ART123 Gallery – Page 3

Sep

“Art in Isolation” at ART123 Gallery

“Art in Isolation” opens Saturday, September 12 at ART123 Gallery. Organized by local artist Christian Bigwater and featuring new work created by seven artists since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, the show is a chance to pause, take stock, and reflect on the current moment.

In many ways the coronavirus pandemic has been a collective undertaking as all of our lives have been largely turned upside down and we have had to adjust to an alternative reality. In other ways, the effects of the pandemic have not been universal as it has taken a physical, social, emotional and economic toll on communities, families, and individuals, in different ways and to different extents. Artists are uniquely adept at processing the human experience as it exists on both the macro and micro levels, and the artists included in the “Art in Isolation” show have done exactly that with regard to our new normal.

Some “Art in Isolation” artists explore the emotional side of the pandemic. Antoinette Thompson is sharing a piece that, in her words, “pulls together the anger, confusion, strength, losses, and gains of this jolt in our lives.” Tasha N. creates a display of personal work—work she mostly made just for herself as a means of coping through this time.

Other artists explore the physical environment the pandemic has created. Ashton Phillips recorded the sights and sounds of Los Angeles at the height of the stay-at-home order, documenting a strange space and time. Nate Nez presents a series of work made during the Navajo Nation weekend lockdowns, reflecting on the meaning of land and home at a time when strict curfews and boundaries have been enforced.

Two artists send a message with their work. Christian Bigwater created a powerful piece which has been used as a flier and poster encouraging people to focus on the wellbeing of their elders and their community. Karl Jim’s painting “Love and Protection” speaks to the motives behind mask-wearing.

“Art in Isolation” runs through October 3. A Virtual Show Opening will be held live on the @gallupARTS Facebook page on Saturday, September 12 at 3pm. ART123 Gallery is open by appointment on Fridays and Saturdays from 12 – 4pm. More information can be found at www.galluparts.org/art123gallery.

Apr

gallupARTS is Ramping up Support for Local Artists in a Time of Crisis

One in four residents of McKinley County make at least part of their living through the arts, and we are now more committed than ever to supporting our community’s creative entrepreneurs.

gallupARTS is leveraging its business model to put more money in artists’ pockets. For the next six months, we are

Waiving dues for our 9 current ART123 Gallery Member Artists, who receive 100% of the income from their artwork sales.
Waiving our below-average 20% commission on all non-Member Artist sales. This means that between from when we re-open in June through September, all ART123 Gallery participating artists (a projected 41+) will receive 100% of their sales.

The gallupARTS Board of Directors is also taking action to fill the gap in emergency relief available to local artists by establishing a Local Artist Support Fund. This fund will make as many rapid-response, unrestricted “mini-grants” (in the $200 – $300 range) as possible to Gallup area artists negatively economically impacted by the coronavirus pandemic over the next six months to help with living costs and to support creative solutions for staying in business.

We need your help!

gallupARTS is donating 100% of the proceeds from its Membership Drive to the Local Artist Support Fund for the next six months. Every gallupARTS Member sign-up/renewal between now and September will be earmarked for 100% contribution to the Local Artist Support Fund.

Join and contribute TODAY!

An added incentive: the recently passed CARES Act contains a one-time, above-the-line deduction for cash contributions of up to $300 made to qualifying charities (a.k.a. gallupARTS). All taxpayers are eligible to take the deduction, even people who use the standard deduction. (The incentive applies to contributions made in 2020 and would be claimed on tax forms next year. Check with your tax advisor to confirm your eligibility.)

Jan

8 x 10 x 20 Artist Challenge

Twenty local artists have accepted gallupARTS’ “8 x 10 x 20” Artist Challenge to create ten (10) 8” x 10” 2D artworks in twenty (20) days this January and February.

Thanks to grant funding from New Mexico Arts, gallupARTS is able to sponsor its second annual artist challenge, following the incredibly successful “15 in 30” Artist Challenge last year. Grant funding is used provide participating artists the basic materials—ten 8” x 10” canvas boards—making this challenge highly accessible.

