The Artist's Magazine - Dispatches from the West

11/16/2009 9:42:57 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, November 09, 2009

What recession? New galleries open in Santa Fe

Santa Fe Mariachis (pastel, 27x27) by Lori Snable was selected to be on Santa Fe's 400th anniversary poster.

Mark Greenberg steps up to greet me with a welcoming handshake and good news about several artists in his gallery, including Lori Snable, who was recently named poster artist for the celebration of Santa Fe's 400th anniversary. "She was one of the first artists I wanted in the gallery," Greenberg says enthusiastically of the New Mexico pastelist. Near the poster piece depicting mariachis is Story Writer (right; pastel, 33x27), another painting by the artist featuring a couple nesting at a table in a downtown Starbucks.

Greenberg Fine Art, perched at the base of the gallery-laden Canyon Road in Santa Fe, opened in August. Greenberg is one of a trio of local gallerists taking a leap of faith in this arty enclave and throwing open their doors in the midst of a recession. "I had been director of a gallery on Canyon Road for five years and built up a clientele," he says. "The space became available, and I felt like it was fate. It was the space I always wanted."

A few blocks off the plaza, Evoke Contemporary also opened earlier this year and is currently displaying expressionistic landscape works by Louisa McElwain on its walls. And just around the corner, Skotia Gallery, another new gallery, represents more top western-based artists, including Montana figurative painter Steve Huston, who is known for his moody, muscular portraits of fighters in the ring.

For Greenberg, with three months under his gallery belt, optimism reigns supreme. Business has been better than expected. "I believe things are going to turn around and I will be well positioned for the future," he says.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

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Dispatches from the West | News

11/9/2009 2:17:46 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, November 02, 2009

Meet the American Impressionist Society's big winner

Oregon-based painter Mitch Baird was surprised to hear the good news when we called him. At the American Impressionist Society show held at Saks Galleries in Denver, he won not just one but two top awards for his painting Morning Ensigns, Italy (oil, 16x12): Best of Show (selected by Quang Ho) and Southwest Art’s Award of Excellence.

For the past few years, Mitch says, he's usually entered landscapes in contests. But this time he decided to take a chance and enter something a little different with a figure in it. The inspiration for the piece originated from a trip to Venice two years ago, he says. "I was actually up one morning early on my way to San Marcos Square to get reference photos and paint the area before the crowds showed up. I turned onto this particular street looking into the light, and the Italian flags were lit up like firecrackers! I had walked this street before, but in this light and with the missing crowds it was something special. Because of light and perspective, I felt it might make an impression or add variety to the show."

Mitch was right. In the future, he plans to paint more figurative works, he says. Read more about Mitch Baird in Southwest Art's January issue, where he's featured in our Artist to Watch column.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

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Dispatches from the West | News

11/2/2009 9:00:29 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)

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Monday, October 26, 2009

Hot new book on New Mexico artists

Cover art: At the Loneliest Moment of an Afternoon by Pauline Ziegen (oil, 60x48)

The first snow of the season dusted the yards and downtown streets of Boulder this week. And while the air outside my office has taken on a definite winter chill, inside Art Journey New Mexico has also arrived and warmed my desk with the fiery orange landscape on its cover. The 224-page coffee table book features works by 104 of the state's top artists, brought together by the editors of The Collectors Guide, a sister publication to Southwest Art and The Artist's Magazine.

Flipping through the pages serves as a reminder of the rich, multicultural influences and imaginations that thrive and drive the state’s reputation as a fertile nesting ground for artists. And interspersed with these treats are works by artists originally from New Mexico and a cadre who've come from other places seeking a creative place to call home. As a group, the artists vary widely in style from the chiaroscuro realism of the old masters to colorful abstraction. But the traditional mixes with the edgy to offer readers a delicious slice of the New Mexico art scene.

And for readers hungry to experience a sense of place there are adobe churches, pueblos, burrito stands, sizzling sunsets and nature's famous color palette that brushes the small towns and cities. Expect to see brilliant yellow aspen trees, purple streaked skies and the wild red poppies that pepper the state's roadsides. Residents may grow weary of hearing their state dubbed The Land of Enchantment, but when it comes to art, this southwestern oasis really is quite enchanting.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News

10/26/2009 9:10:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, October 19, 2009

Southwest Art announces 21 Over 31 winners

Liza 1 (oil, 34x60) by Francois Chartier

Monkeys, buddhas, potatoes and tanker trucks. Welcome to the November issue of Southwest Art, which hits newsstands across the country soon and features the winners of our 21 Over 31 competition. Here's a sneak preview and a little backstory.

The editors awarded first prize to North Carolinian Joshua Flint for Edge of Forever, a moody, slice-of-life depiction of Grand Central Station. While we were producing the issue, Josh's father passed away. Sadly, he never got the chance to tell his dad the piece also made it onto the cover. A few weeks ago, Josh told us that when he was growing up his father subscribed to Southwest Art and it was always on the family's coffee table. He recalled how his dad loved the West and romanticized the cowboy way of life. "Your publication being in our household and his tremendous support are certainly a few of the reasons why I am an artist today," Josh says. "The seed was planted long ago, whether I realized it or not. I know he would have been ecstatic seeing my work on the cover and it would have made him very proud. Even though he is not here, I imagine he is somewhere boasting about me."

A Song for Solanum (pastel, 18x24) by Brian Burt

Canadian Francois Chartier took home second prize for Liza 1 (top), a glistening portrayal of a swimmer torpedoing through a pool. And then there's the one that always makes me smile—A Song for Solanum (above) by Ohio artist Brian Burt (who's also garnered some notice from The Artist's Magazine and The Pastel Journal). In this still life, Mr. Potato Head eyes another potato while wielding a peeler. There's a recipe for mashed potatoes looming ominously in the background.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News | Notable Artists

10/19/2009 9:10:21 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Art show asks you to Think Before You Pink

It's October and that time of year when an onslaught of pink ribbons pop up here, there, and everywhere, from candy bars to shiny new cars. Now a San Francisco gallery, ArtHaus, has teamed up with Breast Cancer Action (BCA), a national watchdog organization, to present a show that invites viewers to ask critical questions about pink ribbon promotions.

