and
wandermouse web works <: )~
February/March 2003 Articles
Carrizozo
– A community honored one of its most legendary citizens on Saturday as hundreds turned out for the opening reception of The John West Story at ZoZo Art Galleries.
The masterful jeweler and silversmith, who died in January, 2000, is remembered here as a masterful artist, a good-hearted curmudgeon, and an idealist and visionary.
Born near Santa Fe in 1930, John's father was the WPA artist Hal West, well-known for his woodblock prints and oil paintings. John grew up in the vibrant Santa Fe art scene and at the age of 14 began to make jewelry out of copper scraps and bits of turquoise from the old Tiffany mines near the family ranch. He apprenticed
with Karl Larsson, a master silver and gold smith from Sweden, and started his own
jewelry business in high school.
John developed a reputation for his art while he developed his ideas for a planned art community. During his lifetime, John owned The West Gallery just off Canyon Road in Santa Fe, began the artists' cooperative in Tesuque called Shidoni which later became the Shidoni Foundry and Sculpture Garden, and during his earlier years was involved in the Santa Fe
Planning Commission. He quit saying "You find a place you really love and you fight and fight to preserve it, only to lose to big business over and over gain. ...The only choice you're left with is to leave."
John and his wife Ann Buffington West moved to Lincoln County in 1977, living in and renovating old adobes in Capitan and then Lincoln (the Lesnet
House). In 1993, John and Ann moved to Carrizozo where he began promoting the idea of an art community while continuing to make his jewelry.
The current show at ZoZo Galleries was organized after John's widow Ann approached ZoZo owners Gary and Sharon Eklund about the idea of offering his remaining works for sale. In a burst of creativity during his last months of life, John created about 30 bracelets, many of which had not been shown before. Also in the collection are a few concho belts and large pendants from the '60s and '70s.
Not much remains of his jewelry after Saturday's show, where these highly sought after pieces were snatched up by buyers eager to own a small part of that man's creative legacy. And, at the prices at which these one-of-a-kind pieces are being offered, what wasn't sold at the first of the month is sure to go quickly.
With every major piece that John West created, he first drew the deign in colored
markers on large index cards that contained all the information about the piece – materials used, hours of labor, etc. Each piece sold at the show comes with its own card.
The show also chronicles his life and his family with an exhibit of woodprints and oil paintings by Hal West; watercolors by
daughter Anita West; and other mementos of his life.
But perhaps for the Carrizozo community, John's legacy is his untiring efforts to build a successful community. "John was obsessed with the idea of developing communities that worked to benefit all participants equally," remembers one resident. "He was an intelligent and caring man who believed that if we could all just agree to help each other we could have near-perfect world.... He hated big business, government and television. (He refused to own a
TV.)"
"John was always striving to increase the bonds of community and cooperative living," Ann Buffington West told Bob Magazine in an interview. "He felt our culture with its emphasis on individual achievement, competition and material gain is ultimately an empty one that plays into the hands of corporate greed rather
than community health or individual fulfillment. "He wanted people to share more, help each other more, connect more."
John saw in Carrizozo, Ann said, the ideal artists' community: Property was inexpensive and there is
access to nearby markets; it's small so artists can be close enough to create the kind of artists' community he remembered from his childhood.
"He wanted artists community and sharing and supporting each other with the kind of creative cross-fertilization and stimulation that comes in a close
community of creative people." Carrizozoans remember John as the one who wanted a bakery in town, as a place
where people could congregate. He envisioned 15 or 20 antique shops and art galleries in town, community gardens, and other places which would attract visitors and economic health to the community.
Few of those ideas seemed to take root during his lifetime, notes Pamela Cromwell, adding, "its clear that he
inspired many people around him and touched many lives in a profound way. Many friends believe he
planted seeds that have been coming to fruition since his death."
