JANUARY - MARCH 2017 VOLUME 65 No. 1
MuseumMagazine
STAFF & BOARDS Roswell Museum and Art Center 100 West 11th Street Roswell, NM 88201 (575) 624-6744 tel (575) 624-6765 fax www.roswellmuseum.org
Staff Directory Caroline Brooks, ext. 12 Executive Director
Mission The Roswell Museum and Art Center inspires discovery, creativity, and cultural understanding of the art and history of the American Southwest and beyond.
Colette Speer, ext. 10 Membership and Events Coordinator
Newsletter Roswell Museum and Art Center Magazine Volume 65 No. 1. The Museum Magazine is published quarterly and is provided as a benefit of membership. Location
The Museum is located in downtown Roswell at 11th and Main Streets, adjacent to the Roswell Convention and Civic Center. Admission
Admission is free. Donations are welcome. Museum Hours
Tuesday - Saturday, 9 am - 5 pm Sunday & holidays, 1-5 pm Closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Museum Store Hours
Tuesday-Friday, 10 am - 4 pm Saturday, 9 am - 4:45 pm Sunday & holidays, 1- 4:45 pm Closed Mondays
Sara Woodbury, ext. 15 Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Amanda Nicholson, ext. 22 Curator of Education Nicholas Frederick, ext. 13 Registrar
Jeremy Howe, ext. 23 Planetarium Coordinator Candace Jordan, ext. 25 Librarian Aria Finch, ext. 28 Ceramics Manager Museum Store Staff, ext. 17 Charles Bentley, Manager Elizabeth Shelhorse Museum Attendants, ext. 14 Tiffany Dunn Cory Frederick Darrick Constance Brandon Strange, ext. 27 Preparator Daniel Gomez Custodian Board of Trustees Jamie Barnes Tabitha Denny*, Roswell City Council Jessica Ellis Donovan Fulkerson, Secretary/Treasurer Peggy Krantz, President Cymantha Liakos
Roswell Museum and Art Center Foundation Board of Directors Officers: Kendra Price, President Chelsea Green, Vice President Ron Hillman, Secretary Mary Alice Lysak, Treasurer Directors: Donald B. Anderson, Director Emeritus Riley Armstrong Manon Arnett Jim Ball John Bassett Debra Franks Nola Fulkerson Ivan Hall Paul Hanna Jared Hembree Mitch Krakauskas Diane Leven Jacqueline Miller Ryan Perry Brinkman Randle Carolyn Sidd Maria Wiggins Beth Waldrip Staff: Cindy Torrez, RMACF Director 400 N. Pennsylvania, #220 Roswell 88201 (575) 627-0918 rmacfound@qwestoffice.net Ex-Officio: Caroline Brooks, RMAC Executive Director
Lorie Mitteer Priscilla Ornelas Jessica Parham Nanette Schumacher Bill Siders, Vice President DeAngela Velasquez *Ex-officio Member
RMAC is on Facebook
For real-time announcements, discussions, and exhibit information, check us out! Get involved! Become a fan and access our webpage at www.roswellmuseum.org.
Cover: David Emitt Adams, Navajo Refinery, Artesia, New Mexico, 2015, wet collodion tintype on 55-gallon steel drum lid, 23 1/2” diameter. Collection of the Artist.
MEMBERSHIP We are pleased to acknowledge the following new and renewing members for the period of July 15 to October 15, 2016. BENEFACTOR Mr. Robert Bean PATRON Mr. Stanley Crosby ADVOCATE Ms. Alice Matteucci Mr. and Mrs. Rod Schumacher Mrs. Betty Young ENTHUSIAST Mr, and Mrs. Carl Chaffin Mrs. Nancy Fram Mr. and Mrs. Ron Hillman Mrs. Lorie Mitteer HOUSEHOLD Mr. and Mrs. Don Arganbright Mr. Ralph Austin Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Cederberg Mr. Bob Carroll and Ms. Leslie Lawner Mr. Charles Henderson Mr. and Mrs. Ken Hirst Dr. and Mrs. Michael McGuire Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Naranjo Mrs. Christina Parsley Ms. Tracee Porter and Family Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Ramage Ms. Valli West FRIEND Mrs. Crystal Allison Ms. MaryLou Andrews Mrs. Fatima Barnes Mr. S.H. Cavin Mr. Jeffrey Curtis Mrs. Paula McClellan Ms. Karen Remmele Mr. Timothy Rocha Mrs. Cindy Torrez EDUCATOR Ms. Jen Cole Ms. Kim Featherstone Ms. Tiffany Hazelbaker
SENIOR Ms. Ann Applegarth Ms. Mary Bellicini Mrs. Eloise Blake Ms. Lily Chavez Ms. Melanie Deason Ms. Janice Dunahoo Ms. Amie Green Mrs. Karen Henderson Mr. J.F. Joyce II Ms. Evie Lucero Mrs. Kay McMillan Mr. Al Potter Mr. Jose Rivera Ms. Mary Kay Speir-Howell Ms. Beverly Still Mrs. Linda Vandewart Mr. James Waldrip
DIRECTOR’S VIEW | Winter 2017 It is with great excitement that I return to the Roswell Museum and Art Center. Having been away from the Museum for over three years pursuing other facets of my professional life, I am honored to have been chosen to lead the RMAC through its next chapter of achievement. I want to thank Interim Executive Director, Laurie Rufe, for her dedication in stepping in to guide the Museum during the directorial vacancy. My appointment comes at the threshold of the Museum’s 80th anniversary and provides a rare opportunity for a new director and staff, Board of Trustees, and Foundation Board of Directors to shape an agenda of excellence for the future and to celebrate our many successes over the past eight decades. I’m passionate about the Roswell Museum and Art Center and know the Roswell community well. The Museum is an amazing place with an outstanding collection, programming, and history, all of which have been cultivated by the energies of so many visionary and generous people. I wish to further contribute to the growth and excellence of this significant community asset. We embark on a new year of programming that will be punctuated by the Goddard Planetarium’s digital conversion and fundraising effort, “Touch the Stars— Teach Bigger & Rise Above,” and the RMAC’s 80th Anniversary Celebration which will be carried out from 2017-2018. The former will provide Digistar 6 state-of-the-art imaging on the dome; new real-