Think Before You Pink (also the name of a BCA campaign) features 14 artists, including at least one breast cancer survivor, Torrie Groening. "I was fed up and saddened by the fact that I couldn't even buy my family groceries without being bombarded with reminders of cancer in the shape of pink ribbons," Groening says. Her photograph, This Elixir, It Won't Fix Her (right), features a volcano of consumer good erupting out of a tin can—teddy bears, lemon squeezers, and sunglasses. "When researching for this piece I only had to Google 'pink ribbon store' to discover this was a huge industry. Hundreds of online stores sell thousands of manufactured and pink ribbon objects—enough to fill many landfills." Groening says she is sick of pink and she's participating in the show, in part, because BCA holds companies accountable, including ones that manufacture carcinogenic products and then urge the public to buy its products to support cancer research.

Among other things, BCA also encourages consumers to read the fine print—how much of the money really goes toward breast cancer? According to BCA, for example, Lean Cuisine once displayed pink ribbons on its boxes, but the purchase of the frozen delights did not result in any money going toward breast cancer research. Instead, the consumer was directed to a website to buy a pink Lean Cuisine lunch tote.

Groening says everyone copes differently, but she prefers not to concentrate on cancer and keep a sense of humor and focus on her family and artwork. Think Before You Pink runs at ArtHaus through Oct. 31.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News | Random Thoughts | Shows and Events

10/12/2009 9:27:36 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, October 05, 2009

Simply divine in Denver

Windows to the Divine, the intriguing title given to the biennial art show held this year at the Madden Museum of Art near Denver, is noteworthy for at least one reason. It’s hard to recall another show that brings together top artists and asks them to create works that interpret spirituality without confining their visual riffs to sacred or religious subjects. Thus, the show that opened Saturday night featured angels, virgins, ballerinas, Native American deities, peonies, yoga poses, quiet Rocky Mountain streams, San Francisco cable cars and western sunsets.

The overtly religious paintings hung side-by-side with the secular ones like Lu Cong’s The Canary Bride (right, oil, 80x48), a stark minimalist portrait of a young woman with pearls. Granted an observer might argue that Cong’s bride looks a bit virginal. In September 2005, the editors of Southwest Art chose Cong as an emerging artist in our annual 21 Under 31 themed issue.

On Saturday night, the editors at Southwest Art also awarded Cong an award of excellence—it was a tough call with more than 120 wonderful paintings on view. But there was the sense with this award we were bringing our 2005 discovery and introduction of Cong full cycle. Ben McPherson and Dan McCaw received Southwest Art’s two other awards of excellence. The show is on view through Oct. 23.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

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10/5/2009 1:48:49 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, September 28, 2009

Georgia O'Keeffe: In Her Own Words

A blockbuster exhibit, Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstraction, has opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art this month, and with it the first-time publication of steamy love letters between O'Keeffe and her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, the well-known photographer.

The letters had been sealed for 20 years, but now the catalogue accompanying the show includes 22 of the emotional treatises, along with images of O'Keeffe's sensuous, often joyous depictions of flowers. Excerpts from 10 of O'Keeffe's letters were also posted on The Daily Beast a few days ago. The letters date from 1916 to the 1940s, when the artist wrote to Stieglitz in New York City from her permanent home in Abiquiu, New Mexico.

For anyone who thought the recent biopic Georgia O'Keeffe, which aired on Lifetime Sept. 19, seemed a bit superficial and overwrought, the letters shed additional light on the artist and her complicated relationship with Stieglitz. He was portrayed in the

biopic as a self-absorbed, cruel philanderer, but also as the artist's biggest promoter.

We often think of O'Keeffe as a leathery skinned, stoic, independent woman of the West, not the willing participant in a relationship of "enraged intimacy," as one critic dubbed the duo's stormy union. Nor do we think of this art icon as a mushy school girl smitten with a man twice her age. But in a 1916 letter, O'Keeffe wrote to Stieglitz: "I don't know if its woman or little girl—I am mostly both. I want to put my arms round you—kiss you—let you kiss me." (Punctuation and spelling are O'Keeffe's.) By 1934 the letters turn bleaker, with painful references to his affairs. The correspondence coupled with the exhibition should offer O'Keeffe aficionados a deeper look into the personal life of the legendary painter—a key figure in 20th century art and the only American female artist with a museum dedicated to her work.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Show schedule:

Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City: through Jan. 17, 2010
The Phillips Collection, Washington, DC: Feb. 6-May 9, 2010
Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe, NM: May 28-Sept. 10, 2010

Dispatches from the West | Exhibits | News | Notable Artists

9/28/2009 9:21:50 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, September 21, 2009

Report: Fall Arts Festival in Jackson, WY

At 9:29 a.m. last Saturday, Amy Poor, John Potter, and Julie Chapman were standing in front of their easels in the Jackson Hole, WY, town square, eagerly awaiting the signal to pick up their brushes and start painting. They were three of about 20 artists participating in the Quick Draw, in which they had an hour to create a painting. (If it were reality TV, this would be the quickfire challenge on Bravo's Top Chef.) "It's masochistic and tough," says William Smith, who practiced beforehand to shave minutes off his time. A few minutes later, a five-piece orchestra on hand for the event struck up the theme from Mission: Impossible.

