Local Artists – Page 3

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).

Jun

Square Off!

An interactive and collaborative exhibit at ART123 Gallery

gallupARTS is excited to announce Square Off!, an interactive exhibition at ART123 Gallery, opening Saturday, July 13 and running through Saturday, August 3.

Featuring artists Duhon James, Jason Redhouse, Mackenzie Cheama and Tasha N., Square Off! is a unique community collaboration. Everyone—artists, non-artists, kids, adults—are invited to help recreate four artworks, one by each of the four featured artists, on a larger-than-life scale. Your mission: to reproduce a portion of the artwork of your choice in a small square, which will be patched together with squares made by other participants to form a giant version of the original. The catch: you don’t get to know what the original artworks look like! The artwork images will be revealed when their composite versions are completed.

For now, we’re only revealing the titles and a small detail of each Square Off! artwork:

– Mackenzie Cheama is a Zuni tattoo artist. “It’s been a constant inspiration to me to try and create a place for myself that respects and reflects both of my communities—tattoo culture and my Zuni background.” The title of his secret Square Off! artwork is “Leave Your Legacy.”

– Duhon James is a Diné printmaker and artist from Ganado, AZ now living in Santa Fe. Duhon’s work focuses on storytelling, combining his interests in Diné culture and traditions, petroglyphs and hieroglyphs, and aliens and UFOs. The title of his Square Off! artwork is “Woshdee (Come in): Abduction Under Three Stars.”

– Jason Redhouse is a Diné artist with roots in graffiti and street art who developed his own style by traveling the country. “Everything I know is self-taught and learned from trial and error,” he says, crediting his “get-it-done upbringing” for his success. Jason’s Square Off! contribution is called “Purple Rain” and is accompanied by the following poem:

Colors of harmony. Shapes of peace.

A bird of beauty and grace.

Fearless. Swift. Courageous.

Time binds none,

But your mind.

Be free as the bird,

In the rain.

– Tasha N. Is a Diné mixed media artist. Tasha’s Square Off! artwork, “Na’nizhoozhi,” explores the concept of place. “I like to think that I am not only the result of the nurturing of my mother and family but also the land,” she says. “The land and places of my past and present continue to shape a large part of me and my thought process.”

Stop by ART123 during regular hours or a special event to Square Off! and create a square (or two!) to contribute to the collaboration:

– ArtsCrawl: Saturday, July 13 from 7 – 9pm

– 2^nd Look on 2^nd Street: Tuesday, July 23 from 6 – 8pm

– Regular Hours (Tuesday – Friday: 1 – 5pm and Saturdays: 12 – 4pm)

gallupARTS will celebrate the success of the Square Off! challenge with an Artist Reception on Saturday, August 3 from 2 – 4pm. Come by to meet Square Off!’s featured artists, see the completed collaborations, and enjoy light refreshments.

Mar

The April Show at ART123 Gallery

The April Show

gallupARTS is pleased to announce The April Show at ART123 Gallery, opening Saturday, April 13 and running through Tuesday, May 7.

Just in time for the beginning of spring, The April Show will highlight artwork that is inspirational and transformational. This mixed media show will feature a diverse group 20 local artists—photographers, painters, a jeweler, emerging artists, established artists, Native and non-Native artists.

Each artist has a unique take on The April Show’s spring theme. Jeweler Benjamin Sears creates wire-wrapped jewelry from stones sourced from the New Mexico desert and heritage mines. He also creates jewelry from electroformed leaves and other organic materials gathered from the landscape and turned into copper.

Electroformed copper pendant by Benjamin Sears.
By Alexis Callahan.

Photographer Alexis Callahan says, “As a gal from the mid-west and recent transplant to New Mexico, when I think of spring, storms come to mind. Storms are a renewal of the land for the coming year. The sky here is beautiful when storms roll in.”

Sage Addington celebrates new beginnings with work that reflects on her renewed relationship with her dad, which has grown through road trips. “Maybe it’s the thrill of just being around my dad or the beauty of New Mexico, but everywhere my dad takes me feels like a foreign planet,” says Sage. “The goal in enhancing and playing with the saturation in the already compelling photos of New Mexico is to give the looker the same bright, foreign, and enchanted feeling I get when I take road trips with my dad.”

Artist Ken Van Brett has a spiritual take on the theme. “The imagery in my work relates to the emergence of prayer, the cycle of seasons and transformation,” he says. “The feather portraits are a part of this on-going narrative, expressing the spiritual through the physical.”

By Ken Van Brott.
By Padma Komaravolu.
Little Water by JR Sanders.

Plein air landscape painter JR Sanders says he aims “to capture what nature reveals to me as I stand in front of her with a brush in hand. My work will be centered around this concept as spring comes to life in the Gallup region.”

Finally, artist Padma Komaravolu connected the theme to her culture: “I have been living in Gallup for 9 years but I am originally from South India. Every start of spring we celebrate a festival called Holi welcoming the new season, which is also the start of our New year.”

The opening of The April Show will be Saturday, April 13 from 7 – 9pm (during ArtsCrawl).

Additionally, an Artist Talk by Padma Komaravolu will be held in conjunction with The April Show as part of 2^nd Look on 2^nd Street on Tuesday, April 23. 2^nd Look from 2^nd Street runs from 6 – 8pm and the Artist Talk at ART123 will be at 7:30pm. Making the Artist Talk extra special, event attendees can sample Padma’s Ugadi Pachadi, the traditional Indian dish of neem flowers, mango, tamarind, jaggery, salt and chillies eaten to welcome Spring. The flavors of this dish—bitter, sour, sweet, salty and spicy—symbolize the essence of life. Padma will also set up a photo booth, where visitors can play with colors à la the Holi festival (where participants throw colored water on each other).

The April Show is on view through May 7.

ART123 Gallery is open Tuesday – Friday from 1pm – 5pm and Saturdays from 12pm – 4pm.

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8 x 10 x 20 Artist Challenge

Opposites Attract in Life and Art

Opposites Attract in Life and Art:

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

The August Show

Square Off!

Square Off!

An interactive and collaborative exhibit at ART123 Gallery

The April Show at ART123 Gallery

The April Show

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