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

Dial 'M' if You're Nasty

Murder and mayhem have made their way to the Albuquerque Little Theatre! This time it’s Dial M for Murder, ALT’s latest production, which is sure to send chills up the spines of la gente de la Duke City. You might remember the 1954 film thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It starred Grace Kelly, Ray Milland and Robert Cummings, and featured one of the most manipulative villains around. The story premiered in 1952 as a BBC television play, and was then performed on a West End stage in June of the same year, moving to Broadway in October.

Written by Frederick Knott (of Wait Until Dark fame), Dial M for Murder features just one setting, the living room of Margo and Tony Wendice. A faded love affair, greed, deception, and a reversal of deadly misfortune come into play. The audience discovers that murder, indeed, has its consequences, but not until the absolute truth is revealed in a stunning climax.

Here’s what you need to know: Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, and $18 for students. Tickets for children 12 and under cost just $10.00. Group discounts are available. To purchase tickets or get more information, call the box office at 505-242-4750 or visit ALT online at http://www.albuquerquelittletheatre.org/. Student Rush tickets are available one-half hour before curtain—all available seats are released to students and faculty for $10.00 with appropriate identification required.

Native American Contemporary Fashion Shows its Thunder For Benefit Runway Event

(Photo: Design by Patricia Michaels)

When you think of the Southwest and its fashion, concho belts, cowboy hats and boots, Pendleton coats and textile clothing come to mind. What you might not know is that New Mexico is also home to some top designers who are taking the Native American spirit and infusing it into contemporary fashion.

Mercedes Benz Fashion Week...Fug-geh-uh-bow-it!  This coming weekend, Santa Fe will play host to a very special fashion show, Thunder Run, which will be just as much fun and benefit a very special charity.

The evening also celebrates the publication of the second edition of Thunder Magazine, Fashion!, Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino’s print property, which is published by the Pueblo of Pojoaque and its Governor George Rivera. The magazine showcases the best of Native fashion and art, and celebrates the triumphs of Native Americans from tribes all over New Mexico.

Chic Native threads by Michelle Tapia Browning, Patricia Michaels, Penny Singer, Pilar Agoyo and Jerry Ingram meet complimentary delish hors d’oeuvres and cocktails for a night of fashionista frolic. Be sure to bring your checkbook, though, since guests will have the opportunity to enter a raffle to win great fashion and accessories from participating designers, as well as concert tickets, accommodations and spa treatments at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino.  Most importantly, you can help kids by making a donation that will benefit the Northern New Mexico Boys and Girls Clubs.

If you're like me, and your middle name is "free, comp, discount," don't be fashionably late!  The first 100 people to arrive will receive a goodie bag filled with copies of the Thunder Magazine Fashion! and Medicine Mountain body lotion, a signature offering of Buffalo Thunder Resort’s luxurious Wo’P’in Spa.

Come see why the perfect mix of contemporary and traditional design is making the Native fashion scene explode.  The catwalk action takes place on Saturday, January 23 from 6-8 p.m. at the Tewa Grand Ballroom at the Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino (30 Buffalo Thunder Trail, Santa Fe, NM. Highway 84/285). This event is free to the public, but reservations are highly recommended. Call 877-THUNDER / 877-848-6337. Ask for "Thunder Run."

Canada’s Luminous Art Minds Featured Online During Vancouver’s Cultural Olympiad

Did you know that as part of the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver there will also be a Cultural Olympiad, which will be filled with art? It’s true. I’m planning on attending some of the festivities when I’m in Vancouver at the end of the month. Jealous?

Well, you don’t have to be thanks to CODE Screen 2010. They have managed to extract the fabulous, mind-stimulating works of more than 100 of Canada’s top artists’ and bring them right into your home with a click of a mouse. In fact, the site will be featuring 14 bi-weekly virtual art exhibits that range from “thoughtful to witty, absurd to sublime.” The online art slideshows will showcase sculpture, photography, two-dimensional art as well as performance and installation art. Many of the participating artists are recipients of the Governor General’s Award for Visual and Media Arts.

Exhibit #9, which debuted on January 5 is entitled “Books, Records” and features the work of Michael Snow (2000 winner Governor General’s Award in Visual and Media Arts), Beth Howe, Paul de Guzman, Christian Bok, Michah Lexier, Roula Partheniou, Hadley and Maxwell and Brian Joseph Davis. Curator Dave Dyment bookends Exhibit #9 with the extraordinary work of art savant Michael Snow. The artists weigh in on the exploration of the structure, content and possibilities of books as building blocks and our relationship to and through these objects. Be sure to check out the art HERE.

20/20 on the 12" x 12" at Harwood Art Center

Opportunities to see fabulous art abounded around the country on Friday, December 4--from Woodstock, to Bellingham, Washington, all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico and beyond!

