Oct 05
Southwest Makeup Institute, the only makeup and special effects school in New Mexico, has a new partnership with IATSE 480, preparing students for professions in film and television.
Oct 01
Catch up on southwest arts headlines from September: people on the move, grants awarded, and more.
Sep 23
After six months of government-mandated lockdown, museums across New Mexico are reopening. Here's what you need to know.
Sep 21
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
New Mexico Artist to Know Now Frank Blazquez updates us on his latest documentary work and writing for The Guardian.
Sep 21
The recently opened Taos Ceramics Center is establishing a creative space for artists local to Taos and beyond.
Sep 17
Larger Than Memory includes works made by Indigenous artists from North America in the first two decades of this century.
Sep 15
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
Justin Richel updates us on his current projects and the vital role of art-making.
Sep 07
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
NM Artist to Know Now Danielle Shelley updates us on her current work within the political and social landscape, and making art as an act of faith.
Sep 07
Earthseed Black Arts Alliance New Mexico aims to build community for Black artists in Santa Fe, and highlight their contributions to the city and its history.
Sep 04
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
New Mexico Artist to Know Now William T. Carson updates us on his practice since the pandemic, working with sound, and creating without expectation.
Sep 03
Comic book stores, using their wits and their devoted customers, are pleasantly surprised to find themselves surviving the apocalypse.
Sep 01
Catch up on southwest arts headlines from August: people on the move, grants awarded, artist representation, and more.
Aug 28
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
New Mexico Artist to Know Now Andrea Pichaida gives us an update on her new work, her studio practice, and making art in the time of global unrest.
Aug 27
Artists descended on downtown Albuquerque, a “ghost town” after the pandemic, for two weeks to paint the boarded-up windows...
Aug 24
Music venues and festivals are embracing creativity and resourcefulness to stave off financial ruin and bring live music to audiences at a time when they desperately need it.
Aug 24
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
New Mexico Artist to Know Now Joe Ramiro Garcia updates us on his current work and studio practice.
Aug 23
Currently, New Mexico ranks 50th in the US for self-response to the 2020 census. Each individual who is counted in the census brings in $37,500 for the state over the course of 10 years.
Aug 21
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
Taos-based artist c marquez, one of SWC's 12 NM Artists to Know Now, updates us on their practice, new pieces, and wishes for the arts community.
Aug 18
New Mexico Artists to Know NowNews
Rapheal Begay, one of SWC's 12 NM Artists to Know Now, updates us on his work and relationship to art since the COVID-19 pandemic, which he has spent at home in Navajo Nation. He continues to advocate for Indigenous aesthetics and visual sovereignty.
Aug 10
The Keshet M3 Movement for Mercy and Arts and Justice Network advocate for juvenile justice reform through arts education and youth empowerment.
Aug 09
Catch up on local arts headlines from July! People are on the move at local institutions, grants and scholarships have been awarded.
Aug 07
Reimagined for the COVID-19 era, this year’s entirely virtual monthlong Indian Market is ushering in a new era for SWAIA and many Native artists.
Aug 05
While the Owl Peak Farm has adjusted to the pandemic with relatively little upheaval, staying nimble in the face of unexpected and uncontrollable situations is nothing new when working with nature. We spoke with them about their dinner program, the farm, and rolling with the punches.
Jul 31
New Mexico arts organizations bring us together in the era of social distancing.
Jul 31
Patina Gallery presents Infinite Beauty, On the Move, a collection by master metalsmiths and jewelry makers Ulla and Martin Kaufmann, in partnership with Charon Kransen Arts.
Jul 31
A number of arts institutions across New Mexico celebrate significant anniversaries this year, including photo-eye, the National Hispanic Cultural Center, Santa Fe Workshops, Turner Carroll Gallery, and the Santa Fe Art Institute.
Jul 24
Windows On the Future, which spans Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Taos, aims to re-energize commercial districts that have slowed down due to COVID-19.
Jul 21
The inaugural Field Guide—a guidebook to arts and culture across northern New Mexico —drops in print and online on July 31! To receive an issue delivered to your door, you can pre-order a copy now from our online store.
