Show Preview | Plein Air Painters of New Mexico

Santa Fe, NM
Sorrel Sky Gallery, November 2-25

Paul Murray, Arroyo, pastel, 14 x 30.

This story was featured in the November 2018 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art November 2018 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

New Mexico has a long history of attracting artists with its spectacular scenery. So it comes as no surprise that the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico organization (PAPNM) has an impressively large membership of accomplished fine artists. Founded in 2007, PAPNM has a roster of more than 400 members—about 30 percent of whom, though not state residents, love to visit and paint there. The group’s year-round schedule includes informal paint-outs held at various venues around the state, as well as small formal and informal shows. But the keynote annual event is its National Juried Members Exhibition, which is hosted this month (for the third consecutive year) at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe.

The venue is ideal for a group of artists who celebrate a state of such scenic glory. “We have an extraordinary location in between the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum,” notes owner Shanan Campbell Wells. With gallery space measuring an impressive 6,500 square feet, she’s able to dedicate the entire 4,000-square-foot upper level to the almost 175 works in the show.

: Walt Gonske, Laguna Adobes, oil, 15 x 20.

: Bill Gallen, Winter Warmth, oil, 10 x 16.

: Peggy Immel, One Summer Evening, oil, 11 x 14.

“It’s an exciting, fun show to see, and the work is just beautiful,” says Peggy Immel, one of the group’s founders and one of its 10 Master Signature Members guaranteed two paintings on view. She’ll be featuring ONE SUMMER EVENING, a moody sunset scene of fields outside her Taos home, and WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, painted in springtime facing a nearby acequia, or watercourse.

Carla Forrest, another founding member and this year’s show chair, notes that “we aim to build awareness of our state’s beautiful open spaces and public lands, and we donate to many environmental programs.” Forrest’s own vibrant, contemporary take on the landscape is evident in her submission: FOOTHILLS depicts late evening in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque.

: Richard Prather, Gila Awaking, oil, 14 x 14.

: Lee McVey, Sandia Late Light and Chamisa, oil, 16 x 20.

: Albert Handell, Solitude, pastel, 12 x 18.

Newer to PAPNM but equally enthusiastic about its spirit and impact is current president John Meister, an active member for the past five years. He notes that some visitors may be surprised that not all of the plein-air works depict “big vistas.” Sometimes, he explains, “an artist will pose a model outside, or do a still life, or paint a tractor.” His own submissions reflect such a close-up approach, with PRICKLY HEAT and RETREATING SNOW expressing his longtime interest in botany.

Albuquerque-based Meister feels particular pride to be part of PAPNM. “I’ve been to other national shows, and I would say that ours can hold a candle to anything that I’ve seen out there,” he notes. Like most of the members, he’ll attend the opening reception on Friday, November 2, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., during Santa Fe’s First Friday Art Walk. At the reception, judge Ray Roberts—a respected California plein-air painter—will present 14 different awards to participants; he’ll also give a painting demonstration in the gallery on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Of course, a members’ paint-out is also planned. After all, such a talented group of artists can’t long resist New Mexico’s allure. —Norman Kolpas

contact information
505.501.6555
www.papnm.org