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time, interactive, and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) content; a builtin cloud library to upload shows and images; and domecasting—a feature that enables Digistar 6 theaters to schedule and broadcast live dome presentations to other D6 theaters anywhere in the world. We also celebrate a double anniversary, for on October 6 (the date our Museum opened to the public in 1937) we will open the exhibition Beyond a Gift of Time: RAiR at 50, which illuminates the history and artistic impact of the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program. Coincidentally, both the Planetarium and the RAiR program owe their legacies in large part to the vision and philanthropy of Donald B. Anderson. 2017 has many surprises in store as we engage new audiences in our customized planetarium offerings, spring break initiatives, new changing exhibitions, and Winter classes. Roswell Artist-in-Residence fellow Claudia Bitran, who was born in Boston and raised in Chile, opens an exhibition of her video-animationinstallation work on February 10, preceded by a unique screening of video pieces made by artists in Chile and the United States. The presentation, titled “No Horizon,” will be shown simultaneously in the Robert Goddard Planetarium and the Planetario de la Universidad de Santiago on January 5. Join us for this exciting sampling of art experiences as we kick off the New Year.
—C aroline Brooks, Executive Director
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Planetarium Show, 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
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No Horizon, a film screening in the Planetarium of videos shot by artists in the United States and Chile. 6-7:45 pm Wine & sweets served
Results in childrens pottery class
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CLASSES
Winter Classes begin
EVENT:
Planetarium Show, 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
EXHIBITION:
Power: New Works by David Emitt Adams, Reception: 5-7 pm
EVENT:
Second Saturday, Claudia Bitran and Beverly Acha, “Action Painting: A Great Aquatic Disaster.” 10 am - noon
Holiday
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Planetarium Show, 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
David Emitt Adams, Offshore, Pascagoula, Mississippi, 2015, wet collodion tintype on 55-gallon steel drum lid, 23.5” diameter. Courtesy of the Artist.
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Planetarium Show, 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
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Planetarium Show, 1:30 pm
VOLUN EER AS A RMAC MUSEUM DOCENT OR GREETER
Docent perks include: If you’re interested in art, history, 30 31 or science, and enjoy learning and Museum closed
working with the public, consider becoming a docent at the Roswell Museum and Art Center. Looking for another way to contribute? Become a Museum Greeter and be a friendly face for the visitors at RMAC.
• Meeting new people • Taking one of our studio art classes for free • Traveling to various cultural events • Learning the Museum from the inside out
Please contact: Amanda Nicholson, Curator of Education Roswell Museum and Art Center, 100 West 11th Street Roswell, NM 88201, Phone: (575) 624-6744 ext. 22 Email: a.nicholson@roswell-nm.gov
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Make a difference! We need U!
EVENTS
Second Saturdays Second Saturday of the Month 10 am – noon Free Join us for our continuing nine-month program of gallery experiences and hands-on art activities for students in grades 3-12 on the second Saturday of the month. To register a student for the upcoming session, please call the Museum at 575624-6744, ext. 22. Space is limited. This program is sponsored by the Roswell Museum and Art Center Foundation.
Upcoming Sessions: January 14: Claudia Bitran and Beverly Acha Action Painting: A Great Aquatic Disaster!
CLASSES
This interactive, humorous, open-ended, and fun class will encourage students to explore a unique and inventive art form. Students will participate in contemporary action painting inspired by the Titanic
The class term begins January 11. The registration form is located on page 15. To register, please mail or drop off your form and payment to the RMAC. For questions, contact Amanda Nicholson at 575-624-6744, ext. 22.
February 11: Sunday Doyle and Rhonda Pharis
January Weekday Classes for Children & Teens Animating and Acting on the Titanic (Age: 8-teen, all skill levels) Instructors: Beverly Acha and Claudia Bitran January 11, 12, 13, 4-6 pm $55 members, $65 non-members This unique class gives students an opportunity to create a collaborative experimental art piece which will be displayed in the Museum! Students will participate in contemporary action painting inspired by the Titanic disaster. We will activate a large-scale seascape by making and painting our own paper puppet characters. Students who like to act will have the opportunity to wear costumes, learn some lines, and perform with their classmates. We will film the activities to make time-lapse videos and animations that show how the students interpreted “disaster.” All of our activities will be filmed and included in an experimental remake of the film Titanic by Claudia Bitran, whose exhibit will be on view at RMAC beginning February 10, 2017. For students to participate, parents will need to sign an actor’s waiver/release form.
