Santa Fe’s 10 Best Contemporary Art Galleries | New Mexico Art Scene

Santa Fe’s 10 Best Contemporary Art Galleries | New Mexico Art Scene

Lauren England: December 11, 2015

Santa Fe’s Art and Museum District has evolved over the years into a vibrant hub for contemporary art. With a cluster of high quality galleries located within the Railyard complex, Santa Fe presents a variety of cutting-edge exhibitions by up-and-coming, as well as significant blue-chip artists. These ten contemporary art galleries put Santa Fe on the map as a key destination for high quality art in New Mexico.

*Santa Fe Railyard District | © Jmeeter*

Center for Contemporary Arts

The Center for Contemporary Arts is a hub for contemporary art of all forms including film, visual arts and performance. The vibrant and ever-evolving venue is one of the oldest arts-oriented organisations in the area, founded in 1979. It provides an interdisciplinary exhibition and education programme that explores current issues, encouraging critical discourse on contemporary art topics and community engagement. The Centre focuses on multifaceted collaborative exhibitions presenting the region with a range of provocative, conceptual artworks. Its in-house Spector Ripps Project Space, for example, is dedicated to the presentation of risk-taking first-time exhibitions by New Mexico artists such as Zoe Blackwell, Brandon Soder and Betsy Emil, in addition to exploring spatial experimentation, site-specificity and scale.

Center for Contemporary Arts, 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM, USA +1 505 982 1338

SITE Santa Fe

Non-profit art museum SITE Santa Fe has been responsible for bringing global attention and important works of contemporary art to Santa Fe since its inception in 1995. SITE has an extensive year-round exhibition schedule showcasing innovative contemporary art, and a strong educational programme encouraging community engagement with avant-grade works. The organisation’s mission is to nurture, discover and inspire through contemporary art, working collaboratively with local and international emerging and established artists to present groundbreaking solo and thematic group exhibitions. The exterior of SITE is also a work of art in itself, featuring installations by different artists, designers and architects such as Greg Lynn. SITE’s new biennale exhibition series, SITElines: New Perspectives on Art of the Americas consists of a six-year programme of linked exhibitions focusing on contemporary art and cultural production in the Americas, beginning with Unsettled Landscapes in 2014, and with future exhibitions in 2016 and 2018.

SITE Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 989 1199

SITE Santa Fe, Greg Lynn/FORM — *SITE Santa Fe, Facade Architectural Intervention, Greg Lynn/FORM | Courtesy of the gallery © Kate Russell*

Evoke Contemporary

EVOKE Contemporary holds a diverse range of exhibitions and events showcasing provocative artworks by internationally renowned artists from New Mexico and abroad. Over the years EVOKE has evolved into a prestigious cultural destination, representing Santa Fe’s distinct and varied heritage. Located within the Railyard complex amongst a number of established galleries, EVOKE is a key feature of the Arts and a Museum District and the First Friday Art Walks. Featured artists include figurative painter Kent Williams and landscape painters Francis Di Fronzo and Lisa Grossman. Alongside its regular exhibition schedule, EVOKE holds several collaborative annual events throughout the year such as E.A.T Edible Art Tour in association with ART Feast, which takes place every February.

Evoke Contemporary, The Railyard, 550 South Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 995 9902

Lee Price, Hot Chocolate, oil on linen, 40" x 64", Image courtesy of Evoke and the artist — *Lee Price, Hot Chocolate, oil on linen, 40″ x 64″ | Image courtesy of Evoke and the artist*

Turner Carroll Gallery

Turner Carroll Gallery has a global outlook when choosing artists to represent. Since its establishment in 1991, the gallery, owned by experienced gallerists Michael Carroll and Tonya Turner, has presented works by artists from Romania, Ireland, France, Russia, Mexico, Korea, China and Japan. Several of Turner Carroll’s featured artists including Michael Coleman, Josh Garber, Rupert Garcia, Hung Liu and Willy Bo Richardson also exhibit internationally at prestigious museums. The gallery is an active member of the local community, regularly fundraising for arts education in collaboration with arts charities in Santa Fe. In addition to their main gallery program, Turner Carroll Gallery also directs the contemporary Mexican Art project ArteMita through which it organises exhibitions and charity events.

