about the gift

I blogged the gift - current header picture - a while back. The picture struck me as an ideal choice for an interim header image. The symbolism - collaborative effort, town/arts synergy and interaction - is relevant. Efficient collaboration without benefit of committee. Four local artists contributed works. This was a spur of the moment not allowing enough time to send out a general call, let alone reminders or sorting through submissions. Judy Mowris put it all together, going with ATCs because they would allow including more artists - as well as riding the wave of ATC enthusiasm and interest.

That not all of the artists were "old hands" to the art scene was another symbolically loaded element and metaphor for inclusiveness to remind us that, like buses, there is always another artist coming along. And maybe that worker bee not thought of as an artist could be one. Art worlds, as Becker reminds us, are constituted by EVERYONE involved in getting art out there to the public. Jess mounting & shrinkwrapping, Roy talking to the mayor to get it all rolling, and Vel Gilley wanting to bring art and artists more to the fore are all part of the Mountainair art world. Yeah, and I guess I am for writing about it too, despite occasionally thinking of it as enabling, complete with dysfunctional relationship connotations.

I've had a couple of calls to reproduce the letter I wrote to include with the montage. Doing that now. I'm still waiting for Town/Mayor to say thank you for our effort.

We hope you have enjoyed both your visit to our town and the conference of mayors. Please accept this reminder of the occasion. We artists feel honored to have this opportunity to demonstrate support of our town – and especially pleased to do it through art.

Mountainair may be a small town in size and population but not in talent, spirit, nor self-expression. Our decision to present a montage of Artists Trading Cards is symbolizes that sentiment: small in size yet spiritedly expressive. Further, a montage allows more artists to participate, mirroring the collaborative ideal that makes for community.

You’ve seen the sights and toured the town. Now it is time to return home to your own town - but not empty handed! 

Let us explain our choice of gift by telling you about Artists Trading Cards or ATC. They are a new idea on the local art scene. We hope that ATC by local artists could even become a hallmark of the arts in Mountainair - something to stick in visitors’ minds and make visits even more memorable. 

As their name indicates, ATC are collectibles, an art version of sports trading cards. Artists Trading Cards must be 2.5"x3.5.” They can be any medium: pencil, watercolor, acrylic, oil, collage, scratch board, mixed media - anything the creative mind of the artist can think up. They are as diverse as our population. 

Traditionally, an ATC is exchanged, not sold. The purpose was for artists to meet and exchange works, in the process meeting other artists and benefiting to exposure to new ideas. So was it with your mayoral meeting – meeting and sharing ideas. This montage is Mountainair’s gift to you, our “trade” for the honor of your company and the ideas you brought with you. 

Enjoy!

Mayor Vel Gilley and the Artists of Mountainair

some tour highlights

The 2006 tour is over. It was a lot of work. We are all in recovery mode. I am waiting for promised pix from tour to post here.

As usual & to be expected, reviews were mixed. Overall, however, positive and encouraging. There are, to be sure, areas to work on for next year. The next MMAC meeting, potluck at Casa Manzano, will include a tour review. I am too tired to look up the date but will be posting reminder announcements. Those unable to attend oir afflicted by meeting phobia can post their reviews and suggestions here or e-mail them to me to deliver.

For now, I want to think back on some of the highlights - no doubt missing some (again, too tired to check my notes), so chime right in and help me fill in the gaps. The best "tour story" for me - the tour as birthday road trip. Kathy White's birthday was the Friday before the tour. She and her Texas friend Linda Rael planned to come to the tour, stay at the Shaffer, and exhibit together. Another friend, Ann Applegarth from Roswell joined them, and they celelbrated with a birthday dinner Friday evening at the Shaffer. Ann was a guest reader at last year's Poets & Writers Picnic and read at Spoken Word this year. She "shop sat" for Linda and Kathy on Sunday so they could visit exhibits & studios they did not have the time for on Saturday. Too many workers and exhibitors did not get a chance to see enough of the tour - another something to think about.