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Fuzzy Landscapes
disaster. We will activate a large-scale seascape by making and painting our own paper puppet characters. Students will use their characters and creativity to invent their own stories and interpretations about this event. We will film this 2-hour activity to make a time-lapse video that shows how the participants were interpreting “disaster.” This film will be included in an experimental remake of the film Titanic by Claudia Bitran, whose exhibit will be on view at RMAC beginning on February 10, 2017. For students to participate, parents will need to sign an actor’s waiver/release form.
In this fiber arts workshop, we will learn felting techniques with wool. Artists will explore techniques of wet felting wool into flat felt sheets, rolling it into balls, and forming multi-color felt beads. We will create a felt landscape through layering colors and textures of wool. March 11: Julie Murphy and Tabatha Hudson Basic Tin Punching Tin punching is diminishing in the modern world, but is kept alive in the Southwest, especially in New Mexico. Tin punching has strong Hispanic roots as seen in several outstanding examples at RMAC. Basic Tin Punching will include proper use of tools, design, and practice. All materials will be provided.
Kids’ Clay Instructor: Aria Finch Section I: (Age: First grade – 8 years) Tuesdays for 6 weeks, January 17 February 21, 3:30-4:30 pm $50 members; $60 non-members Section II: (9-teen, all skill levels) Tuesdays for 6 weeks, January 17 February 21, 4:30-5:30 pm $50 members; $60 non-members Students will coil and slab-build several individualized one-of-a-kind clay pieces which they will decorate with colorful glazes. Instruction will focus on creating textures and developing increased hand-eye coordination and confidence over time. Printmaking for Kids (Age: 8-teen, all skill levels) Instructor: Amanda Nicholson Wednesdays for 5 weeks, January 18 February 15, 3:30-4:30 pm $40 members, $50 non-members Students will explore various methods of printmaking including gelli printing, relief prints, collagraphs, and simple screen prints. They will be encouraged to explore their own interests in choosing the subject matter for their
prints. At the end of the class they will have a wide array of art prints as well as a custom printed t-shirt. Students must supply their own t-shirts or other garment for screen printing.
Mixed Mediums (Age: 7-teen, all skill levels) Instructor: Amy Bondurant Wednesdays and Fridays for 3 weeks, March 1-17, 4-6 pm $50 members, $60 non-members Delve into the art of mixed media. In this class we will go over how to use charcoal, pastels, watercolor, and much more. In this class students will learn how to use them separately, and how to mix them together to make a unique piece of art. We will create one for each medium, with a final piece of all media combined. All supplies are included with children’s classes, unless otherwise noted.
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Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
Lorie Mitteer, Making a Fabric Postcard
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Working the clay in pottery class
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FAMILY PROGRAM: Space Look and Storybook Amanda Nicholson and Jeremy Howe 10-11 am
EVENT:
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
EXHIBITION:
Claudia Bitran: Titanic a Deep Emotion Lecture: 5:30 pm Reception: 6-7 pm
EVENTS:
Second Saturday, Sunday Doyle and Rhonda Pharis, “Fuzzy Landscapes.” 10 am - noon Mystery at the Museum, RMAC Foundation Fundraising Event 7 pm
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FAMILY PROGRAM: Space Look and Storybook Amanda Nicholson and Jeremy Howe 10-11 am
EVENT:
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
Mystery at the Museum, RMAC Foundation Fundrasing Event, 7 pm
Activities in the Planetarium
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Holiday
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FAMILY PROGRAM: Space Look and Storybook Amanda Nicholson and Jeremy Howe 10-11 am
EVENT:
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
EXHIBITION:
Consistent Variety: The Art of Silkscreen
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FAMILY PROGRAM: Space Look and Storybook Amanda Nicholson and Jeremy Howe 10-11 am
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EVENT:
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm
Claudia Bitran, Drowning, 2016, model for under water animation: aquarium, tinted water, plastic, clay, cellophane, string. Courtesy of the Artist.
WORKSHOP
Making a Fabric Postcard
During this class students will create their own sewn postcards that can actually be mailed! Using various types of fabric and stitching techniques we will personalize our cards that are fun for sending, receiving, and even for display. This is mail that everyone will want to keep forever.
CLASSES
Beginning students will complete a basic course in clay. Clay and tool costs will be in addition to tuition fee. Classes suited for beginners will be Tuesday evenings and Thursday mornings with Aria and Thursday evenings with Anna.
Adult Clay: Clay Forms that Tell a Story Instructor: Aria Finch Section I: Adult, Intermediate to Advanced (Age: Adult) Tuesdays for 8 weeks, January 17 - March 7, 9 am - noon; $105 members; $130 non-members Section II: Adult, Beginners to Advanced ( Age: Adult) Tuesdays for 8 weeks, January 17 - March 7, 6-9 pm; $105 members; $130 non-members Section III: Adult, Beginners to Advanced (Age: Adult) Thursdays for 8 weeks, January 19 - March 9, 9 am - noon; $105 members; $130 non-members Instructor: Anna Edwards
To register, please mail or drop off your form and payment to the RMAC. For questions, contact Amanda Nicholson at 575-624-6744, ext. 22.
