October/November 2009
w w w. s a n t a fe a n . c o m
David P. Knowlton
Twins
oil
11x39
Stephen Day
Brilliant Skyscape–New Mexico
oil
36x48
“American Journey� the peterson-cody gallery, llc
Contemporary Artists
October 2 - 23
Legendary Art
Artists’ Reception Friday, October 2 5:00-7:30 pm
7EST 0ALACE !VENUE s 3ANTA &E .EW -EXICO s s 0ETERSON#ODY'ALLERY COM s 0ETERSON#ODY'ALLERY YAHOO COM
BUFFALO THUNDER RESORT & CASINO
Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino... where Santa Fe comes to play. Under a canopy of stars, an ancient rhythm rises with the moon, stirs the heart, and the dance begins. Discover the allure of Native American culture, culinary delights, celebrity entertainment, and the thrill of gaming in Las Vegas style.
gaming | hotel | fine dining | spa | golf | nightclub
877.THUNDER
|
800.HILTONS
B u f f a l oT h u n d e r R e s o r t . c o m
L o c a t e d 15 m i n u t e s n o r t h o f t h e S a n t a F e P l a z a o n H i g h w a y 8 4 / 2 8 5
:605.29 ;.:6;45.
KO B E Inkjet on Canvas X Š 2009 Michael Namingha
125 Lincoln Avenue s Suite 116 s Santa Fe, NM 87501 s Monday–Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm 505-988-5091 s FAX 5-988-1650 s nimanďŹ neart @ namingha COM s www.namingha.com
JOHN NIETO
“Fancy Dancer” 60" x 48" s !CRYLIC
Announcing! “John Nieto, Forces of Color & Spirit” a new Nieto book by Susan Hallsten McGarry over 180 vibrant color images 180 pages, 15” x 13”
John Nieto s Book Signing s Saturday, October 10, 2009 s 1 to 3 pm 400 Canyon Road s Santa Fe, NM 87501 s 505-983-8815 s 800-746-8815 s www.ventanafineart.com
VENTANA FINE ART Ventana el centro, 102 E. Water St. s Santa Fe, NM 87501 s 505-820-0447 s www.ventanaelcentro.com
John Nieto s Book Signing s Friday, October 9, 2009 s 5 to 7 pm
october/november 2009
features 24 flow Randy McClanahan and Manish Thakor wanted a clean well-lighted contemporary space with views. They got all that and more in the Las Campanas home they had built for them by Tierra Concepts.
30 the collectors Interior designer Kris Lajeskie had only one request from her clients for this historic downtown adobe: Design everything around the art— and Lajeskie did.
36 what makes a house a home City Councilor Chris Calvert, city poet laureate Valerie Martinez, and various architects, builders, interior designers, and others weigh in on how to make a house a home. KATIE JOHNSON
departments
24
One of the east-facing window walls of Randy McClanahan and Manisha Thakor’s award-winning home in Las Campanas.
6 Publisher’s Note 12 Letters 14 City Different New books, new sweets, new flights, new doc
17 Q+A Think New Mexico’s Fred Nathan
21 Adventure WINTEROWD FINE ART
Spiraling into your inner self on a labyrinth
43 Art Colette Hosmer and Paula Castillo go public + reviews
43
Ines Kramer’s “Hidden Village” can be seen at Winterowd Fine Art, October 16–29.
53 Home Guest columnist Jeff Fenton; Ed Mazria Q+A, and more
57 Dining Musical food, reading about eating alone, the perfect New Mexican Thanksgiving turkey recipe
65 Hot Tickets Happenings for October and November
70 History Santa Fe’s original melting boîte
72 Day Trip Chaco Canyon
cover Rancho Escondido. To arrange a privae showing of this exquisite property please contact Michaelann Huitfeldt/Santa Fe Properties/505-670-9486 or Craig Huitfeldt/ Santa Fe Realty Partners/505-660-1108
Santa Fean (ISSN 1094-1487) is published bimonthly by Southwest Media, LLC, 466 W San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Periodicals postage paid at Santa Fe, NM, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Santa Fean, P.O. Box 469089, Escondido, CA 92046-9710.
october/november
2009
santa fean
5
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE
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home slate FEW SAVOR THEIR HOMES more than Santa Feans. Our beautiful seasonal weather encourages outdoor living and our cold winter nights have us snuggled into our indoor environments. Our art, sculpture, and personal mementos give us a peace and serenity that make our house a home. In this issue, we are proud to introduce the debut of our Home section, where each issue will present guest writers from the industry to comment and enlighten us on ways to make our houses into wonderful and welcoming homes. In addition, we will present innovative ideas for you to incorporate into your home—whether here in the City Different or in your home city. After all, Santa Fean sensibilities transcend our city limits, extending from Long Island to Southern California. Santa Fe homes, while still heavily influenced by Southwestern motifs, have moved beyond what many people often think of as Santa Fe style. And as the homes featured in this issue prove, nothing is off limits. In many of our newly constructed homes, for instance, we’re seeing clean lines, sharp edges, and new shapes—and without a viga in sight. It’s all part of the maturation of Santa Fe. As our art has turned decidedly more contemporary, so have our homes. Finally, I’d like to encourage you to visit SantaFean.com. Here you’ll not only rediscover stories from past issues, you’ll also find additional pictures and information about Santa Fe homes, as well as more pictures and information on our other articles. On this site, too, you’ll see our new calendar, which can also be accessed at SantaFeanCalendar.com. This will be Santa Fe’s most complete calendar of events on the web. You can sign up for free weekly updates, peruse the various categories of events going on in and around Santa Fe (and Northern New Mexico), and even sign up for a text-message reminder for specific events. I’m especially pleased about the music/nightlife category. (Yes! We do have a nightlife here.) As the nights get cooler this month and you spend more time indoors, look around. If your house hasn’t become a home, I hope this issue will help you make
bruce adams
Publisher
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C ON T R I B U T OR S
MISSY WOLF
that transformation.
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Q: What makes a house a home? Before moving to Santa Fe, Robert Mayer was a journalist in New York City, where he won several major awards. He is the author of nine books, including Superfolks and The Dreams of Ada, and has written for Vanity Fair, GQ, Metropolitan Home and other national magazines. “What makes a house a home,” says Mayer, who talks with Fred Nathan in this issue’s Q+A, “is the love and laughter that bloom inside.” 6
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“A house is an exterior building, a home is an extension of my interior self—and like that interior self, the focus changes with the seasons,” says Arts section writer Natasha Nargis. “From early spring to autumn my heart is outside, in my garden. As winter approaches, the meaning of home changes—and my heart moves inside.”
Barbara Allen Kenney, who writes about labyrinths for this issue’s Adventure, only recently moved to Santa Fe with her husband, but they both “feel very much at home in this rarefied air.” For Kenney, “a house is structure and form built from the ground up for human habitation; a home is built from the inside out based upon daily acts of human caring— an emotional space where love and laughter abide in generous sufficiency, if one is very lucky.”
C L A R K WA L D I N G RIFT SERIES
C H A R LO T T E J A C K S O N F I N E A R T 200 W. MARCY ST, STE 101, SANTA FE, NM 87501
505-989-8688
www.charlottejackson.com
trace, 2006-09, oil and cold wax on cotton duck, 53.25 x 39.5 inches
is proud to be representing the paintings of Maggie Muchmore and Kate Palmer
Maggie Muchmore “Taos Mountain II triptych, pastel, 32” x 76”
Kate Palmer “Chama River Vista” oil on canvas 30” x 36”
To view all artists work please visit www.greenbergfineart.com 205 Canyon Rd, Santa Fe, NM, 87501 phone 505.955.1500 • fax 505.955.1800 • info@greenbergfineart.com
AUCTION - NOVEMBER 8, 2009 - 1:00 P.M.
345 CAMINO DEL MONTE SOL, SANTA FE, NM 87501
Gustave Baumann From a Hillside Garden, Color woodblock print, 12 他 by 12 他, Estimate: $8,000-$12,000
Visit www.altermann.com for more information and to view online catalog. Catalog $45
WE ARE ACCEPTING ON CONSIGNMENT AND PURCHASING AMERICAN WESTERN ART FOR OUR MARCH 2010 AUCTION To submit artwork for evaluation, please email images to info@altermann.com or contact Tony or Richard Altermann 225 Canyon Road Santa Fe, NM 87501 505.983.1590 www.altermann.com
AN ORIGINAL WORK OF ART C U S T O M
M A N U FAC T U R I N G A N D A R C H I T EC T U R A L A N T I Q U E S
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BEAUTIFUL FUNCTIONAL ORIGINAL
without permission is prohibited. CPM#40065056
La Puerta Originals transforms antique doors and reclaimed woods into beautiful and functional works of art for your home. Our handcrafted doors, gates, cabinets, furniture, floors, and so much more are created in collaboration with you, and exclusively The cover and text paper of Santa Fean are printed by American Web in Denver, Colorado, on SFI-certified papers. Papers used contain fiber from well-managed forests and meet the EPA guidelines that recommend a minimum 10 percent post-consumer recovered fiber for coated papers. Inks used contain a percentage of soy base. Our printer meets or exceeds all federal Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) standards.
for you. Our entire line of products lends a rich history, timeless beauty and unique character to your home. Let us create an original for you. 4523 State Highway 14, Santa Fe, New Mexico 505-984-8164 lapuertaoriginals.com
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L E T TERS
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Hunter Kirkland Contemporary presents
HKC ANNUAL SHOW OF NEW WORK Opening Reception
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16, 2009 5 – 7pm
transcending boundaries Surveying the August/September Santa Fean [Indian Market issue], one can see that the hot debate continues concerning the evocative and innovative new directions that Native American artists and artisans continue to pursue. It must be stated simply that there will always be a role for traditional forms of Native art to augment, preserve, and promote generational continuity, and that role is very important. Nevertheless, I believe we can all agree that the value of art is its universal appeal, and “cutting edge” exploration naturally expands and appeals to the broader audience, transcending ethnic boundaries.
CHARLOTTE FOUST, ROMA, 2009, Mixed media on paper, 31” × 26”
T BARNY
JENNIFER J. L. JONES
JOAN BOHN
HAL LARSEN
ERIC BOYER
MICHAEL MADZO
CHARLOTTE FOUST
IVA MORRIS
TED GALL
RICK STEVENS
GREGORY FRANK HARRIS
LESLIE TEJADA
Hunter Kirkland Contemporary 200 – B Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM 87501 phone 505.984.2111 fax 505.984.8111 www.hunterkirklandcontemporary.com
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I also believe it’s a far greater issue for connoisseurs, critics, art historians, and buyers to recognize that some of America’s finest artists just happen to be Native American. Donald Evan Buffington, Iowa City, IA special collection This Indian Market issue is absolutely beautiful. Truly! It is such a great publication, and I look at this one as a special collection in itself. I love your magazine always, but this issue is the best. The Santa Fean is looking great! Jane Cassidy, Madrid, NM Send comments to: editorial@ santafean.com, or “Letters,” Santa Fean, 215 W San Francisco, Suite 202A, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Correspondence must include full name, address, and daytime phone number. Published letters may be edited for length and clarity.
701 Canyon Road Santa Fe NM 87501 505.992.8878 FineArt SantaFe. com
Tom Kirby
James Marshall
Exhibition September 25-October 8
Ines Kramer Exhibition October 16-29
Blaire Rice Bennett Exhibition November 13-26
the buzz around town
sweet equity
14
santafean.com october/november
ELISA PARHAD
CANDY To paraphrase an old Hunter S. Thompson statement, when the going gets tough, the tough get weird. Such are the times we live in that, of all organizations, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center, in one of those think-outside-the-box fund-raising efforts, has started making candy. Yes, candy. Known as the Justice Bar, their first-time venture into the sweet-tooth industry comes in three yummy flavors: dark chocolate chile, dark chocolate mint, and milk chocolate pecan. As NMELC spokesperson Juana Colón explains it, “We all thought, What a fun and different way to educate people about our mission. I mean, who doesn’t like chocolate?” One of the oldest independent nonprofit environmental groups in the state, the NMELC provides free or low-cost legal services to state residents dealing with environmental issues. All organic and, except for the cacao, all coming from in-state (the pecans from Mesilla Valley, the pistachios from Alamogordo, the red chile from Chimayó, and the mint from Truth or Consequences), the Justice Bars can be found at all Señor Murphy locations and the Mission Café; all proceeds go directly to the NMELC. “We found that we could be very conscious of our impact and share enough with our partners,” says Colón, “so that everyone—the farmers, the candy-bar maker—got something good out of it.”—DJ
icons of enchantment New Mexico: A Guide for the Eyes (Eyemuse Books, $20) Elisa Parhad Parhad, who spent her formative years in New Mexico, came up with her unique photo guide while living in Japan, “where I really didn’t understand much of the built environment and cultural objects surrounding me.” So she decided to highlight our state’s unique visual signposts as a guide for out-of-staters: Among them, Hatch chiles for the Ristra photo, for example, John Gaw Meem’s New Mexico Museum of Art for Pueblo Revival Style, and this shot of Smokey for Smokey Bear.—Devon Jackson GUIDE
2009
more titles by santa feans The Pink Lady: The Many Lives of Helen Gahagan Douglas (Bloomsbury Press, $33) Sally Denton Award-winning author and investigative journalist Denton, a longtime Santa Fean, fleshes out the enormously rich life of this Broadway star, wife of Oscar-winning actor Melvyn Douglas, congresswoman, antinuke advocate, feminist, liberal, consort of LBJ, and the woman who—during her 1950 campaign loss to Richard Nixon—coined the term Tricky Dick.
SPLIT ESTATE, the hard-hitting documentary from independent fi lmmaker Debra Anderson, premieres October 17 on Planet Green. Chronicling the David-versus-Goliath struggle all too common here in the West—that of unsuspecting rural communities and landowners suddenly fi nding themselves being undermined, literally, by various oil- and gas-drilling enterprises—Split Estate examines the plight of residents, and the land, in Colorado’s San Juan Basin. After New Mexico governor Bill Richardson viewed the fi lm, which is narrated by Santa Fean Ali MacGraw, he called it “an eye-opening examination of the consequences and confl icts that can arise between surface landowners in the western United States, and those who own and extract the energy and mineral rights below.” As sober as it is sometimes sensationalistic (as in the scene in which one landowner illustrates the high levels of benzene contamination in a mountain stream by setting the water on fi re with a match), Split Estate is part of Planet Green’s Saturday night Reel Impact series. “For those of us living in the path of that industry and its potential to do real destruction to the environment and our health,” says Anderson, here making her directorial debut, “it is impossible to remain silent.”—DJ FILM
La Ranfla & Other New Mexico Stories (Papalote Press, $25) Martha Egan Egan, owner of Santa Fe’s Pachamama import store and author of two previous novels and two nonfiction books (covering devotional miniatures and votive offerings), here offers up seven short stories, all set in an Ed Abbeyesque landscape.—DJ
PAPALOTE PRESS
bitter extract
BLOOMSBURY PRESS
BOOKS
first DFW, now LAX? OMG!
COURTESY AMERICAN AIRLINES
T R A V E L EMBOLDENED BY the success of its fl ight between Santa Fe Municipal and Dallas/Ft. Worth International airports, which began this past spring, American Eagle airlines decided not only to add a second DFW fl ight but, beginning November 19, to expand service to Los Angeles. “Success breeds success,” says American Airlines media relations director Tim Smith. New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, a not-so-infrequent flyer himself, praised AA’s added lineup for “giving New Mexicans more travel options and making it easier for visitors to Northern New Mexico.” Santa Fe Mayor David Coss also applauded the extra sky traffic, and was especially enthusiastic about the L.A. connection. “We are very excited about having this new flight, which will provide greater flexibility when traveling to and from Santa Fe.” The two new nonstop services will use either the 44- or 50-seat regional Embraer jet (seen at right), and prices should range between $99-$109 each way. “Would we consider additional service?” muses AA’s Smith. “Sure, but it’s too soon to think about that yet.”—DJ october/november
2009
santa fean
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| Q+A |
fred nathan
Thin k Ne w Mex ico’s orig inal brain i n t e r v i e w by robe r t maye r • photo by norah le vi ne
Ten years ago, attorney Fred Nathan founded Think New Mexico—in his Santa Fe bedroom. Today the think tank has a prominent Board of Directors, an energetic staff, a growing endowment, offices a literal stone’s throw from the Roundhouse, and an impressive list of accomplishments for the public good. What were you doing before you started Think New Mexico, and where did you get the idea?
I was special counsel to then–Attorney General Tom Udall. Part of my job was to shepherd his ambitious legislative package through the legislature. It wasn’t always very pretty. So I saw a need for a results-oriented think tank which would drain the politics out of some of our political debates with a bipartisan approach and place the focus on comprehensive, sustainable solutions. How did your wife feel about sharing her bedroom with a think tank?
About the same way she feels about the need for the separation of church and state. She helpfully reminds me when work is invading our family time and, of course, she is always right. The first issue you tackled was getting all-day kindergarten approved in New Mexico. Why was that your top priority, and how is it working out nine years later?
Think New Mexico was founded with the goal of improving New Mexico in some of the areas in which it consistently ranks at or near the bottom in the nation. The obvious place to start is improving public education. Plus, we wanted to begin at the beginning, which brought us inevitably to the need to make full-day kindergarten accessible to every child in New Mexico.
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santa fean
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Bert’s Burger Bowl on Guadalupe Street to play the New Mexico Lottery. We were working on how to reform the lottery and realized that none of us had ever bought a lottery ticket. We tried unsuccessfully to change what is a game of chance into a game of skill. Naturally, we lost our money, which convinced us that it was, in fact, a game of chance. But the hamburgers were pretty good.
