Show Preview | Passport to the Arts

Santa Fe, NM
Canyon Road, May 9-11

Artists at Passport to the Arts in Santa Fe.

This story was featured in the May 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art May 2014 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

At 5 p.m. on Friday, May 9, the art galleries along Canyon Road in Santa Fe welcome visitors to the third annual Passport to the Arts event, sponsored by the Canyon Road Merchants Association. For three days, art lovers can visit galleries, meet artists, watch demonstrations, and participate in fine-art auctions.

The event begins on Friday evening with participating galleries hosting openings and receptions, art demonstrations, and lectures. Each gallery also hosts two or three silent-auction pieces, and visitors can bid on paintings and sculpture, glasswork, jewelry, weaving, and pottery. Bidding for silent-auction items continues through 4 p.m. on Saturday.

Special events continue on Saturday. At 11 a.m., at least 50 gallery artists station themselves up and down Canyon Road for a 90-minute Quick Draw, during which they create a brand-new piece from start to finish. The weekend culminates in a cocktail reception and live auction of the Quick Draw artworks in a big-top tent in the parking lot of Ventana Fine Art. A preview of the artworks begins at 4 p.m., and the auction commences at 5 p.m. In 2013, as many as 500 people participated in the auction. “There was a clamor for these artists. The auction was jammed last year,” says Mark Greenberg, owner of Greenberg Fine Arts, which is participating in the weekend’s events.

Galleries are also open on Sunday, and local restaurants and merchants are celebrating Mother’s Day with special events. Greenberg says Passport to the Arts is growing with more galleries and artists participating each year. “We saw tremendous growth from the first to the second year,” he says. A portion of the proceeds from weekend events supports the Santa Fe Public Schools Music Ed-ucation Program and the Canyon Road Merchants Association.

“Between the silent auction, the Quick Draw, and the live auction, there will be over 100 Canyon Road gallery artists at Passport to the Arts,” Greenberg says. “This gives collectors a chance to come in and meet the artists that they have collected in the past or plan to collect in the future.” The event allows artists and collectors to connect, making the artwork more than just a painting or a sculpture, but a work of art from a real person. “I think that’s what makes it very special,” Greenberg adds. —Laura Rintala

contact information
www.visitcanyonroad.com

Featured in the May 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art May 2014 print issue or digital download Or subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!