Linda Rael & dolls

Jock & Sandy Finley's classic car shuttles to Dorothy Cole's guided tours at Rancho Bonito were a huge hit. Definitely something to keep on doing. Let's make sure Jock and Sandy know just how much we appreciate their efforts.

If you missed catching Merris Atman's exhibit of oil pastel miniatures at UpHi during the tour, they are wonderful and still on exhibit there. Don't miss them.

I've heard nothing but raves about the green chili stew at the Senior Center. It seems to have been very much an eating Saturday. Brenda and John ran out of buffalo burgers. Thumbs up on those too. The Cowbelles's chuckwagon at the community center was welcome and did steady business both days. Having tables set up inside the center for dining was a much appreciated touch. Local restaurants did land office business too. Vittles was so busy that Charlie drafted a visiting friend and put him to work.

There were many wonderful quilts to see too, not all at the same place. Bille Clark-Ferrer exhibited hers, traditional classics and fun designs, at the Community Center, Meg Chobanian's 's art quilts were at Brenda's place (and some at Cibola as well), and Earthsong featured a number of lovely wall hanging quilts by JoAnn's friend Pleasant Wright from Bosque. I definitely want her to bring the sunflower one to Sunflower Folk Art Day in August!

I noticed the same pattern of scattered exhibits for jewelry too. In addition to a couple of other jewelry exhibits at the Community Center, Mountainair newcomer Rose Smith had an impressive selection of Native American inspired jewelry. Similarly inspired but with different style and effect, Navajo silversmith Paul Arviso exhibited at StoneTree. The pictures do not do his work justice. Each piece, a finely detailed masterpiece of the traditional engraver's art, tells a story.

You'll just have to put up with me on this "hobby horse" - I have been deeply horse involved for years. Horses as an art subject often fail to capture a feel for them or show individual personalities. Wana Beth Fox's (which were at Earthsong & Olde Tyme Shoppe) are always a welcome exception. Yesterday I discovered a couple more. Paul was not the only one at StoneTree with wonderful horses. Local artist Bill Riley, better known for his sculpture, has recently taken up painting - with his beloved horses being his subject of choice. As a late addition, Riley was not in the brochure - nor did I get to blog him. Interestingly, Michael Godey's less traditionally represented horses capture true "horseness" in a mythic/symbolic way. Since I turned this into a horse paragraph, let me not overlook Joe Jay Brazil's and Susan's exhibit of his prints at the community center.

OK - plenty more in the way of highlights to cover in another entry or more. Home studios, Joan's Mandal Workshop (I missed it - major bummer - too busy running around doing tour stuff. By the way, what was your excuse?) Stacia Robin's ATC 'make 'n take' ATC workshop, Gerard Bezzeg, Art Goodtimes & his hat, all that great music. Say, that reminds me - next time - y'all help Jess & Dennis set things up so they aren't worn out by time they are scheduled to play.

And this time all the big banners got picked up so they can be used again instead of everybody singing off-key choruses of where have all the banners gone...

a closer look at Broadway

Although I keep reminding one and all not to overlook "off Broadway" offerings, the densest array of tour treats is on two blocks of Broadway, along what one could ironically refer to as the "central core."

photo by Art Pike

On the Post Office side of the street:

Information Desk - self-descriptive. Pick up your map & brochure here. Ask questions.

Art Alley - on the music stage, behind the Information Desk, for end of the alley. "What," you ask, "is the Art Alley?" Once a Mountainair public art site, now a mostly empty green space next to the Post Office, the name lingers. Farewell Art Alley, long live Art Alley. Performing here: Bozon Band Reunion; Cognitive Dissidents; Heritage Band; Mountainair High School Brass & Woodwind Ensembles; Sabinal Sisters. Check schedule for times.

Cibola Arts - check page page for more about the Cibola artists. Several will also be exhibiting individually.