COURTESY THINK NEW NEXICO
Where does your funding come from?
Fred Nathan at the signing of the insurance-reform bill. Front (left to right): Speaker of the House Ben Lujan, Nathan, Governor Bill Richardson. Back: Kristina Fisher, Regis Pecos.
The full-day-kindergarten law now benefits approximately 26,000 five-year-olds across the state. Our goal was for these kids to be ready to learn how to read by the time they entered fi rst grade. One lovely unintended consequence of that effort is that, with the extra schooling, many students learn how to read during kindergarten and arrive in fi rst grade ready for more. Think New Mexico’s second major achievement, possibly your best known, was getting the state’s gross-receipts tax on groceries repealed. People had been unsuccessfully fighting that tax—it was sort of like taxing the air we breathe—for many decades. How did you succeed?
It took three years and lots of help, especially from Governor Bill Richardson and some key legislators like House Speaker Ben Lujan (D-Nambé) and then-Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lee Rawson (R-Las Cruces). A critical component of our strategy was illustrating how perverse it is to tax a necessity like food, including baby food. I used to travel around the state with my baby daughter, Arielle, and a bag of horse feed. I pointed out that horse feed was tax-exempt but baby food was charged the full gross-receipts tax, and I would question whether we had our priorities straight. Now, fortunately, baby food receives the same treatment as horse feed. Space doesn’t permit describing all your other 18
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successes, but how about a brief list?
Others include creating a Strategic Water Reserve to protect and restore New Mexico’s rivers; establishing New Mexico’s fi rst state-supported Individual Development Accounts to help alleviate the state’s persistent poverty; redirecting millions of dollars a year out of the state lottery’s excessive operating costs and into full-tuition college scholarships for New Mexico’s deserving high school graduates; and reforming title insurance to lower closing costs for home buyers and homeowners who refi nance their mortgages. How is Think New Mexico different from most think tanks?
Most think tanks issue white papers and then cross their collective fi ngers and hope something good happens. We don’t like leaving things to chance. So after we produce our annual policy report, we recruit bipartisan sponsors, draft the legislation to turn our ideas into law, build a grassroots coalition of organizations to support it, and activate the more than 37,000 New Mexicans on our Listserv to advocate for our proposal with their elected officials. Are there any light moments?
All the time, although policy wonks are pretty easily amused. Perhaps most memorable was the field trip we took to
Our funding comes from local foundations, businesses, and over 600 New Mexicans from about 80 different communities within the state. (A healthy percentage are Santa Feans.) We call our contributors “social investors” because we believe that nonprofits should be evaluated based on the social return they produce each year. But money achieves little without talent. The best part of working at Think New Mexico is working with my colleagues, Kristina Fisher, the associate director, and Lynne Buchen, business manager. They as well as the board have been the biggest part of our success. What are you working on for the coming legislative session in January?
We will seek to enact legislation limiting the size of new schools to no more than 900 students per high school and 400 students per middle and elementary school. The research shows that smaller schools have higher graduation rates, less student alienation and violence, and higher levels of satisfaction among students, parents, principals, and teachers. Small schools also dramatically improve the performance of low-income children, which helps to narrow the persistent achievement gap. We need to stop building supersized factorylike high schools that breed alienation, violence, and dropouts. Have you ever considered running for public office yourself?
I am more effective doing what I am doing at Think New Mexico than I could be on the inside, because I have a bad habit of speaking my mind. Think New Mexico can be reached at 505-992-1315 or thinknewmexico.org
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Introducing GeoArt by Cynthia Gale
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YouÕre invited!
Historic Canyon Road Festival Saturday October 17, 10am-3:30pm Join artists painting on the street and talking about their art in their galleries. Meet, mingle and observe Santa FeÕs finest works of art. Opening ceremony 10am Mayor David Coss to proclaim ÒHistoric Canyon Road DayÓ Greenberg Fine Art 10 am at 205 Canyon Road. Refreshments provided.
www.HistoricCanyonRoad.com Sponsored by
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| ADVENTURE |
walk this way le a r ning how to labyrint h
BARBARA ALLEN KENNEY
by ba r ba ra a l le n k e n n e y
The labyrinth at Milner Plaza on Museum Hill
IN THIS technological era, time may be under siege—free time, especially—but a reprieve is afoot. Thirty reprieves are afoot, actually, in the form of labyrinths. Scattered throughout Santa Fe—in public parks, schools, churches, institutions, and private homes—these meditative pathways are free, operate year-round, and are as easy as taking a walk in the park. In fact, labyrinths are all about walking, only in circles, and quietly. On October 3 and 4, as part of the Santa Fe 400th Commemoration, Santa Fe’s Labyrinth Resource Group will be sponsoring a weekend of presentations and walks, open to the public and free of charge. The schedule of events begins with a visual presentation by scholar
Jeff Saward, who will speak on “The Origins and Symbol of the Labyrinth of the Southwest” (October 3 at 2:30 at the Museum of International Folk Art). Saward’s lecture, followed by a communal walk, will explore the use of the labyrinth symbol among Native peoples of the Southwest and will further probe the mystery of how a symbol used throughout Europe (and already 3,500 years old at the time) may have been adapted and adopted by Native peoples of the region, appearing most notably as the Man in the Maze design. (The labyrinth at Milner Plaza, for example, is an architectural variation of the classic seven-circuit design, with the Sangre de Cristos forming an outermost ring of nature’s sublime
design in the near distance.) Known as a “walking meditation”— wherein the user follows the course of a single pathway of concentric circles that wind to a center and then back out again, an exercise that centers and attunes the mind to that innermost voice—labyrinths are more than 4,000 years old and have been used symbolically and metaphorically: chiseled on stone, imprinted on Greek coins, fashioned into Roman mosaics, and implanted on the stone floors of medieval churches (the most famous being the one at Chartres cathedral, which served as an alternative pilgrimage destination during the Crusades). In his introductory remarks on World Labyrinth Day this past May 2, the october/november
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COURTESY LABYRINTHOS PHOTO LIBRARY
COURTESY LABYRINTHOS PHOTO LIBRARY
what is happening within.” wide group of labyrinth walkers who’ve In this age of BlackBerrys and made it their goal to labyrinth-walk every Bluetooths and iPods, and all the day for an entire year—and share their other gadgets and distractions daily experiences with others. Building that make up our “multitaxing” upon the growing popularity of labyrinths, lives, taking time out to focus the LRG, founded in 1998 under the on what’s inside is no easy task. leadership of Marge and Bob McCarthy, And although there is no right has been involved in the construction of or wrong way to perambulate at least 27 labyrinths in Santa Fe and led a labyrinth, the general idea is the effort to establish labyrinths in ten simple. Enter: Release, take a area schools. (In 2007 the LRG compiled deep breath, then walk. Center: a listing of 81 labyrinths in New Mexico; receive; the center is often a nationwide, there are 202 school-based place to see clearly and gain labyrinths.) insights. Return: Reenter your Colleen Dougherty, an animal-care techworld, bringing into it insights nician at the Santa Fe Animal Shelter, led that bear on your life. As stated the way in building a labyrinth on Shelter in an LRG brochure, “Some see grounds. She sees the site as offering a the labyrinth as emblematic of respite for volunteers and caregivers—a the path of life with twists and place to release emotions and experience a turns, encounters with others peaceful, quiet time away from the stresses in your path, a thrill of pleasure of an often intense work environment. as you approach the center and “Getting out of your own way,” she says, is sometimes a flash of insight as Petroglyph of a labyrinth symbol from Arroyo Hondo, near Taos; probably of part of walking the labyrinth. Navajo or Apache origin you leave. Some enter the laby“The left-brain, logical side wants attenrinth with a problem to solve or Reverend Monsignor Jerome Martinez tion and starts to talk and belittle the an intention to change.” Alire said, “I was approached about having exercise,” adds Dougherty. “Don’t stuff it Today, there are thousands of new labya labyrinth outside our cathedral in 2003. down—simply acknowledge it, and then rinths, from South Africa and Europe to This replica of the one at Chartres has override that left-brain voice and move the U.S. and Canada, and their meaning become a favorite place to come to pray or into the walking.” has evolved with the times—from preplay. The walking is a kind of pilgrimage. In some ways, then, a labyrinth becomes Christian rites to celebrations to meditaThe Anasazi called them prayer circles. a footbridge to our ancient past, maktions. Some people in Santa Fe walk every Sometimes I will walk at night and have ing each life’s journey seem less solitary day, calling themselves members of the amazing insights.” (On October 4, a comand more akin to a shared passage. It’s a 365-Day Club; they’re part of a nationmunity labyrinth walk is scheduled to take way to step—literally and figuratively— place at the Cathedral Basilica of St. “out of this life,” says Bob McCarthy, Francis of Asisi.) while “allowing real thoughts to come Labyrinths nowadays tend to have through.” fewer religious connotations than In keeping with the mission of the they did in medieval times, when they Santa Fe 400th Commemoration, LRG were deemed to represent the patvice president George Henke hopes tern of Christ’s own preordained life that this labyrinth weekend “will bring and inevitable fate, and in this role people together in understanding the they would have served a contemplaessential unity of walking, pilgrimage, tive purpose. “The structure of the and journey as practiced throughout labyrinth provides a safe, contained time. The 400th commemorates the space for getting in touch with long journey of all the people of Santa inner thoughts and feelings,” says Fe, wherever they came from and whenLRG cofounder Marge McCarthy, ever they arrived.” explaining how a labyrinth walk difAs Blaire Carnahan, an LRG direcfers from a hike. “Because you are tor, said, “Walking the labyrinth is a not distracted by beautiful scenery spiritual experience that doesn’t cost and not intent on watching your anything. It just takes a personal comsteps, you can allow yourself to be A Man in the Maze basket woven by the Tohono O’odham of southern Arizona; the mitment.” labyrinth is surrounded by people watching the traditional gathering of saguaro fruit. in the present moment and focus on 22
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BY DEVON JACKSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY WENDY McEAHERN
THESE ARE SOME of the things Randy McClanahan and Manisha Thakor wanted: They wanted a contemporary house. They wanted it big. They wanted openness, flow, connectivity. They wanted lots of public spaces. They wanted high ceilings and lots of natural light. They wanted the biggest windows they could possibly get. They wanted the kitchen to be command central. They wanted lots of storage space. They wanted a highly polished plaster for the interior walls. They wanted a home—not just a house—that they’d never sell and that they’d live in for the rest of their lives. They wanted a home that would inspire them—to be better
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people, to be more creative, to lead more interesting lives. And these are some of the things they didn’t want: They didn’t want a ski house with beds. They didn’t want another air-conditioned box like the ones they had lived in for years in Houston. They didn’t want something that looked awkward from the outside or radically out of place. They didn’t want a separate home-entertainment room or any artificial barriers between the rooms. They didn’t want to choose from an inventory of houses or buy one that had already been built. They didn’t want art all over the place or supercontemporary art or art that in any way smelled competitive.
They briefly considered Sedona, Arizona. They chose Santa Fe. (They loved the people; they felt more comfortable here; and Santa Fe had all the amenities.) They had their home built in Las Campanas. They moved into their new house in June. They’re home. For good. And although it took four years to get from there to here—one year to find the right lot, one year to commit to the right builder, one year to design their house, and one year to build it—so far, they’ve gotten everything they wanted, and they’ve even discovered things they hadn’t known they’d wanted. They knew they wanted views, for example,
of the Sangre de Cristos to the east and the Jemez to the west, but experiencing those views, waking up to them and seeing them every day from inside a home they’d dreamed up themselves, experiencing a 5 A.M. sunrise or a 9 P.M. sunset—all that has been an entirely unexpected thrill. Equally unanticipated: tracking a monsoon as it blasts through the mid-afternoon summer heat, watching shooting stars zoom across the night sky from the comfort of their bed, and eyeing a pack of coyotes as they amble their way through the juniper outside their open-air offices. Living in it, seeing it happen every day from inside their home—for McClanahan
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and Thakor, it’s been nothing short of transformative. “This place is magical,” gushes Thakor, an investment counselor and author whose warmth and sincerity easily outweigh her intensity and focus. “It’s a lot like getting married,” offers McClanahan, tall, slim, outgoing, and happy—happier especially now that he’s able to practice law from his new home. “You found the right person; you just didn’t know at the time how right.” They’d been talking not only about the house being magical, and Santa Fe being magical, and New Mexico being magical, and how it’s not only right for them but more than right, all of it, but about the people they’d contracted to build their home, Kurt Faust, Keith Gorges, and all the other great people they’d dealt with and have become friends with at Tierra Concepts. They’re grateful not just to the TC folks but to Paul Baglione at Custom Cabinet Works, who installed all their cabinetry, and Leonard Pascual of A Sound Look, who set up the TVs
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and sound system, and Allison Rani Moore, who designed their landscaping, and Kevin Avants of Avant Gardens, who put in all the landscaping, and the people from Santa Fe By Design, who put in the kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and the UPS guy, and the HVAC people from Anderson Air Corps, and the people at Moss Outdoor, where they got most of their outdoor furniture, and even the people at Java Joe’s and Downtown Subscription and all the other coffee shops around town, because Manisha’s a great fan of coffee shops—she has a huge, framed color photograph of a classic Greek diner coffee cup hanging on her office wall, no less—“So the combination of nature and culture and good coffee places and the quirky people and the eccentricities,” she says, “I love it!” So yes, McClanahan and Thakor are still in their honeymoon phase. (Speaking of which, the two married just over a year ago, on their lot, right before construction began, outside what’s now their master bathroom. It was a simple ceremony
with only five witnesses.) But given the depth of their sincerity and the sincerity of their joy at who and where they now are— and no doubt they’ve always been good people: open, inviting, forward-looking—one can’t help but see them just as giddy in this house 10, 15, 30 years from now. Faust, of Tierra Concepts, calls their home “contextual modern,” meaning it’s in the range of the traditional Santa Fe–style adobe but it’s also contemporary: high ceilings, few doors, floorto-ceiling window walls, portals east and west. “The beauty of Santa Fe style is how well it adapts to influences from outside the region,” explains Faust, who, along with Jennings, first met McClanahan and Thakor when the couple visited TC’s Parade of Homes entry in 2005. (Tierra Concepts won this year’s Grand Hacienda award—for best home–at the Parade of Homes, for McClanahan and Thakor’s home.) “Instantly, when we met them we loved their charisma,” says Thakor. “We never had a request they couldn’t meet.
And the service, especially after they finished building the house, was terrific. I can’t find a thing about these guys I’m not in love with.” After figuring out what was most important to their clients—views, space, continuity—Faust and Jennings set to work. “Designing a home for oneself is an archetypal experience that reaches into the core of how one lives in this world,” surmises Faust, a sometime painter and metalworker who has built three homes for himself and his family. “The more open and deeper the relationship goes, the better informed the design will be.” Having both lived in high-rise lofts in Houston (which is where they met—they were two doors down from each other), McClanahan and Thakor had a pretty good idea of—and derived plenty of pleasure from—places with oodles of space and lots of views. McClanahan then added an extra challenge: “I’d taken these business trips to Hawaii, and the lanai style
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there really influenced me and I thought, How neat that’d be in Santa Fe,” he recalls. “If we could have completely open glass walls and have them also be free-flowing.” The first thing TC did was lay out all 11 views and then build the house around the best ones. “Jason Kluck did a brilliant job of siting,” says Thakor. “I’ve never been anyplace where the view is so central to the house. Every single day the view is different.” Thakor pauses for the right comparison. Although she hardly needs to: From this one spot in the dining room, where we’re standing, there are three stunning views. “If you live by the ocean it looks the same pretty much every day,” she finally says. “But here every window is like a photograph—every day.” Similarly, the light and its effects, via the many skylights and the floor-to-ceiling windows and the way the house reflects all that light, via the highly polished plaster walls they’d requested, has been an eye-opener as well. “We’d had a little bit of experience with light, but we learned it’s not like the light out here,” says Thakor, almost humbly. “The sun defines everything,” chimes in McClanahan. 28
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“Things look totally different here,” adds Thakor. “We have the same furnishings we had in Houston, but how different they look here.” On top of all that, they’ve also created for themselves an almost overwhelming spaciousness. “Randy and Manisha wanted the public living spaces to flow together and to be connected to the outdoors, so we tried to maintain a sense of individual rooms without using walls,” recalls Faust. “We did this by changing ceiling heights and floor levels to separate the foyer, living room, dining room, and den. And there are several very large window walls—some of which retract into the wall so they disappear altogether.” “It’s like living with all the modern conveniences, but outdoors,” says McClanahan, who visited New Mexico for the first time—and knew he’d move here at some point—20 years ago when he brought his eight-year-old son (from his previous marriage) to a summer camp in Cimarron. “You take yourself a bit less seriously when a bird may fly into your house.” “Not to waste some of these spaces with a wall is a good trade-off with the lack of privacy,” says Thakor. “But I love
that the public spaces are tied together and that the private spaces—our offices—are so private.” Minimalists and never ones to waste anything, spaces, especially—Thakor and McClanahan eschewed all things extraneous, including a big space-eater like an extra room (though there is a guest room). “We didn’t want any room in the house that’s not used daily,” says Thakor. “It seems such a shame to allocate resources to something that just collects dust.” As for the extra-large black-and-white photographs hung throughout the house, they illustrate the couple’s aesthetic philosophy. “We wanted to avoid all that art one-upmanship that goes on in so many other peoples’ homes,” says McClanahan. “That’s toally antithetical to who we are.” Instead of throwing herself into the “art triathlon,” as she calls it, that many of her peers are caught up in, Thakor merely went on the internet years ago and hunted down photographs that represented something personal to her. The river rocks, too—in and outside her office—are personal reminders that every day’s a new day and to take one step forward. “They’re all here—the rocks, the photographs,
all of it’s here to give Manisha creative inspiration,” says McClanahan. “The Dream [sculpture] was over her head in Houston, and now it’s over her head here in her office. We built this house in a way to make her more creative.” So far, it seems to be working. “My creative level has spiked out here,” admits Thakor. “I feel more connected to humanity out here. There’s more connectivity generally. I think because there’s something magical about this town that calms the most hummingbirdlike people. So I can be a better contributor here.” “There’s a psychic income here—a lot of psychic income,” echoes McClanahan. “Being out here has extended the longevity of our careers and our lives,” declares Thakor, taking her husband’s arm in hers sweetly. “Here you can live and work,” smiles McClanahan, truly happy right where he is. “Not just work to live.”
