Page 10 – The Art Avenue

August 9, 2015

Tracey Jerome challenges gender inequality in the art world by holding two director positions, normally held by men.

Jerome defied the good old boys club when she flew into town this February and set out to strive for excellence in the arts not just as director of the Museum of Culture Affairs Department but also interim director of the El Paso Museum of Art after Michael Tomar’s leave that same month. Heels on the ground she arrived from London where she was a gallery director after receiving her MA in History of Art from Sotheby’s Institute of Art.

VANECEK: Do you think there is an advantage as the director of MCAD and having immediate accessibility with the EPMA? Do you feel it allows you the ability to mainstream issues?

Tracey Jerome

JEROME: Absolutely, it’s not just a matter of mainstreaming, it’s a matter of actually understanding the institution of art in a more intimate way and helping to understand that my vision and the bigger picture will work across all of the sites. I think in the past what has happened—and again this isn’t a criticism, but this is one of the reasons I was brought in—was collaboration and integration across all of the sites is something in getting a unified message across of what we are doing.

From a cultural and artistic standpoint this community is incredible—which is what drew me here initially. I think one of the biggest, challenges that we face though is getting the message out. I think people know the name El Paso, but they know absolutely nothing about anything about the community and they certainly don’t know about the creative and artistic community here. This is a vibrant and artistic community—a very special, very special place and I want to get that message out.

KRV: How do you propose doing that—getting the message out?

TJ: I think commitment to quality and excellence in everything that we are doing is something that I am completely committed to and ensure that it’s not just good enough or fine, but that we are striving for excellence in everything we do.

Making sure we are communicating what we are doing and sharing it. It is really important and not being afraid to reach out and have people say ‘Hey, you need to look at what we are doing.’ We are getting that type of coverage from the public art program. For example we have been written up in a very positive light [in] Dwell magazine. They did an article on the steel installation pieces at the Brio entitled “Leaves of Air” by Catherine Widgery and the airway project has been noted and very positively received on the national front.

The museum as well—we now have the second largest collection of retablos [Mexican folk art devotional paintings that heavily reference traditional Catholic church art] in the world and we are getting ready to celebrate that in a bigger way than has been done in the past.

KRV: What specifically would you like to see happen with the collection of retablos at the museum?

TJ: There has always been a committed niche but I have been working very close with my curatorial team and we are going to have a much bigger, broader expansion of an exhibition through a gift we have received recently. There will be a smaller publication—we will start with that and then I am very keen to have a larger catalog that will be published. What I would also like to see happen is a larger, more comprehensive exhibition that can tour nationally and perhaps internationally.

By the way, I don’t believe in no’s or don’ts, I believe in do’s. For example at the museum of art you won’t see a “Do Not” sign, I removed those when I came in, I had all those removed. What you will see for example, in our museum school section are signs up that will tell you about things like “Please Do.” I know it sounds like a small message, but the messaging is very powerful. I think it’s really important for people to realize that all of these assets and all of these facilities belong to us, to them and the community.

KRV: Your arrival this February coincided with the opening of the digital wall at the Museum of History. How have you managed this new project that you oversee?

TJ: The digital wall is receiving a lot of attention. I would like to see that enhanced…because I don’t think anyone understands how profound that asset is. We are talking tens of thousands of visitors. We have over 5 million [interactive] touches since February 14, 2015, and what that tells us about the experience that people are having is that they are not just touching the wall once or twice, they are touching and going very deep. It’s an organic asset because it’s constantly expanding and growing and anyone can be a part of that and anyone can upload images and we encourage everyone to take part in that and upload their piece of the history.

KRV: You mentioned collaborating on a greater scale in the art world, can you expand on that vision?

TJ: There is a great demonstration of collaboration across the sites across the department because we also have a piece of public art that was installed there [at the digital wall] so when you step into the pavilion, you are not just experiencing the high tech digital wall but you can also experience this amazing public art piece.

You can come into the downtown now and there is the museum of art and then you can walk up to the Museum of History and encounter the digital wall. You can walk across the street and take a little stroll down the pedestrian pathway and you have a piece of public art by Matthew Gellar you have the incredible murals that have been done by Creative Kids at oLo Gallery, and then again you continue on down the pathway and you have the great piñatas by Steven Engel.

I am very passionate about the idea and a concept that art is not the icing, it’s an integral ingredient to what is happening in economic redevelopment for the economic vibrancy in a community. You have companies, corporations and individuals that are looking into relocating and what they want to know about is: are there good roads, good hospitals and good schools? But what they really want to know is what is our quality of life going to be? And if that is not there—museums and art are a great energy, then we won’t get them.