FAMILY PROGRAM
(Age: 14 to adult, all skill levels) Instructor: Lorie Mitteer Saturday, February 4, 1-4:30 pm $40 members, $50 non-members
Weekday Classes for Teens & Adults
The class term begins January 11. The registration form is located on page 15.
PLANETARIUM
Section IV: Adult, Beginners to Advanced (Age: Adult) Thursdays for 8 weeks, January 19 - March 9, 7-10 pm; $105 members; $130 non-members Create a story on your clay forms. Students will dip various materials into casting slip making elements to embellish surfaces flowing right into a narrative. Bring found objects and the fun stories they exude.
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Space Look and Storybook (Ages: 2 ½ - 6 years ) Instructors: Amanda Nicholson and Jeremy Howe Tuesdays for 4 weeks, February 7-28, 10-11 am $5 per child per session or $20 for all four This program is designed for children ages 2 ½-6 years. Each week we will explore a different theme about our stars, planets, Moon, and rockets. Each program contains a video in the planetarium, a storybook about the theme, and a game or hands-on activity to further reinforce concepts through play- based learning. You must pre-register for these sessions. Children must be accompanied by an adult, maximum of 20 students. For Pre-K and daycare children: 1 adult per every 5 students. w Tuesday, February 7: 10-11 am Theme: Roaring Rockets! Book: Roaring Rockets Planetarium Video: Rocky’s Space Adventure We blast off in this program by discussing rockets, what makes them go, and what astronauts need in space. Students will explore these concepts through a picture book, a video in the planetarium, and become space explorers by making their own zooming rockets. w Tuesday, February 14: 10-11 am Theme: Moon Motions Book: Papa, Please Get the Moon for Me Planetarium Video: Happy Birthday Moon Combining movement activities with a story and video, your tiny cosmonauts will learn about our Moon, what makes it shine, and its phases. We will conclude with a “Moon Jump” game to get our bodies moving and brains thinking about what makes the Moon so unique. w Tuesday, February 21: 10-11 am Theme: Cool Constellations Book: The Big Dipper (Let’s Read and Find Out Science) and Zoo in the Sky Planetarium Video: Stars! Stars! Stars! The sky’s the limit when we learn about constellations! Children will learn about the constellations in our night sky focusing on the Big Dipper, Little Dipper, the North Star, and how their positions change based on the seasons. We will create our own constellations and make them shine! w Tuesday, February 28: 10-11 am Theme: Soaring Through the Solar System Book: There’s No Place like Space Planetarium Video: Interplanet Janet—Schoolhouse Rock During this session we will all become astronaut explorers as we travel through our solar system. We will get our brains thinking about the various planets in our solar system, their sizes, and how they move. We will then get moving, work together, imagine we are planets, and think about how they move in our solar system.
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Howard Cook, Pueblo Memories, 1974, oil on linen, 48” x 60”, Gift of Donald B. Anderson, 1975.001.0001.
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EVENTS:
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
Second Saturday, Julie Murphy and Tabitha Hudson, “Basic Tin Punching.” 10 am - noon Creative Conversations: Writing in the Galleries Amanda Nicholson and Colette Speer 1-3 pm
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WORKSHOP:
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Museum closed
Creative Conversations: Writing in the Galleries Amanda Nicholson and Colette Speer 1-3 pm
EXHIBITION: Collecting Roswell: The Donors of RMAC
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
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Museum closed
EVENT:
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm & 3:30 pm
Planetarium Show 1:30 pm
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WORKSHOP:
Around the World Spring Break 9 am - noon: grades K-3 1-4 pm: grades 4-7
WORKSHOP:
Around the World Spring Break 9 am - noon: grades K-3 1-4 pm: grades 4-7
WORKSHOP:
Around the World Spring Break 9 am - noon: grades K-3 1-4 pm: grades 4-7
Second Saturday
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WORKSHOPS FACULTY
Creative Conversations: Writing in the Galleries (Age: 12 to adult, all skill levels) Instructors: Colette Speer and Amanda Nicholson Saturday and Sunday, March 11 and 12, 1-3 pm $40 members, $50 nonmembers
“Around the World” Spring Break (Ages: Kindergarten to grade 7 ) Instructor: Amanda Nicholson Tuesday through Thursday, March 28-30 9 am - noon: grades K-3 1-4 pm: grades 4-7 $25 members, $35 non-members “Art is a place kids travel to where they feel good about themselves. Keep their passports current.” Fred Babb
During this workshop students will engage with artworks on a deeper level through thoughtful looking and guided dialogue. On Saturday, each student will select a piece that elicits meaning or emotion and compose a creative writing piece based on their selected work. Students will compose sketches reflecting the work they chose which will be translated into prints. Sunday, students will create their prints to accompany their writing pieces and complete a work that tells a story through both image and text. Student’s work will then be displayed near their chosen artwork for family, friends, and visitors to enjoy.