The Quick Draw is part of the annual Jackson Hole Fall Arts Festival. The night before some of the artists were also ensconced at the nearby National Museum of Wildlife Art, where their works were on display at an annual miniature show. This year California watercolor painter Thomas Quinn received the Artist’s Choice award for his elegant piece depicting a quail foraging for prey. Meanwhile in the museum lobby, collectors dined on treats such as mashed potatoes in champagne glasses.

Shadow of the Sixth (oil, 60x120) by Tom Gilleon

Gallery owners participated in the festival with show openings and receptions for the artists. Paintings at some venues like Trailside Galleries sported an array of red dots—good news for the art market. Another piece of good news out of Jackson Hole is the opening of Altamira Fine Art, an exciting new gallery just off the town square. The space has an uncluttered, contemporary feel and represents artists such as Tom Gilleon (above), the festival's featured artist.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Learn more about Western art:

9/21/2009 1:28:41 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, September 14, 2009

LA state of mind

Ol' Blue (oil, 11x14) by Jennifer McChristian

Palm trees. Earthquakes. Freeways. And 263 days of sunshine a year. The sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles is like no other landscape. In Southwest Art’s October issue, due on the newsstands soon, we spotlight an artist and two collectors who offer a counterpoint of sorts to my recent blog about California artists painting seasonal wildfires.

In the October issue, we feature a story about Jennifer McChristian, a Los Angeles painter who paints the city's neighborhoods and deserted streets where not much is happening at all—no fires, no acts of God (or arson), no stunning Thomas Kinkade scenes of the coastline. "I like mundane-ness," Jennifer says. For example, in Ol' Blue (above) she depicts a beat-up pick-up truck nesting in a yard. In another piece, she features a simple green space between two houses where a discarded charcoal grill and pieces of gutter greet viewers. A beggar on the street corner, utility poles, ribbons of concrete and traffic cones are among Jennifer's subjects of choice. Or she might focus on her own peaceful slice of LA life—her studio and haven in the Los Feliz neighborhood.

It's difficult to protect paintings from the threat of fire, but we also have a story about Los Angeles area collectors Chris and Beverly Jones, who have done rigorous research on how to protect their California Impressionist paintings from earthquakes and the intense Southern California sunshine. The couple offers tips on an earthquake-proof gizmo that fastens paintings to the wall, a special film that blocks 99.9 percent of ultraviolent light, and a shatterproof laminated glass to protect watercolor works.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

9/14/2009 11:15:36 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Artists tackle wildfires

Two Fires #2 (oil, 18x18) by Carol Pierce

A blanket of haze settled over Boulder, CO, for a few days last week. The drifting smoke is a constant reminder for us in the Rocky Mountains that there's a massive blaze raging hundreds of miles away in Los Angeles.

By all accounts, there haven't been any gallery or museum shows dedicated specifically to imagery of California wildfires, but more and more the state’s artists are offering us portrayals of the red hot flames licking the sky.

Northern California painter Carole Pierce (above) has been painting the sky and land all her life, she says. For the past few years, fire imagery has emerged in her abstract, Turneresque landscapes in part because she is intrigued by fire's paradoxical quality. "Fire is both dangerous and amazingly beautiful," she says. "It can devastate an area in seconds. But in many cultures fire is also about transformation, rebirth, regeneration, and spiritual awakening." Pierce's paintings are on view at Sue Greenwood Fine Art in Laguna Beach in November.

Los Angeles-based painter Marina Moevs is inspired by fire and other natural disasters that she reads about. (Her painting Fire IV [oil, 78x48] is above right.) She often creates imagined scenarios which, however, are all too real for Angelenos—buildings going up in flames and rooms engulfed in smoke.

Another Los Angeles artist, Alex Schaefer (who I mentioned in my last dispatch), says his recent depiction of a suburban house with a backyard consumed by fire is a mash-up of Edward Hopper, a photo from Dwell magazine, a Google map street view of a house in Santa Clarita and fire photos. (Fire 2 [oil, 40x30] is at right.) "It's also a bit my feeling of the state of the things in the world," he says.

But for Pierce, her fire works are more concerned with the question, "What is it like to live with fire?"

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

9/8/2009 11:15:27 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 31, 2009

Mini-portraits for the masses

The headline on a recent story on CNN.com read: Old–school Portraits See Resurgence Online. The article spotlighted Matt Held, a New York City artist who paints peoples' Facebook photos and gives them to his subjects. The story noted the art of portraiture, once reserved for the rich and the royal, has found a new mass appeal online.

The report started me thinking about how many artists today create their own inspired Facebook images—mini self-portraits that not only establish their identity online but at the same time provide a sampling of their artistic talents and imaginations. Some offer up sophisticated and painterly oil self-portraits like Coloradan Daniel Sprick (below right).

Others like Alex Schaefer, from the Los Angeles area, have some fun with their postage-stamp-size digitals. Schaefer, an instructor at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, took his first grade photo and added a beard in Photoshop (above right). "People think it's funny, which is entirely my intention," he says. "It still looks like me but also expresses a little about how I feel inside. I think in any artist there is a certain refusal to grow up."

How does your Facebook/MySpace/Twitter image represent you as an artist?

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Random Thoughts

8/31/2009 9:12:18 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 24, 2009

Five art exhibits you need to see this fall

Fleeting Encounter by Lindsay Scott (oil, 27x44), whose work appears in the National Museum of Wildlife Art's Miniatures and More Show & Sale.