KRV: I agree that sometimes the great artistic contributions go unnoticed. Do you have a strategic outline for promoting upcoming projects? You mentioned you had 41 projects completed and 22 on the drawing board in various stages.

TJ: Our program here is not just committed to the downtown but we have public art programs going on throughout all of the districts. The way public art works is that the community is invited to be involved in the whole process. At the first meeting we took visuals to talk to them and where we were going to put [the public art piece] in the district. So we actually work with the community and discuss the various types of art we can place and then they were giving the opportunity again to place stickers (on locations to place art in their district) and they could go and choose what they wanted to have and everybody was really happy.

I don’t think people realize we are the number one funder for the creative community here in the city. About 25% of our budget goes directly back into the community through grant funding programs. This is something that I find really powerful because it’s a huge support for the arts community.

KRV: How much then is 25% of the budget allotted for granting purposes?

TJ: MCAD will grant a total of $409,000 in Fiscal Year 2015 to the creative community in El Paso.

KRV: For your role as director at MCAD what specifically would you like this department to do?

TJ: First and foremost what I want to do is function at a level of excellence. I want people to be looking at our community and going, ‘That’s what we should be doing.’ ‘We want to be like them.’ ‘We want to be like El Paso.’ I don’t want El Paso to feel like they need to be like anybody else. I am working very hard on a lot more integration and we are much stronger when we are together and so there could be something going on at the farmers market that ties into the public art that ties into the exhibition and activities that are happening at the museum. It shouldn’t be separate, it should be more integrated.

And then externally I am reaching out, as is my team, to work across the community because collaboration is so important. For example with this year there was TEDx. There was collaboration with that event and we are looking to expand that next year.

The EPMA has a big collaboration with the Plaza Classic Film Festival. We are going to have a coordinated exhibition and activity schedule planned with the El Paso Community Foundation (sponsor for the Plaza Classic Film Festival) to do a whole focus on Warhol’s world. We’ve secured in working with the Community Foundation the loans of a number of 16mm films by Warhol from MOMA in New York. We are going to be showing Warhol films and we have secured a small collection of Polaroids that were gifted to the Museum of Art by the Warhol Foundation and we are going to be exhibiting those. We are going to have silk screeners on site where we are going to be creating art people can experience.

Gallery, Visual ArtsDiego Martinez, Painting, Tino Ortega

Opposites Attract

by Andrea Acosta Photos by Ashley Medina

July 30, 2015

Two of El Paso’s up-and-coming street artists, Diego “Robot” Martinez and Tino Ortega, have joined efforts to produce their first collaboration called Iconic Points in Time, an exhibit focusing on the representation of past, present and the future portrayals of El Paso, that took place at the Art Avenue Gallery on March 26.

The local artists feature iconic landmarks such as Asarco, the star on the Franklin Mountains and the well-known El Paso Trolleys. “Our approach can be considered somewhat different, we are completely opposite, but the difference in our styles is what makes our collaboration pieces so unique,” Martinez said.

The brightly colored accents and defined lines of Ortega, with the aggressive almost chaotic environment of Martinez’ bold colors, casually placed shapes and use of multiple mediums demonstrates the exhibit’s alignment with El Paso’s current artistic momentum. “I believe we are in a place where people are recognizing the value of collaboration. Painters are the ones who tend to isolate themselves in the works, so it was exciting to see Martinez and Ortega work together on this project”, said a local mixed media artist. “I think their collaboration brought a different energy to the pieces than the energy they bring to their pieces individually in the context of their work.”

Ortega, who collaborated with Peter Svarzbein on the Trolley Projects in 2012 and whose works were featured at the Broadway Gallery NYC, met Martinez in 2010. He knew an official collaboration with Martinez was inevitable. “We have known each other for five years and Diego was always trying to convince me to collaborate, but I dragged my feet a little bit. So as I continued to witness how hard he was working on other [collaborations], I realized it was time to pick up my feet,” Ortega said.

Witnessing Martinez’ style growing more diverse, Ortega said this was the moment he realized it was time to collaborate. “To be honest, the first piece [‘The Skull’] we did together, I didn’t expect it to look as good as it did, but it just kind of grew from that,” Ortega said.

