The Results Are In: Southwest Contemporary’s 2022 Reader Survey
Southwest Contemporary's 2022 reader survey results are in. Here is what we've learned so far. Plus, meet the feline members of our team.
Jun 30
From the Editor
Oct 29
From the Editor: Vol. 4
From the EditorVol. 4 Winter 2021
Southwest Contemporary Vol. 4 travels across the region to meet artists, brewers, climate-change activists, and DIY-ers to have in-depth conversations about significant and inspiring issues.
Apr 30
From the Editor: Vol. 2 — Flights of Fancy
From the EditorVol. 2 Flights of Fancy
Welcome to Southwest Contemporary Vol. 2, Flights of Fancy. This issue explores the complexities involved in defining—and staying tethered to—what’s “real."
Feb 08
From the Editor: Vol. 1 — Bodies//Boundaries
SWC Vol. 1: Bodies//Boundaries is the first publication of a new journey and an expanded mission: to bring curated, critical arts and culture publishing to the American Southwest, in print and online.
Oct 26
Announcing our 2021 Publication Schedule and SWC Memberships
Whether you've valued our content over the last 28 years, or the last 28 days, now is the time we need your help the most.
Jul 21
Announcing the Field Guide 2020
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.
May 26
From the Editor: The Future of Southwest Contemporary
After careful consideration, and much initial heartbreak, I have decided that Southwest Contemporary will publish one final print edition this year: our new Field Guide publication. We will suspend print publication of The Magazine for the remainder of 2020, with strong and sincere plans to return to print in 2021.
Mar 23
Support SWC + The Magazine
Southwest Contemporary will continue to serve our community by sharing information, resources, and connections, and supporting arts businesses, organizations, and artists as best we can during this time. However, we need you, our readers and community members, to help us weather this storm.
Mar 26
Letter: April-May 2020
For this special issue on architecture and preservation, coinciding with national Architecture Month in April and Preservation Month in May, I wanted to look at the intersections of architecture, time, and place—all of which are changing as our community does. I also wanted to lift up the voices of women in design.
Feb 02
Letter: February-March 2020
Welcome to the Artists Issue, featuring 12 New Mexico Artists to Know Now, a readership survey, new features, and a new calendar.
Dec 01
Letter: December 2019-January 2020
This issue taps into contemporary craft. It wasn’t intentionally a choice informed by the season, but it feels right to contemplate our own crafts at the end of the year—a season of endings, reflections, and new opportunities. We approached this topic from many different angles, from traditional craft to craft and tech.
Oct 04
Letter: October-November 2019
I love print. I love words on a physical page held in my hands. I love the texture of paper and the smell of old books. I love interesting editorial design that creates an experience greater than the sum of its parts. If you’ve ever been to Southwest Contemporary’s offices, you may have seen my collection of independent magazines from around the world, which is always growing (here’s an open invitation to come say hi and take a look!).
Aug 28
Letter: September 2019
This month we embrace our new name and traverse the southwest from Silver City, New Mexico, to Scottsdale, Arizona. In our features, we visit the studio of Santa Fe artist Ted Larsen, whose work we are honored to present as this issue’s cover art. Briana Olson takes us on a day tour of some of Albuquerque’s incredible murals. Rachel Preston Prinz gives us the lowdown on the art, architecture, and natural glories in and around Silver City, New Mexico. Maggie Grimason goes deep with artists Ginger Dunnill and Cannupa Hanska Luger at their Glorieta, New Mexico home, to talk about their individual and collaborative practices spanning art, life, community, and family.
Jul 29
Letter: August 2019
Welcome to the next chapter of The Magazine! In July, the beginning of The Magazine’s 28th year, I launched a new business: Southwest Contemporary. (If you missed this launch, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page!) Southwest Contemporary is a new art media company that will serve as an umbrella over The Magazine while also carving out room for this company to evolve and grow.
Jul 01
Introducing Southwest Contemporary
The month of July introduces a season of sequels and new beginnings to The Magazine! On the cusp of The Magazine’s 28th year, I am excited to introduce you to […]
Jun 26
Letter: July 2019
I am thrilled to usher The Magazine into its 28th year with this issue: Volume 28, Issue 1. I have some very exciting announcements that will be made in just a couple of weeks about the future of The Magazine and new offerings to look forward to, so please make sure you are signed up on our email list if you are not already!
