May Artists of the Month at the Monte Cristo

[monte cristo]

May Artists of the Month

The Monte Cristo Gift Shop & Gallery, in historic Chloride, NM, is home to more than two dozen local artists. The Monte Cristo is proud to feature as the May Artists of the Month Alan Gordon, photography and Ellie Nordgren, keeper of the old ways.

Alan and his wife have a home and studio near Chloride where they settled after retiring. Alan started taking photographs at the tender age of 8 or 9 with a simple Kodak box camera and black and white film. He began to take photography seriously once again in 1992 after meeting renowned photographer Andrew Shumaker who reintroduced Alan to the world of black and white photography. Mr. Shumaker promised Alan if he would give it a year he would be converted forever. Alan said "I did and I was!" Today most of his work is done with a 4x5 camera, black and white film, and the wet darkroom process. Alan’s award winning work has hung in galleries throughout the southwest.

Ellie provides the Monte Cristo with an array of delectable goodies. She supplies locally grown and produced pecans (plain and seasoned), five kinds of chile powder, sun-dried tomatoes, apple chips, apple butter, buffalo jerky and honey. Ellie has 28 beehives and those busy bees give her honey, wax, comb honey and pollen. Of course, she bottles the honey and comb honey. But not all of the goodies she makes are edible, though they are still delectable. From the bees wax she makes beautiful candles, Nativity sets and Christmas ornaments. She also uses the wax in both a homemade hand cream and in wonderful soap that comes in a variety of scents and fun designs. Ellie stays as busy as those bees she tends.

The work of both Alan and Ellie is available at the Monte Cristo Gift Shop & Gallery in Chloride, NM, just 35 miles west of Truth or Consequences via Hwy 52. The Monte Cristo is open daily from 10 AM to 4 PM. For more information contact the Gallery at 575-743-0493 or montecristogallery@windstream.net