Santa Fe, NM
Sorrel Sky Gallery, March 13-27
Allen Brockbank, A Gap in the Reef, Capitol Reef, oil, 8 x 16.
This story was featured in the March/April 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
USUALLY, WHEN the Santa Fe Plein Air Fiesta comes to town, it’s the height of springtime in northern New Mexico. But for the 50 juried artists who take part in this year’s edition, which happens about seven weeks earlier than normal, some snowy landscape scenes may be in the forecast. The event kicks off with a four-day paint-out starting on Saturday, March 7, followed by a two-week exhibition at Sorrel Sky Gallery in downtown Santa Fe, NM, where around 180 paintings in oil, pastel, and watercolor go on view. “It’s going to be more of a winter show than we’ve had before,” says event coordinator John Meister, “so there will be subject matter that a lot of the participants don’t normally paint.”
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- John Meister, Balance, oil, 6 x 8.
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- Ruth Marcanti, The Old Cottonwood, oil, 9 x 12.
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- Diane Arenberg, Some Things Never Change, pastel, 12 x 12.
Presented by the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, the event brings together members who hail not only from the Land of Enchantment but also from other parts of the country—a mix that’s representative of the group’s membership, says Meister. Among the group are artists Diane Arenberg, Liz Bonham, Allen Brockbank, Nora Larimer, and Carolyn Lindsey. “We have around 400 members, and about 30 percent are from outside New Mexico,” adds Meister. “A lot of artists just like to come here to paint. There’s beautiful scenery, and they like the history of painting here.”
From March 7-10, the artists are invited to paint anywhere within a 60-mile radius of Santa Fe, including Taos, Las Vegas, Albuquerque, and Jemez Springs, but PAPNM also hosts scheduled paint-outs at locations like the iconic Ghost Ranch in Abiquiú and Los Luceros Historic Property, a scenic ranch complete with a working farm, a cottonwood bosque, and Rio Grande river frontage. Each artist submits at least two plein-air pieces and one studio piece to the show. (Images shown here are representative of the artists’ work.)
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- Carolyn Lindsey, Old House, oil, 10 x 10.
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- Nora Larimer, Wetland Melody, watercolor, 13 x 23.
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- Liz Bonham, Evening Glow, oil, 12 x 16.
As for the types of wintry scenes on view, that depends, of course, on the weather. But even if frigid temperatures arrive or a snowstorm blows through, Meister says the artists are practiced at dealing with nature’s unpleasant elements, from wind to bugs to sunburn. “There will be artists who love being out there, in the worst conditions, painting something they are really proud of,” he says.
An opening reception and awards ceremony take place on Friday, March 13, at 5 p.m. Artist Joe Anna Arnett is the judge of awards. —Kim Agricola
contact information
505.501.6555
www.sorrelsky.com
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- Dick Wimberly, Love in Bloom, oil, 12 x 9.
This story was featured in the March/April 2020 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2020 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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