The 20 artists participating represent the diversity of Gallup’s art scene and broader community. Including three youth participants, the 8 x 10 x 20 Artist Challenge is a chance for emerging artists to flex their creative muscles and for established artists to push their practices. Involving an about equal split between female and male artists and Native and non-Native artists, the Challenge is a celebration of different artistic media, styles, subjects and ideas.

Artist Matthew Bollinger has set out to explore the concept of repetition through digital media. “Repetition prompts investigation, understanding, and artistic inflection,” he says.

Meanwhile, Karen Fischer is hard at work on collages that represent contrast, Dustin Logg is focused on capturing melancholy emotions through portraiture, Jeffrey Begay is creating ten individual images that when displayed together will form a single larger picture, Tasha N. is going a surrealist route and interpreting her dreams, and Mackenzie Cheama is creating a study of the American traditional style of tattoo work.

“The [8 x 10 x 20 Challenge] peaks my interest,” says Logg. “My timid nature refuses to let me do anything outside my comfort zone, but this opportunity is too good to pass up, to gauge how people will receive my work and of course as an experience to learn from.”

Tasha N. is excited about the Challenge because it is allowing her the space and time to try something new. “My work has become recognizable, which is fine, it means I’m beginning to establish myself and my style, but I want people to know that I am much more as an artist and person,” she says. “I want to create something that has some significant value to me and my life experiences.”

The Challenge started January 14 and will culminate in a show of 200 total artworks at ART123 Gallery, opening on Saturday, February 8 from 7 – 9pm. The 8 x 10 x 20 Show will be on view through March 7. All artworks will be sold for between $50 and $75, making it the perfect opportunity for the Gallup community to start or add to their art collections, support local artists and grow our creative economy.

Sep

Opposites Attract in Life and Art

Opposites Attract in Life and Art:

Q & A with B. Emerson Kitsman and Joseph S. Jenike

With their show, “The Passionate Journey,” opening on Saturday, October 12 at ART123 Gallery (from 7- 9pm), we sat down with painter B. Emerson Kitsman and her husband, printmaker Joseph S. Jenike, to learn more about their work. We discovered that it’s true (at least in this case!): opposites attract. While Kitsman’s work is all about the big picture, Jenike hones in on details; while Kitsman attended art school and has had a career as an artist since age 7, Jenike’s interest in art as a child was dissuaded and he has no formal training; while Kitsman is constantly creating and paints mainly for herself, Jenike has experienced periods of creative block and is most inspired by the opportunity to share his work with others. Together, their two different perspectives create a unique synergy and a absolutely stunning art show, which also includes magnificent stone sculptures by their son-in-law.

1. Tell us a little bit about your artist background.

B. Emerson Kitsman: I’ve been painting for my entire life—my mom first bought me paint when I was little and I haven’t stopped since. I sold my first piece when I was 7 years old. I attended the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) the University of New Mexico and the University of Colorado. I’m a photographer, printmaker and writer, but my primary passion is plein air landscape painting. I’ve traveled the far reaches of the Navajo Nation painting everywhere from remote vistas to people’s backyards. I’ve been a teacher too—I taught at IAIA and I’ve done many workshops for kids in the community.

Joseph S. Jenike: I’ve always been artistic. I built models as a kid and used to doodle all the time in school. I’ve always been drawn to printmaking and one of my high school teachers introduced me to etching. But growing up, while my talent was appreciated, I was told I needed to pursue something “real.” I attended schools with printmaking programs and fully equipped studios, but I didn’t pursue my interest even then, feeling under-prepared. It wasn’t until I met Bobbi [B. Emerson Kitsman], who is a great teacher, that I delved into printmaking. It’s the perfect medium for me—I’m into super precise, fine, detailed work. I focus on wildlife in my art because animals and bugs have always been my “thing.”

2. What is your creative process? How do you choose what to paint/print/create? Or what gets you started on a piece? What steps do you follow? How do you know when a piece is finished?