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T
here are collectors and then there are collectors. B and L (who, out of respect for their privacy, we’ll just refer to as B and L), fall—or rather stride, happily—into the collector class. “To be a true collector,” says L, who over the years has learned to participate in—not just indulge—her husband’s passion for collecting (“I’m his support system,” she says. “I’ll ask him, Where are we going to put that? Or, Do we really need that? But I see the joy it brings him”), “you have to be a historian and a lover of cul-
ture.” B and L certainly have the knowledge and the passion covered. But what further separates them from the collecting pack, what distinguishes them as collectors’ collectors, is that they not only collect extensively, especially inside certain genres (Native American beadwork between 1880 and 1910, for one, including beaded gauntlets and beaded children’s wear); they collect and display their collections with style. It’s a style they owe in no small part to Santa Fe interior designer Kris Lajeskie, the
first and only designer they’ve ever worked with, who designed both their historic Santa Fe adobe, located in the heart of the city, and their newly built home in San Diego. (Sadly, their previous residence in Los Angeles burned down two years ago; in addition to the many personal possessions lost in the fire were more than 1,500 antique guns and probably the world’s largest collection of salesmen’s miniature saddles, as well as other beaded works, paintings, and sculptures. “The saddest part of losing all that stuff was
Above: the downstairs bedroom, where the Venetian plaster walls (Lajeskie’s “signature finish”) subtly complement the bedspread. Opposite page: the kitchen area, with the morning-star design saddle bag B found at Morningstar Gallery (to match the gauntlet above that he already owned), and to the right, the table and chair that brought Lajeskie to B and L.
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Above: the bathroom for the upstairs master bedroom; below left: the upstairs master bedroom, with one of B’s 80-odd pair of boots on the floor. Opposite page: B and L’s downstairs living room, the charrería saddle, on the right, once belonged to Mexico president Manuel Ávila Camacho.
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that most of it was one of a kind,” says B. “It belonged in a museum, and that was where it was all headed after I’m gone.”) “B and L are passionate people, and collectors who have a very keen sense of personal style,” says Lajeskie. “They love color and texture and they love to be surrounded by their art.” Purportedly built in the 1930s by legendary aviatrix-turned-architect Katherine Stintson Otero, a devotee of John Gaw Meem, the proponent of the city’s traditional Pueblo Revival adobe building style, B and L’s home originally served as a carriage house, with a chicken coop above the entryway for the carriages. Longtime visitors to Santa Fe drawn here by the art, and then the look, the sounds, the tastes, and the smells (“We fell in love,” says B, “and every time we left, we’d be so depressed.”), B and L purchased their adobe five years ago and immediately set to making it both more livable and more amenable to their collect-and-display lifestyle, while honoring its provenance. “The beauty of this house is the historical nature of it,” says L. “And the fact that it was once the center point of an artists’ colony.” However, maintaining the adobe’s integrity was no simple task, considering the persnicketiness of the Historic Design Review Board’s requirements, for one, and for another, the complications and challenges involved in renovating any adobe structure as old as theirs. The main quandary: increasing the height of the ceiling. Contractor Lloyd Martinez, now with Edificios Builders, came up with an ingenious—if laborious— solution: Since he couldn’t add height by going up, he added by going down. Martinez raised the ceiling height by excavating and lowering the floors, digging down about two feet. Adding another story, though, required more internal support, so he then shored up the adobe walls by pumping concrete into them and adding a structural steel frame to their interiors. While all that was being done, B and L continued to collect (and commission, too). And one day, after buying a table and chairs of Lajeskie’s that she had on display at Cielo, B and L decided they’d like to meet the woman behind their new furniture. “We got to talking and hit it off immediately,” recalls L, adding that before Lajeskie, B never really saw the purpose behind hiring interior
designers. “But we made a big exception for Kris,” declares B. “Like we told her, the focal point is the art, and you decorate around it. That’s us. And she was willing to work everything around the art. That was key.” Now, of course, B can’t envision either of his houses without Lajeski’s influence. “She can see into my head,” he laughs. “She has tremendous insights. If you saw something, you’d go, Do I want that? Do I really need that? But when you see what Kris does with it, it just makes absolute sense. I really do rely heavily on Kris as to where a piece can go.” Having started his collecting mania way back with holsters and antique guns (on their honeymoon, B spent $100—a significant chunk of their newlywed kitty—on an 1878 Colt .45), B very quickly expanded his appetite. Soon, he had his eye on all things Western and Native American. “B is the most passionate collector I have ever encountered,” marvels Lajeskie, who started designing 19 years ago (with the 30,000-square-foot Rancho Alegre adobe compound just south
of town). “His love for Native American beadwork and Western collectibles is insatiable. So there is an ever-present challenge to maintain a balance between making sure the home stays a home and doesn’t morph into a museum! But it’s also a wonderfully dynamic process, and even though the wall and surface space is gone, there is constant shifting and remixing of the collection, which keeps it fresh and exciting.” Lajeskie, then, with B and L’s blessing, moves things around between the two houses. Although, in terms of space and style (the San Diego home is in the Spanish hacienda mode, with portals, overhangs, and archways), the bigger pieces tend to work better in California, while the smaller ones seem more apropos here. Not that there aren’t some larger works in their adobe. There’s a large, carved leather trunk, for example, made sometime in the 1700s, that Lajeskie accommodated by having an ironwork frame made for it, which surrounds and supports it so that it can function as a sort of display table. “She
turned that into art and furniture,” says B, shaking his head in amazement. Similarly, she rejiggered his old office desk into the dining-room table; the credenza in the living room, made of yellow jarrah wood, also came from B’s office. But it’s less about size or quantity for B and L than it is about intimacy and imagination. “What interests B is the history of a piece—the provenance. Was it part of an event?” explains L. “If it was, then it has a legacy. Then it’s fun and deeper and part of the family.” Whether he’s showing off a shirt made by Lakota Sioux artist Supaya Gray Wolfe, bragging about the talents of Santa Fe painter Roseta Santiago, pointing out the intricate details of wood-carver Billy Churchill’s work, or musing on whoever wore one of his authentic Cheyenne scout coats—“You can see a guy riding horses as a scout in this coat,” he says wistfully—B clearly connects to everything he owns. Lajeskie has enhanced those personal connections with her signature design touches. For each riser of the steps leading to the second floor, for instance, october/november
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she and Kim White, of Statements (the “go-to resource for all things tile,” says Lajeskie), hired Albuquerque mosaic artist Erin Adams to tile into them a glass-mosaic design mirroring B’s beaded children’s vests at the top of each landing. Atop the kitchen stove, she had Adams add another glass-mosaic feather design to complement the home’s feather motif. And to the walls in the downstairs bedroom, Lajeskie added her “signature finish”: a Venetian plaster, executed by master artisans François Pascal and Urszula Bolimowski. Her attention to detail is as thorough as her clients’. “B’s very meticulous—he used to be an investor,” says L. “So he’ll really learn about a piece before he buys it—the background, the authenticity of a piece.” “I love the hunt anyway,” admits B. “So I’ll go out and find what Kris is asking for.” Not that Lajeskie ever need be asked to find new pieces for the house. There’s a saddle bag in the kitchen that B found at Morningstar Gallery. He bought it because its morning-star design complements the beaded-star gauntlet hung above it. “We’ve had fun incorporating pieces into the house,” says B, who no longer collects chaps or gun belts (most of which he lost in the fire), but who has plenty of love left for Western painters such as Z.S. Liang and Mian Situ. B had all but given up on getting a Liang for the San Diego home; then Lajeskie surprised him—shocked him, really—with one, a rendering of the Lakota at Little Big Horn, that she hung above their living-room fireplace. Even sartorially, B and L are of a piece with their collections and their homes. L has a penchant for turquoise and Native American jewelry, and B owns around 80 pairs of cowboy boots. “I live in boots,” he says with a shrug, waving his hand at the rows and rows of boots on the floor and inside his bedroom closet. “Kris has lived with my desire to have nothing but a boot room.” B then tells a very funny, very self-deprecating, very Vonnegutesque story about their daughter, who likes to tease him that her curse is having him as a father—since she now runs her own contemporary gallery in Los Angeles. “Very contemporary,” emphasizes B. “And a while back, when she was
just starting out,” he continues, “I agreed to buy this piece with her—without seeing it. A very contemporary piece by a very big-name artist. I don’t know who. And I didn’t want to know. I didn’t even want to see what it was I was helping my daughter buy. Because if I did, I probably would’ve hated it and never would’ve helped her buy the thing.” B then pauses, trying to recall the artist’s name. “She told me who it was,” he says, “but I’d never heard of the guy.” “Rauschenberg,” says L. “Who?” “Robert Rauschenberg.” “See?” smiles B. “I have no idea who that is.” Oddly enough, B and L spend most of their time in the outside dining area, which has a retractable screen to temper the lateday sun in the summer, and an outdoor fireplace to keep everyone warm in the winter. “We basically live out there,” says B, a triple-A personality type who, according to L, comes down to about C level by the time they hit La Bajada Hill. “Our friends would say, What do you do all day out there?” says B. “I don’t know what we do. I walk. We visit. We love to introduce others to Santa Fe.” “One of the reasons we love it so much,” says L, “is because you can step back into the old world here and see what it looked like back then. And being in this house here, it’s given us a fabric Opposite page, top: the shaded outdoor dining area, where B and L “basically live”; bottom: some of the many beaded pieces in B and L’s vast collection of beaded to our lives.” Native American works, above and atop B’s old office credenza; and, visible through Ironically, the only the doorway, the carved leather trunk from the 1700s. This page, top: Kris Lajeskie drawback to having such a seated on the stairway, where she had mosaic artist Erin Adams tile into each riser vast collection, it seems, is a design mirroring the beaded children’s vests at the top of each landing; above: the back corner of B and L’s historic adobe, which once served as a carriage house. its vastness. “Now I find things, I love them, and I around, then leans forward with a smile. “But have absolutely no place to put them,” says B. people love to look at it, and it gets them to “I have to learn I can no longer buy anything ask questions. If you’re a collector, you love I want. Only if it fits in.” He pauses, looks sharing it with other people.” october/november
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PHOTOGRAPHER: BEN TREMPER; IMAGE COURTESY ROBERT ZACHRY
“IF I WERE ASKED to name the chief benefit of the house,” wrote French philosopher Gaston Bachelard, “I should say: the house shelters daydreaming.” It also shelters other things, obviously, but Bachelard realized—or at least seemed to imply—that daydreaming transformed the house into a home. What else, then, makes a house a home?
Robert Zachry I believe a house becomes a home after the owners apply their personal likes to an otherwise simple house. By simple, I mean a design that acts as a backdrop for the people and their favorite things. A truly elegant modern structure is simple and does not impose a particular “style” upon its people. I personally prefer modern furnishings, accessories, and art, but do not object to some tradi“To make a house a home you need comfort—and some degree of intimacy”—Pamela Duncan. tional elements showing up in my designs. (Successful museums do this all day long and the building does not It doesn’t have to be expensive art, but you want to find things that compete with the contents for attention.) I also believe have some sort of soul to them. My husband and I have things that people’s taste evolves and grows, and their homes should be able to came from secondhand stores, or things we’ve traded for, or things accommodate those changes. I design houses, but the owners really we find and reuse and collect. None of it is very valuable, but these make it their home. are things we appreciate and want to admire. They’re all things that are pleasing to us visually. I feel strongly about bringing elements Steffany Hollingsworth of nature into a house as well—sticks or stones or old pieces of Partner, HVL Interiors machinery can have wonderful texture. They help modern houses There are so many mass-produced things at general retail stores feel less cold. that can fill up a space, but what makes a house a home is bringing things in that have meaning to you—things that are part of your Chris Calvert past or someone else’s, or things you’ve collected that speak to you.
Santa Fe City Councilor
Fundamentally, it’s the people who make a house a home. The people, their pets, and all the other stuff they bring to it that makes it theirs and the things they gather around themselves to make it feel comfortable: books, pictures of their family, things that personalize it and make it a home. It’s not all about the inside, either. People personalize their houses by the kind of plants they have, their yards, and what their yards contain. Most people accumulate enough things over time, so it usually doesn’t take long to make a house a home. In Santa Fe, sometimes it’s different for people who have a second house here; what you often get there is more function—people have things they need in their house but not so much their personal possessions.
Victoria Price COURTESY WOODS DESIGN BUILDERS
Victoria Price Art & Design My mother was an architectural designer, and from the time I was nine years old, we lived in her projects as she worked on them—moving every year. This could have been a hideous way to grow up, but it wasn’t, because my mother made each home feel like ours, even if we only lived in them briefly. First, she took me to the new place and showed me which room was going
“I want my home to be full of light and draw the outside in”—Sharon Woods. october/november
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COURTESY WOODS DESIGN BUILDERS
Robert Zachry Architect
Photo: Clay Ellis
R E S I D E N T I A L A N D C O M M E R C I A L I N T E R I O R S AND IN OUR SHOWROOM ANTIQUES • FURNITURE • ACCESSORIES TEL 505 984-8544 1 5 0 S O U T H S T. F R A N C I S D R I V E , S A N T A F E , N M 8 7 5 0 1 W W W. W G D I N T E R I O R S . C O M
PHOTO BY NEVADA WIER
Create a home place amid thousands of acres of open space and a nationally recognized stewardship community. Explore miles of trails and endless views minutes from Santa Fe. Properties include Southern Crescent neighborhood home sites overlooking a community orchard, equestrian homesteads, and spectacular conservation ranches. www.GalisteoBasinPreserve.com or call Commonweal Conservancy at 505-982-0071, x105 38
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Sharon Woods Woods Design Builders
COURTESY WOODS DESIGN BUILDERS
Too often a home becomes the statement of the architect or designer. I believe a home can be, should be, and wants to be an extension and expression of its owner. As a designer, I try to facilitate this by questioning my clients to understand their priorities, needs, and, most importantly, their dreams. In designing my own house, I am well aware of the unique elements that make it my home. First and foremost is light. I want my home to be full of light and draw the outside in. My home is my sanctuary and I want it to feel serene. I accomplish this by balancing its proportion and its palette. I want one space to flow easily into the next yet have definition.
William Little Associate professor of French, Humanities, and Spanish, Santa Fe Community College
to be mine, and let me pick the color. Whatever I picked—for many years it was purple—she had my room painted and livable before we moved in. This taught me that it is important to set up at least one room right away. Setting it up, whether with new things or familiar old ones, is a question of transforming an empty space into a usable one that makes each person in the family feel as though they are “home” in some way. Home is never really about any of the material things that we put in it. It’s about creating a space that reflects who we are and how we love to live.
Judith Reeder Co-owner, Allbright & Lockwood hardware Starting a design with something personal always creates a more home-like atmosphere. Having objects you love surrounding you, whether they relate to “decorating” or not, creates an environment that most people perceive as homey. You can walk into a welldesigned space and know aesthetically that it’s a brilliant success, but no one necessarily wants to live there—it’s perceived as cold. So good design is only the beginning. Really, it’s creating a space for people that they love to be in. For me, that means being surrounded by beauty, books, the people and animals I love, and yes, a good kitchen. I love to cook! In our own home, we surround ourselves with European antiques and American artwork collected over a lifetime, as well as our collection of Oriental carpets and books. Our color scheme, building scale, and wall massing are completely different from our previous homes, but some very idiosyncratic artwork and welcoming placement of furniture with framed views of the Galisteo Basin and Ortiz Mountains make our home definitely present in Santa Fe, and make it undeniably ours.
A “house” is just a building or physical structure. A “home” is the person or people who live in that structure. Years ago I was struck by the fact that in Europe—where, traditionally, people didn’t for the most part live in what we Americans think of as a standard house but rather lived in a “flat” or what we would think was an apartment or nowadays a condo—in many countries Europeans used the word in their language for “house” for where they lived. It took me a while to wrap my mind around the fact that a “casa” or a “maison” (for two examples) weren’t stand-alone “houses.” In other words, a person or persons settle into an abode of whatever sort and make it a home. How? It takes time and intentionality and habit and the will to express personal style either individually or as a live-in unit or family.
