When we first dreamed up the Artists Issue, we thought of it as a way to share—with New Mexico and beyond—a sample of the most vibrant and engaged artists working in New Mexico right now. Artists whose work deserves sustained attention, whether or not you’ve ever heard of them before.
We opened The Magazine’s first-ever statewide open call for artists in November 2018, and by the deadline in December had received 452 submissions from artists of all ages, backgrounds, and from all corners of the state. We were astounded by the breadth and quality of the artwork submitted, and the process of whittling them down to twelve was daunting. We enlisted guest juror Andrea Hanley, Membership and Program Manager of the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, for the task. As we looked through one submission after another, several things became clear. First, all kinds of artists are practicing in this state, devoted to their work without receiving recognition or publicity. And second, that the community of New Mexico artists is so much bigger, stranger, and stronger than we previously imagined. The rest of this issue is proudly devoted to the twelve artists we chose as “Artists to Know Now.”
You can see more of their work on our website, southwestcontemporary.com, and view select works by all twelve artists in a group exhibition that opens Friday, March 1, 5-8 pm, at The Magazine’s new project space located at 1415 W Alameda Street in Santa Fe.
