Belen Tomé – Ice crystals, frozen in time, flower atop Jan Pacifico’s crystalline glazed pottery.  The beautiful crystals in blues, gold, pale yellow and celadon are formed with careful temperature control after firing. Specific cooling temperatures allow optimum crystal formation from specific chemicals in the glazes.

Jan fell in love with wheel-thrown pottery in college, and learned the crystalline glaze technique at a New Mexico Ghost Ranch workshop several years ago.

 The crystalline glaze has roots back to the Chinese firecracker and oil-spot methods centuries ago.  More recently, the 1893 World’s Fair featured crystal glaze wares from Rookwood Pottery of Ohio.  Crystal glazes also were shown at exhibitions in Paris, Brussels and Stockholm in 1897.

Jan Pacifico has an art degree and a Master’s Degree in art education.  She is an experienced wheel potter with functional wares featured in Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Pottery Barn. She has shown at prestigious craft fairs in Vermont and Rhinebeck, New York.

See Jan’s crystalline glaze pottery at the September 10-12 show, Tome’ Gallery, Highway 47, 11 am-5 pm.  As featured September artist, her opening reception will be Friday, September 10, 6-8 pm.  A gallery talk and demonstration by the artist follows on Sunday, September 12, 1-3 pm.

If you would like to learn more, Jan is offering a workshop on four Saturdays, 1-3 pm Sept. 18 and 25, and Oct. 9 and 16.  The fee is $75 dollars.  For more information, Tome’ Gallery is open Wed.-Sun. 11-5 pm, 505 565-0556.

Pie Town – Enjoy a day on the Continental Divide during the annual Pie Festival, an old-fashioned family reunion-type event with lots of activities and lots of good food.

Started 24 years ago the Pie Festival celebrates the town’s history. Not surprisingly there are pies, pies and more pies. Contests range from baking them to eating them and you can buy them, too.

There’s also a variety of games, plenty of vendors including arts and crafts booths, concession stands. There will be music all day in the park.

Also available at the Festival will be the Pie Town Cookbook, loaded with delicious pie recipes. The event is sponsored by the Pie Town Council. For more information, call 505-772-2525 or email pietowncc@yahoo.com.

Mountainair – If you think of metal work as hard, cold and basically utilitarian, you’re in for a surprise with a visit to Dragon Ash Forge. Located in the Earthsong Building, behind Tierra Madre, Dragon Ash Forge is chock full of intrinsically delicate works of art.

Leroy Simmons will be giving demonstrations of his art during the Sunflower Festival, Saturday,  Aug. 28. Using the ancient process of forging metals, Simmons creates incredible roses, hammering the hot metal into petals. They look so real  you’re tempted to lean over the smell them, expecting to be greeted with a fresh perfume.

Simmons’ shop ,Dragon Ash Forge, is open weekdays. Or call for an appointment, 505-847-0172.

Simmon’s demonstrations are just one of the many activities planned during the annual Sunflower Festival, Aug. 28.

Stock dog and sheep demonstration will be held at regular intervals behind Abo Trading Co.

The Art Alley Farewell party (see page 10) is scheduled and several art receptions for shows are planned for the day. The annual Poets and Writers Picnic will be held at the Shaffer Hotel from noon to 4 pm with readings from area writers and poets.

Be sure to check out the specials at various stores around town.

Plus, the new restaurant, Cafe Chameleon, will be open for business. Chef David M. Fisher plans a casual but elegant atmosphere for his Pacific Rim and International Cuisine. “I love what I do. It is my nature to feed people,” he says.

For more information on the Sunflower Festival, call 505-847-2795

Mountainair – A new art gallery has opened here with a view to promoting local artisans using local resources in their products.

Bob Deremer, a woodworker, recently opened Tierra Madre, a working studio and gallery at the west end of town. Located in the Earthsong Building, the gallery houses over 20 local artists who use local materials for their artwork.

His goal is to showcase artisans whose work may not have been easily available to the public in the past. Art in the gallery is constantly changing with new work. Deremer says new artisans approach him constantly to be included in the gallery.

The space itself, which formerly housed the Earthsong Gallery, is undergoing changes, with a new ceiling and floor added and other construction continuing in phases.

Deremer and his soon-to-be-wife, Shannon Collamore, came to Mountainair to escape the hectic life of Florida; Shannon has opened the Hen House Bakery, 106 W. Broadway, which offers fresh pastries, breakfast tacos and sandwiches.

Deremer invites you to come and visit him at Tierra Madre. Hours are 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday through Sunday. Stop in for coffee and a chat to learn more about the artists and Deremer’s vision for this newest addition to Mountainair’s art community.

Deremer’s work features weathered wood. The gallery inventory is artfully displayed on shelving he made using weathered wood.

Other artists represented at Tierra Madre are:

Doris Burboa, Clay pottery

Bryan Jory, Clay pottery

Art Luna, Wood canes & walking sticks

Robin DesJarin, Clay pottery

Susan Lone Eagle, Leather ceramic jewelry

Leon Harris, Stone carving

Bob Deremer, Artistic woodcrafting

Merle Volz, Mandelas & dream catchers

LeRoy Simmons, Artistic blacksmith

Wanna Beth Fox, Drawings & woodburning

Shannon Collamore, Jewelry & sage smudge sticks

Lamar Moorhead, Wood crafted miniatures

JoAn Dale, Jewelry & clay pottery

Eugenia Lane-Olguin, Tinwork

Helen Chavez, Embroidery

Manuel Romero, Oil painting

Audrey Harris, Stone carving & mat cutting

Dean Delgado, Oil painting

Jenna Dobson, Photography

Jim Spada, Folk art

Pleasant Wright, Bernardo, Hand built pottery

Clarence Chama, Santo Domingo Jewelry

Ventura Bailon, Santo Domingo Jewelry

Keith Spencer, Bluewater, Kachinas

Sierra County, with Truth or Consequences as its hub, is an integral part of a uniquely southwestern way of life, influenced by proximity to the US/Mexican border.  “Destination Sierra County, A regional Fair of Arts and Culture,” is set for Oct. 22-24. During this three-day event, the artistic and cultural diversity, historic richness, and natural beauty of the region will be highlighted by art shows, artists, musical presentations, dance, lectures, authors, demonstrations and workshops throughout the county.

Chosen by writer John Villani for his 1998 book The One Hundred Best Small Art Towns in America, Truth or Consequences offers a reasonable cost of living, breathtaking vistas, clean air, a black night sky, and a slower pace. 

Numerous nationally and internationally recognized artists reside in T or C and around the county; during the event, many of them will be on hand at the various art venues.  Photography workshops led by acclaimed photographers will showcase the contrasts of our landscape, from lakes and rivers to creosote deserts to pine and fir-covered mountains.

Event participants will have an opportunity to meet and spend time with the authors and artists who, in print and on canvas, have documented the beauty and uniqueness of our region.

Sierra County, with its charming villages, ghost towns, galleries, museums, thermal mineral waters, lakes, and its diverse artistic community, is a land rich with treasures.  Come discover us! For a free brochure and additional information, call 505.894.4638 in Truth or Consequences, or visit our website at www.sierracountyart.org.