Turner Carroll Gallery, 725 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 986 9800

Zane Bennett Gallery

Housed in one of the most unique architectural spaces in theRailyard complex, Zane Bennett Gallery has a strong presence on the national contemporary art scene. The cutting-edge interior is matched by the stimulating exhibition programme of shows by established, mid-career and emerging artists alongside a number of blue-chip names. Featured artists include Mary Shaffer, Roger Atkins, Rachel Stevens and Joshua Rose, among others. Zane Bennett Gallery features works in a variety of traditional mediums including painting, drawing, sculpture and photography as well as new media and video installations. Visually engaging but also accessible, the shows take place within the gallery’s numerous exhibition spaces surrounding its stunning atrium and glass staircase.

Zane Bennett Gallery, The Railyard, 435 S Guadalupe St, Santa Fe, NM, +1 505 982 8111

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, founded by gallerist Charlotte Jackson in 1998, has gained international recognition for their focus on Monochrome artworks, light and space and California modernists. The gallery has a well-defined and unique vision, which is presented internationally through a number of visually stimulating, high quality exhibitions throughout the year. Charlotte Jackson represents renowned artists such as Charles Arnoldi, James Turrell and Anne Truitt, among numerous others. Charlotte Jackson’s other ventures include founding the non-profit arts organisation Art Santa Fe Presents, the organisation behind Art Santa Fe art fair in 2003. Over the years, Jackson has elevated the status of this fair from a regional to an important event for the international art community.

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art, The Railyard 554 S. Guadalupe, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 989 8688

Charles Arnoldi Possession, Image courtesy of Charlotte Jackson Fine Art — *Charles Arnoldi Possession | Image courtesy of Charlotte Jackson Fine Art*

James Kelly Contemporary

James Kelly Contemporary is unique to Santa Fe and the Southwest region of the United States. Focusing on museum-quality exhibitions by national and international emerging and established post-war artists, the gallery is recognised for its high standard of exhibition content and presentation. Established in 1997, James Kelly’s 1998 inaugural exhibition featured the now internationally acclaimed artists Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Susan Rothenberg and Richard Tuttle, all of whom were living in the Santa Fe region at the time. The gallery has since maintained deep ties to the region, representing local artists whilst also bringing in the latest international talents. James Kelly Contemporary has also been instrumental in the ongoing development of the Railyard District, the focal point of the Santa Fe contemporary art community.

James Kelly Contemporary, 1611 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 989 1601

Karan Ruhlen Gallery

Karan Ruhlen is a key venue for contemporary art by well-established New Mexico artists. Often referred to as one of Santa Fe’s most preeminent art venues, the gallery is owned and run by veteran painter and arts advocate Karan Ruhlen. For over 20 years, the gallery has represented some of the best contemporary, nature-inspired paintings and sculptures, but the range of works on show at Karan Ruhlen is highly diverse, portraying varying styles from realistic, to minimalistic and abstract. The gallery’s main focus is on paintings, drawings and sculptures, exhibited at a number of solo and group exhibitions throughout the year. Represented artists of note include Pauline Ziegen and Stephen Pentak.

Karan Ruhlen Gallery, 225 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 820 0807

*Pauline Ziegen, The hour of departure | Image courtesy of Karan Ruhlen Gallery*

David Richard Gallery

David Richard Gallery is one of the premier art galleries in Santa Fe. You will find numerous important contemporary and historical artworks on show here, particularly those linked to post-war and contemporary abstract art movements. David Richard Gallery presents works in a variety of mediums, focusing on works of abstract expressionism, Color Field, geometric, op art, pop art, minimalism and conceptualism. Their extensive roster includes emerging and well-established American and international artists, and the schedule is filled with contemporary shows alongside key exhibitions of significant modern artworks, organised through the gallery’s curatorial collaboration programme, exploring key thematic developments in art practice from the 1960s through the 1980s. David Richard is not only a high-quality gallery, but also an interactive environment for artists, collectors, curators and the wider art community.

