In July, I received a tip from a friend that an art festival was in the works along Highway 14 in the East Mountains. Sure enough on the weekend of August 29th and 30th, the first annual Turquoise Trail Arts Festival was held showcasing a variety of art mediums including printmaking, ceramics, stone carving, mixed media, metal, jewelry, woodwork, painting, gourd carving, and sculptures. Carla Ward, from Tinkertown, said the Turquoise Trail Association decided to put together a progressive art festival along the southern part of the trail because other festivals had already been established on the northern part of the trail near Santa Fe.
A collaboration of 50 local artists and five authors displayed their work at venues including The Church, an Art Sanctuary in El Cedro, Scissors Village Salon spa & boutique in Tijeras, Tom & Jerry’s plaza in Cedar Crest, Tinkertown museum, Contemporary Southwest, the Paako event center, San Pedro Creek in Sandia Park and Henderson’s Trading Post in Golden. The art festival proved to be a success, attracting a steady stream of walk in traffic for the businesses that participated.