Fall season out in the West always ushers in an array of impressive museum exhibitions. If you're thirsting for a really big show with great artists, here are some suggestions:

For wildlife art lovers, the annual Miniatures and More Show & Sale takes place Sept. 18 at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY. The exhibit spotlights works by the genre's top painters and sculptors. This year Lindsay Scott, who creates compelling portraits of African creatures, is a featured artist.
The Kolb Studio isn't exactly a museum, but it's not a gallery either. On Sept. 19, the studio, which sits on the south rim of the Grand Canyon and is operated by the nonprofit Grand Canyon Association, features works by 20 artists who are known for expressing the grandeur of this natural wonder.
The university town of Stockton, CA, is home to The Haggin Museum, a treasure trove of works by 19th- and early-20th-century European and American painters. But from Oct. 2 to Jan. 10, the museum will host contemporary landscape painters: members of the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America. The exhibit will brim with fantastic paintings of our country's national parks.
In the Denver area, the Madden Museum of Art displays Windows to the Divine, a show with well-known painters, such as Scott Fraser, Albert Handell and Quang Ho, and their interpretations of spiritual paths, though not necessarily including religious or sacred subjects. The ecumenical event runs Oct. 3-23.
Southern California's Laguna Art Museum hosts the 11th annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational Oct. 11-18. Join the painters at the opening and on the beach for breakfast and a Quick Draw contest.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Exhibits | Shows and Events

8/24/2009 12:34:26 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 17, 2009

New Georgia O'Keeffe biopic

Three-time Academy Award nominee Joan Allen is channeling Georgia O'Keeffe in a new biopic produced by Sony Pictures Television. Georgia O'Keeffe airs Sept. 19 on the Lifetime network, but Santa Fe will roll out the red carpet Aug. 28 for its premiere at the Lensic Performing Arts Center in the heart of the city.

According to a press release from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, the movie revisits the tumultuous relationship between O'Keeffe and her husband, photographer Alfred Stieglitz, played by Jeremy Irons. The biopic hones in on their interdependence and O'Keeffe's struggle to establish her own identity in New York and New Mexico, eventually her permanent home.

Sony and Lifetime, I've got a hot idea for a movie about the art world. How about Maynard & Dorothea, a biopic documenting the complex relationship between western landscape painter Maynard Dixon and photographer Dorothea Lange, set against the backdrop of San Francisco in the 1920s?

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News | Notable Artists

8/17/2009 8:50:29 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Report from the Loveland Sculpture Shows

Loveland, CO, is a sleepy town north of Denver for most of the year. But during the second week in August, the place turns into a swelling sea of sculptors—some 400 artists from around the country swim into town bearing bronze, stone, ceramic and wood pieces. They range in subject matter from contemporary kinetic towers to tiny, funky frogs.

One of the pleasures of my annual trek to Sculpture in the Park and the Loveland Sculpture Invitational Show & Sale is to discover the artists who have taken interesting new directions.

This year on our first stop of the day, we meet up with Josh Wiener, a young Colorado artist who is showing Once Again (right)—a step away from his earlier musical instruments forms. “I’m exploring the intersection of urban and natural environments,” Josh says. By placing a living tree on the top of a sculpted wood structure, his intent is to convey the cyclical nature of materials—everything becomes something else.

Soon after our conversation with Josh, the familiar stone and bronze figures of another Colorado artist, Kendra Fleischman, pop into view. Drawing closer, we notice a new element in her work. In Looking Glass (above), a woman holds a mirror that streams video, including 1950s commercials for beauty parlors and fashion advice telling women how to dress. Very cool.

Finally, the always lively Kevin Box from Santa Fe, known for his origami bronze crane sculptures, couldn’t wait to show us his latest work, titled Victoria's Dress—a flowing bronze breeze of a frock that a modern dancer might wear. Kevin reports proudly, "I sold two of them."

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

8/10/2009 12:05:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, August 03, 2009

Herb and Dorothy share the wealth

A magnificent obsession. That’s the best way to describe Herb and Dorothy Vogel’s passion for art. The New York City couple is the subject of "Herb & Dorothy", a documentary currently playing around the country. At the end of the Denver screening I attended, the audience clapped. What’s incredible about the Vogels is that the duo has amassed more than 4,000 pieces of contemporary art on a shoestring budget. Herb, now in his 80s, was a postal clerk, and Dorothy, in her 70s, was a librarian. They lived on her salary and spent his on art. By the way, they inhabit a one bedroom apartment where they appear to have no interest in furniture. The film shows a kitchen table, stacks of books, some turtles and a cat. And art is stuffed everywhere else.

The Vogels recently gave the entire collection to the National Gallery of Art, but the curators could only take 1,000 pieces. So, what’s happening with the rest? The amazing Vogels are giving 50 of their pieces to each of the 50 states. Out here in the West, their cache is headed to 13 museums, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, the Portland Art Museum, and the Seattle Art Museum. To see where the Vogels' treasure trove is headed in your state, visit the Vogel 50x50 website. As a film critic in Denver says, now there's a little Herb and Dorothy for all of us.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Previously: See a trailer for the movie in the post Art Collecting for the People

Dispatches from the West | News

8/3/2009 9:00:55 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Top winners at Telluride

Alley Color by Jill Carver (oil, 12x16)

Once an 1800's mining town and now a popular ski resort, Telluride, CO, is fast gaining

a reputation among landscape artists and collectors as home to a superb plein-air show. Earlier this month, the sixth annual Telluride Plein Air festival unfolded in this charming mountain town—one dotted with pastel-colored Victorian homes and gardens brimming with flowers. Set against the majestic San Juan Mountains, the outdoor exhibit features a select group of about 30 artists every year.