COURTESY WOODS DESIGN BUILDERS
“Good design is only the beginning”—Judith Reeder
Making a home “takes time and intentionality and habit and the will to express personal style”—William Little october/november
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Our new
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COURTESY WOODS DESIGN BUILDERS
on i t ec
“People personalize their houses by the kind of plants they have, their yards, and what their yards contain”—Chris Calvert
Katherine Blagden Associate Broker, Sotheby’s International Realty For my house, it’s a home instead of a house because it’s the accumulation of several generations of furniture and collections and it all has some special significance and meaning. I find it comforting to be surrounded by the vibrations and aura of these old possessions and collections of our ancestors (family portraits, photos, Grandma’s bell collection, old silver and wedding treasures, etc.). But what really makes my house a home is the heart that I cannot help but put into it—all the love I feel for my family and friends, and wanting to have and to make for them a special, comforting, and aesthetically pleasing space in which to retreat and recover from the world. As my husband Jody said, “It’s your enormous heart that makes our house a home.” Maybe that’s it in a nutshell.
Edy Keeler Core Value Inc.
LIGHTING SHOWROOM www.dahllighting.com 1000 Siler Park Lane, Suite A Santa Fe, NM T: 505.471.7272 f: 505.471.9232
People who love each other is a good start. Beyond that basic tenet, a house becoming a home is fostered by design to support who the individuals and the family are, as well as who they want to be. Surroundings that don’t have to be perfect all the time to be
beautiful. The creation is guided by their input, but with the designer’s resources and ability to weave it all together.
Kim D. White Owner, Statements in Tile/Lighting/ Kitchens/Flooring Home is a sanctuary. When you step through the door from travel, work, or play—ahhhh, you’re home. Each of us creates a home differently. Some keep it simple or sparse, some fill it with treasures from across the globe. But in each case, the things that resonate with our soul define the look and feel of home.
Michael Zimber President, Stone Forest Making a house a home has to do with the people who are part of that home—and the ways their accumulated moments build into memories. We have three young kids, so our home is built around family life and what we like to do together. We love stone, so we have quite a bit of stone around the house. As humans, we have a primal relationship with the natural world and natural materials in general. For whatever reason, they seem to have a calming effect on living spaces for people. Bringing natural elements like water and stone into the
house and garden tends to enhance them as places of sanctuary.
Pamela Duncan Founder, Wiseman, Gale & Duncan Interiors To make a house a home you need comfort—and some degree of intimacy in the space. There has to be some place or places in the house where one feels enfolded, cuddled. Sometimes people are too quick to say they want a great big space, and then they never feel comfortable or at home there because it’s kind of overwhelming. If not the architect, it’s up to the designer to somehow create that intimacy, and there is no specific formula for that. How you get there depends upon the client. My own home doesn’t happen to have vast spaces, except for the living room, which is large and has a high ceiling. To create comfort and a feeling of enclosure, I use soft fabrics, cushions, and colors. Colors like grays and beiges always feel soft. And then it’s nice to add color as an accent—what color depends on what people already have. I always try to work with collections or possessions that people love. But in Santa Fe, I like strong colors. Somehow the light seems to take color away from color, almost bleaching it. So people find that as they live here longer, they feel the need for more color.
Valerie Martinez Santa Fe’s poet laureate Loved ones, laughter, and books (especially poetry) make a home. I have lived in a variety of minuscule dorm rooms, a tiny ninth floor walk-up in Boston, a freezingcold duplex in Lake Tahoe, a two-room concrete house in Big Bend, Swaziland, and my comparatively spacious homes in New Mexico. As long as these homes have been inhabited (for moments or days) by those I love, by the sounds of their belly laughs, and by the poetry books that have comforted me through every joy and tragedy of my life, I feel at home. Really, everything else is secondary.
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NEW MEXICO AND NEW YORK:
Photographs of Georgia O’Keeffe OCTOBER
2, 2OO9 – JANUARY 1O, 2O1O
V I S I T T H E M U S E U M D A I LY 1 0 A M – 5 P M 217 JOHNSON STREET, SANTA FE, NM
F R E E 5 – 8 P M F R I D AY S
505.946.1000
OKEEFFEMUSEUM.ORG
New Mexico and New York: Photographs of Georgia O’Keeffe was organized by the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. This exhibition and related programming were made possible in part by a generous grant from The Burnett Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, the Santa Fe Arts Commission and the 1% Lodgers’ Tax, New Mexico Tourism Department, New Mexico Arts (a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs), the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s National Council, and the Members of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
Alfred Stieglitz, Georgia O’Keeffe, 1918. Gelatin silver print, 9 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. Gift, The Georgia O’Keeffe Foundation. © Georgia O’Keeffe Museum.
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• Suite 5 • Santa Fe, NM 87505 • Tel: 505.986.1715 Monday - Friday • 9am - 5pm • Trade Discounts
2009
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Fax: 505.986.1518
art
openings | events | reviews | people
Drawn to the abandoned, the ordinary, the overlooked, and the ignored, Ines Kramer scrambles all these visual-emotional nuggets together (from found images and her own digital photographs) into wonderfully, hauntingly painted collages. Mixing these seemingly disparate sources—traffic signs, piles of old books, telephone-pole wires, water towers, sofa chairs—into scenes that, as she says, “make idiosyncratic sense, much like the process of forgetting, remembering, and editing the past,” Kramer achieves the dual effect of arrière-pensée and l’imprévu: the unrevealed thought or intention and the unexpected. On display at Winterowd Fine Art (701 Canyon, 505-992-8878, wfineart.com) from October 16 (reception 5–7 PM) through October 29, Kramer’s interiors bear the markings of Edouard Vouillard and Henri Matisse (especially Matisse’s Red Studio period), while her equally evocative exterior scenes call to mind David Hockney and Ed Ruscha.—Devon Jackson Ines Kramer, Blue Adirondacks, mixed media on panel, 24 x 24", courtesy Winterowd Fine Art
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PREVIEWS
David Linn: New Work Turner Carroll Gallery, 725 Canyon 505-986-9800, turnercarrollgallery.com Oct 13–Nov 6, reception Oct 16, 5–7 PM In Linn’s ethereal, sepia-toned oil paintings, solitary male figures tumble and dance through mysterious, undefined spaces—sometimes among boulders, other times in what seems to be midair. With their faces obscured and their naked bodies wrapped loosely in robes or strips of flowing, gauzy fabric, each is a mythical Everyman. And each, it appears, is struggling to find his way. Influenced by the Baroque Masters, the American Luminists, and his own wanderings through the wilds of his native Utah, Linn creates deeply personal art that explores, he has said, “the terrain of my own passage through mortality.” It’s a statement that may help viewers interpret what’s going on in his paintings. Or not. Still, the longer you ponder them, the more mysterious and compelling they become. Much, you could say, like life itself.—Dianna Delling
J. Chris Morel, February Morning, oil on linen, 18 x 20"
J.Chris Morel: Breathtaking New Paintings Brazos Fine Art, 119 Bent, Taos 575-758-0767, brazosfineart.com Nov 1–30 Whether he’s paying special attention to the mood and magnificence of northern New Mexico and its seasons or to the tranquility of a still life (of a garden statue surrounded by flowers), Morel captures the ephemeral calm of nature in repose.—Natasha Nargis
David Linn, The Covenant, oil on aluminum panel, 43 x 49"
Various Artists: Desired Effects Meyer Gallery, 225 Canyon 505-983-1434, meyergalleries.com Oct 23–Nov 27, reception Oct 23, 5–7 PM Some of the country’s top hyper-realistic artists were asked to submit works for Meyer’s first-ever Trompe L’oeil Invitational. The result is a collection of amazing, mostly still-life paintings that “trick the eye” (the English translation of the French “trompe l’oeil”) into thinking that what’s depicted on the canvas is real— whether it’s a playing card taped to a chalkboard (Michael Gallarda) or a rocking horse figurine perched atop an antique wooden cabinet (Anthony Waichulis). We’ll warn you ahead of time: Resisting the urge to touch some of these illusionary paintings is sure to be a challenge.— DD Star Galler, Tea Party, charcoal on paper, 15 x 13"
Phyllis Kapp: Life and Love Waxlander Gallery and Sculpture Garden, 622 Canyon 505-984-2202, waxlander.com Oct 6–27, reception Oct 9, 5–7 PM Some may look at the New Mexico landscape and see varying shades of brown and green. But Kapp sees purples and blues and oranges and magentas—and the watercolor paintings that convey her vision have been brightening the Canyon Road art scene now for 25 years. A native Chicagoan who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and Cornell University, Kapp moved to Santa Fe in 1984 and set up her studio in two rooms of an old adobe. That studio soon became the Waxlander Gallery (Waxlander is her maiden name); over the years it has grown to fill the entire building at 622 Canyon, and to represent more than 20 artists. Her latest bold, almost whimsical watercolors feature Kapp’s trademark subjects: mountains, mesas, starry skies, and flowers, inspired by walks in the wild and in the gardens that bloom at her gallery and in her home.—DD
Dick Heichberger, Backlight, oil on canvas, 16 x 12"
Dick Heichberger McLarry Fine Art 225 Canyon, 505-988-1161 mclarryfineart.com Oct 9–23, reception Oct 9, 5–7 PM It sounds as if it wouldn’t matter, but it’s the verticality of Heichberger’s landscapes—of California, Wyoming, and Colorado, and of trees, in particular— that makes these paintings so refreshing.—DJ 44
Phyllis Kapp, So Easy to Dream, watercolor glazed on panel 21 x 17" framed
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Liz Wolf & Robert Striffolino Manitou Galleries, 123 W Palace 505-986-0440, 800-283-0440, manitougalleries.com Oct 2–15, reception Oct 2, 5–7:30 PM Different in appearance though similar in spirit, these works from Wolf (a sculptor) and Striffolino (a painter) aren’t as far apart as one might think. Striffolino’s landscapes and waterscapes aren’t quite abstract, yet they aren’t quite realistic either. In essence, they’re his interpretations of what his inner eye sees. While Wolf may not be interpreting what she sees through an inner eye, her works aren’t entirely realistic either. Her bronze, clay, wood, and glass sculptures often combine the attributes of people with those of animals—creating otherworldly beings that are pleasing to both eye and soul.— NN
Mary Kollman, Mesa Vibes, oil on canvas, 28 x 28"
Lance Green Walden Fine Art, 106A Paseo Del Pueblo Norte, Taos 575-758-4575, waldenfineart.com Oct 1–Nov 30, reception Oct 3, 5–7 PM Stylistically primitive, at times almost to the point of entropy, Green’s expressionistic canvasses exude the metaphysical questionings of someone who’s been through it: through life, through trauma and despair, through emotional pain and suffering. But if they stopped there, if Green went no further, they wouldn’t be as powerful or exert the pull they do. The shamanistic images that dominate these works, dark and inscrutable as they may be, offer up, too, a sense of compassion, grace, and hopefulness. Seemingly painted instinctually and in a state of abandonment, his paintings possess as much spiritual and symbolic intensity as the ones done by the members of Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Group), the early 1900s German expressionists led by the free-form approach of Vasily Kandinsky.—DJ
art
PREVIEWS
Louisa McElwain, Epiphany, oil on canvas, 52 x 52” Liz Wolf, Raven’s Reflection, bronze, 23 x 8 x 10”
Mary Kollman: Mesa Vibes The William and Joseph Gallery, 727 Canyon 505-982-9404, thewilliamandjosephgallery. com Nov 1–30, reception Nov 6, 5–7 PM Mary Kollman calls some of her works “big sky paintings”—for obvious reasons. While mountain ridges and flat-topped mesas are visible at the bottom of her abstract landscapes, Kollman fills most of the canvas with rich, swirling colors, from glowing oranges to sultry teals, capturing the vastness and drama of the southwestern skies. Her intriguingly textured, pure abstract pieces—oils that incorporate hammered copper, fabric, and nails—are also featured here. But the Mesa Vibes exhibit, the artist’s first since she began showing at the gallery in August, will focus on works she has created since leaving the Pacific Northwest for the Rocky Mountains about a year ago. Now a resident of Los Lunas, New Mexico, Kollman is obviously embracing the landscape that surrounds her.—DD
Louisa McElwain: Along the High Road Evoke Contemporary, 130 Lincoln 505-995-9902, evokecontemporary.com Oct 2–31, reception Oct 2, 5–8 PM McElwain, juxtaposing a plein-air approach with a spontaneous abstract expressionist sensibility, creates deeply passionate panoramas that are as rich in energy as they are in color— capturing the intensity of land and sky near her home in Santa Cruz, just outside Santa Fe.—NN
Randy Wix, Cyclic Compound, mixed media on canvas, 48 x 48"
Lance Green, Shaman in Fire Landscape, acrylic on canvas, 20 x 16"
Randy Wix: Approaching Enso InArt Santa Fe, 219 Delgado 505-983-6537, inartsantafe.com Oct 16–Nov 2, reception Oct 23 5–9 PM Wix normally deals solely in the abstract. Here, though, his canvasses—still dripping and stained, stripped here, refinished there—share their space with marks at times identifiable as human or in some way figurative, and end up all the more intriguing.—DJ october/november
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PREVIEWS
Ashley Collins, Ship, oil on paper, aged paper, fired resin finish, 6 x 8'
Ashley Collins: New Works The Edge, 203 Canyon 505-992-0333 theedgesantafe.com Oct 2–Nov 2, reception Oct 2 5–7 PM Like rusted amber relics and ochre pages of old newspapers layered over and under with paints and resins and hidden and obscured images, Collins’s mixed-media works both becalm and bedevil simultaneously.—DJ
Bonnie Teitelbaum, Earth Bound, acrylic on panel, 24 x 24"
Bonnie Teitelbaum: Art of the Road Trip Patricia Carlisle Fine Art 554 Canyon, 505-820-0596, carlislefa.com Oct 5–14, reception Oct 9, 5–7 PM Inspired by one of her annual road trips to, and through, America’s national parks, which she embarked on with family and friends, and with the express intent of creating a series of mixed-media pieces for each stop along their journey—a way of “summing up the visual experience of all the places we traveled,” wrote Teitelbaum, an Air Force brat as a child before starting her own Boston-area graphic-design firm in the 80s and then moving to Santa Fe in 1992—these abstract works may not be identifiable as Jackson Hole or the Grand Tetons, but they do entice and engage. It’s as if the mature James Whistler, the Whistler of the Nocturnes, had chosen only the most abstract area of his landscape—the lights, the shoreline, the mist coming off the water—and focused his brush solely on that.—DJ
Arthur Lopez, Victor Goler, Nicholas Herrera: Dime con Quien Andas Parks Gallery, 127 Bent, Taos 575-751-0343, parksgallery.com Nov 28–Dec 29, reception Nov 28, 4–6 PM Santos are a 400-year-old Hispanic folk art tradition. But if your only exposure to these carved and painted wooden saints has been at inexpensive import stores, you’re missing out: Northern New Mexico is home to some of today’s most talented and innovative santeros. Dime con Quien Andas, or, Tell Me Who You Hang Out With, brings together three of them—Lopez of Santa Fe, Goler of Taos, and Herrera of El Rito—for an exhibition that’s spiritual, witty, and colorful. While all three are exquisite craftsmen, Goler’s santos are the most traditional, reflecting a strong Spanish Colonial influence. Lopez’s work has a more contemporary bent, with brighter colors and the occasional nod to current events. And Herrera mixes wildly flaming hearts and crosses with Harley Davidsons and old hippie buses, making his pieces the most provocative and fun. Herrera’s santos would likely shock the santeros who worked in northern New Mexico a couple of centuries ago. But today they serve as delightful examples of how new generations of artists can take a traditional technique and make it their own.—DD
Julia Barello: Glance Zane Bennett Contemporary Art, 435 S Guadalupe 505-982-8111, zanebennettgallery.com Oct 2–Nov 7, reception Oct 2, 5–7 PM Barello’s a kind of less-heralded, more humble Donald Judd at the moment. Only instead of a minimalist career spent mostly in boxes, she’s been recycling X-rays and MRI films, artistically mining them for the “tension,” as she has put it, “between a body-focused material and beyond-the-body subject matter.” A professor of art at New Mexico State University, where she teaches jewelry and metalsmithing, Barello specializes in three-dimensional wall-hung “paintings” (her sculpted and tinted renderings of the different medical-world filmstrips) of groups of abstract birds, flowers, and leaves. Arranged almost fractally, her wonderfully colorful fabrications play with notions of light, space, and shade as interestingly as the works of Judd or Dan Flavin—if not more so.—DJ
Stephen Wilkes, Nurses’ Quarters, gelatin on silver print
Stephen Wilkes Monroe Gallery of Photography 112 Don Gaspar, 505-992-0800 monroegallery.com Oct 2–Nov 22, reception Oct 2 5–7 PM A photojournalist as well as a fine art photographer, Wilkes, a master of clean, powerful, intense, and intensely but gorgeously detailed images, here gets a well-deserved retrospective of his always interesting work.—DJ 46
Nicholas Herrera, Sacred Heart and Skull, Peace and Love, wood and mixed media, 20 x 14 x 10"
Julia Barello, Trumpet Vine, dyed medical imaging film, 32 x 32 x 5"
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art
PROFILE
complementarity
