Artist Testimonials
gallupARTS supports the 25% of McKinley County residents who make at least part of their living through the arts by working to grow the region’s creative economy. Our signature programs, including ART123 Gallery, our LOOM Gallery partnership and art festivals, create much-needed and rare opportunities for artists to show and sell their work. We’ve also hosted artist business management workshops, and we continuously work to connect artists with additional opportunities and resources through our artist newsletter.
Below are testimonials from area artists about the positive impact gallupARTS’ has made on their careers:
ART123 gallery and GallupARTS have both given me experience and knowledge of the art profession. ART123 gallery gave me great opportunities to show my artwork for the first time in my career. I've had many showings with the gallery since 2016 and have been able to add the gallery to my resume. The experience from these shows helped develop a understanding of the the artist and gallery relationship. GallupARTS' classes on the business/marketing side have also been a great resource. Information such as pricing art to copyrights have given me an idea of what I need to do in order to become a career artist. Another great resource was hearing from other professional artists who held classes and various lectures throughout the years. These artists were able to share a wealth of knowledge and insight into what it means to be a career artist. They were very informative and it me has given me a desire to implement all that I have learned into launching a career in art.
Adam Maria
Diné Artist
gallupARTS has provided me and other artists with information on upcoming art opportunities within the local and broad community. ART123 gallery welcomed me and my paintings by providing a space to share my work during some of their monthly art shows. I could depend on the staff at ART123 gallery to care for my paintings and promote my artistic endeavors. The art shows at the gallery encouraged me to value my work, and gradually expose my work at other art exhibits. While collaborating with ART123 I was introduced to other artists, spectators of the gallery, local Gallupians, and a number of art events where my work was provided with space.
Clint Holtsoi
Diné Artist
ART123 Gallery and gallupARTS have been instrumental to my growth as an artist. They have given me a platform to not only showcase my art but also share my culture and traditions with people. I started with a demo of Rangoli (floor art) at ArtsCrawl which led to a solo show in ART123 gallery (where I could experiment creating art based in the Rangoli tradition), a place in the Mega/Mini show, a kite making workshop, a henna demo, a holi-themed artist talk and several other projects. I will always be grateful for the numerous opportunities I was given to bring my art and a piece of my home to Gallup.
Padma Komaravolu
Folk Artist