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The Art Avenue is the avenue to challenge what have become the routine, the norm, and the traditional within Arts, Culture, and Urbanism around the border

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Bringing the “Best of the Best” to El Paso:

El Paso, TX – The annual Las Artistas Art & Fine Crafts Show is happening on November 18 and 19 at the spacious EPIC RAILYARD Event Center on 2201 East Mills Avenue in downtown El Paso, TX (located off I-10). The show runs from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, November 18, and 10 am to 4 pm on Sunday, November 19. Admission is $7 and free for children under 18. Valet parking is free.

The perfect kick off to the holiday shopping season, the Las Artistas Art & Fine Crafts Show features beautiful, one-of-a-kind paintings, prints, ceramics, glass, jewelry, metal, leather, wood, wearable art and more in all prices. Attendees can meet established and emerging artists and students, talk to them about their work, and shop for high quality art and fine craft. And every sale made at the show contributes to the livelihood of artists and craftsmen – many of whom are local small businesses.

The quality of the work in the show is exceptional. Ninety artists and craftsmen from El Paso, New Mexico and other parts of the country are participating and all have met Las Artistas’ jury standards for technical proficiency, originality, and creative vision. Three years ago, Las Artistas introduced an emerging artists section in the show; this year the number of emerging artists has grown, and will include the work of children and relatives of Las Artistas members. Students in the Metals and Ceramics programs at the University of Texas at El Paso are also selling their work at the show.

New this year is the participation of the It’s Your World recycled arts program, under the direction of El Dorado High School art teacher Candie Printz. Motivated to take on a project that would improve their community and promote the importance of recycling, Candie and her students have been cleaning up part of the local desert and using the collected items to make art. She and her students will be selling their art at the Las Artistas show.

Classical and Flamenco guitarist Jake Mossman will be performing at the show on Saturday from noon to 4 pm. Jake has performed in theatres throughout the southwest, and has accompanied renowned Flamenco dancers and singers. Gourmet street food will be provided by The Grub Thai Food, Megalicious, and High Mesa Kettle Korn, and there will be a cash wine bar provided by Wine Attitude.

The Las Artistas Art & Fine Crafts Show is sponsored by Ruhmann Law, with support from the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department.

Get a first look of the show at the Preview Party on Friday, November 17

Las Artistas is hosting a Preview Party on Friday, November 17 from 6 pm to 8 pm in the Circa 1963 Room at the Hotel Indigo on 325 North Kansas Street in El Paso (located just minutes away from the EPIC RAILYARD Event Center). For a cost of $15 – which also includes one-day admission to the show – attendees can mingle with artists, craftsmen, and like-minded people and see a preview of work that will be in the show. Light appetizers will be served and a cash bar is available. This event is sponsored by Margie Melby, one of Las Artistas’ founding members, and tickets are available at lasartistas.org.

About Las Artistas

Founded in 1970, Las Artistas has grown from a small group of enterprising El Paso women artists seeking a venue for their work, to one of the premiere arts organizations in El Paso and Southern New Mexico. For more information about the Las Artistas Art & Fine Crafts Show or Las Artistas, contact Pam Sullivan at (915) 319-4541, email marketing@lasartistas.org, or visit lasartistas.org.

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I n t i m a t e L a n d s c a p e

The photographs featured in this exhibition include works from my most recent series, Intimate Landscape which has been a vehicle for me to explore and ultimately depict emotions surrounding isolation, intrigue and intimacy.

This series is influenced by my 29-year relationship with my wife, also a physician, who sustained the impact of a needle which rendered her HIV-Positive during our first year of marriage.  The resulting issues surrounding her unknown longevity, intimacy and love at times led me to isolation and depression.

In this gallery you will see a selection of photographs produced between 2011 and 2017. During this period of creative experimentation I used metaphor to help me articulate a narrative. Images were produced at a range of places including snow fields in Fjallabak Iceland and dunes of White Sands National Monument in New Mexico. It depicts a period of my life full of emotional volatility, isolation and depression.  I felt like I was losing Patti.