Cole t t e Hos m er a n d Pa ula Cast illo work out t he ir art —and t he ir ide as— i n pu b l i c By Devon Jackson WHEN PHYSICIST Niels Bohr came up with the notion (over 100 years ago) that a single quantum mechanical entity can behave either as a particle or as a wave, but never simultaneously as both, he more generally realized that it’s not always an absolute that one set of data be right and the other wrong; both kinds of knowledge can be true. He called this idea complementarity, and conceptually, it’s a pretty good description of the way artists coexist with society, and the way the works of Colette Hosmer and Paula Castillo can be seen to relate to each other and other objects as well: complementarily and in opposition, and when viewed together—as when all art is taken together—indispensable to each other and to the world around them. Castillo and Hosmer don’t know each other but they share the same gallery—William Siegal—and they cross paths elsewhere, too; most recently, in public: Castillo has four pieces inside and outside the newly opened New Mexico History Museum, and Hosmer’s 27 granite cutthroat trout fish heads grace the outer plaza of the new Santa Fe Community Convention Center. Castillo works mainly in metal—scrap metal. Hosmer works mainly in stone (stone pieces she has fi nished for her in China). Castillo, 48, lives in the scenic valley village of Córdova (a town of 600 along the High Road to Taos, just south of Truchas), and works outdoors or in one of two shed-garages near her home. Hosmer, 62, constructs her pieces in a converted upstairs bedroom of a unit she lives in and owns in an apartment complex in southside Santa Fe. Castillo’s work is usually abstract; Hosmer’s tends toward the representational. “I believe public art should be engaging to the public, not to be easy or simple but something that will engage them,” says Hosmer, a tall, radiant woman whose studio flows over with fish skulls and snake skeletons, wooden anatomical models, tools big and small, drawings, sketches, spools and spools of threads of all colors, bags and bags of plaster, a miniature quasi-apothecary-cum-laboratory (with labeled glass bottles containing bear scat, duck embryos, saguaro seeds, and other exotica), and bones, bones, and more bones. “I didn’t want some imposing piece of art that no one can get their mind around. I just wanted the fish to begin at the steps and draw people into the plaza—to be inviting, so it’d flow, the way fish and water flow, the way Santa Fe’s a forward-moving and vital city. The way the fi sh are.” “With the public works, I try to have the work evolve from the site and its history, and I like to have some sort of narrative,” says Castillo. Short, slim, and well-centered, Castillo grew up with scrap metal around the house (“We were poor and it was a commodity, so you saved it to use later”) and now gets most of her steel from scrapmetal dealers—discarded byproducts of punch presses, lathes, and drill presses, all of which she lets age and turn to varying shades of patinating decay in the many buckets and piles she leaves outside to the elements. “I like pockets of information that can lead people to their own associations. And even though I wish I could do very ephemeral things, I like to capture some moments in time as metaphors, as memorials.” Although their works bear no relation to each other texturally or materially, they complement one another thematically. “I like the duplicate idea and repetition,” says Hosmer, who likes to play around with scale. “One piece standing by itself hardly makes sense to me, but many of them together, it changes form. It’s more complex and more interesting.” Castillo, too, favors repetition, and monumentality. “Probably the biggest qualities in my works are dissonance and some sort of imbalance,” she says. “And a generative feeling: the spaces influencing other spaces. It’s like the butterfly effect: one little diversion and things flower in a different way. Visually, that’s what I’m attracted to. The idea that not so much how we’re different but how we influence each other in a larger cumulative sense.” These dissonances and shifts in scale can sometimes create a surrealistic effect, which doesn’t mean their work is Surreal in nature or intent. Which is where the idea of complementarity comes back into play: Both effects—all effects—can be true, can exist simultaneously. “That’s the role of art anyway, isn’t it?” muses Hosmer. “If it has real substance, it makes the mind jump the track. It causes something to occur to you that wouldn’t have any other way.” october/november
Top: Paula Castillo’s Rio Grande Colcha, metal, 20’, on the front wall of the New Mexico History Museum; Colette Hosmer, Santa Fe Current, 27 granite Rio Grande cutthroat trout, 24 x 18 x 48", outside the Santa Fe Community Convention Center
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SCENE
openings up
for toda y ’s n ew g alle ry owne rs, t he showing s must g o on By Devon Jackson
Top: Two of the rooms in Deborah Fritz-Leyden’s new gallery, GF Contemporary; above: Tibet Girl, Xiaojiu Shi, oil on canvas, 24 x 18", at Greenberg Fine Art
BUYING ART NEVER seems to go out of fashion. Nor does selling it, especially here in Santa Fe, where the city’s reputation as an art-market bellwether continues to hold strong. In this past year alone—this year of all years—no fewer than a dozen new (or newish) galleries have sprung up. To wit: Evoke Contemporary, D. Rothermel Fine Art, Museum Works, Gallery Chartreuse, Mark White Fine Art, The Edge, 222 Shelby, Skotia, LaKind, Greenberg Fine Art, GVG Contemporary, loriMetals Gallery and Fuel Cafe, and GF Contemporary. “This is the right time to open a gallery,” says Greenberg Fine Art’s Mark Greenberg, who comes from a background of corporate sales and management and moved to Santa Fe six years ago to sell art, which he did—the first year as a salesperson, the past five as director of a Canyon Road gallery. “I am a firm believer that the economy is rebounding and I am now positioned to take advantage of the situation.” What motivated Mark and Sue White, of Mark White Fine Art, was less a matter of taking advantage of market conditions and lowered rents (although, that seemed to be a huge plus for everyone), and more a case of hearing one’s entrepreneurial clock ticking. “I would like to say it was a rational decision based on sound business principles, but it wasn’t,” says Mark White, whose kinetic sculptures, long a familiar sight here in town, now have their own indoor-outdoor environment, along with other types of White’s work. “I woke up one morning realizing I am 60 years old, and so I decided to change the course of our lives.” Abstract expressionist Kay Kenton and her husband, landscape painter Daniel Bethune, of Gallery Chartreuse, took an even bolder leap, moving here all the way from Hawaii. “Sometimes things just present themselves and you just have to go with it,” says Bethune, whose gallery also features sculpture, photography, and furniture and toys. “We hope that we are raising the bar, not only in our art but in the way we do business.” Furniture artist and sculptor Ernst Gruler and his wife, painter Blair Vaughn-Gruler, of GVG, also relocated—from Sedona. Despite holding on to their gallery representation in Arizona, the Grulers set up shop here for two reasons. First, says Blair, “Santa Fe provides more stimulation for us as artists.” Just as important, she adds, “Santa Fe’s history as an art mecca still lends itself to showing and selling good work.” “I believe in Santa Fe in general and the Santa Fe art market in particular,” says Greenberg, whose mix of contemporary and traditional representational art has already been selling well. “Because of this belief in the Santa Fe art market, I think I am hopefully showing that it’s safe to go back into the water.”
paint it out THE ANNUAL Historic Canyon Road Paint Out and Festival returns for its second straight year October 17. Join Canyon Road galleries and their artists as they take to the streets for a daylong session of painting. The day kicks off at 10 AM at Greenberg Fine Art, 205 Canyon Road, when Santa Fe Mayor David Coss proclaims the 17th Historic Canyon Road Day. Sponsored by Santa Fean magazine, the festival recreates the historic road’s legendary past, when artists used to live, paint, and exhibit their work outdoors as well as in. There will also be a competition, as judges will assess the day’s works and award prizes to the top three. And it’s not just the traditional artists and their galleries who’ll be participating. In addition to the plein air painters, still life artists, and landscape painters outside that day, there will also be contemporary and abstract artists taking part—giving lectures, demonstrations, and talking about their own processes. For more information, see historiccanyonroad.com. 48
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
InArt Santa Fe Gallery Sharon Craft, Mountain Spirit, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30"
Now on display, Sharon Craft’s unique paintings take us beyond the canvas. She describes her latest series of work as “a search for ‘spirit,’ the innate yearning for understanding the ‘great mystery.’ I use the rock form to represent basic, primal, manifested energy. These forms embody the experiences we all have in the unfolding of our lives. We create secrets—deep crevasses—or we open our consciousness to become more of who we truly are, layer upon layer. Each painting is meant to be a small universe that represents the microcosm within the macrocosm—the emergence of form, the syntheses of the concrete and spirit.” 219 Delgado, 505-983-6537, InArtSantaFe.com
Altermann Galleries & Auctioneers Tom Gilleon, Metis Bow Coup, oil on board, 36 x 36"
Altermann Galleries & Auctioneers, specialists in American Western art, will be conducting its November 8 Auction at its new auction facility. Located at 345 Camino Del Monte Sol (between Canyon Road & Acequia Madre), it has 5,000 square feet of space and ample parking. Altermann is always seeking consignments for future auctions. Please contact the gallery for details. 225 Canyon, 505-983-1590, altermann.com
the gallery ART SHOWCASE
Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian Narciso Abeyta (Ha So De), Untitled, gouache on paper, 21 x 29"
The exhibition Through Their Eyes: Paintings from the Santa Fe Indian School, running from May 17, 2009–April 18, 2010, focuses on paintings created by students who attended the Santa Fe Indian School between 1918 and 1945. Featured artists include Fred Kabotie, Allan Houser, Andrew Tsihnahjinnie, Pablita Velarde, and Sybil Yazzie. 704 Camino Lejo, Museum Hill, 505-982-4636, wheelwright.org
Human Line Studio Stacey Huddleston, Love is Blind—Red, White, and Blue and Pregnant too, mixed media, 33 x 43"
Human Line Studio is located on Historic Bent Street in Taos. The gallery is the public face of Stacey Huddleston, showing mixed media paintings, monoprints, sculpture, and ink drawings. Huddleston’s vibrant palette and spiritual nature have marked her as the Neo-Southwestern artist. 127D Bent, Taos, 575-751-3033, humanlinestudio@newmex.com october/november
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Hunter Kirkland Contemporary Michael Madzo, This Earthly Pleasure, acrylic on paper, sewn with cotton threads, 39 x 25" framed
Difficult to describe, Michael Madzo’s acrylic paintings hauntingly depict personae and creatures that are at once fanciful and mysteriously grotesque as well as heroic. His trademark technique, of sewing bits of his artwork together with cotton threads, attracts attention both for its symbolism and rich texture. Madzo’s paintings will appear in HKC’s annual New Work Show, which opens Friday, October 16, from 5–7 PM. 200B Canyon, 505-984-2111, hunterkirklandcontemporary.com
Evoke Contemporary Louisa McElwain, Along the High Road
Collectors of Louisa McElwain paintings are invited to submit images of their McElwain works to be considered for publication in her upcoming hardcover retrospective book. Those that submit an image will be included in a drawing for a copy of a collector’s edition of the book upon release. You will also be invited to a private collector preview party for the October show and receive a complimentary video of Louisa demonstrating her painting process. Please inquire at the gallery or at info@evokecontemporary.com to learn more about these and other special events. October 2 to October 21, reception October 2, 5–8 PM. 130 Lincoln, Ste. F, 505-995-9902, evokecontemporary.com
Monroe Gallery of Photography Stephen Wilkes, Curved Corridor
This retrospective includes new photographs from Stephen Wilkes, one of America’s leading contemporary photographers, and also features the exhibition of Wilkes’s major documentary projects. Opening reception with the photographer, October 2, 5–7 PM. Exhibition continues through November 22. 112 Don Gaspar, 505-992-0800, monroegallery.com.
Art Exchange Gallery Jeff Tabor, Trees and Yellow Field, acrylic on canvas, 16 x 24"
Native New Mexico artist Jeff Tabor paints geometric scenes that have impacted him since his youth, as in this painting of a group of trees adjoining a stripe of yellow fields complemented by violet flowers. Visit the gallery’s new space and see more of his work. 618B Canyon, 505-982-6329, aegallery.com
Parks Gallery Victor Goler, Dona Sebastiana, pine, watercolor, and mixed media, 13 x 7 x 4"
Dime con Quien Andas (“Tell me who you hang out with and I’ll tell you who you are”) features retablos and bultos by three of northern New Mexico’s finest santeros—Victor Goler, Nicholas Herrera, and Arthur Lopez—who share aesthetic and cultural roots but express singular visions. November 28 to December 29, reception November 28, 4–6 PM . 127A Bent, Taos, 575-751-0343, parksgallery.com
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GF Contemporary Martin Spei, Hazmat (detail), plaster, gold leaf, and latex, 24 x 13 x 9"
“Martin Spei’s work is as much about a Sisyphean worldview as it is about the human condition. His workingman homunculi portray the passion and pathos of the daily grind. The objects they carry are held close to their bodies, ownership as found object, expressed with whimsy and humor.”—Jeffrey Gillespie 707 Canyon, 505-983-3707, gfcontemporary.com
Selby Fleetwood Gallery Nicholas Wilton, May, oil on canvas, 70 x 90"
Selby Fleetwood Gallery celebrates their 5th Anniversary with the 2009 All Artists Holiday Show. The public is warmly welcomed to view exciting new works by gallery artists and join the festivities. The reception is November 27, 5–7 PM. 600 Canyon, 800-992-6855, 505-992-8877, selbyfleetwoodgallery.com
GVG Contemporary New in Santa Fe this year, GVG Contemporary features the fine-art furniture of artist and gallery co-owner Ernst Gruler. Gruler’s beautiful, functional handcrafted chairs, tables, pedestals, lamps, and wall pieces have been collected nationally and internationally. Both ergonomically designed and highly creative, Gruler’s work is like nothing you have seen before. Also featured in the gallery are the mysterious and resonant paintings of Blair Vaughn-Gruler, and the whimsical work of South African painter Lori SchappeYouens, who will be featured at the Delgado Fourth Friday Artwalk on October 23 from 5–8 PM. Come meet the artists! 238 Delgado, 505-982-1494, gvgcontemporary.com
Art Exchange Gallery Mike Mahon, Doc in Blue, oil, 16 x 12"
Looking deep into Santa Fe souls, Mahon’s plein-air portraits feel like jazz. His lifelong love of faces, along with his bold mastery of the medium, help us clearly appreciate the people that he paints. Long before he moved from Texas to Santa Fe, his family’s roots were in Taos. It’s that high-country village look and sky-high drama that fill up his paintings.
The Edge Gallery Ashley Collins, May 12, mixed media, oil on paper, fired resin finish, 6 x 8'
There are many painters of horses, but there is only one “Collins,” recognized with a prestigious 25-year career. Collected across the continents, from Shanghai to Milan, her tranquil works grace the collections of Robert Redford, 20th-Century Fox, and various foundations and corporations. Public opening, October 2, 5–7 PM. 203 Canyon, 505-992-0333, theedgesantafe.com
618 Canyon, 505-982-6329, aegallery.com
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For reservations, please call 505.995.4530. 309 West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, NM | EldoradoHotel.com
Where Santa Fe begins.
COURTESY WOODS DESIGN BUILDERS
architecture | design | people
When Reynie Ortiz contracted with Sharon Woods, of Woods Design Builders, to create a three-condo compound on Acequia Madre, on a piece of land his family has owned for decades, he wanted the new houses to fit into the tenor of the neighborhood. Woods obliged, seamlessly combining Pueblo and Territorial style adobes while also incorporating plenty of old architectural features and pieces, some of which Ortiz brought to Woods himself. The gates, for instance: Ortiz found them in El Paso and Woods, who chairs the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Historic Design Review Board, added them to the compound, giving the entire place a sense of timelessness. Completed only last summer, visitors, and even neighbors, mistook the compound as an overall renovation, not realizing that everything was brand new. Not that surprising, given that Woods literally wrote the book on the modern Santa Fe aesthetic, 1986â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Santa Fe Style, which combines the charm of the old with the conveniences of more contemporary materials and design. Much like Santa Fe itself. october/november
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COLUMN
the art of design
ONE OF THE CONUNDRUMS of interior design revolves around that age-old chicken-versus-egg question: Did the designer’s choices inspire the art inside a home or did the owners’ art dictate the design? While the answer most often depends on one’s perspective, if it’s done well—i.e., if the interior designer has truly fulfilled the desires of the client—there is no either-or: Art inspired the design; design inspired the art. Take the home of collector Courtney Taylor, for instance, who divides her time between New York and Santa Fe. Her passion for contemporary art served as the driving force behind her recent Santa Fe remodel. Taylor, a SITE Santa Fe trustee, studied art history at Wellesley, but it wasn’t until completing a master’s program in modern art and connoisseurship at Christie’s that she actually began to acquire art. As an interior designer, I had the good fortune to be hired by Taylor and her husband, Scott, for their Santa Fe remodel, a late-1980s spec home in dire need of an update. I was asked to create a dynamic and complementary environment that wouldn’t overshadow their growing collection of contemporary art, a collection that includes works by Catherine Opie, Paul Chan, Ryan McGinness, Sebastiaan Bremer, Hai Bo, Sophie Calle, Kota Ezawa, Yun-Fei Ji, and Beatriz Milhazes. My challenge was to balance the Taylors’ urban aesthetic with the softer, more colorful sensibility of Santa Fe and show off their collection to its best advantage, while avoiding the trap of museum-white walls. In our effort to create a connection between Santa Fe and New York, we turned to a sophisticated palette of neutral—silver, gray, steel blue, lilacs, and chocolate brown—for the walls. When the handsome mix of paintings, photographs, and works on paper were hung, the richly colored walls not only Fenton blended his design with the Taylors’ artworks, such as Ryan McGinness’s Punk & Bloat painting, above complemented each piece of art’s uniqueness in its particular the sofa. that you love, whether they’re antique tribal or contemporary space but allowed the Taylors’ collection to stand out as a photography [or political], they will relate to each other in an whole as well. The contemporary furnishings, tile, lighting, cabininteresting way.” etry, and fixtures, many of which came from such resources as Santa As for which takes precedence—art or design—Courtney Fe Modern, Statements in Tile, Santa Fe By Design, and Kitchen responds unequivocally if also evenhandedly. “For me, the art Dimensions—all here in Santa Fe—blended effortlessly with the always comes first,” she says. “But I’m delighted that Jeff created palette and the existing art. a space that functions as a kind of painting in absence of the art. In addition to being enthusiastic travelers, the Taylors seek I find that having a rich wall color in no way inhibits my ability out the work of local artists and craftspeople, and have a particto display. So I’m fortunate not to have to choose between the ular affinity for art aimed at social or political awareness. While chicken and egg!” art of that nature may seem to present a challenge to an interior What matters most, then, is that you connect with whatever it is designer, it really doesn’t, so long as the designer understands you enjoy and reflect that in your home. that that’s just another part of the owners’ personality and what they love and want in their home. “Living with art is a very personal thing,” says Courtney. “I think if you put together objects 54
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Jeff Fenton is the vice president and director of design for ACC.