StoneTree Gallery - an official tour venue for exhiting artists. Exhibiting: Paul Arviso (silver jewelry, watercolor/acrylic paintings), Marilyn Conway (photography), Jess Davidson (woodworking, furniture), Ron Evans (paper collage), Michael Godey (music, mixed media), Bert Herrman (book signing), Megan Lemke (installation/mixed media), Andrea Slaby (acrylic on canvas, beaded jewelry), Joan Woodruff (book signing).

Gustin's Hardware - old fashioned general feed & hardware store; stuffed animals; billed cap collection; NM brands; Americana farm & kitchen collectibles & antique tools on display. And then there is the rattlesnake (live, not stuffed).

Meds & More: old fashioned soda fountain, complete with classic counter (but with NM tile touch) and classic ice cream sodas, sundaes & shakes in old time glass mugs & sundae dishes. Outstanding collection of herbals in the back of the store.

Treasures of the Gypsy - closed to the public & by appointment only. Still worth giving a gander for the splendid window art and adobe work.


Abo Trading - restored mercantile building; Mexican folk art, furniture, tinwork, glassware, pottery

Across the street from the Information Desk:

Mountainair Grocery

The town mural, in progress



Up Hi Net: Merris Atman exhibiting oil pastel miniatures; sgraffito workshop; Digital Art Display; Art Wall; digital photography workshop.

Brenda's Place (aka Buffalo Gallery & Grill) - Fabric Art Exhibits: Judy Mowris (wall hangings, dolls, pastels); Meg Chobanian (art quilts, decoupage); Linda Rael (dolls, mixed media); Kathy White (bone art, mixed media)

The Weaver Hotel: predates both Shaffer Hotel and Community Center (WPA)

Uncle Walter's: storefront mural; eclectic selection of merchandise that defies description. Right up there with Gustin's and & Meds & More as town attractions that have most galleries beat hands down.

Off Broadway Art & Touring Studios

Studio and Gallery tours are an integral part of any arts tour. Unfortunately, studios not in the center of town on Broadway tend to be overlooked. Visitors wonder why they should leave the town core confines of Broadway and East Main district (from Broadway to the Shaffer) to tour home studios. What do studios have to offer that exhibits at tour venues do not, especially if the day is hot?

There are excellent reasons: visiting studios shows you more of Mountainair, makes art more accessible, and lets you talk to artists informally on their home turf, ask questions, and see their work in progress. Home studios are also the ideal location for demos and workshops – in context and their natural setting. Follow the color-coded studio map and walk along with us.

Start on Broadway and turn right from Cibola Arts and the information table next to the Post Office. The first studio on the tour is Celeste Simon’s Mixed Media Arts. You’ve been watching the wall progress from straw bales to completion. Now visit the studio behind it. Continuing west on Broadway, brings you to Earthsong Gallery and LeRoy Simmon’s Dragon Ash Forge. Visit the gallery and catch LeRoy’s forge art and demonstrations before turning right on Main and following the signs showing the way to “Off Broadway Art.”

Your first "off-Broadway" stop will be Montgomery Designs on your right at the corner of Cederdale and Main where Hamilton Montgomery, a California émigré to New Mexico, has moved his San Francisco and Napa Valley custom furniture workshop and design showroom. No need to visit design centers in Seattle, Los Angeles, or Las Vegas to find Hamilton’s furniture, lamps, and drapery hardware. Montgomery Designs' signature combination of metal, bamboo, and natural materials hand-crafted into unique table and floor lamps, tables, chairs, beds, drapery rods, and accessories are right here. There will also be antiques for sale as well as art by local and California artists.