The second piece they worked on was “Silent Prayers,” a classic acrylic portrait by Ortega that complemented Martinez’ frame, which included chalk, pencil, spray paint and acrylics. The duo says they finished the piece in only two days. “[Martinez] suggested it jokingly, and we thought we could give it a try and revisit it—make it look fresh. Our purpose was to make the Virgin Mary look modern,” said Ortega.

Their creative direction allowed the artists to wet their feet at the first stage of collaboration, before going all in on their three-panel perspective project, Iconic Points in Time. “When you collaborate, you have to commit and have to realize that the art is not about the artist anymore, it’s about what the painting wants to be,” Martinez said.

To begin the collection, Martinez created the wooden frames and without a particular schedule to follow they began adding elements to the pieces. “I would tag him and then we would just switch back and forth until we felt that our painting was done,” Ortega said.

After night sessions at Ortega’s garage, what had taken five years to start was completed in just three weeks.

Martinez, who says he loves working in El Paso and has collaborated with Lucky Genius Productions, Double Scope Films and local eateries such as Craze, The Pizza Joint and Rulis’, sees his collaboration with Ortega as another way to help grow the city, with hopes that the art scene continues to expand.

We are very proud of El Paso, having been both born and raised here,” Martinez said.

We are trying to have a conversation with similar people that care about the city as much as we do, and we hope to contribute to the city’s growth through our art.”Ortega, whose and first mural can be seen on the San Carlos building on Texas Ave., believes that the exhibit will show El Pasoans a new perspective to their city and hopes they can appreciate it more. “We are not a saturated city, we are currently being part of a movement. The city is progressing, and why wouldn’t you want to be part of it?” he said. “This is a beautiful town and it has a lot to offer. I keep coming back and there is nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Iconic Points in Time will be showcased at The Art Avenue Gallery at 1618 Texas Street Suite E until June 12, 2015. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 10:30 a.m. – 3 p.m., or call (915) 213.4318 for an appointment.

CultureRubin Center, UTEP

Contemporary Life

Wayne Hilton

July 28, 2015

As the ten year anniversary of UTEP’s Rubin Center for the Visual Arts approaches, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rubin Center director Kerry Doyle, discussing her perspectives on the centers first decade, her role as director, and what we might look forward to in the next ten years.

Wayne Hilton: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and sharing your perspectives on being a part of such an important aspect of El Paso’s artistic landscape. What brought you to the Rubin Center?

Kerry Doyle, Director at UTEP’s Rubin Center for the Visual Arts

Kerry Doyle: Living in Chicago and traveling to places such as Mexico City and London, I have always nurtured a lifelong passion for contemporary art. After a 12-year career focused on educational and community outreach for undocumented migrant workers and refugees, I was ready for change. I was working in the Juarez-El Paso area, and decided to take drawing and print making classes at UTEP while I figured out what my career shift might be. At that time, the Rubin Center was focusing on art and artists with an interest in border related issues, so I started working at the center part-time. My responsibilities grew into more intensive development of border related projects, cross-border projects with visiting artists and curatorial responsibilities that supported the center’s cross-border mission. I became the assistant director, working closely with Kate Bonansinga, the center’s founding director. When Kate left, I assumed the interim director position, and ultimately took over as director in April of 2013.

WH: What are your primary roles and responsibilities as director of the Rubin Center?

KD: We are a small, professional and student run staff, so my responsibilities are diverse. I am the chief curator for 12-14 annual exhibits. I also oversee the fundraising efforts that support our programming, which includes grant writing and local fundraising. Another important role as director is my work with the center’s director’s circle. The director’s circle is a focused group of university and community individuals who play a vital role in steering the initiatives and community awareness of the center’s programming, as well as developing community financial support.

WH: You referenced your student staff, can you expand on their roles in the operations of the Rubin Center?

KD: We are very proud of the student interns we have involved in the many aspects of our operations. We have very high expectations of our student interns, but there are also great rewards for them. Our interns come from specialized backgrounds, including graphic design, education, art and museum studies, administration and more. We generally have six to eight interns that work with us for up to five semesters. Our student interns are a critically important element in the Rubin Center experience. Visitors often depend on a contextual framework when experiencing the exhibits we have in the galleries. Our students are the primary guides that give visitors that information.

Also, looking at the experience our interns get working at the Rubin Center, we have a very high rate of success regarding professional placement or acceptance to competitive graduate programs when they complete their internships.

WH: What was your experience taking over the reigns from such a successful program director as Kate Bonansinga?