COURTESY JEFF FENTON; PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRIS MARTINEZ, IM DESIGN STUDIOS
by Je f f Fe nt on
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Q+A
the roadrunner in the coal mine Ed Ma z r ia ’s b lue print s f or a carbon-ne ut ral f ut ure
COURTESY ARCHITECTURE 2030
NOW THAT THE inconvenient truths of global warming, climate change, and energy shortages aren’t so inconvenient anymore, one of the original messengers of all these energy-related issues—Santa Fe architect-turned-energy-efficiency researcher, advocate, and policy developer Ed Mazria—has reemerged, and with the cool, cogent vengefulness of a CPA whistleblower. Consider just these two facts, unearthed by Mazria, author of The Passive Solar Energy Book (1979) and this year’s winner of the prestigious Hanley Award for Vision and Leadership in Sustainable Housing, and calmly presented by him to various U.S. House and Senate committees: SUVs account for only 3 percent of total greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions in the U.S., while 48 percent of total U.S. energy consumption can be attributed to the building sector. Surprised? Mazria was. And this was back in 2003, before he retired from architecture in 2006 and, that same year, spurred by this discovery, founded Architecture2030, a nonprofit organization whose 2030 Challenge is that the building industry go entirely carbon-neutral by 2030.—Devon Jackson Architecturally and environmentally, have things improved since you published the groundbreaking Passive Solar Energy?
Unfortunately, it takes a crisis to push the government to get things done. The first crisis, instigated by OPEC in the ’70s, was artificially created. When the spigots were opened up again in the early ’80s, the government ended its investment in alternative energies and things slowed down. Now we have three crises converging: the climate issue, the energy crisis, and the economic crisis. So the federal government is getting involved and we’re seeing a huge amount of interest again in energy use. How did Architecture2030 come about?
It started as part of a Friday seminar in my office. We’d talk about the energy-and-architecture work we did in the ’80s. One of the questions that naturally came up was, What about the greenhousegas emissions? I decided to see how it related to architecture and energy; and we found that the connection was dramatic: Roughly 50 percent of all GHG emissions can be attributed to buildings. That means, as a sector, we’re the largest GHG-emission user in the world. So we have to be a major part of the solution. That’s what Architecture2030’s mission is. It’s taken a few years for that to sink in, but now it’s really begun to take off.
Ed Mazria, one of the leaders in the fight for a carbon-neutral future
conscious. But coming to New Mexico was an eye-opening experience. You can’t come here and not feel connected in some way to the larger environment. Why have you stayed in Santa Fe?
My wife is from here. I moved up from Albuquerque in 1984, when our daughter was born. I’ve had the freedom to do the things I’ve needed to do as an architect here. What can people do to push the 2030 Challenge forward?
People can do a number of things, because implementation happens at the local level. While the federal government can adopt all these measures, they still have to be implemented. So we’ve proposed Reach Codes. Whatever the building energy code is for that year, a city, county, or state can go further than those established codes. That’s when folks at the local level can help move the 2030 Challenge forward even more quickly.
What’s the response been like so far?
What do you do when you’re not advocating on behalf of Architecture2030?
It’s caught fire and it’s beginning to move the way it did in the ’70s and ’80s—and I don’t see it petering out the way it did back then, because this crisis has not been artificially created.
Architecture2030’s all-consuming. It’s work and it’s a hobby. I use my spare time to learn and I use my work time to use what I’ve learned and put that to work. On top of all that my wife and I have three rescue dogs we take out for long walks. But every week something huge happens. It hasn’t exploded yet but it’s getting ready to explode. You’ll have growth in this area, tremendous growth, very soon.
Were you always so environmentally aware and active?
I grew up in Brooklyn, so I was never particularly environmentally
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COURTESY INSIDEOUT
MIX
plastillows, anyone?
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As Mr. McGuire so prophetically told Benjamin Braddock in that classic scene from The Graduate more than 40 years ago, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great future in plastics.â&#x20AC;? Indeed. There was. And still is. As plastic bags have come to be reviledâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;despite their continued usefulnessâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;those old throwaways from Bumble Bees, Target, Albertsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, and elsewhere no longer have to scourge the environment, as these clever pillows illustrate. Constructed entirely from recycled plastic bags, these hardy cushions, from Susan Todd Design, have been commissioned by Barbara Templeman and Cheryl Jamison, of Santa Feâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s insideOUT exterior-design ďŹ rm. Available by the square foot, they go well both indoors and out.â&#x20AC;&#x201D;DJ
sustain-it-yourself
HE?AJOA
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Imagine taking IKEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s distribution model and combining it with handcrafted, eco-friendly products. Colorado furniture maker Kenn Archibald has done just that: His new line of sustainable handmade furniture arrives in a box and can be easily assembled at home. Known as RiTA (for Ready To Assemble), Archibaldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one-man operation uses only wood certiďŹ ed by the Forest Stewardship Council, along with nontoxic glues and ďŹ nishes. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I can ship it, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s affordable and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economical, and it wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t deteriorate over time,â&#x20AC;? says Archibald, a sculpture major based in Loveland who, because his mom lives in Taos, has been expanding into Northern New Mexico. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m selling the designs and the craftsmanship ďŹ rst, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a bonus that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all green.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D;DJ
Restaurant Martín Fans of Martín Rios are a loyal and patient bunch. They have followed after this talented chef—from The Old House Restaurant to The Inn of the Anasazi to Geronimo—as he has tried to find the right fit culinarily and professionally. The wait is over. Rios is now his own boss and ready to soar in this fabulous renovated space. His signature touches appear in dishes such as the Dungeness crab crepe with marguez sausage and the diver’s sea scallops with a potatoshallot puree (pictured here), and the prices reflect the times: no main courses over $30 for dinner or $10–$15 for lunch. Classic Rios in his own joint—we fans are so ready.—John Vollertsen Restaurant Martín, 526 Galisteo, 505-820-0919, restaurantmartinsantafe.com. Open Mon–Sat 11:30 AM–2 PM, 5:45–10; Sun 11 AM–2 PM, 5:45–10
DOUGLAS MERRIAM
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maestro of his bistro
REVIEW
Rober t C hic k er in g mast e rs t he harmonics of his e cle ct ic cuisine
DOUGLAS MERRIAM
By John Vollertsen
Galisteo Bistro’s counter seats afford front-row views into the kitchen.
CHEF-PROPRIETOR Robert Chickering, of the newly opened Galisteo Bistro (227 Galisteo, 505-982-3700), was a professional musician for many years, and draws a parallel between the two vocations. “Both,” he notes, “require attention to detail.” This important trait of the trade has been passed on to the staff and makes this cozy bistro a welcome addition to the downtown dining scene. In a year during which the economy has been anything but supportive of a new business venture of any kind, Chickering and his gently priced, eclectic menu fill a niche that I predict will weather the storm. Despite all the wonderful food our town has to offer, the foie gras and truffles found on many menus have bored me of late (yawn), so I’ve been eager to discover a bill of fare that breaks away from the rest of the pack. Thankfully, Chickering’s does. Although, it almost didn’t: When opening advertisements mentioned pizza on the menu, I got nervous. Leave pizza making to pizza makers, I say. But Chickering and his chef, Seamus Collins, wised up quick and dropped the item entirely, focusing on the more fancy, if you will: dishes that include cuisines of the Mediterranean with a smattering of New Orleans thrown in. I admire a restaurateur who says, Hey, 58
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I want to cook the foods I love, like a musician who says, I want to play the music I enjoy. Befitting Chickering’s musical background, then, the dramatically lit, open kitchen plays centerpiece to the brick-walled dining room, and the food is on stage here in the former double-bass player’s latest performance. Should foodies want to watch the action up close there are tall stools along a counter that offer front-row seats to the cooking proceedings. In a different setting, the slightly schizophrenic menu might be confusing—the array of categories includes tapas, cheese tastings (called “flights”), insalate, bistro classics, blue-plate specials, and a beef section offering grass-fed Harris Ranch beef tricked up in a variety of ways (with béarnaise, marsala, or fiorentina). But I found the kitchen confident and deft with the flavors no matter where the recipe originated from—Spain, Italy, or Louisiana. For starters, don’t miss the chipotle shrimp tapa: plump shrimp swimming in a puddle of smoky sauce that begs to be soaked up by the crusty house-made bread. The tuna tartare with roasted beets was layered with a gingered chèvre, a touch that gave a tangy tone to the subtle cubes of pink tuna and purple beets, all nicely lubricated with a drizzle of lemon oil. The crab cakes casalinga (made by hand) were moist and happily crab-laden, perched on a bed of greens and napped with a citrus wasabi dressing and red-pepper aioli—did that plate get licked! A gorgonzola torte with walnut crust, from the insalate section, was more like a luscious slab of savory cheesecake, served on a salad that would satisfy any hater of rabbit food. It’s so rich you’ll be gobbling up the greens to help cut the fat. Pasta lovers can enjoy a creamy scallops-and-shrimp romesco over penne or a pasta al forno—more penne baked with mushroom marinara and veal-ricotta meatballs. The carnivore in me couldn’t pass up the slow-braised lamb shanks—fork tender and shellacked in a maple barbecue sauce with just the right amount of sweetness. I almost refused to share any of it with the table—yummy! Vegetarians can create a meal from the clever tapas, salads, and a hand-built eggplant parmesan. The wood-burning pizza oven lay idle this past summer. But after it’s converted to gas, roasted meats and focaccias will emerge this winter. The concise wine list features vineyards local and international, from New Mexico to Portugal and beyond. And our inky chianti classico paired well with the Spanish and Italian flavors; domestic beers are on tap, too. The bracing press-pot coffee readied us for a date at the opera while the mud-puddle dessert topped off the night with its decadent mountain of coffee ice cream, mocha mousse, chocolate crumbles, and cream. Chickering would have made a great conductor; his orchestra of a staff is playing lovely food in perfect harmony. If music be the food of love—long may the Galisteo Bistro play on.
sole food
BOOKS
De b ora h Ma di s on ’s n e w b o ok lo ok s at t h e p h e n om e n on of e at i ng hom e a lon e meat,” she reports. “Still, we haven’t met the woman yet who would eat steak three times a week. She will, however, eat from the same pot of soup night after night.” Relationship counselors, take note. Recipes run the gamut from the “amusing-butI’d-never-try-it” (the dietary cottage-cheese plate with watercress and cucumber) to the delicious-sounding lamb chops with tingle-andburn spices. Beginner Alone author Deborah Madison cooks won’t be intimidated by recipes such as leftover-spaghetti sandwich or soft avocado taco. There’s even a whole chapter devoted to the novice: “What Every Boy and Girl Should Learn to Cook Before They’re Men and Women,” complete with unfailing recipes for perfect roast chicken and mashed potatoes. What We Eat is a great gift for single friends, but be careful giving it to pals in a rocky relationship—they just might read it, realize all the fun they’re missing, and jump ship!
EL NIÑO PROMISES a wet winter, and wet winters usually bring in lots of skiers. But before the flurries fly, the clear and sunny skies of October turn those vibrant green chiles a brilliant red. If you, like me, can’t get enough of this hot stuff, check out our Thanksgiving recipes and add some new New Mexico flavors to your family traditions. Speaking of Thanksgiving, be sure to remember those less fortunate: Cook for them, donate to a food bank or shelter, give back your time and prosperity. One of my favorite ways to contribute is mentoring for the Cooking with Kids program in our public schools. Join me and four other top Santa Fe chefs for a special Autumn Harvest Luncheon fund-raiser on Sunday, October 25, and see how Cooking with Kids is inspiring youngsters to learn about the wonderful world of food and nutrition. (Details available at cookingwithkids.com.) Balloon Fiesta visitors: don’t forget to visit us in Santa Fe. Take the New Mexico Rail Runner Express and check out all the great restaurants we have here, more than 200 and counting. The recently revamped Hotel St. Francis, right downtown, has a nifty new bar, called Secreto, and a dining room, Table de los Santos, that features the cuisine of former Café San Estevan chef Estevan Garcia. Chef Enrique Guerrero, who wowed us with the cozy Mangiamo Pronto last year, has launched another venture, Brasserie Zuniga, at 228 Old Santa Fe Trail. Zuniga features a Latin American menu from 7 A.M. to 6:30 P.M. I’m thrilled that local restaurateurs are thumbing their noses at the economy and continuing to create new projects to tempt our palates this fall and winter. It’s a great sign: Santa Fe is still in business and still cookin’.—JV
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COURTESY DEBORAH MADISON
IN A WORLD WHERE people wait longer to get married, get divorced more (and often stay that way), or remain single and enjoy the heck out of it, What We Eat When We Eat Alone (Gibbs Smith, $25), by cookbook author Deborah Madison, could not be more timely or enchanting. Rarely does a book intrigue me so completely that I have to turn off the computer, put up my feet, and read it cover to cover. This tome is just such a charmer. Madison, who lives in the tiny town of Galisteo, stepped out of the kitchen and traded her spatulas and whisks for the mighty pen in order to pick the brains and palates of friends, colleagues, bachelors, college students, fellow foodies, and total strangers. The responses appear in the form of quotes, dissertations, observations, confessions, anecdotes, and 100 recipes. There’s something here to tickle the fancy of anyone who loves food—and who doesn’t? Many of the retorts are profound; even more are downright funny. Clever and amusing sketches, drawn by Madison’s artist husband, Patrick McFarlin, accompany the tales, and Madison offers up a take on each story. For instance, men and women eat alone differently. “Men, many of them, do love their
NATALIE BACA
COURTESY GIBBS SMITH
By John Vollertsen
turkey time=chile time
RECIPE
what’s Thanks giving wit hout mole sauce? By John Vollertsen
Mole Rub: Makes about 11⁄3 cups ¼ cup cocoa powder ¼ cup light brown sugar ¼ cup salt 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted 2 tbsp corn masa (available in the flour section of most grocery stores) 1 tbsp ground black pepper 1 tbsp ground New Mexican red chile* 1 tbsp ground ancho chile*
DOUGLAS MERRIAM
TIRED OF THE same old turkey year in and year out? You’ve brined it, smoked it, deep-fried it Cajun-style, and yet every year family and friends expect your bird to reach new heights in flavor and concept. This year, at the Santa Fean, we are turning to New Mexico’s favorite ingredient, chile, to transform our Thanksgiving dinner into an anything-but-humdrum feast. Don’t worry if your aunt Tilley from Boston doesn’t like spicy food; there are many levels of heat in the clever capsicums New Mexicans worship. Our bumper crop this year is due to the wet June and hot July we experienced; chiles love that equation. Once we’ve enjoyed them green through September, we allow them to ripen to a crimson red and then we string them into ristras to enjoy throughout the winter. Our neighbors to the south, in Mexico, love to transform the dried version of the red chiles into mole—a rich, multi-spiced seed-and-nut sauce that is often served with turkey. The mole-making process is often a daylong affair, but here we’ve adapted a recipe from Chef Douglas Rodriguez, who reduced the time and preparation by creating a mole-inspired dry rub you can massage into ole Tom before he hits the oven. Hint: Make a double batch of the rub—it’s addictive—then use it to season chicken and pork throughout the year. 1 tbsp ground chipotle chile* 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tsp ground star anise 1 tsp toasted and ground cumin seeds 1 tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cloves ¼ tsp ground allspice 1½ tsp toasted and ground coriander seeds ½ tsp ground, dried Mexican oregano
Place thawed turkey on rack set in large roasting pan; tuck wings under. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon mole rub in main cavity of turkey and ½ cup spice mixture all over and under turkey skin; tie legs together to hold shape. Refrigerate uncovered overnight. Let turkey stand 1 hour at room temperature. Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Brush turkey with vegetable oil and sprinkle with an additional ¼ cup of the mole rub. Pour 1½ cups chicken stock into pan with turkey. Reduce heat to 350 degrees; place pan in oven and roast turkey 2 hours. Add 2 cups broth to pan; roast 1 hour. Pour 2 cups broth over tur-
Mix together all the ingredients. Use at once or store in an airtight jar at room temperature for up to 3 months. For the Turkey 1 (18–20-pound) turkey; neck, heart, and gizzard removed 5 ½ cups chicken stock 2 tbsp vegetable oil *If you live out-of-state, order the wonderful Los Chileros brand chiles you need online at 888eatchile.com
key; cover turkey loosely with foil. Continue roasting until thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 175 degrees, about 1 hour longer. Transfer turkey to platter, tent loosely with foil and kitchen towel, and let stand 30 minutes (internal temperature of turkey will rise 5 to 10 degrees). Skim fat from the pan reserving juices. Carve and serve with mole broth that is left in the pan after skimming. Lose the ubiquitous mashed potatoes and instead serve these chile-rich scalloped potatoes, chubby with cheese and sour cream.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
taste of the town
NORTHERN NEW MEXICO’S FINEST DINING EXPERIENCES
featured listing Doc Martin’s at The Historic Taos Inn 125 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos 575-758-1977, taosinn.com
Doc Martin’s restaurant is an acclaimed fine-dining establishment located in a registered historic landmark. Doc’s is a true Taos tradition, earning multiple awards. Executive chef Zippy White specializes in organic foods, with chile rellenos being his signature dish. With over 400 wine selections, our world-class wine list has earned Wine Spectator’s “Best Of” Award of Excellence for 20 consecutive years. The Adobe Bar features complimentary live entertainment nightly. Patio dining as weather permits. Featured dessert: Fresh berry sorbet and homemade banana ice cream sundae, with whipped cream, hot fudge, or caramel sauce, and candied almonds. Breakfast is served daily 7:30–11 PM; lunch 11:30 AM–2:30 PM; dinner 5:30–9 PM; Saturday and Sunday brunch 7:30 AM–2:30 PM.