Another Napa transplant, Kristine Lauritsen, will be your next stop, 204 N. Limit, at the corner of Main & Limit. Here is Kristine’s first “casita” in her new Stonehouse Gallery Bed & Breakfast complex, High Desert Lodging in a Gallery Setting. Housed in a c.1910 Territorial style cottage, this whimsically painted “flagship casita” showcases art, antiques, artifacts, and hand-crafted and mid-century furniture for sale, complemented by wine & food pairings from Napa Valley and New Mexico.

Artist/owner Kristine, Napa Valley native and owner of art galleries in San Francisco and Napa, recently relocated to Mountainair.

Next is The Wayward Elf, Ruth Ballen’s studio, also at the corner of Main & Limit, cattycorner to Kristine’s. Primarily a fiber artist working with fabric, paper, dried plants, and whatever catches her fancy, Ruth never limits her interests or her projects to any single medium. A joyous experimenter, her enthusiasm is contagious. You will leave wanting to follow her example.

Although Ruth’s entire home is her studio, with separate areas for fabric and for paper projects, and a delightful gallery in its own right, featuring her own and other artwork – dolls, fabric designs, prints, decorated boxes, and more, the studio tour spotlights her large sunroom gallery. Selections from her personal and eclectic collections join works in progress, such as handcrafted snake scarves and stuffed dolls.

From Ruth’s, continue on Limit and taking a left on Acoma, followed by a right on Orme to arrive at Geree McDermott’s where her “Art in the Yard and Garage Sale” offers colorful original floor cloths and paintings. You might pick up a handy tool or so at the garage sale while you are there. After Geree’s, turn left on Piñon (next corner) and then a right on Manzano. “Apple” Baker’s offerings at 411 N. Manzano (left side of the street), another “unofficial site” and “art/yard sale” (this could become a whole new category of yard sale) include photography, surrealist pastels, crystal earrings, poetry books, tuned crystals, and more.

Leaving Apple’s studio and continuing on N. Manzano, turn right at Cedar. Joan’s (Collins) Home Studio is just a couple of block down on the right (corner of Cedar and Orme). Look for banner & signs. Joan is not selling anything. The highlight here is her Art Mandala Workshop from 2-4 pm on Saturday. Learn more about mandalas and create your own. You do not have to be a professional artist or follow special rules to use your imagination and create a mandala.

original art mandala by Joan Collins

After leaving Joan’s studio, with your newly created mandala, continue down Cedar to NM 55. Another right turn brings you to Joan Page’s Olde Tyme Shoppe, housing a chocolateer’s studio and a delightfully eclectic collection of gifts, dolls, and collectibles, as well as work by local artists: Wana Beth Fox (Western Art); Brian Jory (pottery); Shannon Smith-Jory (tiedyed clothing); Merle Volz (dreamcatchers). Although the handcrafted chocolate making area is off limits, the results will be available to purchase and sample.

Another right from Joan’s brings you back to Broadway. You might be ready for a break and a bite by now, so stop at the Mountainair Senior Center – just before the light at the intersection of NM 55 and US 60 - for dessert and jumble sale. The quilters may not be working Saturday, but you can see their work in progress on the center's quilting frame and pictures of past projects.

At the blinker light, you can continue down NM 55 to the Shaffer, turn left to Abo Trading (on the opposite corner) and, further down, Tillie’s Gifts and Collectibles or turn right to admire Treasures of the Gypsy from the outside.

This returns you to the relatively more concentrated exhibit area along Broadway. If you did not visit them before, do so now: don’t miss the Digital Art Exhibit at UpHi Net or artists’ exhibits at the Brenda's Place next door, StoneTree & Cibola Arts across the street, and the Dr Saul Community Center (classic WPA architecture & on the National Historic Register).

Are you ready to start over again?

it's muralicious

More mural pictures...

photos by Geree McDermott

Tour Performances Schedule

Here's a Tour performance schedule - also another at the Tour page. For the moment, the one linked here is more up-to-date. And a map... as per Dennis' suggestion. Though it is easy enough to find the music by following your ears. You'll note that performance times for the community center and Art Alley are staggered. No dueling musicians (not to mention potential for ad hoc cacophony...)