KD: I feel extremely fortunate to have inherited such an excellent program from Kate, she set the bar very high for the standard of contemporary art that is showcased at the Rubin Center, and I have been very committed to maintaining the established levels of program quality. Kate had a very well established system of operations.

WH: Have you made any changes in the operations of the Rubin Center?

KD: The last year that Kate was here, together we underwent a study by the American Alliance of Museums, in preparation for an accreditation process. One of the primary feedbacks we received form this evaluation, was that our exhibition quality was excellent, but we were lacking in community engagement in both program attendance and in financial support of our programming.

WH: How did you address this?

KD: With experience in developing and executing community engagement programs, I shifted my focus to partnering with a variety of local organizations, both inside and outside of the UTEP community. As we looked at our own programming and exhibits, staying true to our standards of excellence, we reached out to other organizations that could benefit from what we were planning. By engaging them to work with us, kind of “cross-fertilizing” our efforts, we would let them use the center, the auditorium or public spaces at the center, and together, broaden our audiences. This included many disciplines, such as film, music, political studies and so on. This became a very rich way for us to expand the conversations of what was going on at the Rubin Center.

WH: Your level of programming excellence is a key part of the Rubin Centers’ mission. How would you compare this to the programs you are fostering by letting other entities use the facility space?

KD: We use the phase “adventuresome thinking and dialog” as part of the description of our programming criteria. As we develop our programming, we are looking for art that will engage our viewers, evoking conversations. We are not looking for art that answers a question, per se, but stimulates dialog amongst the viewers as the art itself searches for answers. We are careful to select work that addresses both local artistic dialogs yet has global relevance, and visa versa. By engaging community programs that are related to the programming of the Rubin Center, and letting them use space that is connected to art and exhibits, we increase the opportunities for these conversations to happen, supporting the overall mission of the Rubin Center.

WH: What role does the UTEP Art Department play in how you develop the programming and exhibitions for the Rubin Center?

KD: One of the considerations that is important to us when we are developing our programming is the media we are representing and its relativity to what is being taught in the art department. We try to coordinate our programming so that it gives students the opportunity of seeing how artists are using familiar mediums in creating work. We also like the opportunity of showing students new and innovative mediums that might not be in their current curriculum, but are relative to what they are learning.

WH: Can you share some of the upcoming plans for celebrating the 10th year anniversary of the Rubin Center?

KD: The work celebrating the Rubin’s 10th year anniversary is called Territory of the Imagination, and features exhibits, performances and conversations exploring art and space at the border. There will be an opening reception at the Rubin Center on Thursday, November 5th. There is a conference entitled “Becoming Aerosolar: Space Without Rockets,” featuring keynote participants Tomás Saraceno, John Powell and Dr. Rob La Frenais, happening on Friday, November 6th at the Rubin Center, followed by the anniversary gala that evening at the EPIC Rail Yard Event Center. Sunday, November 8th, there will be a public launch of one of Saraceno’s lighter-than-air sculptures at the White Sands National Park. There is more information at rubincenter.utep.edu, and event registration begins July 1.

WH: Looking forward, what would you like to see evolve over the next 10 years at the Rubin Center?

KD: The success of these first 10 years at the Rubin has been rooted in the quality of our programming and exhibitions. We have focused on creating opportunities for our students, and engaging our community in the programs we offer. Moving forward, we are establishing ourselves as a center, “Where contemporary art meets contemporary life”. For us to continue supporting that aspect of our mission, we need to see some changes and expansions to the physical space of the facility. Adding more public spaces where patrons can gather and experience the center on many levels would be important. Rather than operating primarily as a gallery space or a teaching facility, introducing active spaces that stimulate conversations and spark deeper engagement in the environment of the Rubin Center would foster the activity that brings the “life” into the our mission.

Culture, Featured, Visual ArtsEl Paso Community Foundation, Film, The Plaza

We’ll Always Have the Plaza

Lauren Pinson

July 28, 2015

Frankly my dear, the Plaza Classic Film Festival is the largest in the world, and for El Pasoans who understand and appreciate the legacy of the Plaza Theatre they know there’s no place like home to watch some of the most treasured films in history. “There’s something about watching a movie in a theater, surrounded by people who can collectively become a living, sentient being that applauds the heroine, laughs when it’s supposed to and cries when the movie touches its heart,” says Eric Pearson, president of the El Paso Community Foundation. This classic film festival acts as an aide-memoire to the Plaza Theatre in its heyday when it was a first-run movie theater showing the likes of Casablanca and The Wizard of Oz.

