Kathleen Wall's exhibit is her rendering of six female elders of the Walatowa tribe singing and dancing. The child-sized figurines are aptly placed before a wide screen upon which plays a looping video of the same women in flesh and blood mirroring their clay counterparts.

There are few words to describe walking among the "spirits" in this artistic celebration of life, the living and traditions. It can only be experienced first-hand. Celebrating Native Legacies opened back in February, but it will continue through October 11, 2009. The majority of Wall's works are available for purchase. For more information visit http://www.indianpueblo.org/.

Albuquerque's Open Mind Space Gallery Brings Exciting Art to Old Town

If you haven’t been to Albuquerque’s Old Town in a while, you might not be aware that a handful of young art aficionados are bringing back the concept of a traditional art gallery to an area dotted, in recent years, with pottery, jewelry, and tourist trinket shops. Devon Hall of Open Mind Space, is one of those entrepreneurs bringing refreshing new art to Old Town.

In June, Open Mind Space will feature the photographic quilts of Emilie Bezzeg, in addition to a selection of her drawings that represent natural subjects.

Bezzeg, a Tomé, New Mexico native, mimics the visual content of black and white photographs through her use of specific fabric choices, patterns and textures. The artist cuts, layers, and stitches all of the fabric by hand creating an end result that is an enlarged version of the original image—highly detailed and as realistic as possible.

The gallery's back room will feature “American Indians,” a series of black and white photographs by the late writer and photographer, Douglas Kent Hall, whose works were selected from an exhibit that was recently on display at the El Paso Museum of Archaeology. In May, visitors to the gallery were treated to images of Navajo people by Hall, but the June exhibition focuses on studies of Pueblo people in New Mexico.

Stop by the gallery on Friday, June 5 from 5:00 p.m. to 8 p.m. for an opening reception that will feature live music, food, drinks, and an opportunity to meet other art lovers. If you are unable to attend the opening reception, the exhibition will continue through July 5, 2009.

The gallery, which is located at 404 San Felipe Street NW, Suite C1, in Albuquerque’s Old Town, is open from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 505-259-3566 or visit http://www.theopenmindspace.com/.