Beverly Acha received her MFA degree from Yale University and her BA degree from Williams College. She has served as a visiting critic at The School of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, and Williams College where she also held the position of Visiting Lecturer in Studio Art in 2015. She has worked as a teaching artist at many New York City museums and arts organizations including The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Dia: Beacon, The Queens Museum, and El Museo del Barrio. Currently, Acha is a fellow with the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program. Claudia Bitran was born in Boston and raised in Chile. In 2009, she graduated from the BFA program at the P. Universidad Catolica de Chile, and in 2013 she graduated with a MFA degree in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design. She has been a resident artist at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and is currently a fellow with the Roswell-In-Residence Program. Amy Bondurant graduated from ENMU-R with a degree in Media Arts and Graphic Design. Her focus is mixed media work. Amy pulls inspiration from unique genres, lifestyles, and scenery to create her work in a variety of media with an emphasis on charcoal drawings.
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Aria Finch holds a BA degree from the University of Texas at El Paso, and has attended graduate school at North Texas State University and Texas Women’s University. She is a 2013 recipient of the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts. In 2009, her work was chosen for the 5th World Ceramic Biennale in Icheon, South Korea. She has managed the RMAC ceramics program since 1979. Anna Edwards has been involved with ceramics for 16 years. Studying with her mentor, Aria Finch, she has been involved in teaching children and adults at the RMAC, and has worked with the RISD. Anna has studied at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts, Potter’s Council, Santa Fe Clay, and the RMAC. Jeremy Howe is the Planetarium Coordinator at RMAC. He was born and raised in New Mexico. He comes from a family of artists and was always nurtured in his own sense of expression. He is a self-taught artist, holding a degree in geology from New Mexico Tech. Past museum exhibits include Ft. Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, International Museum of Art in El Paso, Las Cruces Museum of Fine Art, and Roswell Museum and Art Center.
Not traveling for spring break? Join us for three days of fun while we explore art from around the world without ever leaving Roswell! We will create our own suitcases to keep our art souvenirs, use our passport sketchbooks to record our travels, and create artworks that show off our amazing adventures.
Lorie Mitteer is a member of Pecos Valley Quilters, a local group of fabric artists. Lorie has been enjoying the art of sewing for over 40 years and is a practiced artist in many mediums. Amanda Nicholson is the Curator of Education at RMAC. Amanda has over 10 years of teaching experience with students ages pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. She has experience teaching various media including drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, art history and art criticism. Amanda received her BS degree in Art Education from the State University of New York at New Paltz and an MA degree in Museum Studies from Syracuse University. Colette LaBouff Speer is the author of Mean (University of Chicago Press, 2008) as well as other poems and essays. Her nonfiction has recently appeared in The Morning News, New Mexico Magazine, and Orange Coast Magazine. She has an MFA degree in Poetry and a Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Irvine.
EXHIBITIONS | Winter 2017
Duty, Honor, Art The New Mexico Military Institute Collection The New Mexico Military Institute is one of Roswell’s oldest and most significant educational institutions. Founded in 1891, NMMI represents the only stateSeptember 30, 2016 supported military high school and June 18, 2017 two-year college in the western Hunter Gallery United States, and its core values are embodied in the motto: “Duty, Honor, Achievement.” The Institute has also played an important role Lischia Hansen, in the history of the RMAC itself, NMMI Rock Garden, n.d., oil on canvas with faculty and alumni helping mounted on board, to organize the Museum, donating 21” x 30 1/2”. works to the collection, and serving Permanent as advocates. Yet NMMI has its collection of own significant collection of art the New Mexico and historical artifacts, and these Military Institute.
EXHIBITION
Duty, Honor, Art: The New Mexico Military Institute Collection
holdings emphasize the breadth and depth of Roswell’s cultural heritage. In recognition of NMMI’s 125th anniversary, this exhibit showcases the school’s art collection. Encompassing works created by both faculty and alumni, pieces from prominent southwestern artists such as Laura Gilpin and Kenneth Miller Adams, and examples from international artists, this collection emphasizes the Institute’s ongoing interest
and commitment to art as well as education. It should be noted that the works on view only represent a fraction of the Institute’s total holdings, and that the majority of the collection can be seen throughout the school’s own campus, located north of RMAC at West College Boulevard.
Zeke Peña: Bravo/Grande Zeke Peña, Bravo/Grande Series: Christian Pardo Cardenas, 2016, oil on wood. Courtesy of the Artist.
EXHIBITION Zeke Peña: Bravo/Grande October 28, 2016 March 5, 2017 Entry Gallery
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In Bravo/ Grande, artist Zeke Peña explores the complex relationship between the Rio Grande River and its regional communities through site-responsive art projects. By documenting oral and written stories, as well as incorporating creative community engagement and collaboration, this multidisciplinary work considers generational and binational trends in the access, use, and perception of the river. Through surveys and conversation, Peña explores how young people comprehend the Roswell Museum and Art Center
national border, the military wall, and the river as synonymous concepts, and hypothesizes that the community’s relationship to the Rio Grande has changed significantly through immigration policies and increased militarization of the border. More specifically, access to the river has been limited, and this natural meeting place has become a militarized tool for division and segregation. Peña then contrasts these contemporary perceptions of the river by documenting stories from multigenerational and transnational members of the El Paso and Juarez communities. He is particularly interested in how the relationship with the river differs from older and younger generations, as well as how that relationship compares between communities living on both sides of the river. The resulting portrait of the Rio Grande River is a multivalent one comprising symbolic, spiritual, pragmatic, and recreational perspectives.