This year three of the top winners were painters who've been featured as an Artist to Watch in Southwest Art. Texas painter Jill Carver took home first prize (her Alley Color is above), and Northern California artist Lana Rak won the quick draw contest. Douglas Morgan, also from Northern California, received the Southwest Art award of excellence for his body of work, including The Fourth (at right). Doug reports that he sold 16 paintings at the show! Is the economy starting to slowly turn around? New home sales jumped 11 percent in June... and new homes need art.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

7/27/2009 1:08:29 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Deep In The Art Of Texas

Waxahachie. Dallas. Fort Worth. Austin. Fredericksburg and San Antone. Southwest Art’s Jill Johns and Colleen Franco recently took a business road trip through Texas. When they rolled into Waxahachie on the first leg of the journey, a huge marquee in front of an old courthouse greeted them. Colleen snapped a photo. Amazed, the two women were even more so when local impressionist painter Jerral Derryberry led them inside—it’s now an art center—and 35 artists welcomed them, each with a painting on display. Soon a reporter from the town newspaper, The Daily Light, showed up on the scene to write a story about Derryberry, who organized the event. “The artists were so excited we were there. One of the things we experienced on our trip is that Texas seems like such a welcoming state,” says Colleen who calls Albuquerque home. Waxahachie is a town of 21,000 people about 30 miles south of Dallas. Two claims to fame: The movies Tender Mercies (1983) and Places in the Heart (1984) were filmed here.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

7/21/2009 10:34:38 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, July 13, 2009

The best of Native American art

Chief Two Bears by Kevin Red Star

Kevin Red Star. Dan Namingha. David Bradley. Emmi Whitehorse: These are just some of the best contemporary Indian artists working today Southwest Art is featuring in its annual Native American issue.

From Namingha's eye-catching clay pottery (featured at right and on the cover) to Whitehorse's colorful abstract canvases, these artists offer fresh visual voices which take traditional Native art on journeys up, up and away from stereotypical imagery. What these artists share in common is that they honor their Hopi, Zuni or Crow cultures while bringing a modern spin to their artwork.

For example, Whitehorse says she gleans inspiration from the patterns in Navajo rugs her grandmother wove as well as from photos posted online from the Hubble Space Telescope and the ciphers and codes that intrigued her on a visit to the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC.

Neap Tide by Emmi Whitehorse

To read all about them, pick up a copy of Southwest Art’s August issue.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

7/13/2009 9:20:23 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, July 06, 2009

5 best little art museums out West

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver. Sure, there are great museums in big cities west of the Mississippi. But if you take a road trip this summer, don't overlook these little gems of art museums:

Nicolaysen Art Museum, Casper, WY: Located is in a historic building downtown, the museum features exhibitions of works by top regional and national artists, ranging from traditional to edgy. Locals refer to it as "The Nic." Paintings by California-based artist Jorge Santos (whose painting Flight Instructor is at right) are on view through August 22.
National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson Hole, WY: This scenic mountain town attracts skiers in winter and hikers in summer. But the western-flavored retreat is also home to a museum that displays a treasure trove of fine wildlife art by masters such as Bob Kuhn and Robert Bateman.
Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA: Perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, the museum offers superb presentations spotlighting Golden State artists. Exhibitions range from excellent early and contemporary plein-air painting to pop culture phenomena like surf art.
Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, CA: Located equal distances from San Diego and Los Angeles, this desert art oasis has a sophisticated, international flavor with works by Henry Moore, Louise Bourgeois, Georgia O'Keeffe and Ed Ruscha. Check out the eye-popping Dale Chihuly chandelier.
Desert Caballeros Western Museum, Wickenberg, AZ: Tucked away in a small town between Phoenix and Sedona, Desert Caballeros is dedicated to preserving the West. On my visit, the museum was showcasing an incredible cache of Navajo rugs. The museum also hosts Cowgirl Up!, an annual show billed as the place to see "the best western women artists all in one place at one time."

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Exhibits

7/6/2009 9:12:39 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Wayne's World

One of the best shows in the Rocky Mountain states this summer is at one of the lesser known museums in the West. "Wayne Thiebaud: 70 Years of Painting" opened recently at the Loveland Museum in Loveland, CO, about 45 miles north of Denver.

And what a treat. For starters, there's Thiebaud's signature images of bakery goods: glazed donuts, frosted cakes, and cherry pies. There's also a hot dog on a billboard plus an array of beach scenes splashed with figures—all references to his childhood spent in Southern California.

And the figures, of course, are a reminder that Thiebaud is an esteemed member of the Bay Area Figurative

Movement—those Northern California renegades who co-opted New York's Abstract Expressionism and added their own flavors. Many of Thiebaud's cohorts, like Richard Diebenkorn, have passed away, but Thiebaud, 88, is still with us. His pop culture iconography mixed with the California scenes of good life are just what the art doctor ordered for a lazy summer afternoon. The 100-painting exhibition runs through August 16.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

At top, Bakery Case (1996, oil, 60x72). At right, Two Kneeling Figures (1966, oil, 60x72).

6/29/2009 9:26:22 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Artists' retreat on the Oregon coast

Calling all artists! Are you feeling in need of inspiration? Perhaps you just need time and a place to replenish a flagging creative spirit. Talley Woodmark, the owner of Silver Heron Art Gallery in the charming seaport town of Depoe Bay, OR, is offering a free retreat for artists. The goal, she says, is to provide working space for one week in a beautiful setting so creativity can flourish without the distractions of everyday life.

Woodmark asks only that the artists donate a

painting to be auctioned off to benefit a foundation that grants scholarships to emerging artists. The retreat comes with a private beach and miles of walking trails. The first availability is in October.

By the way, Depoe Bay is known as the whale-watching capitol of Oregon. In spring and fall, gray whales migrate through the waters in a long train. Some stick around and take up residence near the shore.

Expect to hear more about Woodmark as she's attracting national media attention with another project. This fall marks the grand opening of Wade's House—a healing place of hope, a home and meditation garden overlooking the bay for people who have lost children. Artists are also welcome. Woodmark established the getaway in memory of her son, Wade, who was accidentally shot and killed by a friend several years ago. The whole town has come together to work on the residence, and artists have donated works to grace the walls. To learn more, visit www.silverherongallery.com.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News

6/22/2009 9:59:52 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Fried eggs, feet and flapjacks

Big. Bold. Bodacious. Coming upon As Above So Below (above) for the first time, these are the words that sprung to mind. The painting is by Riva Sweetrocket, and her colors are so vivid you

can't believe they're pastels. No sugary baby blues or pale pinks here. Sweetrocket's images—on view at Denver's Plus Gallery—are as fresh and original as her colors. Quirky juxtapositions bring together hands, feet, fried eggs, and flapjacks to create striking compositions.