David Richard Gallery, The Railyard 544 South Guadalupe Street, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 983 9555

LewAllen Contemporary

Part of the collection of galleries found in the Railyard, LewAllen Contemporary is the largest and most modern site of them all. Designed specifically to exhibit fine art, its stunning museum-like space has earned a national and international reputation for showcasing a diverse range of contemporary artworks by internationally acclaimed artists. LewAllen Contemporary features a variety of mediums including painting, sculpture, paper and glass works by artists such as Hiroshi Yamano, Emily Mason and Tracy Rocca. As a pioneer of contemporary and modern art in Santa Fe, the gallery also represents distinguished emerging artists ensuring the delivery of cutting-edge exhibitions. Throughout the year LewAllen Contemporary delivers a strong programme of educational events and publications to coincide with its stimulating exhibition schedule.

LewAllen Contemporary, 1613 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM, USA, +1 505 988 3250

LEWALLEN Ronnie Landfield, After the Rain, Exhibition View, 2013, Image courtesy of LewAllen Contemporary — *Ronnie Landfield, After the Rain, Exhibition View, 2013 | Image courtesy of LewAllen Contemporary*

September 23, 2015April 25, 2016

UNM Art Museum: Meeting of the Minds

M²
Meeting
of the
Minds

FALL 2015

Art Conversations Thursdays at 12:00

Meeting of the Minds is an informal series of lunchtime conversations and creative interventions that allow for more intimate exchanges regarding artwork on view in the UNM Art Museum. Led by faculty, students, artists, curators, and community members – this program invites multiple perspectives and fresh insights in the interpretation and experience of visual arts.

Meeting of the Minds Calendar

FALL 2015

October 1
Body Arts
Led by Mariah Carrillo
Collections Assistant, UNM Art Museum

October 8
Conversation with the Curator
Led by Dean Kymberly Pinder, PhD
College of Fine Arts

October 22
The Use of Textiles in Contemporary African Art
Led by Johanna Wilde
PhD Candidate Art & Art History

November 12
Vernacular in Place: Old and New Topographic Photography
Led by Miguel Gandert and Christopher Wilson
Exhibition Curators

November 19
Should Police Reform Include Truth and Recompilation Processes
Led by Alfred Mathewson
Henry Weihofen Chair in Law, UNM

August 25, 2015February 11, 2021

PAINTING ALBUQUERQUE

Encore of a New Mexico PBS Original Production
PAINTING ALBUQUERQUE
Monday, August 17 at 8:30 p.m. on Ch.5.1
— A Complete List of Painters Profiled & Mentioned, Along With
Venues & Participants Are Included Below —

Raymond Jonson - Casein Tempera No. 6 1941 UNM Art Museum — Raymond Jonson – Casein Tempera No. 6 1941 UNM Art Museum

Albuquerque’s great paintings, its masterpieces, tell a story long waiting to be told. The paintings of Raymond Jonson, Carl von Hassler, Pabilta Velarde, Betty Sabo, Lez Haas, Helen Hardin, Clinton Adams, Howard Schleeter, Frederick Hammersley, Richard Diebenkorn, Esquipula Romero de Romero and others, tell about a spirit and a place in a way no other medium can.

PAINTING ALBUQUERQUE is one of the first full- length programs to bring together the stories of Albuquerque’s painters. This ground breaking documentary celebrates the culturally diverse painters and institutions that have contributed to Albuquerque’s cultural identity and artistic legacy. Some of the painters in PAINTING ALBUQUERQUE are known, others are almost lost to time.

In addition to its great artists, it was also vitally important for Albuquerque to have a venue for its artists — a way for the community to see the great work being done and help determine Albuquerque’s artistic identity. Taos and Santa Fe had established artistic identities, but what is Albuquerque’s?