See how close the performance venues are. You should be able to hop from one to another without missing much.

There will be some effort to have extra chairs at performance venues & perhaps a few throws for sitting on the fine grass in Art Alley and the Shaffer Garden. Bring a blanket and enjoy al fresco. I think the community center already has chairs. If you plan to plant yourself at one location to listen for the duration, bringing your own seating will free up resources for visitors.

I am contemplating (that means I have not actually started work on it) a schedule (spreadsheet format) that lays out not not just performances but all scheduled and perhaps even ongoing "doin's" for tour.

Tour addenda

Did you catch Dale & Celeste on the Freeform radio interview by Travis Parkins yesterday on KUNM?

Is anyone calling Channel 7, because they announce weekend events on their Saturday & maybe Friday morning shows, as early as 6 am. And all the other TV channels as well. The 770 AM radio 5pm Friday show announces and promotes local activities.

In addition to Dale Harris and headliners Art Goodtimes and Judyth Hill, anticipated guest readers include Ann Applegarth, Greg Candela, Gary Brower, Marilyn Stablein, Elaine Schwartz, and Bob Reeves. Gary Glazner has a commitment he can't shake, so we won't see/hear him until Sunflower. Local poets and open micardrop-ins will fill in the rest of the schedule.

Art Wall - Saturday & Sunday, 12:00 – 6:00 pm. Come PLAY… WRITE… PAINT on the Art Wall sponsored by iCreate, Inc. and UpHi.net. The temporary ‘Art Wall’ for kids of ALL ages will be a place to draw, paint and/or write poetry. UpHi.net is donating the space for the ‘Art Wall’. One local artist is building the frame for the wall, and several artists will be supervising the event.

Library Book Sale - 10 am - 2 pm in front of the Community Library, Roosevelt, across from the Community Center. Cathy Caswell may be displaying vintage family quilts as well.

Have you noticed tour studios spiffing up - Celeste's next to the Bank of Belen , Kristine's Casita & Ruth's (The Wayward Elf) at Main & Limit, Montgomery Designs on Main & Cedardale. We've all been watching Celeste's wall take shape. Mostly, Ham is still moving in, setting up his shop, and working on orders. However, Kristine's and Ruth's are definitely a visual treat, whimsical & colorful fun for the eye, and worth a trip up Main to check out in advance. They might even make you want to haul out paint in many colors to touch up your own place.

Several studios have been added - a few might be samidzat studios, not appearing on the official map but on the "off-Broadway studio tour loop" and well worth visiting: Geree's Studio on Orme, described as "art in the yard & garage sale," offering floorcloths and paintings; David "Apple" Baker - another combination art & yard sale, 411 Manzano; Joan Collins - Joan's Home Studio, corner of Orme & Cedar (also offering a workshop on mandala art - watch for her flyers about town). So far, there approximately stops on the "loop," which now has its own map - downloadable at link and to be available at most studios on the loop.

Mandala by Joan Collins

Watch for more on studios and food notes about Cowbelles, Burfers, Fire Department, Senior Center & more

now for a few non-Tour items

Have you been mural watching? A pastime that gets more interesting as time goes by and especially now that identiifiable images are emerging and the mural surface is picking up more color. I forgot to post Geree's pictures from last Saturday so here they are:

Don't just be a watcher though - pick up a paint brush and join in!

Recently Mayor Vel Gilley hosted visiting mayors from other NM towns. It is custom for the hosting mayor to present a gift from the town to the visiting mayors. Vel wanted an art gift to reflect the importance of the arts but needed to make arrangements on short notice so asked Roy Kirby to help her. The gift is a montage of Artists Trading Cards by Judy Mowris, Geree McDermott, Linda Johnson, and Darius Beke. Jess Davidson donating mounting and shrinkwrapping.