Inside the Plaza Theatre during last year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival, produced by the El Paso Community Foundation.

This year, the El Paso Community Foundation has partnered with The El Paso Museum of History to bring the exhibition Frankly My Dear: The Art and Impact of ‘Gone With the Wind’ debuting on July 23. Also, for the fifth straight year, the foundation is teaming up with the El Paso Museum of Art, this time featuring a series of Andy Warhol’s experimental films and Polaroid’s entitled Warhol’s World: Film Screenings and An Art Installation, which will run from August 4 through the 16. In addition, the Plaza Classic Film Festival will feature more than 20 hours of film produced here locally in the borderland.

Every year, the festival features regional bands and artists as well as lectures and book signings by local scholars and authors to ensure everyone finds their niche at the festival. Several new events this summer promise to add more zest and excitement to the festival for young movie lovers in the borderland. Summer Film Camp, taking place August 3 through the 14, will teach youngsters aged 9 to 13 basic skills in film making and cinematography. At the conclusion of the camp, these short films will screen at the Plaza. Throughout the festival, there will be outdoor film screenings cast onto giant inflatable screens for both movie aficionados and newbies of all ages to enjoy all around the historical downtown El Paso area. A special showing of The Natural, a baseball classic from the early 1980s, will also debut on the state-of-the-art HD scoreboard at Southwest University Park, home of the El Paso Chihuahuas.

Showing of Field of Dreams at Southwest University Park — Last year’s Plaza Classic Film Festival showing of Field of Dreams at Southwest University Park.

With all these different events, shows, and films, as one would imagine, it takes hundreds of local volunteers, actors, business owners, and the dedicated team at the El Paso Community Foundation to have a successful festival. “Without all of these people, there would be no festival,” says Doug Pullen, program director for the festival.

“Movies are like time capsules, speaking of the times in which they are made,” says Pullen. “Not only do young people get a chance to see great movies and movie stars from bygone eras, but they get to see how Hollywood wanted us to think or feel about a subject, person or issue. It’s history.” It’s no secret that through many films, especially those that debuted during times of war, that propaganda was spread through the theater. Many classic films contain priceless historical clues and references carefully and artfully woven into the stories. Pearson reminds us that, “the term ‘classic’ really means that the movie had a lasting cultural impact.” These classic films hold a special place, not only in history, but in the hearts of those who watch them. Every year this festival makes us laugh, stirs up wonder, and helps us remember that, although we may not always have Paris, we’ll always have the Plaza Theatre.

Call for Entries, Gallery, Visual ArtsCall for artists, Jewelry, The Art Avenue Gallery

Body Adornment: Jewelry Showcase

The Art Avenue

July 23, 2015

The Art Avenue Magazine invites all jewelry designers to submit work for our upcoming September/October issue.

The Art Avenue Magazine is a local art and culture publication that challenges what has become the routine, the norm, and the traditional within arts, culture, and urbanism around the border region. The Art Avenue Magazine presents an innovative approach to architecture, design, performing and visual arts, and cultural issues.

We are accepting entries from June 11 to August 7
Entry Deadline: Friday, August 7, 2015
Exhibition date will be announced on Monday, August 10.

Artist’s work will be judged by a panel for the opportunity to be featured in the September/October issue of The Art Avenue Magazine. Winning artist will have a feature section in the September/October issue of The Art Avenue Magazine along with a feature exhibition at The Art Avenue Gallery to showcase their work.

Requirements:
Submission of 5 piece images for consideration.
Call restricted to jewelry design.
$20, non-refundable entry fee per submission.

Artists must submit 5 images of their work and an artist statement. Only work created within the last year and this year will be considered. Images should be emailed to info@theartave.com with the following information:

Name of artist
Name of the images
Description of the work
A short artist statement (200 words)
Contact information.

Images should be .jpg at 300dpi and max size of 1200px on the longest side.

Fee must be paid in full in order for applications to be accepted at The Art Avenue Gallery located at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E. We accept cash, credit card and checks. You can pay the entry fee online below. For any questions please email us at info@theartave.com with subject “Call inquires.”