EXHIBITIONS | Winter 2017
Roderick Mead Looking Between the Lines EXHIBITION Roderick Mead: Looking Between the Lines December 2, 2016 - February 12, 2017 Horgan Gallery
This exhibition highlights more than thirty works by Carlsbad artist Roderick Mead (19001971), a recent gift to RMAC from the Marilyn T. Joyce Trust. A master printmaker and painter who explored Surrealism and abstraction, Mead entered his creative maturity in 1930s Paris while working at Atelier 17, under the direction of printmaker Stanley William Hayter. Regarded as one of Europe’s most avant-garde printmaking workshops, Atelier 17 attracted such notable Surrealist and abstract artists as Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Yves Tanguy, and this highly creative atmosphere deeply influenced Mead both stylistically and conceptually. At the onset of World War II, Mead returned to the United States, eventually settling in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Throughout his career, Mead endeavored to create work that transcended fleeting trends or fashions, stating that, “I aim in an abstract way toward a universal art and eventually I hope to do something timeless.” His prints and paintings invite us to look between the lines to discern deeper meanings, to see beyond his technical mastery and perceive the ethereal, otherworldly quality his compositions evoke. Encompassing prints, oil paintings, and watercolors, the gifts featured in Looking Between the Lines underscore Mead’s versatility, and substantially increase our holdings of work by this important, but often overlooked, artist. RMAC is excited to have this generous bequest, and is eager to share it with visitors. Roderick Mead, The Wooden Horse, 1951, engraving with soft-ground etching and color offset from assemblage on paper, edition 24/50, 13 3/4” x 16 1/2”. Gift of the Marilyn T. Joyce Trust.
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Beverly Acha: Mutualities Roswell Artist-in-Residence “My paintings arise from a desire to connect with my own physicality. When I paint, I connect to a nonverbal, sensory understanding of my experience. The materiality of paint, surfaces I prepare, and haptic memories feed my process. I aim for the materiality of my work and its forms to activate the viewer’s senses and to engage their awareness of nature, space, time, and scale.” Originally from Miami, Florida, Beverly Acha received her MFA degree from Yale University and her BA degree from Williams College. She is the recipient of several awards including the Frederick M. Peyser Prize in Painting, and fellowships from the Berkshire Art Association, Mellon Foundation, and Vermont Studio Center. Acha has served as a visiting critic at School of Visual Arts, Rhode Island School of Design, and Williams College where she also held the position of Visiting Lecturer in Studio Art in 2015. Recent exhibitions include Museum Starter Kit at El Museo del Barrio, Introductions at La MaMa Galleria, and No Regrets at the LeRoy Neiman Gallery at Columbia University.
EXHIBITION Beverly Acha: Mutualities December 16, 2016 - January 29, 2017 Marshall and Winston Gallery
Beverly Acha Untitled, 2015 oil on canvas 16” x 20”. Courtesy of the Artist.
EXHIBITIONS | Winter 2017
Power New Works by David Emitt Adams EXHIBITION Power: New Works by David Emitt Adams January 13 - May 28, 2017 Spring River Gallery Opening Reception: Friday, January 13, 5-7 pm David Emitt Adams, Navajo Refinery, Artesia, New Mexico, 2015, wet collodion tintype on 55-gallon steel drum lid, 23 1/2” diameter. Collection of the Artist.
Based in Arizona, photographer David Emitt Adams explores the sense of place through his use of tintype, an early form of photography developed in the 19th century. Unlike silver gelatin and other traditional techniques that involve developing prints from a negative, a tintype is a unique work that is made by creating a direct positive on a thin sheet of metal coated with a dark lacquer or enamel. Adams has printed his photographs on cans, scrap metal, and other detritus found in the desert landscape he photographs, blurring the distinction between image and object. For his latest project, Adams has turned his
attention to the oil industry that has so strongly affected the economy, history, and culture of the United States, and in particular the Southwest. Printing his tintypes on oil drum lids, these objects become both representations of specific oil fields and meditations on the oil industry, with the imperfections of the printing technique echoing the ebb and flow of the oil economy itself. Power is an installation that explores the ongoing legacy of the oil industry. For this work, Adams will take his tintype covers and affix them to a series of empty oil drums, giving his works a tactile, physical presence. Simultaneously photographic and sculptural, this work considers not only the historical impact of the oil industry, but also its continuing significance to the economy and culture of the Southwest.
Claudia Bitran: Titanic, a Deep Emotion Roswell Artist-in-Residence For the past two years, Claudia Bitran, New York-based artist and Claudia Bitran: Titanic, a Deep filmmaker has been remaking Emotion James Cameron’s Titanic (1997) February 10 – with practically no budget. She March 26, 2017 has already shot three-quarters of Marshall-Winston the film, using recycled materials Gallery from her immediate surroundings, Lecture: Friday, collaborating with 400 artists, actors, February 10, and a variety of communities in 5:30 pm public spaces in twelve different Opening Reception: cities across the United States. 6-7 pm Claudia is the Director and is also the character Rose throughout the Claudia Bitran entire film. She has used a giant The Keldysh, 2016 inflatable Titanic slide as the ship Model for that she has fixed in water parks, animation. Perfume boxes, ferries, on the street, in galleries, and Styrofoam, paint, museums. She has used the people corks, sticks, and environment of Roswell and cellophane paper. its surroundings to make this film. Courtesy of the Titanic, a Deep Emotion will feature Artist.
