Creative Coverage of Santa Fe's Arts Communities
Welcome to Santa Fe Arts Journal, an online magazine focused on Santa Fe’s visual and performing arts community that’s written and curated by Emily Van Cleve, an artist and journalist with 24 years’ worth of experience writing about the arts for local, regional and national publications. Enjoy reading about select upcoming shows and performances in SFAJ’s LOOK, LISTEN and LEARN MORE sections below!
Emily Van Cleve
Founder/Editor
Visual Art
For Nika Feldman, garments are a language that people can read.
In Feldman’s new show “Spirits in the Material World,” Feldman communicates through intricately embroidered t-shirt parts and the aluminum pull-tabs embellishing them. The show opens at form & concept on January 25.
“All around the world, people wear t-shirts,” says Feldman, a Santa Fe artist who moved to town from Nova Scotia at the end of 2017. “T-shirts were originally an undergarment. But now, through their logos, they inform others about the specific groups, companies, rock bands and organizations we like.” [Read More…]
Dance
Creating dance programs that are both entertaining and thought-provoking is the goal of BODYTRAFFIC. This contemporary dance company based in Los Angeles was founded by Lillian Rose Barbeito and Tina Finkelman Berkett in 2007.
During BODYTRAFFIC’s appearance on February 5 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center as guests of Performance Santa Fe, the company showcases four works in its repertoire. It also previews a new piece choreographed by one of the company’s former dancers, James Greggs, along with break dancer RubberLegz.
“We gear our programs to have a wide appeal,” explains Barbeito, who grew up in Santa Fe and graduated from Santa Fe High School in 1994. [Read More…]
Visual Art
The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) presents the exhibit “Art for a New Understanding: Native Perspectives, 1950s to Now.” Opening on January 25, the show features 80 artworks in a variety of media, including paintings, photographs, videos and textiles. [Read More…]
Music
Multi-talented brothers Colin and Eric Jacobsen star in Santa Fe Pro Musica’s concert titled “The Jacobsen Brothers.” This program, with works by Jessie Montgomery, Beethoven and Mozart, is presented on January 26 and 27 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center. [Read More…]
Blue Rain Gallery opens a show of paintings by Larry D. Blissett on January 25 that are heavily influenced by the Southwest. [Read More…]
Theater, Music and Dance
Impresario Danny Chang and choreographer Angela Chang lead the Golden Dragon Acrobats, which perform at the Lensic Performing Arts Center at 7 p.m. on January 22. [Read More…]
Visual Art
ViVO Contemporary’s new show “State of Play” features works created from the practice and enjoyment of play.
For participating artist Norma Alonzo, painting is not only playful but purposeful.
It’s an exploration and expression of feeling and understanding the human state of being.
“Each and every time the work takes me on an inner journey of play, perhaps frustration, perhaps joy and ultimately an exploration of emotion and feeling,” she says.
A California native who moved to Santa Fe 12 years ago, Alonzo studied interior design at San Jose State University and entered the world of residential and commercial design after college. [Read More…]
Theater
In honor of International Women’s Voices Day, Blue Raven Theatre presents its second annual “Fearless Female Voices.”
This one-day play festival on January 27 features work by 10 women playwrights living in Santa Fe.
“Female playwrights don’t get much of a chance to get their plays produced,” explains Blue Raven’s founder and artistic director Talia Pura, who is an actor and playwright. “So few of them have gotten a chance to shine in the past 100 years.” [Read More…]
Music
Flor de Toloache isn’t your typical mariachi band.
For starters, it’s comprised of a group of talented women musicians from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Australia, Colombia, Germany, Italy and the U.S.
Dressed in traditional black mariachi outfits, they believe in fusing mariachi and contemporary sounds.
During Flor de Toloache’s January 26 concert at the James A. Little Theater, the group performs tunes from their latest album “Las Caras Lindas,” which won the Latin Grammy in the Best Ranchero / Mariachi Album category, as well as songs from their self-titled album that received a Latin Grammy nomination for Best Ranchera Album of 2015. [Read More…]
Visual Art
When Christian Waguespack assumed the role of curator of 20th century art at the New Mexico Museum of Art two years ago, he committed himself to giving attention to all aspects of the museum’s large and diverse collection.
“Carved & Cast: 20th Century New Mexican Sculpture,” which opened at the museum on December 15, shines a spotlight on the carved and cast 3D work created a group of deceased and living New Mexico sculptors who were and continue to be inspired by the people of this state. [Read More…]
Visual Art
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture’s exhibit “Lifeways of the Southern Athabaskans” is an illuminating look at the Apache tribes that have been part of the Southwest, and New Mexico in particular, for hundreds of years.
More than 100 objects, including basketry, beaded clothing and hunting and horse gear dating from the late 1880s to the present, are on display in this show that highlights the cultural traditions and Apache customs of the Jicarilla, Mescalero, Fort Sill (Chiricahua), San Carlos and White Mountain tribes. [Read More…]
Music
Singer/songwriter Lexy Pettis is a fairly new voice on the Santa Fe music scene, but residents of Albuquerque have been hearing her heartfelt tunes at venues throughout the city since last pring.
“In March, I opened for my brother’s band at Duel Brewing ABQ and did four songs,” explains Pettis, an Albuquerque guitarist and harmonica player who performs at Beer Creek Brewing Company on January 26.
“This is the right time for me to go out on my own and be a full-time musician. I want to be a one-woman band and the female Bob Dylan of my generation.” [Read More…]