[themify_button style=”black flat rect” link=”http://theartavenue.lapaginadejorgecalleja.net/wp/shop/call-for-artists/body-adornment-entry-fee/” ]Entry Fee[/themify_button]

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Featured, PhotographyIsha Rogers, Kathleen Hope Crook, Lisa Marie Skaf, Rachelle Thiewes, Women in Art

Women Making the Region a Brighter Palette

Kimberly Rene' Vanecek

July 21, 2015

Photos by Bernie Maese; Hawk and Hero Productions
Hair & Makeup by Heather Deshea Harrison
Styling by Edwardo Herrera
Wardrobe by ARMOIRE

The art world is populated with an overwhelmingly large male presence, yet locally there is a collective of women who are taking strides to help promote, create and protect the arts in the El Paso region.

In the first of a series of articles, The Art Avenue Magazine sets out to highlight women who are breaking down barriers in the art community by way of philanthropists, professors and promoters helping to recognize and protect the rights of quality artists in the region.

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Rachelle Thieves

Rachelle Thiewes was featured in The Art Avenue issue “Play” in May 2014 is an artist working in jewelry design and a former UTEP art professor, says it is difficult for contemporary artists to gain local recognition but urges them to keep trying, “If you want to get beyond local you have to be fearless, you have to bang on doors.” Thiewes credits her artistic success to her parents, who were both artists. “My dad was a master hand engraver and my mom was a designer and seamstress. They taught (me) to see artists as one, not female versus male.” She admits she has had great success in her career, but it’s hard for her to articulate that to others. “I think I’ve had great things happen. I’ve been published in many books and my work is exhibited (in) galleries on an international level, but I’ve worked really hard.” Working hard consisted of countless hours either in her studio at home creating new and innovative pieces or teaching students at UTEP. She says there was a continuous rhythm to her climb to the top. Now retired, Thiewes was passionately devoted for 37 years in her position as head of the metals program in the art department at UTEP. As a professor she admits she wanted to change things up a bit, “I wanted the students to come to school because something good was happing. I wanted to interest them and challenge them.” Thiewes encourages artists to do their research and find out where they belong…where there art belongs. She highly suggests engaging them in the regional art scene and always follow up on someone that has purchased your art. She currently has work in The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., an exhibit in the Gold Museum in Taipei and an upcoming show in Boone, South Carolina.

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Kathleen Hope Crook

Attorney Kathleen Hope Crook left the Department of Commerce in Baltimore last year and returned to El Paso specializing in business asset protection, intellectual property, privacy and data security. She has established her own law firm with a passion for protecting the rights of musicians and artists. “Common errors most artists do is give away their work and not understanding the full value of their work,” said Crook. She enjoys helping artists protect their work by encouraging them to copyright it. “The first step is to register it with a copyright office and photograph it. Keep a record of all your work.” Crook continues, “If something were to happen to you, you need a contingency plan. Who gets your work?” She says artists and musicians should treat their work as a business and it needs to be protected, “I’ve helped musicians get out of contracts because they didn’t know what they were signing.”

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Isha Rogers

“Right after I graduated from Southern Methodist University with a degree in art history I returned to El Paso and attended an exhibition at the Mexican consul. This was the first time I purchased a piece of art—I bought two pieces (Oaxacan style art) and befriended the curator of the exhibition,” said Isha Rogers, local philanthropist. This would be the start of a long and loving relationship with the art world, specifically her involvement on a regional level. Rogers is a text book definition of what a philanthropist is—she has been a board member of the previous Bridge of Contemporary Arts, and is currently involved in Texas Women in the Arts, sponsors the Isha Rogers Sculpture Gallery at the El Paso Museum of Art and is instrumental in supporting performance arts, specifically the El Paso Opera. “I went to the opera a lot with my mom when I was growing up, so I hope she would be proud,” said Rogers. Some of the artists currently hung in her home include Manuel Acosta, Suzi Davidoff, Coleen Drake, Gaspar Enriquez, Diego Martinez and Rachelle Thiewes.

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Lisa Marie Skaf

The El Paso City Ballet artistic director, Lisa Marie Skaf, has two feet that don’t stay still. If she isn’t performing a piece from her favorite composer, she is busy promoting performances in El Paso. Skaf, a graduate of Loretto Academy, has spent the last five years blazing trails through downtown El Paso speaking with sponsors, event organizers and performance art lovers in hopes of garnering enough attention to introduce the arts on a level to which this community has not encountered. Her last endeavor, Ballets with a Twist, had The Plaza Theatre packed with guests interested in an innovative take on ballet.