EXHIBITION
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Roswell Museum and Art Center
the work that she completed during her residency in Roswell, as well as show some videos shot around 70 actor-volunteers in New Mexico. “In a ‘Do it Yourself’ effort to emulate, remake, and rewrite the hyperbolic world of pop production, I assume multiple roles (painter, director, actress, editor). In my practice, the obsessive nature of the act of remaking is always accompanied by the examination of the component parts that are used to construct products of mass consumption. While that’s happening, I fantasize in the role of the fan and project myself (and the people around me) into these spectacles, frantically imagining how to reconstruct and introduce my subjectivity (and humanity) into
juxtaposition to the highly calculated systems of mass consumption.” Claudia Bitran was born in Boston, raised in Chile, and currently lives and works in Brooklyn. She graduated with a BFA degree from the P. Universidad Catolica de Chile in 2009 and a MFA degree in Painting from Rhode Island School of Design in 2013. She was a Britney Spears impersonator for a Chilean talent TV show, “Mi Nombre Es,” which served as a foundational element for her studio practice in video, painting, performance, installation, animation, and sound. She has exhibited internationally and recently had a solo exhibition at the Museum of Visual Arts in Santiago.
EXHIBITIONS | Winter 2017
Consistent Variety The Art of Silkscreen EXHIBITION Consistent Variety: The Art of Silkscreen February 24 May 14, 2017 Horgan and Graphics Galleries
Louie Ewing, Rio Colorado, n.d., color serigraph on paper, 17” x 13”. Gift of Carl C. Ewing, 1996.003.0037.
Silkscreen, also known as serigraphy, is a quintessential printmaking technique of the twentieth century, combining modernist technologies and aesthetics. To make a screen print, a piece of nylon mesh is fitted into a wooden or metal frame, and coated with a light-sensitive liquid called photo-emulsion. A transparency containing an opaque design is then placed over the mesh, and the entire screen is exposed to light. The areas covered by the opaque design remain protected from the light exposure, while the rest of the photo-emulsion hardens. The screen is then rinsed to wash away the unhardened emulsion, leaving behind the transferred design on
the exposed mesh. To print, ink is applied to the screen and pushed through the mesh with a tool called a squeegee.
medium, which continues to grow today.
The defining feature of silkscreen is its simultaneous sense of consistency and variety. The squeegee application ensures a uniform application of ink and consistent printing process, while the actual designs can incorporate a multitude of visual sources, including original drawings, photographs, and other media. This ability to accommodate different techniques and aesthetic preferences while ensuring a consistent printing process has fueled silkscreen’s popularity as a
Consistent Variety explores the diverse world of silkscreen through RMAC’s serigraph collection. Visitors will follow the development of this printing process from its connection with the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s, to its central role in Pop Art. From the naturalistic landscapes of Louie Ewing to the abstractions of Red Grooms, come learn about the history and process of this fascinating printing technique while exploring a diverse array of images.
Collecting Roswell The Donors of RMAC EXHIBITION Collecting Roswell: The Donors of RMAC
March 17 - July 16, 2017 Entry Gallery
The collections of the Roswell Museum and Art Center are renowned for their quality and diversity, but the donors who have shared these works with the community are equally important. Since its opening in 1937, RMAC has benefitted from the generosity and foresight of donors, with the majority of its holdings consisting of gifts and bequests from individuals and families. Their interest in gifting constitutes not only the core of the collection, but also highlights the diverse cultural interactions that define this region, with donors hailing from not only Roswell, but New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and beyond. In anticipation of RMAC’s 80th anniversary, Collecting Roswell will celebrate the major donors who have contributed to the formation of the Museum’s core holdings. Co-curated by several
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Roswell Museum and Art Center
Georgia O’Keeffe, Ram’s Skull with Brown Leaves, 1936, oil on linen, 30” x 36”. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Donald Winston, Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Marshall, and Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Winston, 1957.018.0001.
staff members and featuring selections from the art collection, the Robert H. Goddard Collection, and the Aston Collection of the American West, this show will not only highlight many of RMAC’s finest works, but will also explore the art of gifting, revealing how a mutual interest in philanthropy has connected a diverse group of donors to Roswell. Through this selection, visitors will discover the rich collecting history behind some of RMAC’s most celebrated pieces, and consider the ongoing importance of philanthropy to museums as cultural institutions.
CURATORIAL | Winter 2017
FOUNDATION NEWS | Winter 2017
Work of the Quarter
One of RMAC’s most remarkable collections is the Rogers and Mary Ellen Aston Collection of the American West, which was loaned to the Museum in 1979 and bequeathed by the Astons in 1999 as a “gift of spirit.”
LaVerne Nelson, Black, Moonlight on the Rio Grande, 1934, oil on canvas, 28” x 33”. June Middleton Estate Fund, 1986.002.000.