Arts organizations are getting creative these days, especially when it comes to how they do their fundraising. While most rely on their list of donors, many enhance their money cultivation efforts by holding events that have a novelty factor. In the case of Albuquerque's famed Harwood Art Center, the organization began hosting an annual benefit three years ago called the Harwood Art Center 12" x 12" Show.

This year's show drew nearly 500 people on its opening night and featured the works of approximately 150 artists. One of the many "anonymous" art shows around the country, the goal of this show, much like its sister shows, is getting people to buy what they like and not just a "name." The major difference in the Harwood show is that each piece costs $144 (that's 12 x 12= 144...cute, huh?). What's even cuter is that there is a kids' section, which is comprised of pieces made by children with dimensions of 6" x 6". Wanna take a bet as to how much they sell for? You got it--36 bucks! What a fantastic way to teach kids about art and how it is displayed in a show. Not only that, but they get to experience the euphoria when their piece sells. Of course, sales of all of the works benefit the wonderful programs that Harwood Art Center brings to New Mexico and the community.

While many artists were not on hand because they likely had their own solo art openings across town (see my previous post on Lea Anderson), I had an opportunity to speak with Jessie Rogers Marketing, Design and Administration Manager for the Harwood Art Center, as well as two participating artists Rachel Popowcer and Jude Gallegos. Rachel's piece graced this year's 12" x 12" benefit program. Jude's 2008 piece garnered that honor as well. For more information on the Harwood Art Center, visit www.harwoodartcenter.org.

Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild's Annual 5" x 7" Show Turns 10

The first weekend in December is almost upon us, and that can only mean one thing--It's time for the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild's Annual 5" x 7" Show! This show, which has been dubbed "Everyone's Favourite Little Show" has become a Woodstock institution since its inception ten years ago.

While many art collectors try to collect pieces as investments, what's cool about the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild's Annual 5" x 7" Show is that it promotes buying what you like, rather than just a name. The 2008 show attracted more than 220 participating artists, and the roster continues to grow every year.

On the eve of the first Friday in December artphiles line up along Tinker Street in front of Byrdcliffe. After paying their $10 admission fee (the event is a benefit for WBG), buyers receive a number and gain entrance to the Kleinart/James Arts Center gallery in groups to keep the pandemonium at a minimum. Once you're in, you better have pen and paper ready to write down the numbers of your favorite pieces, as they will sell like hotcakes. It's the Olympics of art buying, the only difference is that the spectator is the athlete and no one knows who created the work until it's paid for up front. Every piece sells for $100, and the proceeds go towards all the programs that the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild provides artists and the community. That means for only 100 bucks you can pick up a Milton Glaser, Portia Munson or a Joe Schmo from down the street. No matter, there's something for everyone and it all goes to a great cause. In the words of WBG Executive Director Carla Smith, "This is the most popular show in Woodstock." The 2009 event takes place Friday, December 4 from 5 P.M. to 7 P.M. and includes a delicious nosh buffet. Don't be left out in the cold, though. Lineup usually starts around 4. For more information, visit http://www.woodstockguild.org/.

Lea Anderson's Organic Lifeforms "Rain" Down on Old Town

While Santa Fe is still the heart of art in the Southwest, Albuquerque’s contemporary art scene is growing, and with closer examination, you will find some very cool artists and galleries there. Of course, when you head over to Albuquerque’s historic Old Town district, you would expect to find Native American pottery, sand paintings and resin cactus chotskies and the like, but interesting, hip contemporary art? That's right...hipsters live in Old Town! At first glance, it might seem surprising, but once you meet Bright Rain Gallery co-owners Travis Pickard and Molly Doane, you immediately sense that they are bound to be major players in the ABQ's art scene. Not only have they been able to attract a roster of talented, up-and-coming artists to their gallery, they are both passionate artists in their own right. I love to check out the gallery every couple of months, since their shows are always changing, and they bring in the best in works created by artists from New Mexico and beyond.

This Friday, December 4, Bright Rain Gallery kicks-off an exhibit of works by local artist Lea Anderson entitled “Being Sprouts: Recent Cultivations.” Anderson, a teacher at the University of New Mexico, CNM and the Harwood Art Center, explores the correlation between Art and Science through the creation of organisms that are “intimately varied and beautiful.” A recipient of “Best Work on Paper” from Southwest Biennial ’08, Anderson’s abstract organic lifeforms are made up of hundreds of unique cells, which she combines to create a larger whole of vibrant color. This exhibition will highlight some of the artist’s musings and discoveries with her latest sculptural organisms and drawings. Stop by the gallery, located on the Patio Market Walkway at 206 1/2 San Felipe NW in Albuquerque’s Old Town Plaza, from 6 p.m. to 9 P.M. on December 4. Anderson will be on-hand for a meet and greet and to talk about her work. Refreshments will also be served. For more information, visit http://www.brightraingallery.com/.