In one of my favorites, Ruby Slipper Revelation (at right), the artist turns Dorothy's red slippers on their allegorical heels and offers viewers a Western take on the "Wizard of Oz" shoes—a woman exuberantly thrusts a pair of red cowboy boots toward the sky. For Sweetwater, the boots are a more powerful symbolic image than the sparkly pumps from the movie.

The artist's visual banquets are usually packed with metaphors and meanings. They are to be savored on many delicious levels. If you’re in Denver between Sept. 21 and the end of the year, stop by the Buell Theater, where Sweetrocket will have 12 new paintings on view. To learn more about the Colorado artist and the show, check out the September issue of Southwest Art.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Exhibits

6/15/2009 9:23:56 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, June 08, 2009

Fantastic Visions in Albuquerque

Dreams That You Dream Really Do Come True by Joshua Franco

Santa Fe often grabs the spotlight in the national press as a major art center behind New York City and Los Angeles. And when collectors come to New Mexico, that's where they head to feather their nests back home. Friends of mine who live in Albuquerque always grouse that their fair city is unfairly overlooked by the visiting art crowds. Indeed, when it comes to a thriving art scene, the Duke City has plenty going on. (Though it could use a new nickname.)

A few days ago, an intriguing show opened at Albuquerque's South Broadway Cultural Center. "Days of Future Past, Surrealistic Paintings + Installations" features works by Los Fantasticos, a group of artists who have come together to display their takes on imagination and reality. From haunting portraits to humorous narratives, their paintings offer up a world where magical realism meets pop surrealism. Flying dogs, cartoon characters and Day of the Dead skulls coalesce to create some highly original and fantastico visions.

Organized by Santiago Perez, the band of visual brothers also includes Joshua Franco, Chris Perez and Brandon Maldonado. I think we'll be hearing a lot more about Los Fantasticos in the future. The show runs through July 27.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

6/8/2009 3:18:16 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, June 01, 2009

David Bradley's Native American sendups

In August, Southwest Art publishes its annual Native American-themed issue. One of the talented

painters featured is the award-winning Chippewa artist David Bradley. Bradley's intriguing images arrived this morning and made me smile. I found myself scouring Pictures at an Exhibition (click above to enlarge) looking for famous faces amid the art crowd at his imaginary Santa Fe opening.

In American Gothic (at right), Bradley's wry social commentary brings together television and art world icons. The Santa Fe-based painter sent me this statement about the piece:

"Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz meet Tonto and the Lone Ranger. Tonto and the LR are retired and running a B&B called the Silver Bullet. O'Keeffe & Stieglitz are tourists. Stieglitz is rolling his eyes after their encounter with Tonto, who sold them some curios from his stand."

What sendups. Bradley gives us much to think but softens his message with a dash of the ironic among the iconic.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

6/1/2009 10:41:13 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, May 25, 2009

Art in the movies

The Maiden Heist, a comedy due out in the fall, stars Christopher Walken, Morgan Freeman and William Macy. But also look for a portrait by Southern California-based artist Jeremy Lipking to play a lead role in the film. Lipking (who was in the November 2008 issue of The Artist's Magazine) was commissioned to paint The Lonely Maiden after the producer enlisted the help of Film Art LA, an agency that puts the movie world in contact with fine artists. The film's plot centers around a trio of museum guards who steal works from a fictional Boston art museum.

Also, My Sister’s Keeper, a movie based on the novel by Jodi Picoult, opens nationwide on June 26. The film features Cameron Diaz and Alec Baldwin, but you may see paintings by Southern California painters John Brosio and Greg Carter in cameo roles. Tirage Fine Art, a Pasadena, CA, gallery that regularly rents out works by its artists to set designers for television and film productions, reports that Brosio's dramatic tornado paintings are popping up in the trailers—a sign that they may not wind up on the cutting-room floor.

The gallery adds that it has rented out Elio Camacho's seascape Pacific View to the set of a new comedy starring Meryl Streep and Steve Martin. No title or release date yet. You can read more about Camacho in Southwest Art’s Artist to Watch column in our upcoming July issue.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News

5/25/2009 2:54:55 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Former auto parts warehouse becomes art center

Cross the red line and begin thinking outside the box. Or consider the line a symbol of opening up your mind to what's inside, Laura Merage is fond of saying. The brightly lit red line Merage is talking about is embedded in the entry ceiling at a phenomenal new visual arts center in downtown Denver.

RedLine is Merage's brainchild. A local philanthropist and artist, she scouted out a 20,000-square-foot former auto parts warehouse and, with the help of a design firm, transformed it into a sleek contemporary art gallery with studio space for 13 artists. Next to the Denver Art Museum, RedLine is now the city's largest art exhibition space.

Merage began with a dream of providing affordable studios to talented artists and a desire to give them a leg up in their careers. Local artists were invited to apply for two- or three-year residencies. A jury selected 13, and today these artists inhabit a space for about $120 per month plus a bit of community service.

The RedLine artists hold regular critique sessions and have the opportunity to show their work in the sprawling exhibition space. In addition, Merage helps them find gallery representation.

By all accounts, the crowds are pouring in to the space during monthly art walks. Lectures by local painters, gallery owners and collectors are open to the public. And during my recent visit, volunteers were just breaking down a successful show of works by young students from the nearby Denver School of the Arts.

