Catch up on recent art news headlines in the Southwest region, including people on the move, grants, and more.
News
Pablo Luna, Popular Phoenix Muralist and Artist, Passes Away
Phoenix muralist and artist Pablo Luna died on April 19 at the age of fifty two, reports azcentral. Luna, along with Lalo Cota and Mando Rascon, formed the NG Crew—Luna became known for his Phoenix area murals influenced by Chicano art and culture. One of Luna’s most iconic pieces graces Barrio Café on 16th Street.
Artists Announced for Judy Chicago and Donald Woodman’s Wo/Manhouse
Starting in June 2022, Judy Chicago and Donald Woodman will reprise a fifty-year-old piece—entitled Wo/Manhouse—inside of a donated house in Belen, New Mexico with the help of nineteen New Mexico artists. They include Albuquerque artists Helen Atkins, Jen DePaolo, Lindsey Fromm, Apolo Gomez, Stephanie Lerma, Jen Pack, and Sallie Scheufler; Ana June, Chris Riedel, Graysen Riedel, and Kara Sachs of Belen; Gabriel Partido of Las Cruces; Victor Dantes and Guinivere Mayse of Los Lunas; Olivia Hartvig and Jules Hoffman of Medanales; Laura Feierman of Rio Rancho; Rosemary Carroll of Santa Fe; and Prince Vincent Valentine of Taos.
Read the in-depth, behind-the-scenes story of Wo/Manhouse by Caitlin Chávez in Southwest Contemporary.
Delayed Opening for Santa Fe’s Vladem Contemporary
The New Mexico Museum of Art Vladem Contemporary, a soon-to-be high-profile tenant of the Santa Fe Railyard and slick center of contemporary art, has delayed its anticipated fall 2022 reveal. An official opening date has yet to be announced, through museum officials tell Southwest Contemporary that they expect the $16.5 million, 35,000-square-foot building to open soon.
IAIA and CalArts Team Up
The Institute of American Indian Arts and the California Institute of the Arts announced a new collaboration for “Indigenous influence and collaboration.” A press release explains that the partnership will include student and faculty exchanges between the educational institutions in Santa Fe and Los Angeles—IAIA will help provide guidance on CalArts’ Indigenization efforts while IAIA students will be able to access CalArts’ experimental art-making technologies as well as future job opportunities. “CalArts is at the beginning of a process of Indigenization, and we’re looking to IAIA for how to best approach that,” says Chad Hamill (Spokane), CalArts president’s fellow for Indigenous arts and expression, in a prepared statement.
Indigenous Celebration New Mexico 2022
As part of several major anniversaries for New Mexico’s cultural institutions, Indigenous Celebration New Mexico 2022 will unite forty-two organizations in presenting approximately 100 Indigenous arts and cultural events as well as promoting centennials, exhibitions, and celebrations. IC22 is timed with the centennial of the Santa Fe Indian Market, scheduled for August 20 and August 21, 2022; the 100th anniversaries for Gallup Intertribal Ceremonial and La Fonda on the Plaza; the fiftieth anniversary for the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Art; and four other significant birthdays.
New Businesses/Organizations
Hecho Gallery, Santa Fe
Frank Rose of Hecho a Mano on Canyon Road has created a new space, Hecho Gallery, in downtown Santa Fe. The new gallery, located in a historic building at 129 West Palace Avenue, opened April 1 and will focus on “non-editioned media by artists from New Mexico and Mexico.”
New and Bigger Location for Smoke the Moon, Santa Fe
Smoke the Moon moved from its tiny digs at 101 West Marcy Street to a larger space on Canyon Road. The contemporary art gallery on 616 1/2 Canyon Road had a grand opening on March 11—it’s currently displaying new paintings by Sarah Alice Moran.
Grants and Awards
Southwest Galleries Join New Art Dealers Alliance
David B. Smith Gallery in Denver, Office Space in Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, and The Valley in Taos, New Mexico became part of the New Art Dealers Alliance, a not-for-profit collective of professionals working in contemporary art. Everybody in Tucson, Arizona is also a member of NADA, which creates an “open flow of information, support, and collaboration within our field and to develop a stronger sense of community among our constituency.”
Leadership Changes and Appointments
A “Surprise” Departure at Santa Fe Pro Musica
As of July 31, 2022, Anne-Marie McDermott will no longer be Santa Fe Pro Musica’s artistic director. The Santa Fe New Mexican writes that McDermott’s departure was unexpected given that she held the post for just a few years. Additionally, the two are parting ways prior to the announcement of the organization’s 2022-2023 season.
