Novem-brrr Arrives!
Our first frost warnings arrived this week along with Halloween, Día de los Muertos and First Friday art openings. This Friday evening, November 1, check out Sacred Protection at The Next Best Thing to Being There on Mountain Road and R3SI$T! at the Old Walls Gallery located in an historic schoolhouse just a block from Central Ave in an alley running between 8th and 9th Streets and Copper and Kent.
Sacred Protection
Opening Friday from 4:30–7:30 pm and featured throughout November at The Next Best Thing to Being There (1314 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque), this exhibition explores themes of sacred protection.
The showcase includes Meredith Gould’s exquisite assemblages of hamsa hands, alongside my painting Hexagram 14: Fortune—an evocative piece that merges the hamsa hand with the eye of wisdom, as seen on the right side of the flyer.
The hamsa hand is a symbol that resembles an open palm, often with an eye in the center, used as a protective talisman in various cultures and religions, including Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. Its origins trace back to ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, and it is believed to ward off the “evil eye” and bring good fortune, health, and blessings.
Also on display are three archival metal prints from the House of Cards series, each of which subtly references the concept of sacred protection.
Two of Brotherly Love
archival metal print, 12 x 18 inches
Eight of Infinite Hearts
archival metal print, 12 x 18 inches
Nine Lives of the Heart
archival metal print, 12 x 18 inches
Three of works-on-paper from the Postcards to America series pictured below were chosen to be included in the show which will be opening on Friday from 5-8pm with a poetry reading at 6:30 and a concert to follow. Learn the details by clicking HERE. There will also be prints, postcards and stickers from the series.
ARIZONA: The Grand Conspiracy State
mixed media on paper, 32 x 46 inches framed
GEORGIA: On My Mind
mixed media on paper, 32 x 46 inches framed
MICHIGAN: The Great Divide
mixed media on paper, 32 x 46 inches framed
Remembering Ivana
Over the past year, I had the privilege of working closely with an artist who recently passed away. I first met Ivana when we were both exhibiting at Ghostwolf Gallery in Old Town Albuquerque, but our connection deepened as I helped fulfill some of her end-of-life wishes. In January, I traveled to Portland, Oregon, to deliver several of her paintings to her dear friend, Roxie. Later in the spring, she hired me to collaborate with her on a mural commemorating her art, her love of nature, her family members who had passed, and her beloved dogs. Over the summer, we spent time organizing photos from her personal life to create several photobooks capturing her remarkable journey with her friends, family, dogs, and especially her son.
It was a tender and profound experience, getting to know her creative spirit as she gradually lost her ability to speak. We communicated through images, and I will forever cherish her memory.
ONGOING: PROTEST 2024!
FUSION, 708 1st Street NW, Albuquerque
This show features 54 artists and over 90 works of art
Show dates: October 4, 2024 until December 1, 2024
Curated by Martin Terry, Martinart Studios
Open during campus events, on Fridays, 1–4pm, and by appointment, admin@fusionabq.org
CALIFORNIA: The Homeless State, mixed media on paper, 32 x 46 inches framed
With Love, Denise