Funding for PAINTING ALBUQUERQUE was provided in part by The Urban Enhancement Trust Fund of the City of Albuquerque. Michael Kamins is Executive Producer. Anthony DellaFlora is Co-Producer.

Painters profiled – In Alphabetical Order:

Clinton Adams - Return to Collioure, 1997 Collection UNM Art Museum — Clinton Adams – Return to Collioure, 1997 Collection UNM Art Museum

Clinton Adams: Adams had a love for canvas and stone. He was a painter and lithographer when he came to UNM in the early 1960’s. Instrumental in setting up the Tamarind Lithography Institute, Adams began the UNM Art Museum and brought a new level of academic achievement to UNM’s art department. As an artist, his work had an elegance and simplicity of form.

Richard Diebenkorn, Untitled, 1951 The Richard Diebenkorn Foundation

Richard Diebenkorn: One of the best American painters of the latter half of the 20th Century. Diebenkorn received his Masters from UNM in painting and credits UNM and New Mexico as a significant influence.

Lez Haas: A California painter who arrived at UNM in the post WWII years. Over a decade, he led the UNM Art Department to unprecedented heights. It would become one of the best art schools in the United States.

Frederick Hammersley: One of the nation’s top hard edged painters of the latter half of the 20th century. In Albuquerque, Hammersley found a unique environment where he could stay focused on his painting.

Helen Hardin - Listening Woman, 1982 Collection of Cradoc Bagshaw — Helen Hardin – Listening Woman, 1982 Collection of Cradoc Bagshaw

Helen Hardin: Daughter of Pablita Velarde, Helen Hardin was ambivalent about painting initially. When Hardin entered UNM in 1961, she saw a future as art history and anthropology classes deepened her interest in Native American symbols. She would soon become part of a generation of ground-breaking Native artists who would transform Native American painting. At the height of her career in 1981, she created two of her most celebrated works, “Changing Woman” and “Medicine Woman.” They were the first of what would become her “Women’s Series” and embody the height of her artistic, intellectual, and spiritual awareness. Then Hardin learned she had breast cancer. She began undergoing treatment, but kept painting. “Listening Woman” completed her “Women’s Series.” She passed away in 1984.

Raymond Jonson: Arrived in N.M. in 1922. He first lived in Santa Fe, then later in Albuquerque. He taught at UNM and set-up the Jonson Gallery, one of Albuquerque’s first showcases for art. A prophet for modern art, over the course of Jonson’s prolific career he championed abstract painting. He had a deep self-conviction that art was the noblest calling for any human being.

Betty Sabo: One of Albuquerque first women arts leader, she was instrumental in supporting and bringing acclaim to Albuquerque’s arts. Summing up her approach to painting, Sabo said, “I try to give you an awareness of the simple everyday world. For then I will believe I will have achieved artistry.”

Howard Schleeter: Howard Schleeter’s contribution is almost lost to time. At one time Schleeter was one of NM’s most prolific and well known painters. Beginning with WPA work, he soon transitioned into one our most highly regarded modernist painters. Having found his archives after years of searching, we bring Schleeter back to the attention of the public.

Pablita Velarde - Old Father The Storyteller, 1959 Estate of Margarete Bagshaw — Pablita Velarde – Old Father The Storyteller, 1959 Estate of Margarete Bagshaw

Pabilta Velarde: One of Albuquerque’s most loved painters, Pablita’s story is one of courage. Growing up in Santa Clara Pueblo she found tremendous resistance to her passion for painting. She persevered and became one of the first nationally recognized Native American woman painters and one of Albuquerque’s most beloved.

Carl von Hassler: Arriving in 1922, he played a pivotal role in having Albuquerque become a place for art making. He went on to influence a body of students (Betty Sabo, Ben Turner, Sam Smith, Novella King, etc.) who would continue the fine arts tradition of representational painting. They painted what they found beautiful in Albuquerque and its surroundings. His murals at the KiMo theater are renowned and one of Albuquerque’s first public artworks.