His widow agrees: "we have Carrizozo Joe's, the place for people to congregate. We have the Sunday night potlucks. We have a few antique shops, a great art gallery and
Jim Mack's studio. We have an effort to put more art in the schools. "It always takes several people, a community, to bring around major changes, though. One may plant the seeds, but then it takes others to pick up on what's been planted and go on from there, " Ann said. "I think the kind of creative energy
John put out in that direction, it stays in the universe, it's there in the air somehow - who knows how it gets communicated?... In the case of Carrizozo, much of what is taking place has been through the efforts to people who weren't even here when John was alive."
John West's pieces of jewelry are each statements in themselves. Bold, singular designs combine highly textured metals of brass and copper, silver and copper, with gems of
turquoise, lapis lazuli, fire agate and opals. His jewelry is both simple and complex - or perhaps, complex organized somehow into dramatic but simple.
Each piece is unique. He never duplicated his work, saying: "Art is an original creation; craft is when you make the second."
Only a few of these singular creations remain at the ZoZo Galleries. The show lasts through March, but the art pieces are going quickly.
For more information, call Gary or Sharon at 648-0005.
Socorro –
Nona Church thinks of herself as a crafter: Indeed, paper tole has its beginnings far back in the French tradition where it was called
Vue de petit ó ptique. The tradition migrated to Canada, maintaining a solid folk art history as it evolved into its current name 3-D Art.
Ah, but here is a strikingly good example of the age-old quandary of drawing the line between folk art/craft and fine art. For Nona Church's recreations of others' artwork are unique unto themselves – each one a study in the art of taking a two-dimensional vision into the three-dimensional.
Besides, personally, I can't cut. I don't know why but scissors in my hands are a danger to everything around. I even have trouble with a straight edge and X-Acto knife. (I'm lucky to convince Photoshop to complete simple tasks like cutting and pasting.)
So, when I see shadow boxes filled with lovely birds and landscapes and flowers, all perfectly cut and placed with shadows and depth of field, cut with precision among those intricate curves and twists, well! I think it's fine art.
But it was Nona Church's rendition of a previous front cover of Steppin' Out which really caught my eye. It's the one which featured "Black and Blue" by Gary Eklund of ZoZo Galleries, Carrizozo. To make a long story short: It was a must-have for pen•gwen. And, no: This month's front cover featuring Gary's newest "Ladies
Sing the Blues" is not an exchange for one of Nona's works. It is, however, a great
corollary of the previous picture – don't you think?
Back to Nona, who entered into the ZoZo Galleries collection when she was introduced by
Carrizozo santera Polly E. Chavez. Nona demurs that she had only a half-finished piece of artwork to show at the time. But it was enough to convince Gary of great things to come.
Nona who now lives in Albuquerque is a New Mexico native: From High Rolls and Palo Verde (now Ruidoso Downs), then to Bosque Farms; skipping out-of-state to return in 1994 to the Albuquerque area.
"I was introduced to 3-D art by my at-that-time fiancée who had these 3-D pictures which he had gotten with his divorce.
"In the spring of 1995, I attended a craft show and there was Margie Simpsen – the same lady of the same pictures."
Simpsen returned to Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta that year and began teaching classes. "I took everyone she offered."
Then, she engaged her girl friends to join her. Now, "we have a section in the state fair for 3-D art." As founder and president of New Mexico 3-D Art Association, her next project is to extend the state fair exhibits to include various divisions of work.
Meanwhile, Nona Church keeps busy with craft shows and exhibits around the state. Some of her work can be seen at ZoZo Galleries, Carrizozo and at the Lincoln County Schoolhouse Gallery, Lincoln.
Chuchillo
– This little community west of Truth or Consequences is the place to be on Saturday, Feb. 22. It's the 12th annual Cuchillo Pecan
Festival, 9 am to 4 pm at Ritch's Pecan Orchard. To get to Cuchillo, take either exit 89 or 83 from I-25 and follow the signs east. It doesn't look like much at first, but the road takes you into some surprisingly pretty scenery. Ritch's Orchard is on the west side of the town of Cuchillo, giving you a glimpse of the Cuchillo Bar and the Cuchillo Cafe.