List of performers for Tour

Note: alphabetical order by location & performer/group. This is NOT a performance schedule. There will be a schedule in the tour brochure and on the Tour web pages. All performance times are subject to change.

For Spoken Word, ONLY Gerard Bezzeg, Art Goodtimes, Judyth Hill, and Rusty Shaffer will have scheduled times. Only Dale and scheduled readers are confirmed. The rest are "probablies" and do not include the usual number of "drop in" open mic readers. There will no doubt be more readers than we have listed.

Art Alley

• Bozon Band Reunion (Dennis Fulfer, Timothy Wyllie, Robin DesJardins, Larry Ashwood, Joe Phillips)
• Cognitive Dissidents (Jess Davidson, Dennis Fulfer, Jeff Stillion, Damien Peralta)
• Heritage Band (Dorothy Cole et al)
• Mountainair High School Brass Ensemble
• Mountainair High School Woodwind Ensemble
• Sabinal Sisters (Abby Linhart, Beth Crouder, Joyce Yoxal)

Dr Saul Community Center

• Cottonwood Trio (Abby Linhart, Carl Allen, Sandra Vieph)
• Kathleen Clute -piano
• Duane Dill - vocal
• Patricia Goodwin - autoharp, voacl
• Mary Jones - vocal
• Ted Jones - vocal
• Patty Mahoney vocal
• Roberto Morales - guitar
• Wray Simmons - piano
• Nancy Townson - recitation

Gazebo in the Shaffer Garden

• Ann Applegarth
• Gerard Bezzeg
• Gary Brower
• Greg Candela
• Art Goodtimes
• Dale Harris
• Judyth Hill
• Bob Reeves
• Elaine Schwartz
• Rusty Shaffer
• Marilyn Stablein

and other open mic readers

Mural report for the rest of May

From Shirley Simmons: Mural report for the rest of May, 2006

There is some color beginning to appear, so the work is getting more interesting. There is still some lay out work to do (is it ever going to end? Painting is so much more fun). The focus now is to finish planning and lay out lines, and to paint the highest part of the mural.

Work days for May are planned as follows:
(remember we do not work when it is wet(?) or when it is very windy and gusty)

• This Friday 5/12 9:00am to 2:00
• Saturday 5/13 9:00am to 2:00
• Monday Eve. 5/15 4:30pm to dusk
• Tuesday 5/16 8:30 am to 2:00

Saturday and Sunday during the Tour Wray and I will be hanging out around the mural and will hopefully get some work done, when not involved elsewhere (music programs) or visiting with people on the Tour. We would love to have people join us there. 9:30am until too hot.

• Monday Eve 5/22 4:30pm to dusk
• Tuesday 5/23 8;30 am to 2:00pm

We will be traveling the rest of May and will announce work days for June when we return. We do have paint and plans if you want to work while we are gone.

We are still looking for someone to adopt the old fire truck to paint. We aren’t ready for it yet, but we will have a pattern of it to size, and it will not be up high on the mural. It should be easier to reach.

Tour Locations & Artists, alphabetically

Brenda's Place
(aka Bistro Bisonte, Buffalo Gallery & Grill, and other burfer inspired variants)

• Meg Chobanian - fiber art/quilt, decoupage
• Judy Mowris - fiber art, art dolls, oil pastel
• Linda Rael - fiber art, art dolls
• Kathy White - mixed media, bone art

Celeste Simon Studio

• Celeste Simon - mixed media sculpture and painting
• Joe Bob Frazier - sculpture, molded caliche

Cibola Arts

• Ann Adams - turned wood, photography
• Doris Burton - pottery & jewelry
• Meg Chobanian - fiber arts
• John Davidson - giclée prints
• Addie Draper - pastels
• Terry Grate - wood burning
• Dale Harris - poetry
• Ron Minnick - sculpture
• Barbara Montgomery - Christmas creations
• Robert Morales - handmade guitars
• Anne Ravenstone - tin work and candles
• Mary Schultz - bead jewelry
• Shirley Simmons - oils
• Jude Wasechek - pottery
• Teri Willett - needlepoint
• Lore Wills - hand weaving
• Timothy Wyllie - prints, books & tapes
• Dennis Ziegler - paintings