Amavi Restaurant 221 Shelby, 505-988-2355, amavirestaurant.com
Amavi Restaurant’s delicious regional Mediterranean cuisine paired with fine wines, decadent ever-changing desserts, and impeccable service make it a must. Just one block southeast of the Plaza, Amavi offers fine dining as well as a sophisticated new lounge and bar serving a full menu. Chef/owner David Sellers creates seasonal menus highlighting regions throughout the Mediterranean. Acclaimed as “hot as can be,” Amavi’s classic yet relaxed atmosphere is great for professional and romantic meetings alike. Signature bouillabaisse: classic French Provençal stew with clams, mussels, shrimp, and halibut simmered in a rich saffron-scented broth of fennel, tomatoes, and fresh herbs accompanied by house-baked bread perfect for dipping. Dinner served nightly 5:30–10 PM.
The Bull Ring 150 Washington, 505-983-3328
Serving Santa Fe since 1971, the legendary Bull Ring is “the prime” steakhouse in Santa Fe. Voted “Best of Santa Fe” year after year, it also offers fresh seafood, chicken, chops, an extensive wine list, saloon menu, and patio dining. If there’s one thing New Mexico’s politicians can agree on, it’s where to eat in Santa Fe. Conveniently located one block north of the Plaza in the courtyard of the New Mexico Bank and Trust building. For a quick bite after a stroll at the nearby Plaza—or for a late-night snack— the lounge’s bar menu is sure to satisfy. Lunch 11:30 AM–2:30 PM, Monday–Friday; dinner nightly starting at 5 PM. Underground parking available on Washington Street.
The Compound 653 Canyon, 505-982-4353 compoundrestaurant.com
Recognized by Gourmet magazine’s Guide to America’s Best Restaurants and The New York Times as a destination not to be missed. James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef of the Southwest”, chef/owner Mark Kiffin
pairs seasonal contemporary American cuisine with professional service in a timeless, elegant adobe building designed by famed architect Alexander Girard. Extensive wine list, full bar, picturesque garden patios, a variety of beautiful settings for wedding receptions, social affairs, or corporate events for 12–250 guests. Private parking. Seasonal specialty: Tuna tartare topped with Osetra caviar and preserved lemon. Lunch 12–2 PM, Monday–Saturday; bar nightly 5 PM–close; dinner nightly from 6 PM; full lunch and dinner menu available in the bar.
Flying Star Café 500 Market, #110, 505-216-3939 flyingstarcafe.com
Fine cuisine in a friendly scene. We’re your locallyowned neighborhood cafe featuring made-from-scratch food, handmade desserts, and pastries. We open early and stay open late for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between. Free Wi-Fi, diverse magazines, locally roasted coffee, fine beer and wine, and a bakery in the heart of our cafe. Deliciousness awaits. Monday–Thursday 6 AM–10 PM; Friday and Saturday 6 AM–midnight. flyingstarcafe.com
Geronimo 724 Canyon, 505-982-1500 geronimorestaurant.com
Señor Geronimo Lopes would be very pleased if he knew how famous his 250-year-old hacienda on Canyon Road has become. The landmark adobe is now home to a cutting-edge restaurant—elegant, contemporary—serving the highest-quality, creative food. Award-winning chef Eric DiStefano serves up a creative mix of French sauces and technique with culinary influences of Asia, the Southwest, and his own roots in Italy blended to bring taste to new levels. Geronimo is New Mexico’s only restaurant to hold both Mobil 4 Star and AAA 4 Diamond awards. Dinner seven days a week, beginning at 5:45 PM.
Graham’s Grille 106 Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Taos 575-751-3242, grahamstaos.com
Graham’s Grille has become the “in” place in the Taos historic district. Visitors and locals alike are raving about the combination of unique food and comfortable atmosphere. Lesley B. Fay, who designed the restaurant to convey a cosmopolitan atmosphere that fits the mission of this extraordinary culinary endeavor, also doubles as the executive chef. Fay and her husband, Peter, created Graham’s Grille to provide honest, creative food at a reasonable price, with great, friendly service in a hip, fun place. Voted Best of Taos ‘07 and ‘08 and #1 on tripadviser.com. Call us about Graham’s Grille Catering Company. Open daily for lunch, 11 AM–2:30 PM and dinner 5–9 PM.
India Palace 544 Agua Fria, 505-984-1969 maukarestaurant.com
Voted “Best Ethnic Restaurant” in Santa Fe. Located in downtown Santa Fe, just one block from the plaza, India Palace specializes in the dynamic, complex cuisine of Northern India using ayurvedic (the science of longevity) cooking principles. Homemade cheese, yogurt, ghee, and kulfi (pistachio ice cream), and tandoori-fired traditional breads complement the extensive menu, which includes chicken, lamb, seafood, and vegetarian dishes. Entrees may be ordered mild, medium, or hot. No artificial flavors or MSG. Vegan and glutenfree meals also available. Open seven days a week. Lunch 11:30 am–2:30 pm; dinner 5–10 pm.
Joseph’s Table 108A S Taos Plaza, inside Hotel La Fonda 575-751-4512, josephstable.com
We’re open for dinner seven days a week, 5:30–10 PM. Featuring the culinary brilliance of chef Joseph Wrede, Joseph’s Table offers award-winning cuisine, an extensive wine selection, and Taos’s newest night spot, the Butterfly Bar—all awash in an elegant, artistically inspired ambience. Menus change daily. “Joseph Wrede is an exceptionally gifted chef,” says The New York Times.
Josh’s Barbecue 3486 Zafarano, 505-474-6466, joshsbbq.com
Voted best new restaurant of 2008! Savor the flavor of classic American barbecue created with a special New Mexico twist. Chef/owner Josh Baum, with his manager Rodney Estrada, dish up a huge fresh daily selection of slow-smoked, mouth-watering meat choices, including tender brisket and fall-off-the-bone natural ribs, served with a choice of sides, sauces, and desserts, all house-made. Special regional dishes like smoked chicken tacquitos and green-chile brisket burritos have made this recent upstart a local favorite, with additional chef’s specials offered daily. Also available: beer and wine, dine in or take out, catering for all occasions, and a small private dining room for special events. Located next to Lowe’s and Regal 14 cinemas off Cerrillos at Zafarano. Open for lunch and dinner, 11:30 AM–9 PM, Tuesday–Saturday; 11 AM–8 PM Sunday; closed Mondays.
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
seven nights a week at 5 PM. “Everything is right at il Piatto, including the price.”—Albuquerque Journal
Lambert’s of Taos 309 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos 575-758-1009, lambertsoftaos.com
Contemporary American cuisine in the heart of Taos. Our focus is on quality, value, and consistency. Try our grilled ginger shrimp, glazed roast duck, or grilled medallions of beef tenderloin along with the perfect wine from our extensive list. Nightly specials include seafood and game dishes. Vegetables are fresh and local when available, our sauces made from scratch, our desserts to live for. Bar opens at 5 PM. Dinner served nightly at 5:30 PM.
Maria’s New Mexican Kitchen 555 W Cordova, 505-983-7929 marias-santafe.com
A Santa Fe tradition for six decades, specializing in Old Santa Fe home cooking and fajitas. Watch tortillas being made by hand. A choice of more than 125 margaritas, reputed to be the best in the world, are each made from scratch and hand-shaken. Home of The Great Margarita Book (Ten Speed Press, Berkeley). Most Mexican beers are available, plus a full-service bar and great wine list. Lunch and dinner 11 AM–10 PM, Monday–Friday; noon–10 PM, Saturday and Sunday.
Old Blinking Light Restaurant Mile Marker 1, Ski Valley Road (State Road 150) Taos, 575-776-8787, oldblinkinglight.com
Restaurant opens daily for happy hour 4–6 PM; dinner at 5 PM. Wine shop opens every day at noon. Breathtaking high-country views provide a spectacular backdrop for Southwestern cuisine, skillfully executed by three great chefs. Our wait staff is efficient, our famous margaritas perfect, our bar diverse and lively, and the live entertainment (Monday nights) will give you unforgettably happy feet. Our wine shop (largest and only wine shop in Taos) has 100 fine wines under $15, full liquor selection, lots of microbrews. (Also in Highlands Ranch, CO, 303-346-9797.)
La Plazuela at La Fonda on the Plaza 100 E San Francisco, 505-995-2334 lafondasantafe.com
Euro-Asian cuisine featuring local and organic ingredients. Mauka features exceptionally fresh fish flown in directly and daily from Hawaii as well as beef, lamb, pork, and vegetarian entrees. Ingredients and cooking techniques that reflect Chef Joel Coleman’s Hawaiian, European, and Asian influences flow through the exciting seasonal menu offerings. Dinner is served seven days a week from 5:30 PM. Beer and wine list available.
La Fonda de Recuerdos—a place of many memories—is a beautiful and apt description of La Fonda’s legendary hotel and signature restaurant, La Plazuela. Generations of Santa Feans have gathered, celebrated, and dined here, creating rich personal memories. La Plazuela has just reopened after a five-month renovation and it is stunning. It is filled with natural light, hand-carved furnishings, a charming fountain, and of course, our muchloved, hand-painted windows. The new menu, created by executive chef Lane Warner, weaves old favorites with New World influences and showcases authentic New Mexican cuisine. Hours: Breakfast 7–10:45 AM daily. Lunch 11:30 AM–2 PM, Monday–Friday; 11:45 AM–3 PM, Saturday and Sunday. Dinner 5:30–10 PM daily.
El Mesón
Rancho de Chimayó
Mauka 544 Agua Fria, 505-984-1969 maukarestaurant.com
213 Washington, 505-983-6756 elmeson-santafe.com
County Road 98, on the High Road to Taos ranchodechimayo.com
A native of Madrid, Spain, chef/owner David Huertas has been delighting customers since 1997 with family recipes and specialties of his homeland. The paella is classic and legendary—served straight from the flame to your table in black iron pans where the saffron-infused rice is perfectly cooked and heaped with chicken, chorizo, seafood, and more. The house-made sangria is from a generations-old recipe with a splash of brandy. The ¡Chispa! tapas bar offers a fine array of tapas. The full bar includes a distinguished Spanish wine list and special sherries and liqueurs imported from a country full of passion and tradition. Occasional musical entertainment and dancing. Dinner is served 5–11 PM, Tuesday–Saturday.
Rancho de Chimayó Restaurante’s grand reopening. Serving world-renowned traditional and contemporary native New Mexican cuisine in an exceptional setting since 1965. Enjoy outdoor dining or soak up the culture and ambience of this century-old adobe home. Try the Rancho de Chimayó’s specialty: carne adovada—marinated pork simmered in a spicy, red-chile caribe sauce. Come cherish the memories and make new ones. Rancho de Chimayó is a treasured part of New Mexico’s history and heritage...a timeless tradition. Check the website for updates and hours. Online store is now open!
Il Piatto 95 W Marcy, 505-984-1091
34020 US Hwy 285, 505-753-6818 ranchodesanjuan.com
Locally owned Italian trattoria located one block north of the Plaza. Nationally acclaimed and affordable, il Piatto features local organic produce and house-made pastas. Prix fixe three-course lunch, $14.95. Dinner, three courses, $29.50, or four courses $37.50 (anything on the menu, including specials). No restrictions. Lunch Monday–Friday 11:30 AM–2 PM; dinner
Celebrating 15 years in New Mexico, 1994–2009. “The faraway nearby.” Exquisite world-class, awardwinning restaurant. Enjoy comfortable dining in an elegant but casual atmosphere. Savor innovative cuisine with a Southwestern flair. Watch our website for special events, wine dinners, Dine Around the World evenings, plus Easter, Mother’s Day, and
Rancho de San Juan Country Inn and Restaurant
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Father’s Day brunches. Enjoy our patio in the summer, and dinner by firelight in the fall and winter. Full bar for sunset cocktails, and award-winning wine list with reasonable prices to complement your dining pleasure. Zagat Survey winner, #1 in New Mexico. Only 40 minutes north of Santa Fe. Conde Nast Traveler Gold List #28 in USA. Come celebrate our 15th anniversary all year! Reservations required. Dinner served at two seatings only: 6:30 and 8 PM, Tuesday–Saturday. Table is yours for the evening. Closed Sunday and Monday.
Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi 113 Washington, 505-988-3236 innoftheanasazi.com
Leading the culinary team at the award-winning Anasazi Restaurant is Rosewood’s rising star, Chef Oliver Ridgeway. Open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Chef Ridgeway’s seasonal menus feature fresh, regional, and seasonal ingredients like chiles, chorizo, and piñon nuts. Fresh fish is delivered to the restaurant daily and menu items such as Hatch chile-crusted tuna and blue corn-crusted salmon are a favorite of restaurant patrons. The interior of the Anasazi Restaurant is beautifully appointed, yet rustic and comfortable; the lively outdoor patio is available for guests wishing to experience the busy sidewalk traffic to and from the nearby Santa Fe Plaza.Service is friendly and attentive, and the restaurant staff takes pride in always remembering the guests’ names. Wine lovers will be thrilled with the extensive wine selection, and for those wishing a casual dining experience, enjoy a handcrafted cocktail at the chic Anasazi bar accompanied by a selection of savory hors d’oeuvres.
Santacafé 231 Washington, 505-984-1788, santacafe.com
Centrally located in Santa Fe’s distinguished downtown district, this charming Southwestern bistro, situated in the historic Padre Gallegos House, offers your guests the classic Santa Fe backdrop. Step into the pristine experience Santacafé has been consistently providing for more than 25 years. New American cuisine is tweaked in a Southwestern context and the food is simply and elegantly presented. Frequented by the famous and infamous, the Santacafé patio offers some of the best peoplewatching in Santa Fe! During high season, our courtyard, protected by a sun canopy, becomes one of the most coveted locales in Santa Fe. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Terra at Encantado Resort 198 State Road 592, 505-946-5800 encantadoresort.com
Santa Fe’s new dining destination located at the new Encantado Resort. “The cuisine at Terra is elegant, yet simple; interesting, yet approachable; and contemporary, while maintaining its connection to the cultural and historical antecedents of the region,” explains Chef Charles Dale. “Terra will introduce a new perspective to the Santa Fe dining scene, with more European accents to the rustic regional cuisine and an environment alight with energy and intrigue.” Please call to reserve your dining experience.
SANTA FE SYMPHONY & CHORUS Greg Heltman, General Dir.
Steven Smith, Music Dir.
SUN., SEPTEMBER 20, 4 PM CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 1 TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 4 Sponsored in part by Los Alamos National Bank
THE
LARAMIE PROJECT: TEN YEARS LATER
NOBUYUKI TSUJII, piano Van Cliburn 2009 Gold Medal Winner “He was absolutely miraculous . . . his performance had the power of a healing service. It was truly divine.” –Van Cliburn, as told to The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
SUN., OCTOBER 18, 4 PM MOZART
AN EPILOGUE
Overture, Marriage of Figaro
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 4, “Italian”
In June 2008, Moisés Kaufman and Tectonic Theater Project returned to Laramie, Wyoming to explore the town’s memory of a crime.
BRAHMS
Piano Concerto No. 2 Sponsored in part by Packards NORMAN KRIEGER, piano “One of the better-kept secrets on the concert circuit. His performance . . . revealed an artist of unusual sensitivity with the technical control to do absolutely anything he wants and the sense to do so poetically.” —The Washington Post
The result is a new play about how one community has experienced hope, hate, fear and courage.