Many consider RedLine a gift to the neighborhood—it's located in a "transitional" area where parking lots meet homeless shelters. Merage's big hope is that the center can raise the level of the visual art scene in Denver. My hunch is that she's created an impressive nonprofit model that other cities may eventually imitate.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | News

5/18/2009 9:36:59 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, May 11, 2009

Easy Rider anniversary brings Hopper back to Taos

Above: (from left to right) Ron Davis, Ron Cooper, Robert Dean Stockwell, Dennis Hopper and Larry Bell. Photo courtesy of William Davis. Below: a silver gelatin photo taken by Hopper on view in the exhibit (click to enlarge).

The original Summer of Love took place in San Francisco 42 years ago. But Taos, NM, has cooked up its own version with actor and director Dennis Hopper. Hopper first rode into town in 1968 to direct the iconic counterculture film Easy Rider. He ended up staying 15 years.

Now, 40 years after the release of the film, the town is paying homage to Hopper, who was just named honorary mayor of the historic art colony. On Saturday, an exhibit curated by Hopper opened at the Harwood Museum of Art. In the show, Hopper brings together works by a pantheon of his legendary artist friends, including Ron Davis, Ron Cooper, Robert Dean Stockwell and Larry Bell.

Before Hopper moved to Taos, he was part of vibrant art movement in Los Angeles that centered around the Ferus Gallery—a magnet that drew up-and-coming L.A. artists such as Bell. Some of Hopper's photographs from the period also are on display at the Harwood and capture these artists brimming with youthful bravado and L.A. cool. "Hopper at the Harwood" is on view through Sept. 20.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Notable Artists | Shows and Events

5/11/2009 9:07:11 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, May 04, 2009

Going for the Gold: California Art Club Awards

Above: Danielle at the Los Angeles Theatre Gala by Lindsay Goodwin. Below right: Seated Figure by Ignat Igantov.

I'm just back from the opening of the California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition in Pasadena, CA. What a gathering of great artistic talent—and what a scary moment for this visitor from Boulder, CO. Right before the rooftop awards ceremony, Peter Adams, the president of the CAC, announced that the fire marshal wanted some people on my side of the roof to move to the other side pronto because the building was "shifting." I found this call to action unnerving and moved pretty fast. But the mostly California-based art crowd just calmly ambled over to the other side as if such requests were part of their routine.

Meanwhile, a few minutes later, Lindsay Goodwin and Ignat Ignatov, who have appeared in Southwest Art's annual "21 Under 31" themed-issue, received awards. As I perused their paintings that night I was struck by the similarities of their models' poses. Each painting featured a young woman slumped in a chair, one with clothes on and one without.

Tony Peters, yet another 21 under 31 alum, also took home an award for his intriguing self portrait. Among the other top award winners were Adams, Daniel Pinkham, Jove Wang, and Dennis Doheny. Southwest Art's award of excellence went to Huihan Liu.

By the way, paintings by two new emerging artists caught my attention—a moody portrait by Julio Reyes and some awesome thorny flowers by Candice Bohannon. Keep an eye on them. The CAC show is on view through May 17 at the Pasadena Museum of California Art.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

5/4/2009 11:02:43 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, April 27, 2009

Extreme plein-air painting

Check out these adventurous plein-air artists based in Minnesota. In the dead of winter, Mike Rada and Scott Lloyd Anderson like to paint and do a little ice fishing simultaneously. All looks well above, but Mike recounts a time when tragedy struck in the frozen tundra. He was trekking across a lake with his painting gear when suddenly he heard a loud crack and plunged through the ice.

Fortunately, his backpack caught on the ice and it stopped him from going totally under. Mike managed to crawl away on his stomach but his clothes were soaked. Determined to paint and still bring home the catch of the day, he shed his wet overalls and hung them out his car window until they were frozen solid. Then he slid the frigid duds over his dry clothes.

The icy overalls served as a top-notch windbreaker. "As long they're frozen, you're warm enough to paint," Mike says. Read more about this intrepid duo and six other plein-air painters in the June issue of Southwest Art magazine.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Learn more:

4/27/2009 12:34:04 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, April 20, 2009

The fish, the polar bear and the Coke can

One of the pleasures of my Monday mornings is sifting through the weekend email and discovering an utterly intriguing image.

Call it a good omen for the week. Reef Madness (above) is such a piece. Dawn Siebel, a painter based in Boulder, CO, sent along this bold, hyperreal painting as an example of a fresh direction in her work.

The brilliant colors belie a subtle, provocative message. The eye travels around the lush fish and coral underworld until it finally rests on a discarded Coke can. Trash amid the beauty. "My new paintings are all rooted with an environmental commentary but it is oblique or even humorous," Siebel says.

A few months ago Siebel sent an image of a polar bear (Afloat, at right) as one of the very first examples of her new direction—an image that still haunts me. The animal appears to be in shock or hollering in a fashion reminiscent of Edvard Munch's The Scream. "Help. My home is melting," the bear cries.

Siebel says that although her paintings are full of commentary, it is up to the viewer to interpret the meanings. What do you think about the fish, the polar bear and the Coke can paintings? And is it my imagination or are there more and more messages of concern for the environment popping up in artwork these days?

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Notable Artists | Random Thoughts

4/20/2009 10:55:54 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, April 13, 2009

The Quang Ho Show

Blue Monday by Thomas William Jones. Below right, Yellow Tulips and Daffodils (oil, 30x24) by Laura Robb.

If you live in the Denver area and paint or collect art, you've heard the name Quang Ho. The respected teacher and painter extraordinaire seems to be one of those people whom everyone knows or claims few degrees of separation from.

Well now Ho, the master artist (and everyone's BFF), has assembled a blockbuster show that features 50 of the top representational artists in America with styles ranging from traditional to highly expressive. Art America 2009 is on view April 24-26 at Westervelt-Warner Museum of American Art in Tuscaloosa, AL, a hidden gem of a museum with works by John Singer Sargent, Albert Bierstadt, and Winslow Homer.