Dragon Ash Forge

• LeRoy Simmons - forge art, ornamental metal art

Dr. Saul Community Center

• Suzan Brazil - prints by Joe J. Brazil
• Cynthia Daly - goat's milk soap
• Billie Clarke Ferrer - quilts
• Gary Fey - batik on silk
• Cindy King - cowboy art
• Methodist Church - Mountainair Centennial Cookbook & samples from cookbook
  
• Ron Minnick/Doris Burton - glass
• Beth Sahd - cowboy art, altered objects
• Rose Smith - Native American jewelry
• Carolyn Wells - quilts

Earthsong Et Al

• M. JoAn Dale - pottery
• Bob DeRemer - artistic woodworking
• Wana Beth Fox - Western art
• Merle Volz - restored furniture

Elementary School Gym

• School-wide exhibit of student art, curated by Megan Lemcke

Joan's Home Studio

• Joan Collins - oil pastels, mandala art

Joan Page's Out of Tyme Shoppe

• Wana Beth Fox - Western art, drawings, wood art
• Bryan Jory - pottery
• Shannon Jory - tie-dye fashions
• Joan Page - hand dipped chocolates
• Merle Volz - dreamcatchers

Montgomery Designs Studio

• Hamilton Montgomery - hand-crafted furniture

Shaffer Hotel

• Rainbow Artists - "Women Squared" exhibit
• Stacia Robin - Artists Tading Cards - Art for your Pocket, made to trade and share

Senior Center

• jumble sale, prints, handmade cards, deserts

Stonehouse Gallery & Casita

• Kristine Lauritsen - fine art, antiques, mid-century furniture

Stonetree Gallery

• Paul Arviso - silver jewelry, watercolor/acrylic paintings
• Marilyn Conway - photography
• Jess Davidson - woodworking, furniture
• Ron Evans - paper collage
• Michael Godey - music, mixed media
• Bert Herrman - book signing
• Megan Lemke - installation/mixed media
• Andrea Slaby - acrylic on canvas, beaded jewelry
• Joan Woodruff - book signing

Tillie's Gifts & Collectibles

• Jerry & Jeanette Boyer - original art, collectibles, classic Americana, vintage quilts

Treasures of the Gypsy

• Pamela Armas, art dolls, textile art, beads - by appointment only
  

UpHi.Net

• Digital Art Virtual Exhibit, curated by Merris Atman & Vanessa Vaile
• Merris Atman - oil pastel miniatures

The Wayward Elf, Studio

• Ruth Ballen - mixed media, dolls, art clothing

Tour meeting, April 30

CALLS: please spread the word.

Call for local artisans and crafters to exhibit at the Dr Saul Community Center. Late fee waived.

Call for volunteers to make, letter, and hang kraft paper or fabric banners on the "Welcome to Mountainair" billboard on Hwy 60. If no one steps up, there will be no banners on the blllboards.

And now onto...

The (we hope) LAST Tour Meeting, 2 pm, Sunday April 30, Ancient Cities meeting room

Present: Celeste Simopn, Judy Reynolds, Mary Schultz, Linda Johnson, Kathleen Clute, Vanessa Vaile, Merris Atman, Deb Vetterman, Addie Draper

The REALLY BIG banners have been made, lettering by Shirley Simmons, and are ready to hang. Streamers for lamp posts are underway.

6-7 studios on tour (7 if you don't count Joan Page's Olde Tyme Shoppe as a gallery - and she doesn't, so why should we?), with possibly 1-2 more to come.

StoneTree and Brenda's place (also referred to by some as the "Buffalo Gallery and Grill") next to Up Hi Net are both full. There are 9 exhibits at the Community Center with room for more. Music there too. Jumpin' joint...