Featured, PhotographyCasas Grandes Culture, Mexico, Paquimé

Paquimé

Jeff Romney

June 30, 2015

One of my favorite subjects to photograph are the ancient ruins of Paquimé (Casas Grandes) located in Chihuahua, Mexico. I grew up a few miles from this site and have always been fascinated by it.

"The Water People Are Coming" 2014 — Jeff Romney (American, b. 1968) The Water People Are Coming, 2014 Digital photograph, Paquimé, Chihuahua, Mexico

The Casas Grandes Culture inhabited parts of Chihuahua, Sonora, and New Mexico between 700 AD – 1600 AD. During the Medio Period (1200 AD – 1450 AD) the Casas Grandes Culture reached the height of its prominence and influence in the region. It is during this period that Paquimé was built and served as an important ceremonial and trade center. The largest cache of shells ever found in an archaeological context in North America was excavated at Paquimé. Exquisite ceramics, beautiful works in stone, copper bells, turquoise, and macaw remains were also found at the site. Paquimé was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

"Transforming Shaman"2014 — “Transforming Shaman”, 2014 Digital photograph, Ramos Polychrome vessel excavated at Paquimé (detail) Courtesy Museo de las Culturas del Norte – Centro Cultural Paquimé, INAH

This pot, and many other artifacts excavated at Paquimé, can be seen at the museum located on-site at the ruins.

"Monument To The People"2014 — Digital photograph, Monumento a la Raza Paquimeita, 2007, by Vladimir Alvarado (Mexican, b. 1938), Bronze

Vladimir Alvarado’s bronze statue (pictured above, Monumento a la Raza Paquimeita, 2007) can be seen on the main highway as you drive into Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico. The ruins of Paquimé are located just outside this town, which was named after the ruins (Casas Grandes meaning “Big Houses.”)

Words and photographs by Jeff Romney

SocialDiego Martinez, Painting, The Art Avenue Gallery, Tino Ortega, Workshop

Art Through Collaboration

The Art Avenue

June 26, 2015

On Thursday, June 25, The Art Avenue Gallery hosted their first workshop titled: Art Through Collaboration. A workshop imparted by artists Diego Martinez & Tino Ortega. During the workshop, attendees were able to get an insider view of the creative process that lead to the collaborative pieces of the artists. By collaborating and exchanging their pieces with other participants a variety of colorful artwork was created. Collaborative pieces of the show will be on display at the gallery throughout the month.

Click on the image below to view the photo gallery of this event.

Featured, Performing ArtsCardo Camp, Music, Recording Artist

That One Time At Cardo Camp

Lauren Pinson

June 23, 2015

Acoustic harmonies and vocal melodies fill the air as rays from a rising West Texas sun peek through the leaves of the pecan trees on Sonic Ranch. Aspiring musicians are in the middle of an intensive musical adventure called Cardo Camp: three days and two nights of 24/7 artist development and one-on-one training in a state of the art recording facility with world renowned producers and musicians. Cardo, the camps’ founder, has been in the music industry for nearly 40 years and has a deeply rooted desire to create his own music and foster talented young artists who have a passion to do the same.

“The number one goal of Cardo Camp is artist development,” says Cardo, founder of Cardo Camp. He explains that this is the void in the music industry that he and his team are striving to fill in the Southwest. Cardo says, “One day I was online and I read a blog about musicians in this region. The first few sentences hit me. It said something to the effect of local and regional artisans run into a roadblock here because the recording resources and artist development just aren’t available. It said there are no opportunities to get the proper feedback and exposure needed to succeed in the music industry.” Nikki Singleton, a singer/songwriter and Cardo camper explains,” I know many wonderful musicians that are holding down coffee shop jobs and going back to school because there hasn’t ever been anything like Cardo Camp here. It’s always just been known that if you want to make it, you have to get out.” Cardo knows first-hand the challenges in getting proper guidance and exposure anywhere other than Nashville, LA and New York; this fact in addition to his passion for developing young talent drove Cardo to develop Cardo Camp.

“Once music gets in your blood, it never leaves,” says Cardo. In 1967, a 15 year old Richard “Cardo” Swartz wandered into a Buffalo Springfield concert, a first-of-its-kind rock band, and left three encores later utterly transformed with Rock N’ Roll coursing through in his veins. Before this encounter, he had only played a little violin and piano and had a remedial knowledge of the guitar. In college, Cardo immersed himself in music—playing in garage bands, working as a radio deejay, and, after college, starting up a concert promotion company with business partner Jay Hamon and quickly became a name in the industry. They were instrumental in kicking off the first American tours for 70s powerhouses Heart and Rush. After the tragic death of Hamon in 1978, Cardo decided to go back to school earning his MBA from the University of Michigan. “Right about that time I set my guitar down and I didn’t pick it back up again for 25 years,” says Cardo. With his master’s degree in hand he had job offers from several reputable companies but quickly realized the music business was where he belonged. “I got back into the concert promotion business in the late 90s until the early 2000s,” says Cardo. During this time, he worked with the Eagles on their reunion tour and with big name artists like Tony Bennett, Johnny Cash, and the Dave Matthews Band.