For the festival, craft booths will mingle among the edges of the orchard with tempting treats from pecans to chocolate; Brazilian
embroidery to stacked glass; pottery to custom-designed clothing. Food venders will offer fare from hamburgers and hot dogs to fry bread and
Navajo tacos. Of course, there will be homemade pecan pies for sale: Some 400 will be baked and ready for consumption. You'll even be able to heat it and top with a scoop of ice cream. Ymmm!
Games for children start at 10 am in the orchard. Tours, live music and drawings for prizes donated by the vendors will continue throughout the day.
Plus, an exhibit of historic farming tools from the Palace of Governors State
History Museum will be at the Van of Enchantment. A collection specialist will be on hand to identify those obscure tools you have in your dad's tool chest.
For more information, call Bernice Ritch, 505-743-3201.
Socorro
– Contemporary Tapestry, an exhibit of works by the Las Aranas Tapestry Study Group will hang at Macey Center's Gallery beginning with a reception on Friday, Feb. 28 at 5:30 pm.
The Tapestry Study Group is composed of members of the Las Aranas Spinners & Weavers Guild who weave tapestry and who met regularly for critiques and support. This is a second career for most of this group of engineers, astronomers and teachers because of tapestry's time-consuming process.
Among the exhibitors is Daniel A. Klinglesmith III of Socorro, one of those astronomers. He began to weave
because he "wanted something to do" while up on the mountain at the Observatory for Cometary Research. He borrowed a loom and set to work.
When he returned to Maryland, he entered his weaving in the county fair – and took home first place. The next summer, Dan returned to New Mexico and took a course in Navajo weaving at the famous Ghost Ranch near Abiqui. "By the time we moved to Socorro, we joked we were looking for a one-bedroom, 5-loom house," Dan recalls. Dan continues to be involved in astronomy as well as tapestry. He calls his style Navajo and contemporary and he returns to Ghost Ranch
nowadays to teach his art to other students.
Other exhibitors are: Dick Bailey, who learned to weave after he retired from his engineering and marketing job and likes both geometic and pictorial designs.
Mary Rawcliffe Colton has been a weaver and teacher for more than 30 years. She taught at UNM Art Education Department during the '90s and now that she's retired, she can devote her time to her craft.
Anne Connolly, an art major who has taught design, owned a needlepoint shop and painted on needlepoint canvas, uses Gobelin techniques and blends her colors with multiple strands of Persian yarn.
Cecilia M. Rolling, a Franciscan Sister retired from teaching now works part time at Barrett House. Her tapestry training is in both Northern New Mexican and contemporary styles.
After raising sheep and selling their fleeces for several years, Lynne Scott learned to spin, dye and now to weave tapestries. Except for shearing, she does all the teps herself.
A retired Santa Fe Schools teacher and counselor, Mildred Thompson learned tapestry from
a French Aubusson perspective as a daughter living in France. She weaves small tapestries with fine yarn and a very closely spaced warp.
Besides encouraging the development of each member's work, the group aims to arrange exhibit opportunities and to share with others an understanding of the complexities and variety of tapestry weaving. They are serious and energetic weavers who hope to convey their enthusiasm to a wider audience.
Contemporary Tapestry: A Group Show hangs at Macey Center Gallery through March 28 at the upstairs gallery at New Mexico Tech's Macey Center. Gallery hours are Monday - Friday, 8 - 5 ; evenings during special events and by appointment. Call 835- 5342 for information.
Home Current Issue Archive Event Calendar Our Advertisers Contact Ad Rates
steppinoutnewmexico.com is brought to you by
pen·gwen
productions
and
wandermouse web works <: )~
Site design © 2001-2003 Wandermouse Web Works.
All site content and images © 2001-2003 Pen•gwen Productions, unless otherwise noted.
and subject to punishment under full extent of the law.
For
information on use of images or content on these pages, or for information
on having us design a custom web site for you, please contact
thecheese@wandermouse.com or
visit Wandermouse.com.