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. Chelsea Weathers’s book review of David Taylor: Monuments, in which the photographer documented 276 obelisks marking and commemorating the establishment of the US-Mexico border, resulted in this issue’s cover art. Alicia Inez Guzmán and Clayton Porter visited the studio of Michael Namingha, whose work engages not only with marking the disappearance and disruption of landscapes but also with the biased legacies inherent in language. Jenn Shapland’s feature essay “A Walking Tour of the End of the World,” questions the implications of the establishment in 2015 of the Manhattan Project National Historic Park, which casts a blind eye on the negative fallout of the project’s presence in New Mexico, from environmental racism to the ongoing disposal of radioactive waste.
Jordan Eddy’s “Meet Your Makers” pro le of the Santa Fe Opera Costume Department gives us a glimpse into the monumental problem-solving efforts undertaken to stage productions each summer. Photographer Donald Woodman is the winner of the “monuments” photo contest with his image God is Just a Prayer Away (see more at donaldwoodman.com). In the second of his three contributions to our Printed Page series, Albuquerque-based artist Larry Bob Phillips presents new ink-on-paper work Black Butte. As ever, check out the reviews section to read our writers’ responses to some recent exhibitions.
This July, I invite you to celebrate THE Magazine‘s 25th anniversary and website launch with a party at form & concept gallery on Saturday, July 8, 5-8 pm. Please join us for drinks, snacks, music, and more to throw back to THE‘s founding in 1992, and look ahead to the next 25 years.
Lastly, I am very sad to share that talented Santa Fe artist Kate Carr, featured in our October 2016 “Studio Visit,” passed away this April due to complications related to ovarian cancer. Please take time to read about her life and work on page 62, and view her beautiful work on her website, katecarrart.com.
Thank you for reading,