May 24
Letters: June 2019
For a monthly magazine, it can be difficult to capture a theme throughout an entire issue. So much of our content is deliberately eclectic, covers a span of disciplines, and is a mix between in-depth and topical coverage. I’m delighted, therefore, that our “Landscapes” issue came together rather organically...
Apr 26
Letters: May 2019
I can already tell from our overflowing calendar of events that the New Mexico arts season is soon upon us.
Mar 26
Letters: April 2019
Welcome to April. We have a great issue to present this month, but first, I want to introduce and welcome our newest team member, Rebecca Lynch!
Jan 30
Letter from the Editor: February-March 2019
In November of 2018, we put out an open call for New Mexico artists to submit their work to be featured in this issue and were astounded receive over 450 submissions from artists across the entire state.
Nov 28
Letters: December 2018-January 2019
When I started in June, Lauren and I made all sorts of plans, and it’s a joy to watch them develop into realities: more coverage of performance art, dance...
Oct 30
Letters: November 2018: Community
A month ago, I wrote about the importance of critical writing and critical thinking, one of the core tenets of the work of The Magazine. Now I’m happy to write about a second core tenet: Community.
Oct 01
Letters: October 2018: Criticism
Criticism is a vital part of a community that endeavors to engage and progress culturally and artistically. By criticism, I mean informed writing that expands upon and critiques, positively or negatively, the artwork, exhibitions...
Sep 13
25 Issues In: From the desk of Lauren Tresp
The September issue is my 25th as publisher and editor of this publication, and it feels like a fitting moment to reflect on the transformations that have taken place over the last two and a half years. Since early 2016 we have...
Aug 28
Letters: September 2018
Welcome to our September issue! I am excited to introduce our feature content...
Sep 13
Making a magazine isn’t sexy: From the desk of Lauren Tresp
I want to bring you sexy behind-the-scenes footage of the making of The Magazine. But in truth, aside from the interviews and studio visits our writers do in the field and some editorial meetings...
Jul 30
August 2018
I am so excited to bring to you our August 2018 issue! With this issue I am thrilled...
Jun 01
June 2018
Welcome to another issue of The Magazine! This issue is anchored by a number of diverse features that span painting, art travel, performance, and more: Clayton Porter and Chelsea Weathers made the trek up to El Rito to visit the studio of Shane Tolbert for the “Studio Visit...
May 01
May 2018
One of the most satisfying aspects of my position at The Magazine is that I am able to bring in content that I myself have wished to see as a reader. This issue represents a number of elements I have wanted to find in and bring into the fabric of this publication...
Feb 01
February/March 2018 + THE Redesign
Welcome to the new The Magazine! With this issue, we are launching into a new phase, and I am thrilled to present a new logo, a completely redesigned magazine, and new branding that will help propel our mission forward.
Dec 01
December 2017/January 2018
Happy Holidays from all of us at THE Magazine! This issue will span December and January, and as such, it contains several very special features and additional content. However, we are now publishing new content online, please sign up for our newsletter and...
Oct 01
October 2017
If anyone thought the New Mexico arts scene was slowing down, guess again. We still have another month+ of world-class arts programming to get through before we can take a […]
Sep 01
September 2017
This issue's cover image is an homage to the College of Santa Fe and the Santa Fe University of Art and Design, as students are currently making themselves at home on campus for the last time in the school's storied history [...]
Aug 01
August 2017
Welcome to August! In our last issue, we celebrated THE Magazine's 25th anniversary and our new website launch. This month we hit another milestone with a new addition to [...]
Jul 01
From the Editor: July 2017
In July of 1992, Guy and Judith Cross (Wolf) published the very first issue of THE Magazine. In their opening letter in Vol. I, No. I, they wrote, "Santa Fe is acknowledged as one of the art centers of the world" [...]
Jun 01
From the Editor: June 2017
This issue's theme, Monuments, produced several feature articles investigating the intersection of mark making, place, and memory, and revealed an enduring deep relationship with the precious, often contested, lands of the Southwest [...]
Apr 01
From the Editor: April/May 2017
The Santa Fe art season is upon us, and this issue embraces the spring awakening with kaleidoscopic original cover art by local designer/illustrator Luke Dorman [...]