Kathleen Clute presented a tentative music schedule but noted that there have been changes - musicians coming & going. We may have musicians from Socorro joining us. The Arts Tour page at The Art Center of Mountainair site will be updated when the schedule firms up a bit more. Music is definitely going to be strong entry at this year's tour.

Dale Harris has added folk singer Gerard Bezzeg to open Spoken Word. Gary "Mex" Glazner is now confirmed, and Pop's grandson, Rusty Shaffer, will close Spoken Word with reminisces of his grandfather.

Merris Atman suggested and offered to set up and run a "Make Your own Art" wall for youth (and perhaps they young at heard as well).

11 Silent Auction items have been collected with close to 20 more promised. I'll list these later with any pictures available. There will much more to see and do.

Food is also shaping up: mostly a combination of local restaurants and local vendors flying under the radar. There will be bottled water for sale at the Information Desk - a notable gap in the past & commented on (unfavorably) by many visitors.

MMAC April General Meeting

Sunday April 23, 2 pm, Shaffer Conference Room
(I'll try to make this mercifully short)

Present: Mary Schultz, Bert Herrman, Vanessa Vaile, Celeste Simon, Shirley Simmons, Deb Vetterman, Addie Draper, Stacia Robin (new member)

Reports: We rounded up all the usual suspects, er, presented the usual reports. Too bad none of us have the urbane charm of Claude Rains. Tour Report by Judy Reynolds and Celeste Simon; Mural Report by Shirley Simmons; Summer Program, read by Mary Schultz for Kathleen Clute.

I will post Mural and Summer Program reports separately so that the good stuff in them - and good stuff there is indeed - is easier to find.

Onto Sunflower ... old new business or new old business. As already blogged, the name still has Sunflower in it but has been changed to Mountainair Sunflower Folk Art Day. (I have no doubt it will be something else again next year - but ever sunflower) Meg and Dennis submitted a proposal in absentia to change the name to something with "roads" in it. Their proposal included a number of excellent ideas that most definitely should not go down the road with "roads" and that I will blog separately in more detail.

This was also when co-chairs put their necks on the block, er, were named. No report because there was no committe yet to be making reports. Bert Herrman volunteered to chair with the comment that no one would want to co-chair with him. Ha! I volunteered. We have separate spheres and should be able to divvy up areas.

A lot was already set even before the meeting: Retablo Show; the Van of Enchantment; a Sunflower ATC/ACEO something or other; Annual Poets & Writers Picnic; traditional Children's Sunflower Art Display. The Sunflower Hat Contest (new last year) was up for going down the road too, but Bert offered to oversee it if the competition can be at the Elementary School where he will be tending the Retabo Show. There will be even more retableros this year. Tentatively, a new Sunflower Retablo is to be commissioned from Luis Otero (Los Lunas) for this year. This comes as a relief because, so far, the retablos are the only genuine folk art scheduled for the show. Read more about retablos.

As previously blogged, a Sunflower 2006 web page is already up (two of them actually) and will be added to as plans develop. The 2000 Sunflower page was my first non-course web page, part of why I have such a soft spot for Sunflower. Dale snagged me for the Poets & Writers Picnic pages a couple of years back. I'm definitely invested in this event - festival, day, celebration, fest, whatever.

New Business:
The next membership meeting is June 18th at Casa Manzano - potluck and tour review. I'll be asking blogophiles for their comments for review and suggestions for 2007.

Announcements:
Reminder about May 7 Music for the Manzanos; Stacia Robin told us about the Rainbow Artists monthly meetings. 3rd Wednesday of the month, 6:45-8:45 pm at the Manzano Mesa Multicultural Center, 501 Elizabeth Street SE, ABQ.

At the end of the meeting Stacia passed around her BIG binder of ATC, making yet more ATC converts.