New Mexico Governor’s Awards
The 32nd annual New Mexico Governor’s Awards for Excellence in Arts were announced in May. Governor Bill Richardson, First Lady Barbara Richardson, and members of the New Mexico Arts Commission honored artists Glenna Goodacre, William Goodman, Douglas Kent Hall, Frederick Hammersley, Patrick Oliphant, and Ford Ruthling, as well as author Kevin McIlvoy and arts contributors J. Paul Taylor and Edward Lujan. The Allan Houser Memorial Award went to Jaune Quick-to-See Smith. “This year’s Arts Award recipients are talented, diverse, and their art celebrates the spirit of New Mexico,” says Governor Richardson.
In Memoriam
New Mexico painter Dan V. Lomahaftewa (Hopi/Choctaw), who was born in 1951, died unexpectedly in April. In a recent interview, Lomahaftewa described the influence of creative accents in the homes of his extended family while growing up on the Hopi Reservation in northern Arizona. “I was lucky to experience and be exposed to these artistic expressions, which I feel has helped develop deeper appreciation for the intrinsic beauty and the aesthetics of my people,” he said.
Carmel Festival Results
Works by more than 80 painters were on view at Gallery Elite during the annual Carmel Art Festival in May. Larry Moore won the Best of Show award for the young and the old, an atmospheric seascape depicting boats docked at a marina. Other winners included Joyce Pekala-Bak, Kim Fancher-Lordier, Randall Sexton, Calvin Liang, Kathleen Elsey, Bill Hosner, and Carolyn Lord. Proceeds from the show benefited area youth programs.
Out & About
California painter Steven Lang was commissioned by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s National Park Service to depict a scene from the 1868 Battle of the Washita. The 4-by-6-foot painting hangs at the Washita Battlefield National Historic Site in Cheyenne, OK…. Gary Robert Swanson was honored as the Living Legend of Wildlife Art at the Foundation for North American Sheep’s annual auction in March. His piece the great escape fetched $100,000…. The Firehouse Gallery has opened in Sausalito, CA. Featured artists include Pam Glover, Zenaida Mott, and Patricia Wallis…. A life-size sculpture of President Ronald Reagan, created by California-based Robin Cappon, was recently unveiled at a private ranch in Santa Ynez, CA. Another Cappon piece called sharing the dream was installed in Buellton, CA, in May…. Cichon Fine Art recently opened in Taos, NM. The gallery specializes in photography, including works by Dee Ross, Susan Chandler, and Assaf Reznik.
Mattson Honored
Best of Show honors at the Phippen Museum Western Art Show & Sale in Prescott, AZ, in May went to Arizona sculptor Curt Mattson for his wild horses, wilder women. The piece also earned Mattson first place in the sculpture category, and he took home the Phippen Family Award for it don’t tally. Don Hambrick, D. Lee, Dale Martin, Mark Kohler, and Kelly Donovan also won top awards.
Terpning Sale
Howard Terpning’s medicine shields of the blackfeet earned the highest price at Settlers West Galleries’ Summer Show in Tucson, AZ, in May. The painting sold for $302,000—far surpassing its minimum bid of $195,000. In the fixed-price sale, top sellers included the painted robe by Robert Griffing at $35,000 and Pino Dangelico’s the flower girl at $24,000.
SCAPE Awards
Canyons and cacti were among the award-winning subject matter painted at the annual SCAPE (Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment) show, held in May in Santa Barbara. Kim Snyder won first prize, and Glenna Hartmann took home the Juror’s Choice Award. Other top awards went to John Williams, Marcia Burtt, Jane Sun, and Ellen Yeomans.
Correction
In the July issue, information given for ordering the book The Art of Ann Templeton was incorrect. The book is available through Ann Templeton Studios, 505.378.4262, www.anntempleton.com. Southwest Art regrets the error.
Featured in August 2005