SUN., NOVEMBER 22, 4 PM
HANDEL Messiah
This is the continuing story of an American Town.
featuring the Santa Fe Symphony Chorus and renowned soloists
October 12 6 p.m. $15, $10 students
Sponsored by Manitou Galleries TOM HALL, guest conductor “The Baltimore Choral Arts Society, under the direction of Tom Hall, has clearly arrived as one of the finest cultural institutions in Maryland and the nation.” —The Baltimore Sun
SUN., DECEMBER 6, 4 PM BEETHOVEN CELEBRATION
Overture, The Ruins of Athens
Piano Concerto No. 2 Symphony No. 3, “Eroica” Sponsored in part by First National Bank of Santa Fe 211 West San Francisco Street
GRACE FONG, piano American Pianists Assocation Fellow “Fong played with an easy elegance . . . painting impressionistic landscapes with hardly any drips or smudges, Fong landed her notes gently on the ear like snowflakes.” —The Washington Post
505-988-1234 www.TicketsSantaFe.org w
All Performances at the Lensic Tickets from $18. Subscriptions available; call today! The 2009-2010 season is funded in part by the Santa Fe Arts Commission, and the 1% Lodger’s Tax, New Mexico Arts, a division of the Office of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. F^eje0 J_c 9^[idkj
www.tectonictheaterproject.org
Call 505-983-1414 or visit the Lensic Box Office
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
enchanted TREASURES
Packards on the Plaza For more than 80 years, Packards on the Plaza has offered one of the finest personal shopping experiences in the Southwest. As well as being Santa Feâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official Rolex dealer, Packards represents local and internationally acclaimed jewelers, fine Navajo weavings, and museumquality Hopi katsinas. 61 Old Santa Fe Trail, 800-648-7358 or 505-983-9241 Blue Ribbon winner of the 2009 Spanish Market: Concha Belt in Fossilized Ivory, Sterling Silver & 18K Gold by Michelle Tapia. Photo: Eric Swanson
Pam Springall Pam Springall showcases fabulous jewelry in unusual cuts and colors at Packards on the Plaza. Great stones, turquoise and pearls set in comfortable, classic styles that can be worn to lunch or to the opera and are finished with handmade sterling and gold findings. Packards on the Plaza, 61 Old Santa Fe Trail 800-648-7358 or 505-983-9241 Persian Turquoise & Sterling Silver
Boots & Boogie Santa Feâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier gallery of fine, handcrafted boots. Elegant while still being comfortable, owner Roy Flynn will personally and expertly size you in the finest and most beautiful hand-tooled boots available. Whether the black kangaroo, soft-and-supple leather bottom with hand-tooled upper-classic Tyler Beard design, shown here, or any of the hundreds of other designs available, Boots and Boogie outfits you with style. Boots and Boogie, 227 Don Gaspar #5, 505-983-0777 santafebootsandboogie.com 64
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adrenaline rush Get inspired to get outdoors at the ninth annual Taos Mountain Film Festival, October 8–11, in Taos. This year’s celebration of high-altitude culture and adventure will feature a world-premiere from Jackson Hole–based skier and filmmaker Greg Stump (The Blizzard of Aahhhs) and a special appearance by mountaineer Chris Bonnington, who’s a member of the film-fest jury. Tickets: $12–$60, mountainfilm.net
TERRA ANTARCTICA, COURTESY OCEANS 8 FILMS
FILM
T H E A T E R English naturalist Charles Darwin and German composer Felix Mendelssohn both were born 200 years ago, in 1809. What else do they have in common? Find out at Voyages of Discovery: Darwin and Mendelssohn, an evening of entertainment and enlightenment at The Lensic (211 W San Francisco), November 14 at 8 PM. This unique, first-time collaboration between the Santa Fe Institute and the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra features music (Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture and Scottish Symphony), dramatic readings by actors in period costume, and scientific commentary. Tickets: $20–$46, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com
from toss-outs to treasures F E S T I V A L Funky lamps built with parts from old lawn-mowers, party-ready dresses made from vintage upholstery and crushed glass—it’s eco-friendly creations like these that make the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival one of coolest juried art markets in Santa Fe. Check it out November 13–15 at El Museo Cultural, 1625 Paseo de Peralta. The Trash Fashion Show and Costume Contest, Friday at 7 PM, kicks off the weekend fun. Tickets: $5–$10, recyclesantafe.org
PETER NORBY, COURTESY SANTA FE PRO MUSICA
great minds sound alike
they’re ba-ach Santa Fe Pro Musica, the city’s Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra, opens its 28th season with a Baroque classic: the Brandenburg Concertos, six pieces written by Johann Sebastian Bach in the early 1700s. Pro Musica founder and director Thomas O’Connor conducts the performances at St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art (107 W Palace) on October 3 at 6 PM and October 4 at 3 PM. Tickets: $15–$60, 505-988-4640, tickets.com THEATER
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events FOR THE MOST COMPLETE, UP-TO-DATE CALENDAR OF EVENTS IN SANTA FE AND NORTHERN NEW MEXICO, VISIT SANTAFEAN.COM October 2 New Mexico and New York: Photographs of Georgia O’Keeffe. Portraits of O’Keeffe by photog-
raphers such as Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, and Tony Vaccaro. Through January 10. $10, $5 for New Mexico residents, 10 AM –5 PM Sun–Thur and Sat, 10 AM –8 PM Fri, 217 Johnson, 505-946-1000, okeeffemuseum.org October 2–3 Design Santa Fe. Santa Fe’s top interior designers show off their work in this tour of gorgeous area homes. For tickets and more information, visit designsantafe.org October 3 Pumpkin Fest Day One. Michael Franti and Spearhead headline, with the Sean Healen Band, Gordon Free, and Overshine (with Brian Hardgroove from Public Enemy). $30, $40 at the door, kids under 12 free, 11 AM–6 PM, Santa Fe Horse Park, 20 S. Polo, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com October 3 Walking Together in Time. A presentation on the origins and symbols of the labyrinth in the Southwest. Free, 2:30 PM, Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo on Museum Hill, 505-476-1200, moifa.org October 3–4 Harvest Festival at Las Golondrinas.
Music, dancing, food, arts and crafts, and demonstrations—crushing grapes for wine by foot, stringing chile ristras—are featured in this Spanish Colonial–style celebration. 9 AM –4 PM, El Rancho de las Golondrinas, 334 Los Pinos, 505-471-2261, golondrinas.org. October 5 Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The fifteen-piece orchestra includes some of the
best jazz musicians in the country. $25–$60, 7 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com
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October 6 State Radio. Conscience-raising rock/punk/
October 23 Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby.
reggae from Boston trio Chad Stokes, Chuck Fay, and Mad Dog. $13, $15 at the door, 7:30 PM, Santa Fe Brewing Company, 35 Fire Place, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com
Acclaimed New Mexico photographer Craig Varjabedian exhibits silver gelatin photographs taken over several years at Ghost Ranch. Through December 31. Reception 5 PM –7PM, Gerald Peters Gallery, 1011 Paseo de Peralta, 505-954-5700, gpgallery.com
October 9 Talking Pictures. Video works by artists such as Diller + Scofidio, Bruce Nauman, and Nadine Robinson, explore the role of video art in human communication. Through February 10. $10, $5 for students and seniors; opening reception October 9, 5–7 PM; Site Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo de Peralta, 505-989-1119, sitesantafe.org October 15 The Lion in Winter. James Goldman’s 1966
play about King Henry, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their three sons explores power, ambition, and family dysfunction. Up to $25, 8 PM Thu–Sat, 2 PM Sun, Santa Fe Playhouse, 142 E DeVargas, 505-988-4262, santafeplayhouse.org October 15-17 Celebration of the Book. This 11th an-
nual fete of all things literary and bookish includes a reading from Santa Fe poet laureate Valerie Martinez, plus a display of handmade artists’ books. Free, Southside Santa Fe Public Library, 6599 Jaguar Drive, 505-955-4866 October 19 A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti and Santo Domingo Pueblos. More than 250 ceramic
masterpieces tell the story of how each community’s culture developed. Through June 6. $9, $6 for New Mexico residents, Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, Museum Hill off Camino Lejo, 505-476-1269, indianartsandculture.org October 23 The Exalting Eye: Photography and the Myth of Santa Fe. The final lecture in the Through
the Lens: Creating Santa Fe series, delivered by Chris Wilson, professor of cultural landscape studies at the University of New Mexico. Free, 6–7 PM , New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln, 505-476-5200, nmhistorymuseum.org
October 23 Perla Batalla. The Grammy-nominated vocalist and composer—once a backup singer for Leonard Cohen—performs. $15–$30, 7 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com October 25 Santa Fe Pro Musica. The chamber ensemble presents pieces by Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven. $15–$60, 3 PM, St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W Palace, 505-988-4640, tickets.com October 29–30 El Barbero de Sevilla. A fast-paced zarzuela, presented in Spanish by Teatro Nuevo Mexico. $10–$20, 7 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505-9881234, ticketssantafe.com
NOVEMBER November 1 Dia de los Muertos. Celebrate Day of the Dead with live music, spun-sugar skulls, and pan de muerto. $9, $6 for New Mexico residents, free for ages 16 and younger, 1–4 PM, Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo on Museum Hill, 505-476-1200, internationalfolkart.org November 6–8 Healing Arts Festval. Events includes a discussion of current and future trends in the bodywork profession, plus free chair-massage and bodywork; see website for details. Scherer Institute of Natural Healing, 1091A Siler Road, 505-982-8398, schererinstitute.com November 7 Beneath the City Different: The Archaeology of Santa Fe. A public symposium, sponsored by the
School for Advanced Research and Friends of Archaeology.
events $10, 1â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 PM, New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln, 505- 954-7200, sarweb.org November 13 Shadow and Light. Pieces by Gay Block,
Godfrey Reggio, David Maisel, Laurie Anderson, Tom Joyce, and others explore the idea of art as individual and collective memory. Through December 31. Monâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;Fri 9 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 PM, Santa Fe Art Institute, 1600 St. Michaels, 505424-5050, sfai.org
joy of cooking
November 14 Santa Fe Book Arts Group Flea Market. Pop-up books, handmade items, and intrigu-
ing miscellany are offered. Free, 10 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C;1:30 PM , New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln, 505-476-5200, nmhistorymuseum.org November 15 Santa Fe Pro Musica. The chamber
orchestraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program includes Gershwinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rhapsody in Blue. $16â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$60, 7:30 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505988-1234, ticketssantefe.com November 17 Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson.
The authors read from their new books in a benefi t for WildEarth Guardians and Wild Watershed. $10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$125, 7 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com. November 22 Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus. Guest
conductor Tom Hall leads the full orchestra and chorus in their annual performance of Handelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Messiah. $18â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$65, 4 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com November 27â&#x20AC;&#x201C;29 Circus Luminous. An evening of
whimsical acrobatics, music, dance, and puppetry from Wise Fool New Mexico and friends. $10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;$25, Fri 7 PM, Sat 2 PM and 7 PM, Sun 4 PM, The Lensic, 211 W San Francisco, 505-988-1234, ticketssantafe.com
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| H I S TO R Y |
the melting boîte
during its r un, Claude’s e mbodied Sa nta Fe’s nighttime counte rculture
COURTESY SILVER SUN GALLERY
by de von jac k s on
Claude’s in the early 60s—the lobster drawn on the side of the building alerted customers to the fresh seafood inside
SOME PLACES SEEM to have more history than others. New Mexicans like to brag there’s more history here than in other Western states, and Santa Feans can get pretty snooty when it comes to their local lore versus that of the rest of the state. Homing in further, Canyon Road, after the Plaza, probably has as much to boast of historically as anywhere in the City Different—or if not historically, then at least in terms of provenance. Take 656 Canyon, for instance. Who knows what may have transpired on that plot of land over the many millennia prior to the arrival of the Europeans, before the Spanish settlers of the 1600s began hauling wood down the path that led from the Sangre de Cristos and into town? It no doubt saw plenty of activity between then and the 1900s, and enjoyed some recognition, too, between World War I and 1951, the period when the Roybal family operated their grocery store there. But between 1951, the year El Camino del Cañon 70
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became Canyon Road, and roughly 1955, 656 sat empty and derelict. Unwanted. The road still dirt, two-way, with hardly a gallery to be found. There were still artists here and there—leftovers from that initial art-colonizing phase of the 1910s and ’20s, when Gerald Cassidy and Randall Davey moved in. But Canyon was quiet, rather unspectacular. Claude François James would change all that. Not that she in any way made Canyon what it is today (the influx of galleries started that process in the early ’80s), just that she set a sort of historical precedent when, in 1956, this Nice, France–born daughter of a Frenchwoman and an American New York Times editor, a onetime Newsweek stringer, New Mexican reporter, and unabashed lesbian who later tended bar barefoot, sang French sailor songs, rolled her own cigarettes, and bred corgis, forever branded 656 Canyon into Santa Fe’s historical timeline. It didn’t happen immediately, and prob-
ably not intentionally. If anything, that’s why Claude’s, as that spot on 656 continued to be known even when others tried to rename it (the Mousetrap, Pisces Moon), is unique: Its ongoing, ever-evolving mélange of high-society types and policitos and cowboys and hippies and artists and locals and celebrities and motorcycle toughs and gays and mountain men came about organically. James arrived, but she didn’t try to be someone she wasn’t, nor did she try to make Claude’s into something she didn’t want it to be; she simply ran her place the way she wanted, all the while being herself, and so others responded in kind: People just wanting to be themselves gravitated to it as if it were some sort of mecca. Or maybe it was just the booze that brought them in droves. (Claude’s had a liquor license when few other eateries in town did.) Whatever brought them, they lasted until neighbors essentially shut the place down 16 years later, in 1972. Enamored of Santa Fe while passing through on a trip from Washington, D.C., out West, James stayed. While singing along to some French chansons at a party one night, she so impressed one of the couples there that they asked her to manage their restaurant. James agreed, and her mother, an agent in Hollywood, later bought them out. Claude’s, in its initial incarnation, was elegant—with wrought-iron grillework, French cuisine, steaks and seafood, a coatroom reserved especially for the guests’ mink and sable furs (and a guard to watch over them), and, beginning when the Opera opened in 1957, a horsedrawn carriage (hired by James) to bring patrons up from the Plaza. The Mobil Guide gave Claude’s a triple-star rating, Robert Kennedy and his wife ate there, Greer Garson ate there, and so, too, did Richard Bradford, author of Red Sky at Morning, and his first wife. It was all quite romantic and glamorous.
duties to others, preferring to lie around in bed with her Yorkies and Welsh corgis (at one point, she also ran a pet-grooming shop, the Clip Joint, in one of Claude’s back rooms) up on Apodaca Hill. Somebody painted a zodiac on one of the walls, a disco ball went up, bands came in, the hippies decamped, and regulars and workers with names like Tarzan and Sunshine boozed it up and got high with bikers, cowboys, locals, artists, and freaks, along with Governor Dave Cargo and a former New York The infamous bar at Claude’s, in 1967, unusually devoid of customers Playboy Bunny, who changed her name to Sparkle Plenty (and ran But without James’s strong presence, for the U.S. Senate under that name in Claude’s made an already rough neighbor1972). “It was a big, loose confederation of hood (yes, Canyon Road used to be pretty people who knew each other,” says former dicey) downright scary. “If I’d worked in Claude’s doorman Jon Knudsen, now a Claude’s any longer I wouldn’t’ve lived,” 66-year-old retired Albuquerque elemensays Knudsen, who fell in love and moved to tary schoolteacher. “It was like Cheers— Albuquerque in 1970. “There were a lot of people there were happy to see each other.” fights up there and it got pretty dangerous “I’d never seen anyplace like it,” rememat times. It would take the police 45 minutes bers George Bullfrog, one of the Last Mile to an hour to respond to a call. But Claude’s Ramblers, who played regularly at Claude’s wasn’t even the most dangerous place. That after moving to Santa Fe in 1971 (then was this other place up the road, the Canyon later to Cerrillos). “It was packed every Road Bar. It was about the size of someone’s night with hippies being free and getting living room. People said they’d perform surloaded.” gery there every Friday and Saturday night.”
COURTESY SILVER SUN GALLERY
Claude’s wasn’t that much safer. Gunfire got to be pretty normal, which is how the floors and ceilings ended up with so many bullet holes. In fact, look closely at Silver Sun’s front window and you’ll see a bullet hole still there. By 1972, the authorities, after many complaints from the bar’s neighbors, shut down Claude’s for good. Canyon Road slowly gentrified. The property taxes went up and private homes were turned into galleries, which begat more galleries. “Some people cleaned up their act and became rich selling conchas to the tourists,” laughs Bullfrog, now 61. “But those days are pretty much gone, and all those kinds of bars are gone, too—the Golden Inn in Golden, the Thunderbird in Placitas.” As for where Claude’s resides in history, “That era was pretty much made,” adds Bullfrog. “It if hadn’t been Claude’s that became Claude’s, it would’ve been someplace else.” Spoken like a true Claude’s veteran. Claude James, at left, enjoying the Northern New Mexico sunshine with a friend october/november
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COURTESY SILVER SUN GALLERY
Gradually, though, the glamour and the romance faded, as James emphasized drinking and the scene over the dining. By 1961, Claude’s had become a lesbian hangout (even appearing in the Gay Bars in America directory), before morphing again. “It was a laissez-faire kind of honkytonk,” recounts Cheryl Scott, co-owner of the Silver Sun gallery, which has been in Claude’s old spot since 1980 and owned by her and her two partners since 1988. “You could hang out all day on a single drink.” The other key spot back then, the daylight yin to the nighttime yang of Claude’s, was a coffeehouse called The Three Cities of Spain, where Geronimo’s is now. Three Cities offered theater, art, and movies, and a very literary scene; its owners, David Munn and Bob Garrison, were the social arbiters of Santa Fe’s cultural happenings. “Squarely built, pug-faced, sour, and outspoken.” This, according to artist Eli Levin (now known as Jo Basiste), in his book Santa Fe Bohemia, was James, circa 1964 (a down period for her and the bar, during which time Levin worked as James’s houseboy). “That’s when it all changed,” says Basiste, now 71, “when the bohemians and the hippies came in. Then it got wild.” James, still a character though not such a fixture anymore, ceded her management
| D AY T R I P |
chaco canyon photo by Dougla s Me r ri a m
Location: Chaco Culture National Historical Park, in Nageezi Distance: 116 miles northwest of Santa Fe Hours: Year-round, from sunrise to sunset Must See: Pueblo Bonito, the epicenter for the Pueblo peoples, who lived here between 850 and 1150; and Chetro Ketl, the area’s second-largest “great house” Must Do: Hike to one of the “great houses” (Una Vida, Chetro Ketl, Hungo Pavi) or to the Petroglyphs, or venture farther to one of the Outlier sites Info: 505-786-7014, nps.gov.chcu
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