My work has evolved naturally into a new project entitled “Bodyscapes” that is showcased on the long wall in this gallery.  By strategically combining multiple photographs to create one complete image, each work functions as a departure from the loneliness and uncertainty that was engulfing me. Through combining the stark and often private experience of remote landscapes with images of the human body I have forged a path to bring Patti back into the narrative of my photography, giving her permanence in my life as well as my artistic practice.

Eric Erickson (1902 – 1994), a noted twentieth century psychologist postulated that

.….in the first stage of adult development we begin to share ourselves more intimately with others.  Avoiding intimacy, fearing commitment and relationships can lead to isolation, loneliness, and sometimes depression. Success in this stage will lead to the virtue of love.

Bodyscapes has become my conduit to growth; my creative muse. I am happy to share with you seven of my early works in this new on-going series of photographs.

Sirous Partovi

September 2017

 

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Summer Memories

As we progress towards Fall a collective of artists share their recent travels in Summer Memories.

Remember the fun you experienced on your summer vacations with family, friends or even alone?  Chances are you photographed much of it on your smart phone and brought back a memento from each trip—a t-shirt, a coffee mug or perhaps even a piece of art.

Four local artists are sharing their recent adventures through Summer Memories, a collection of paintings and photography documenting a piece of their travels and experiences.

Rhonda Doré, Terrance Flores, Adriana Peraldi and Sirous Partovi each present a unique angle for sharing their trips from a vacation in Paris, France, a wedding in San Miguel de Allende, and adventures in Sedona, Arizona and various parts of  Texas.

“Sometimes it’s the little things you remember of summer. Painting a little French spoon (with its signature bee on the handle) takes me to a rainy day at the Paris flea markets. I revisit pomegranates growing, a lovely chair in a New Orleans shop or platters of shrimp on a table. These pieces are my secret memories of summer,” said Rhonda Doré

“I love this particular show because it ignites conversations.  People see one image and it creates an atmosphere to share their personal experiences.  The dialogues are guaranteed to occur because people enjoy describing their journeys,” said Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek, The Art Avenue Gallery owner.

Contemporary artist Adriana Peraldi exhibits a set of butterflies she noticed while at a wedding in San Miguel de Allende.  “I was sitting outside the church waiting for the bridal party and these beautiful butterflies, two of them, were flying and they were beautiful color of red but I painted them with my colors.  The butterfly is a change of a lot of things so that is why I painted them,” said Peraldi.

Summer Memories opens Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 6 p.m. and will be on display through October 14, 2017.

The Art Avenue Gallery hours are Tuesday –  Fri. 11:00  a.m. – 5 p.m., at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E. For additional information or questions, please email info@theartave.com or call 915.213.4318.

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Mexica Legends

The first of its kind at The Art Avenue Gallery…a collaborative effort of visual and live art combined with a stunning musical performance.

Mexica Legends is a collaborative effort of works by Joey Delgato and Diego Martinez and inspired through the musical influences from tenor Rodrigo Garcia Morelos and soprano Paola Treviño Todd from OME.  After listening to Aztec Myths & Legends: A Narrated Concert by OME, Martinez reached out to Delgato and initiated a project that would intertwine the artists styles fused by Aztec legend.

Martinez unrestrictive and expressive style combined with the minimalistic surrealistic manner of Delgato lends bold colors and strong expressive lines in their collaborative pieces.

The duo said they wanted to share their passion supporting the continuous drift among myths, legends, history and music of the Aztecs as well as get in touch with their own cultural roots.  “Culture, life, and death is something we are all connected to from the moment we are born, by doing this show I have discovered aspect about my Mexican heritage and it has given me a sense of who I am,” said Martinez.

Delgato says he collaborates with Martinez on several projects, but this particular event challenged them more than anticipated. “We got together and listened to the music of OME and looked up the aztec legends that their songs are named after. We looked up Aztec and Mexican art to get an idea of the style and colors often used to capture the essence and symbolism of Aztec art. Once we got that down we sketched up some ideas to figure out how to combine our styles to create these pieces,” said Delgato.