Painters Mentioned:

Elaine de Kooning-Albuquerque, 1960 Collection Bob and Linda Schmier

Elaine de Kooning: DeKooning was from NYC and the heart of painting in the US. A visiting professor at UNM’s Art Department, she had unbridled enthusiasm for the great painting she found in Albuquerque.

Esquipula Romero de Romero: Hispanic Albuquerque painter who captured Hispanic traditions. Not enough known about him at this point.

Florence Pierce: Initially was involved with the Transcendental Painting Group began by Emil Bisttram and Raymond Jonson. Florence would later become one of Albuquerque’s best known artists.

Willy Bo Richardson’s painting titled, “Number 1″, 1999 was added to the Albuquerque Museum Permanent Collection. The Albuquerque Museum Permanent Collection features artists living in or influenced by the South West region and includes masterworks by Georgia O’Keeffe, Raymond Jonson, Fritz Scholder, and Jaune Quick-to-See Smith.

Wilson Hurley: One of Albuquerque’s most recognized western landscape painters. He is nationally appreciated and has two paintings of the Sandia Mountains, two masterpieces, on permanent exhibit at the Albuquerque International Sunport.

Venues:
Much lamented by von Hassler and many others artists over the years; Albuquerque had a major problem to overcome – the lack of a permanent place for the community to see the great work being produced.

Kurt and Edith Kubie (Salon): Escaping Nazi occupied Vienna in 1938, the Kubie’s came to Albuquerque in the early 50’s. They wanted to create the salons they loved in Vienna. So they became arts patrons for Albuquerque’s painters.

The Jonson Gallery, UNM: By the 1950s Raymond Jonson was ensconced on the UNM campus in a combination residence, studio, and gallery intended to be a permanent art laboratory. Retiring from teaching in 1954, his gallery became a lifeline for artists.

The Albuquerque Modern Museum: There was not a consistent venue in Albuquerque to show art. Outside of UNM, some artists took the problem in hand. In 1953, a heroic enterprise, the Albuquerque Modern Museum, debuted. The first of its kind, the museum created an important direct connection between the community and Modern Art exhibiting such stars as Richard Diebenkorn, Agnes Martin, Florence and Horace Pierce, among others. The museum closed in 1956.

The UNM Art Museum: Clinton Adams enlisted photographer and historian, Van Deren Coke, to launch the UNM Art Museum in 1963. The Museum was a quantum leap for Albuquerque. Having the distinction of being the first permanent large scale exhibition space in Albuquerque, the Museum would host scores of impressive exhibitions. They began with Taos and Santa Fe: The Artists Environment, followed by Impressionism in America, and Georgia O’Keeffe.

The Albuquerque Museum: In 1979, the city opened the new Albuquerque Museum, a sleek, modern, temperature-controlled building in Old Town, to replace the quaint Sunport museum. Initially the exhibition space was small, but the impact was significant. Art was now much more a part of the city’s life and played a concrete role in helping Albuquerque residents to see themselves and in the process better determine our artistic identity.

Program Participants:
Jim Moore, Ellen Landis, Andrew Connors, Robert Ware, Marjorie Devon, RoseMary Diaz, Joe Traugott, Wesley Pulkka, Doda White, Dave Sabo, Karen Clark, William Peterson, Nick Abdalla, Rini Price, Mary Ann Weems, Billie Walters.

Original music composed and performed by UNM’s Peter Gilbert.

August 10, 2015April 25, 2016

Slices of Wonder

Jason Garcia
Vicente Telles
Luke Dorman
Jeff Drew

Opening in the Railyard
Shade structure by the Farmers Market
Friday, August 28th, 5-7pm

Exhibition continues through Sep. 20th
find the mobile gallery
daily location online at
www.axleart.com

Commercial product packaging and logos hold potent meaning and memory for us all. In the 1970s, the truck that now houses our mobile gallery itself delivered one of America’s most iconic mid-century bakery products: Wonder Bread. We have repurposed this bread truck. It now delivers a new kind of wonder.