Today we’ll begin a two-part series about one of our WPA paintings, Moonlight on the Rio Grande by LaVerne Nelson Black (1887-1939). This work is currently undergoing conservation, which will be taking place over the next few months. In this issue, we’ll get into some historical background for the painting. Originally from Wisconsin, LaVerne Nelson Black developed an interest in painting while creating homemade pigments from local soils and plants. After studying at the Chicago Academy of Art, Black became involved in newspaper illustration, working in such urban centers as New York, Minneapolis, and Chicago, and traveling to Taos during the summer to sketch local Native American life. By 1925, Black had moved permanently west for health reasons, settling first in Taos, then in Phoenix. During the 1930s, he became involved with the Works Progress Administration, painting murals for the Phoenix post office in collaboration with Ernest L. Blumenschein. He also painted several smaller works for the WPA, which were used for traveling exhibitions. Moonlight on the Rio Grande is one of these paintings. Painted in 1934, Moonlight on the Rio Grande is exemplary of Black’s confident, gestural style. Vertical brushstrokes define the forms of mountains and horseback riders, while details have been minimized, encouraging the viewer to focus on the materiality of the paint itself. In keeping with the nocturnal nature of the scene, the palette is muted, consisting primarily of browns, grays, and whites. A label on the frame indicates that it was painted for the WPA, attesting to its provenance. Although Moonlight on the Rio Grande is a significant work for both historical and aesthetic reasons, it has not been on view for several years due to its present condition. Paint has started to flake off, while the canvas itself is warped in certain areas. In order to protect the painting from further damage, we have kept it off view until we could get a conservator to look at it. Last month, conservator Victoria Montana Ryan came down from Colorado Springs to examine the work, and has proposed a course of treatment. We’ll take a closer look at the conservation process in the future, so stay tuned! 14 14 Roswell Roswell Museum Museum and and Art Art Center Center
The Roswell Museum and Art Center Foundation’s 2015 annual campaign focused on enhancing this exhibition with an interactive aspect. The RMAC staff has spent the last year working with New Mexico Highlands University’s Media Arts Program to create an app that brings the Aston’s unique collection to life. On November 4, 2016 the beacons were installed and the app is now available to all visitors. The app provides museum guests with an introduction to the collection and significant information on fifteen items in the collection including Rogers Aston’s bronze, Coronado Sights Zuni Pueblo, the Naskapi coat, and the katsinas. Docent Anne Huff was recorded giving a tour of the Aston Collection that included an interpretation of Biff Beaver and the uniform worn by Wi-jún-jon, also called Pigeon’s Egg Head or The Light, an Assiniboine chief who was painted twice by artist George Catlin which will be added as the project continues. The RMAC staff diligently researched the items to provide visitors with an enhanced learning experience. If you have not visited the Aston Collection recently, we encourage you to come by, download the app and explore the American West and beyond. The Foundation’s 2016 annual campaign is in full swing and donations will go toward the equipment upgrade in the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium: the digital conversion of the planetarium equipment to Evans & Sutherland’s Digistar 6, reclining seats, lighting, and repainting of the dome will offer a series of rich educational full-dome adventures for our community. If you haven’t yet made a donation to support this project, it is not too late. Please join us in this campaign to Touch the Stars: Teach Bigger & Rise Above by sending your donation in the attached envelope. In February grab your sweetheart and join us as we celebrate Valentine’s Day with dinner and a night of Mystery at the Museum—February 11 or 14. Tickets are $100 per person and may be purchased at the RMAC Store, the RMAC Foundation office, or by contacting an RMAC Foundation Board Member. This will be a fun night for a worthy cause all proceeds will go toward the Robert H. Goddard Planetarium upgrade.
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RMAC CLASSES | Winter 2017
STAFF NEWS STAFF NEWS
From left to right, Nick Frederick, Brandon Strange, Caroline Brooks and Darrick Constance.
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After an extensive search, Caroline Brooks has been appointed Executive Director of the Roswell Museum and Art Center. Most recently, Caroline was Gallery Director for the Salem Art Association in Salem, Oregon, and spent three years at Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Director at the Roswell Museum and Art Center for eight years where Roswell Museum and Art Center
she led a two-year reinstallation and reinterpretation of the Hurd-Wyeth Collection, was a key member in the museums’ comprehensive rebranding efforts and the reinstallation/ reinterpretation of the Aston Collection, and was instrumental in the successful subsequent accreditation of the Museum by the American Alliance of Museums in 2009. Caroline possesses an MA degree in Curatorial Studies from Bard College and a BFA degree in Sculpture from Western Washington University.
Nick Frederick has been promoted to the position of Registrar, following the resignation of Laureta Huit who has moved on to the High Desert Museum in Bend, Oregon. Formerly RMAC’s Preparator, Nick brings great enthusiasm to the Registrar’s
position, has a good knowledge of the collection, and, as a visual artist and alumnus of the Roswell Artistin-Residence Program, has a keen interest in forging new and expanded relationships with contemporary artists in our region. Brandon Strange moves into the Preparator’s position. His interest in museum work and historical research make him an ideal person for this position. As a team, Nick and Brandon will manage the permanent collection needs, loans, and exhibition installation tasks. Darrick Constance has been hired as a full-time Museum Attendant to replace Brandon. Darrick worked at the Museum for the duration of the bridge replacement project, adding additional security at our temporary north entrance.
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Museum Store The Museum Store has an extensive selection of Native American jewelry including bracelets and rings, as well as squash blossom, coral, turquoise, and silver necklaces. Bolos, key rings, knives, and belt buckles are also available. Our NambÊ collection continues to delight visitors with several new designs being introduced. All of our items make great presents for Valentine’s Day and Easter. So come into the Museum Store to shop for that memorable gift. Take advantage of your membership discount and check your mail for upcoming promotions.