Shortly after the death of Cardo’s father, his mother’s health began to decline and he moved in to take care of her. Late one night, unable to sleep, and for reasons he himself can’t explain, Cardo was compelled to dig out an old guitar and strum a chord for the first time in nearly 25 years. “Once I began to play, I realized this is what was missing in my life at that point.” After many years of promoting other bands and getting other artists the exposure they needed, Cardo decided it was his turn to make music. Multi-Grammy winning producer David Kershenbaum took Cardo under his wing and began to mentor him as a musician. “He said I was an okay singer, an okay guitar player, but as a songwriter I was a nine out of ten. That was the greatest compliment I’ve ever received,” says Cardo. He released his first album called Cardo and Friends through his own record label CardoTunes produced by his mentor. One of Cardo’s personal goals is to be to these campers the kind of mentor that Kershenbaum was to him.

I want to stress that we help cultivate and create music that the bands and singers want,”

says Cardo. “We help the campers convey their intentions, goals, and the sound that they are trying to get out there. Not necessarily what we want.” Singleton echoes these sentiments saying, “Sometimes producers take advantage of the musician and steer them in a direction they don’t want to go. What was so incredible for me was they wanted to keep my music true to me.” In addition to musical training and feedback, Cardo Camp instills music industry-specific knowledge. “Sometimes it’s like, Okay, now I have a song, but what do I do with it?” says Cardo. Each camper gets an intensive overview on how to distribute their music and deal with music labels. Cardo explains that a handicap in this region is the inability to receive constructive feedback. “Not from friends or band members, because they’ll just tell you what you want to hear,” says Cardo, “but from people who know what to listen for and will tell them what they need to hear.”

“The pecan farm is the perfect creative environment,” says Cardo. With little to no light or sound pollution and the rustic beauty of nature all around them, Sonic Ranch provides peacefully constructive ambiance for musical development. The campers even stay at the ranch—putting them within walking distance from a studio—so when inspiration hits, they are not far from a microphone. Cardo explains that while the competition is fierce in the application process, with every entry carefully considered, everyone who pays for their submission and meets the criterion of Cardo Camp will get radio time on CardoTunes Radio online for a period of at least four months, even if they are not chosen. This is exposure which is so instrumental for up-and-coming bands and singer/songwriters. Singleton is the first artist to be signed to the Cardo Camp label and she speaks very highly of this musical workshop that Cardo has created. “Cardo Camp is the most humble of causes, giving new artists an opportunity to get their voice out there. It’s been a huge turning point for me,” says Singleton.

This region and his hometown El Paso has always played a huge role Cardo’s life. As a concert promotor he strived to bring big name artists and bands to the borderland and through Cardo Camp he is continuing to enhance the musical community here. His young heart began to beat with the rhythm of the music after one concert so many years ago. With all the graduates coming out of Cardo Camp workshops who are sure to put on concerts of their own, a musical epidemic is coming. Remember what Cardo says, “Once music gets in your blood, it never leaves.”

For more information visit cardocamp.com or facebook.com/cardocamp

Photos courtesy of Cardo Camp

Gallery, WorkshopsDiego Martinez, The Art Avenue Gallery, Tino Ortega, Workshop

Art Through Collaboration

The Art Avenue

June 16, 2015

This workshop will show you how collaboration amongst artists can turn into successful art work. Martinez and Ortega will talk about the challenges and benefits of collaborating as well as techniques that assist them in completing projects.

Join us for a hands on workshop where participants will use different mediums, collaborate with others and leave with a work of art under the guidance of Martinez and Ortega.

When: Thursday, June 25 at 6 pm
Where: The Art Avenue Gallery located at 1618 Texas Ave. Suite E.
Cost: $20 per person. Price includes materials required for workshop.

There is a limited number of spots available–reserve yours today. By phone (915) 213-4318 or email us at info@theartave.com

REGISTRATION FOR THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW CLOSED

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