Editor’s Letter | Milestones

Shanna Kunz | Dog Park

Dog Park by Shanna Kunz

Our anniversary issue looks forward and back

By Kristin Hoerth

This story was featured in the May 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art May 2013 print issue, or get the Southwest Art May 2013 digital download now…Or better yet, just subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!

I’ve always felt that there was a lot of meaning in annual milestones. New Year’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries—they stand out to me as significant on the calendar. Times like these are perfect for pausing to take stock of things, for taking a step back from the day-to-day business of life and looking at the bigger picture.

This issue of Southwest Art marks our 42nd year of publishing. Granted, the 42nd anniversary is not quite as momentous as the 40th anniversary we recently celebrated. Still, it gives me a chance to think back over how far we’ve come and how much things have changed in all those years. One thing that hasn’t changed for quite some time, however, is our commitment to help you discover promising new artists by way of our monthly Artists to Watch column.

We first published this column in the late 1990s, and since then we’ve introduced you to more than 450 rising stars. This month, in the spirit of “taking stock,” we decided to check in with some of the artists who appeared in the column in its earliest years. What had they been up to, we wondered, over the decade or so since we last heard from them? You can find out beginning on page 108 in the story called “Where Are They Now?” It’s wonderful to hear that many of them have gone on to find success in their artistic endeavors. And there are many other artists we’d like to catch up with, so look for another installment of this story in the coming months.

Speaking of success, this month we also honor some of the western art world’s top names in our third annual Prominent People story. From artists to dealers to the leader of a top art school, they have impressed us with their talents and tireless efforts. We hope you enjoy meeting them in our pages.

Finally this month, we note a much more somber milestone in the passing of well-known and well-loved New Mexico painter Louisa McElwain, who died on February 26. McElwain’s large canvases of the southwestern landscape, heavy with luscious paint that she applied using palette knives and masonry trowels, are instantly recognizable. She had appeared in our pages several times, including a cover story in February 2000 and, most recently, in February 2011. McElwain’s spirit lives on in her wonderful works, and we join the rest of the art community in honoring a talented painter and person who has gone too soon.

Featured in the May 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art May 2013 digital download
Southwest Art May 2013 print issue
Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!


MORE RESOURCES FOR ART COLLECTORS & ENTHUSIASTS
Subscribe to Southwest Art magazine
Learn how to paint & how to draw with downloads, books, videos & more from North Light Shop
Sign up for your Southwest Art email newsletter & download a FREE ebook