Jul 21
Jodie Herrera is an Albuquerque-based artist. We spoke with Jodie about activism in art and Nuevo, her new exhibition with Frank Blazquez.
Jul 13
From thermal surveillance imaging to maps of the dead to stories and visions of survival, the work at two imminent Santa Fe exhibitions invites you to come closer to some of the millions of humans who have lost, fled, or been chased from their homes and countries in the past three decades.
Jul 13
A monument to Union soldiers who fought in the Civil War against “savage” Indians is now the site of a community art project organized by the Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department, in which city residents are invited to “create messages of reconciliation.”
Jul 08
Santa Fe Art Tours was founded in 2015 by Elaine Ritchel. Known for a creative, in-depth approach to arts education, Santa Fe Art Tours specializes in themed tours, multi-day experiences, and is currently offering online studio visits. We caught up with Elaine to discover how her business is navigating the lockdown.
Jul 07
In lieu of a fair in the flesh, IFAM organized a virtual festival taking place this week with streamed presentations and artist talks, culminating in a virtual gala and auction presentation Friday evening that will help fund the Market, artist education programs, and year-round public programming.
Jul 01
Catch up on local arts headlines from April, May, and June! People are on the move at local institutions, grants and scholarships have been awarded, archives collected, and more.
Jun 29
516 Arts in Albuquerque, a partner in the Regional Regranting Program of The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts through its Fulcrum Fund, pivoted its 2020 grantmaking to provide emergency relief to 66 artists and thirteen artist-driven visual arts spaces experiencing economic instability during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jun 24
“It’s really brought home to me the way in which literature can connect us to each other and foster and express our shared humanity. Our experiences in this country might be specific, but through art we can interrogate universal truths about what it means to be human. This is why it’s so important for our arts, culture and society to be inclusive of everyone.”
Jun 22
Farm & Table is an Albuquerque restaurant with a strong ethos grounded in local food and sustainable practices. Like many in the food and beverage industry, Farm & Table was heavily affected by the COVID-19 restrictions. The week we spoke, the restaurant was fully reopening to the public for the first time since March. We spoke with Cherie Montoya, owner of Farm & Table.
Jun 22
In New Mexico, twelve organizations are the recipients of NEA grants totaling $1,007,000. Among them, Wise Fool New Mexico received an Art Works award of $30,000 for circus arts training and performances. SITE Santa Fe received $20,000 for a major retrospective exhibition of work by Brazilian artist Regina Silveira.
Jun 16
The Weekly 5×5 is Southwest Contemporary’s top five picks of things to do for the next five days. At least that’s what it was until our to-dos became homebound during […]
Jun 10
Ramona Sakiestewa grew up in the American Southwest where the land and sky informed her artwork. Over 30 years ago her artwork began in tapestry weaving. In 2009, Ramona began focusing on constructed works on paper as a new medium. Using printing, painting, and drawing, the artist layers shapes, colors, and textures to form a dimensional lexicon for the constructions.
Jun 02
Keith Grosbeck and Leland Chapin work in marketing at the Poeh Cultural Center in Pojoaque, NM. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Poeh swiftly organized a Facebook group called the Native Artist Marketplace, where Native artists are invited to sell their work. At the time of publication, the group has over 1,500 members. As part of their efforts, the Poeh has offered their team’s knowledge and experience to help artists in their community make the transition to selling their artwork online.
Jun 01
May's Reading List, Southwest Contemporary's monthly compilation of worth-while writings from around the art-world internet, includes multiple takes on the question of how art, the role art plays in the world, and the mechanisms of the art world will have changed during and following the global COVID-19 pandemic.
May 29
George Casey, owner of Lost Padre Records in Santa Fe, has curated a list of five records to listen to now. A longtime record collector and DJ, George brings us a truly eclectic mix of bonafide jams. Lost Padre Records re-opened last week and are also offering curb-side pick-up and shipping. All the records listed here are available at Lost Padre. Put a record on, turn it up.