BEK: I paint to escape from the world and find solace. I put in my headphones and ignore everything but what I’m painting. I really go for it—sometimes I have to be harnessed and tethered to a rock or tree because I paint from such precarious positions on clifftops or mountains. When I’m not painting, I’m sketching. I carry a small sketchbook in which I’m constantly drawing what I’m seeing. The key to my creative process is to never stop producing.

JSJ: I’ve spent the last decade in a creative funk. This show at ART123 has renewed my creative fire—the opportunity to show people my work has reminded me how excited I am by printmaking. I haven’t exhibited my art since moving to Tohatchi—it’s been tough as an artist to transition from the pace of a bigger city to a rural environment. But with this show coming up, I’m cleaning out my studio, reframing my work, finding plates for which I never ran an edition…my creative juices are flowing again.

3. What do you hope viewers get out of your art?

BEK: I hope they gain an appreciation of the land. There is so much beauty and history in the land of the Navajo people, and that’s what I want to convey.

JSJ: I hope my pieces help people see the beauty in the world’s minutia—to stop and appreciate how incredible bees and birds and bugs are.

4. Do you have any tips for up-and-coming artists?

BEK: They have to be disciplined. We have so many talented young people in this area, and I think they can make it as artists if they put in the work. It’s a lot of work, and you have to be willing to do it.

JSJ: You need to be persistent. There is a lot of B.S. in the art world and a lot of challenges to overcome, but if you stay with it, it’s very rewarding.

Jul

The August Show

An apt metaphor for The August Show at ART123 Gallery–opening Saturday, August 10 from 7 – 9pm (during ArtsCrawl)–is an illuminating prism. Showcasing 22 local artists and over 70 artworks in a variety of media, it provides an array of diverse perspectives into Gallup’s past and present.

Importantly, two-thirds of the featured artists are Native, representing the first peoples to call what we now know as Gallup home—as Diné artist Clint Holtsoi’s painting “We Never Left” reminds us—by sharing stories, beliefs and imagery from their cultures.

Zuni artist Dennis Dewa Jr. is quick to point out that the Zuni people are an essential part of Gallup’s history, diversity and community: “As I deconstruct the ‘diversity’ in the area, I find myself part of it,” he says. Dewa’s paintings reflect Zuni values.

By Dennis Dewa Jr.
We Never Left by Clint Holtsoi
By Adam Maria
By Kelly Stapp

For The August Show, Diné artist Adam Maria explores a new (for him) medium: pencil drawing. Maria’s drawings recreate historic photographs of Navajo people. “The people in the photos have stories to tell. The drawings hopefully show a bit of these tales,” he says.

Diné artist Adam Maria Indigenizes Gallup’s history by recreating historic photographs of Navajo people in pencil sketches and drawings. “The people in the photos have stories to tell,” he says. “The drawings hopefully show a bit of these tales.”

Diné artist Sage Addington also re-imagines historic photographs in a series entitled “Memory Lane,” combining past and present in digital art. “My Cheii told me about how much he has seen Gallup change through the years; dirt roads now pathed, bridges now made, and caves covered up,” she says. “I always wondered what it would be like to walk through old Gallup…the stories the streets could tell, the things the walls have seen, the Gallupians who have walked where I’ve walked, lived where I’ve lived, and strolled through the same memory lanes.”

A highlight of The August Show is a collaborative painting by the Gallup Art Club that speaks to the spirit of the Show and the heart of Gallup. As the
Club explains, “The artwork is a collaboration between four Gallup artists of four different ethnicities. It is done in a variety of styles, showing three different animals enjoying spring blessings and leaving in peace together in Gallup.”

To that end, Native artist Demetria Dale, who uses color to access emotions and lines to explore different perspectives in painting, sums up The August Show saying, “Art can bring many diversities together to create an inspiring community from our history.

By Meetch Dale
Collaboration by the Gallup Art Club

Hear directly from The August Show artists in an artist talk at 7:00pm on Tuesday, August 27 at ART123 Gallery (as part of the monthly 2^nd Look on 2^nd Street event, which runs from 6 – 8pm).

1 234 5 6 7