The artists in Slices of Wonder create works that engage packaging design, advertising, and contemporary culture as a springboard and often a critique of these times we live in.

Luke Dorman has shown a consistent interest in creating humorous works using an underground comix-inspired pen and ink style. His interest in vintage illustration and classical painting also guide his artistic production. Dorman states his “purpose of action is to create work that is innately personal, yet subjectively approachable and identifiable with the viewer.”

Jeff Drew is perhaps best known for his numerous magazine and journal covers. Notably, his imagery has graced many covers of Albuquerque’s Weekly Alibi. He has also won many awards for his animation work. His humor is evident in all his art production.

Jason Garcia transforms materials closely connected to the earth into a visually rich mix of Pueblo history and culture, comic book super heroes, video game characters, religious icons and all things pop culture. His love for storytelling, appreciation for the methods of his craft and ability to blend the ancient with the present both inspire and inform his work as an artist.

Vicente Telles combines vivid comic book inspired interpretations of Bible stories with traditional themes. People often see saints as religious. Telles likes to believe they transcend religion, that there is something bigger out there that connects the past to the present and the future.

We have images available for Press use.
You may preview them and download them here:
www.axleart.com/#!press/cjft

Axle Contemporary, Santa Fe, NM
Matthew Chase-Daniel: (505) 670-5854
Jerry Wellman: (505) 670-7612
media@axleart.com
www.axleart.com

August 7, 2015April 25, 2016

Clockwork for Oracles | Willy Bo Richardson: Richard Levy Gallery

Clockwork for Oracles: Willy Bo Richardson
Richard Levy Gallery
August 7 – September 4, 2015
Artist reception: Saturday August 29, 6 – 8pm

Richard Levy gallery will exhibit the new series “Clockwork for Oracles” at the Seattle Art Fair, as well as the Richard Levy project room in Albuquerque. Also in the gallery: Altered State s, an exhibition of selected editions by Gerhard Richter;and artist collective assume vivid astro focus (avaf).

Clockwork for Oracles is a series of paintings by Willy Bo Richardson that reaches for freshness. He states, “The paintings are made quickly and with as little editing and deliberation as possible. This doesn’t mean I’m not making esthetic and empirical decisions. It simply means I’m aspiring to the essence”.

Richard Levy Gallery
Tuesday –Saturday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
514 Central Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
505.766.9888, info@levygallery.com

Press Release: Altered States • Gerhard Richter & assume vivid astro focus Clockwork for Oracles • Willy Bo Richardson

August 7, 2015

Aftershock opens at James Kelly Contemporary

Aftershock opens at James Kelly Contemporary on Friday, Aug. 7, creates his works in full awareness of the properties, history, and legacy of iron, his chosen medium. A public reception in honor of the opening of a new show by the sculptor Tom Joyce. Show will run from August 7th through October 3rd.

Aftershock: New work by Tom Joyce
Friday, August 7, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
James Kelly Contemporary
1611 Paseo De Peralta, Santa Fe NM 87501

Phone | (505) 982-4696

August 7, 2015August 7, 2015

Peters Projects | 3 Exhibitions

August 7, 2015 to October 3, 2015

Jason Middlebrook: Gold Rush

Jason Middlebrook imbues natural forms and found objects with references to the foremost abstractionists of the 20th century. He is best known for the carved and hewn tree trunks he uses as canvases for geometric composition —a jarring yet elegant juxtaposition of natural unpredictability with rigidly calculated forms.

Trophies and Prey: A Contemporary Bestiary

Press Release and News

The exhibition, which opens August 7, is a group show of ceramics and other media featuring work by Jeff Irwin, Adelaide Paul, Beth Cavener, Undine Brod, Michelle Erickson, Alessandro Gallo, John Byrd, Jeremy Brooks, Jan Huling, Wookjae Maeng, and Kate MacDowell. It is curated by Mark Del Vecchio and Garth Clark.

Leonardo Drew: Paper