“This is a first for The Art Avenue Gallery, to have a thematic exhibit where the arts and the music support one another.  I am excited to bring the live musical component to the evening and adding live art at the same time.  We strive to make a change—an impact,” said Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek, The Art Avenue Gallery owner.

Garcia says the collaboration didn’t have guidelines and the artists were free to create how they wanted but he said he wanted to impact people.  “We hope that through this exhibition, by combining epic and powerful music with astonishing, colorful visuals, we can contribute to bring people closer to their roots, history, oral tradition and mainly their heritage in a fun and creative way,” said Garcia.

Mexica Legends will display collaborative works by Delgato and Martinez combined with new solo works.  The exhibit opens Thursday, August 27, 2017 at 6 p.m. with musical performance by OME at 6:30 and live art starting at 7:30.

The Art Avenue Gallery hours are Tuesday –  Fri. 11:00  a.m. – 5 p.m., at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E. For additional information or questions, please email info@theartave.com or call 915.213.4318.

You can add this event to your facebook calendar by visiting this link.

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Summer Sale

Join us for an evening of great artwork at summer prices. Featuring work by Ricky Armendariz, Roberto Cortez, Miren de Leon, Rhonda Doré, Terrance Flores, Hope Gerlay, Steve Hastings, Phillip Howard, Criselda Lopez, Sirous Partrovi, Adriana Peraldi, Harry Schulte, Chaps Tucker & Brian Wancho

With special pricing on selected artwork.

Thursday, July 27, 2017 | 6 pm

 

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Summer Camp 2017

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To register, please download and fill application on the link below. You can send the filled application by email to info@theartave.com, or drop by the The Art Avenue Gallery, located on 1618 Texas St. Suite E.

For online payment please visit http://theartavenue.lapaginadejorgecalleja.net/wp/product-tag/sumer-camp-2017/ or if you prefer you can pay in person with cash, credit card or check at the gallery.

For any questions/concerns please feel to contact us at 915.213.4318

Register Today!
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How to Fall in Love with an Abstract Painting

“Just don’t get” abstract art? Try this…

Ignore your DNA.

Is that even possible? “Ignore” may be wrong word. Let’s say… be aware of your human nature, and don’t let it cheat you with a cheap experience. If you find yourself picking out a bird and a fire truck in the brushstrokes of an abstract painting, your DNA is probably messing with you. Humans are wired to look for the leopard hiding in the bushes for the sake of our own survival. You can’t make that go away, but you can move past it. Abstract art asks us to shut down that impulse and experience the art differently. That’s why it makes so many people uncomfortable. Instead of inspecting for forms, try following the brushstrokes with your eyes. Try figuring out how the painter was feeling while they were painting.

Feel the presence.

An abstract painting is not a 2D representation of a thing. It’s an object in its own right. It should have presence, and that presence is something you can feel and enjoy. I think one hallmark of a wonderful abstract painting is that — when it’s moved from its usual place — you deeply feel its absence.

 Look for process.

Abstract painters don’t get a comforting “how to paint a teacup in five easy steps” instruction booklet. (Sometimes we really, really wish we did.) Every single painting is uncharted territory, and you better (wo)man up. Every brushstroke you make can narrow your possibilities or make it all go wrong — or turn out to be thrillingly right. (Actually, this is true of all paintings.) There is no comfort zone of “this goes there.” We long for a path, but we’re rebellious enough to cling to chaos. So we each tend to make ourselves a process, a way of working that will lead us through the murk. See if you can figure out how a painting evolved. Artists tend to use their beloved processes over and over. Look for clues. Remember, a process can be about removing colors or elements just as much as adding them. See if you can figure it out, then ask the artist. When you find out everything he or she did to get to that final piece, you might have to take it home with you.

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HER

May marks the month mothers across the world are honored and The Art Avenue Gallery embraces that celebration with Her an exhibition with emerging artist Hope Gerlay. On Thursday May 6th The Art Avenue hosted the show HER featuring work by Hope Gerlay and Carlos Estrada-Vega.