But Ho's hand-picked A-list spotlights living legends such as Burton Silverman, Kevin Macpherson, Laura Robb, Thomas William Jones, Richard Schmid, Clyde Aspevig, C.W. Mundy, Dan Gerhartz, and David Leffel.

Tuscaloosa may not be the first city that springs to mind as an art destination, but Quang Ho hopes to bring some attention to the museum, which is home to the collection of Jack Warner, who has been quietly amassing what's considered one of the world's largest cache of historical American art.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Notable Artists | Shows and Events

4/13/2009 10:32:43 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, April 06, 2009

Edward Hopper Meets T. Boone Pickins

Above: Wind Engines on Horizon (acrylic, 12x30). Below: Farm House with Wind Engine (acrylic, 24x24)

Check out these paintings of wind turbines in California. I think they're pretty cool. A few days ago California artist Melissa Chandon sent them along as examples of her recent work. To me, the images are a great reflection of the evolving American landscape.

About the "new energy" in her art, Chandon says: "Recently, I have been thinking about the opportunities that exist in a changing economy. We have the ability of seeing the possibilities of change in new and creative ways. I think there is a bit of inventor in all of us. As for me, I have started working on a series of paintings exploring the unseen beauty that lies in the addition of alternative energy sources in the landscape. Consider Edward Hopper in conversation with Melissa Chandon." Or T. Boone Pickins.

Chandon's got a point. When seen from afar these elegant, kinetic structures resemble giant white birds reminiscent of Alexander Calder's mobiles. In painting this new American scene, Chandon says she is tossing around some questions. For example, what will happen to gas stations when all we need is an electric plug? How will our landscape change visually? What do you think?

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

4/6/2009 9:44:41 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, March 30, 2009

Santa Fe happenings

The Rail Runner Express makes it easy to speed between Santa Fe and Albuquerque.

A lot is happening in this southwestern art mecca in the coming months.

For the first time, the renowned SOFA (Sculptural Objects & Functional Art) show comes to town June 11-14. The prestigious expo, also held in New York and Chicago, features wood, glass, ceramic, metal and fiber art. Eye-popping works by artists like Californian Latchezar Boyadjiev (whose Torso IV is at right) are on view. SOFA WEST is a real coup for the City Different.

Controversial and contemporary, paintings by the legendary Native American artist Fritz Scholder are on exhibit at the Institute of American Indian Arts Museum through June 7.

Under construction since 2006, the New Mexico History Museum is finally set to open May 24. Among the presentations are displays on the state's art communities.

In a show opening May 22, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum features a selection of seldom-seen O'Keeffe works inspired by her travels outside the United States.

Meanwhile, the thriving Railyard District continues to grow with galleries like Zane Bennett Contemporary Art opening up there late last year. This gives downtown Santa Fe a third vibrant gallery hub in addition to the plaza area and Canyon Road. Also, the historic district is the home for the new Rail Runner Express. Since December, the sleek train has run between Albuquerque and Santa Fe with beautiful mountain views coming and going.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

Dispatches from the West | Exhibits | Notable Artists | Shows and Events

3/30/2009 9:23:09 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, March 23, 2009

Moolah for Murals

This Long Beach mural is by Art Mortimer. (Click on the image to see a larger version.) To read more about him and his murals, read the April issue of Southwest Art magazine.

Earlier this month, the National Endowment for the Arts released a report stating that artists are unemployed at twice the rate of other professionals. It might be no coincidence that the art world seems a-Twitter with talk about the Works Progress Administration lately. Is it time to bring it back?

During the Great Depression, artists were among the hardest hit. The government started the Federal Art Project (a division of the WPA), hiring about 5,000 unemployed artists to paint murals in schools, courthouses and post offices.

In Los Angeles, some of these murals have survived and sowed the seeds of a movement that flourishes today. The city’s rich history and multicultural heritage is splashed across its buildings, storefronts and highway ramps from East Los Angeles to Long Beach. With about 1,500 murals, Los Angeles has been called the mural capital of the world. The street art adds a shot of beauty and color to the concrete metropolis.

Statewide, the California Public Art and Mural Society keeps the WPA spirit alive, with its artists accepting commissions often from small towns to revitalize crumbling downtown areas where mom-and-pop businesses once thrived.

So, the new stimulus package contains lots of moolah for construction and repair of roads, federal buildings and schools. Has the time come to slice off some of the pie for our nation’s struggling artists to enrich our small towns and big cities?

—Bonnie Gangelhoff

3/23/2009 8:47:41 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)

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Monday, March 09, 2009

Not your grandmother's still lifes

Toothpicks poke apples. Goldfish crackers fly. Water glasses topple over. Three luscious still-life shows have opened in Colorado and California with presentations that turn the time-honored genre upside-down. The artists bring humor, irony and mysterious narratives to the table.

In The Object Project, 15 painters were asked to incorporate the same five items (a moth, ball of string, bone, mirror and glass of water) into their tableaux to explore different visual interpretations. There’s everything from the spare style of Scott Fraser (above, The Fraser Family) to the intricate compositions of Robert Jackson (at right, Food Fight). The show is on view at the Museum of Outdoor Arts in Englewood through May 23.

Gallery 1261 in Denver presents an accompanying show of works by the same artists but without the object challenges. Beyond the Object Project runs through March 21.

You might not think of Palm Springs, Calif., as much of an art destination, but on a recent visit I discovered that the Palm Springs Art Museum is a secret treasure in the desert. Through May 9 it features a must-see Wayne Thiebaud retrospective complete with his signature images of bakery goods—trays of pies, cakes and donuts that serve up a tasty slice of Americana.

—Bonnie Gangelhoff