This past weekend I escaped the beastly heat by visiting the New Mexico Arts & Craft Fair at the State Fairgrounds. This delightful three-day summer event included artist demonstrations, a youth art exhibition, a silent auction and, best of all, endless booths featuring over 220 established and emerging New Mexico Artisans. A big part of the show was promoting Youth in Art. The Annual Youth Exhibit has grown to over 1,000 entries from throughout New Mexico with entrants ranging from preschool through high school.
I was particularly captivated by the metalwork of Greg Gowen. His artwork is rough and weathered from the raw elements of the earth and yet refined with beauty and elegance. Brilliant sunsets explode with color over the muted tones of the desert sand and find their way into the copper plates and copper canvases that Gowen designs and paints with fire. The simplicity of Native American culture contrasts with the busy city life and emerges in the Soul Warrior statues and Traditional Southwestern pieces, which are elegant and rustic at the same time. The movement of the desert wind and the life giving waters of the Rio Grande pour forth in the peace and beauty of Grace Dance, a work that has been praised as the pinnacle of Gowen’s creations. To capture the scope of Gowen’s artwork in depth, visit his online galleries at http://www.galleryg7.com/galleries.html
The New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair started in 1962 and was held in Old Town Albuquerque as part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of New Mexico’s statehood. A few years later the fair was moved to the State Fairgrounds when it outgrew Old Town, and has been held there ever since.
The Fair recognizes that the arts are a unique and intriguing part of our culture. It has provided many well-known artists with beginning opportunities for their art careers. The Fair is the only art show open exclusively to artists and craftspeople from New Mexico. For more information about the annual Fair visit http://www.nmartsandcraftsfair.org/