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Senses In Sucrose

On Thursday April 27, The Art Avenue Gallery hosted Senses in Sucrose, a book signing session and art exhibition with internationally renown chef and artists Roberto Cortez.

He left El Paso in the mid 80s, and now more than 30 years later he’s back—the world-famous chef will now add author and painter to his list of accomplishments.  

The Art Avenue Gallery was on hand when Cortez received his shipment of books, Senses in Sucrose—which Cortez emphasizes,“is not a cook book but a culinary artistic book.” The publication takes unfathomably decadent desserts and transforms them onto 200 pages of photography, marrying pastries to emotions. Cortez created 12 uniquely captivating and intoxicating desserts based on 12 different complex emotions.  

“This is such an incredible opportunity for me. This project started in London seven years ago and has taken me back and forth across the world, creating desserts for this book while working as a private chef for people around the world,” said Cortez. “Many of my friends in the industry were telling me, ‘You have to create a book, Roberto,’ so I did. Now I see the finished product and it’s bad ass.”

Cortez has worked as a celebrity chef for 19 years cooking for big wigs and stars like co-founder of Microsoft Paul Allen and movie stars Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas and Melanie Griffith. Just recently, work has drawn Cortez back to El Paso and allowed him to complete his premier culinary book and art exhibition.

“This is a huge nod for El Paso to have Chef Roberto Cortez as part of this core community, and even greater that he kicks off his international book tour in our very own gallery.  He will create two of the desserts from the book that guests will be able to sample,” said The Art Avenue Gallery owner Kimberly Rene’ Vanecek.

The Art Avenue Gallery will host Cortez’ premiere book signing and first art exhibit, Senses in Sucrose, on Thursday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m.  Books, original works of art and prints will be available for purchase that evening. 

Senses in Sucrose, bothart exhibition and book,will be on display at the gallery through May.

Like us and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram so you don’t miss out on the next event!

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Artists Avenue: Sacred Feminine

[themify_box style=”gray, shadow” ]Artists Avenue is a new segment in our webpage for local artists to share their passions and concerns, whether serious or humorous in hopes of opening a dialogue with the community and fostering the growth of the arts in the region.  The opinions shared by the artists are not necessarily those of The Art Avenue or The Art Avenue Gallery.  This will be a monthly column and if you would like to contribute to our blog, please contact:  info@theartave.com[/themify_box]

 

I strive to create balance, as an artist, in the pieces that I create.  The balance that inspires my work is rooted in the idea of the sacred feminine, as I’ve begun to realize, from the Virgen de Guadalupe to the illuminations of Hildegard von Bingen. But what led me to this realization?

The sacred feminine is a concept akin to the Asian Ying Yang. It is those qualities female in all of us, males included. This feminine principle is a connection to the natural world, to Earth, and ultimately to all realms being the source of life, balance, and love in the universe that we inhabit, spiritually and physically. The sacred feminine reminds us to remember our interconnections, our oneness with the universe. We are not separate from creation and therefore each other.

Hildegard von Bingen’s Cosmic Egg

Hildegard von Bingen’s “viriditas” is a great example, meaning literally “greening power” or the power of life that animates the universe. In her “Egg of the Universe” illumination we see the universe in a womb (the womb of God for her). There is not a differentiation here between male and female but a cosmology that tells us that we are all one, we are all connected.

The Virgen de Guadalupe is another example of the sacred feminine. In the Mexican tradition she appeared to Juan Diego on indigenous ruins, ruins of the mother deity. The concept of the earthly mother, Hildegard’s viriditas, is inspired by the sacred feminine with indigenous roots. The former becomes the latter and finds expression still as one and the same.  It is this connection to the world around us, to the fecundity of the earth, that unites both the male and female, the ying and the yang.

As I look back and around and become aware of the images that are important to my art it occurs to me that the sacred feminine permeates. Balance is inspired by consciously recognizing this principle, and when I get lucky, flowing the subconscious of the sacred feminine to imbue my work with the power of that principle.

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