2014 Local Treasures

For the seventh year, the Albuquerque Art Business Association is honoring area artists who not only excel in the arts, but who have given back to their communities. By sharing their time, talent and passion, they help give birth to the next generation of art lovers and artists and sustain the hope that New Mexico will continue to be home to thousands of working artists for many years to come.

This year we honor eight exceptional artists as Local Treasures and the President’s Award will go to architect Bart Prince for “Creating Extraordinary Liveable Art”. The awards ceremony will be held at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, Sunday, September 7, 1-3pm. In addition, there will be receptions for the artists at sponsoring galleries throughout the fall.

Marilyn Drake: Among the many reasons Marilyn chose to move to New Mexico from New York City was the dramatic landscape — the vistas, the light, the unusual geologic formations and native plants. That fascination awakened her desire to be a fine artist, after years spent in commercial art as a graphic designer. As her fine art career in plein air landscape painting progressed, her earlier figurative training in fashion illustration prompted her to begin painting figures and portraits. Part of Marilyn’s development as an artist has included study with prominent local and nationally-known artists. She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of New Mexico and has served as newsletter editor, website manager and exhibition chairperson. She is also a past-president of Plein Air Painters of New Mexico. Her work can be seen at Purple Sage Galeria in Old Town where she will be given a First Friday reception September 5, 5-8:30pm, in honor of this award. MarilynDrake.com

George Howard Hayes III: Hauie is a prolific artist who contributes to the local art community. Largely self-taught, his work is described as realistic yet fanciful and mystical. His paintings are carefully crafted. Vivid colors and subtle nuance merge with striking attention to detail. Life-size commissions burst into vivid life and exemplify the versatility and range of Hauie’s palette. Hauie is known for his contributions to the local art scene having contributed numerous paintings for auction at charitable events and donating time and/or service to New Mexico Aids Services, the Hispanic Cultural Center and to the galleries that represent him. He is known for his generosity with young artists, donating both time and materials to local schools that encourage them and directly to the artists. Hauie was sponsored by the East Mountain Galleries (Gallerie Imaginarium and The Old Schoolhouse Gallery). There will be a joint artist reception for Hauie on August 2 at The Old Schoolhouse Gallery. hauieart.com

Reg Loving: Reg Loving has been a mainstay in the NM art scene since 1974. Many think of him as an abstract expressionist painter but in recent years he has focused on a landscape theme. Creating art since age four, Reg has a degree in studio art from Western Kentucky University. His work is in corporate collections and the permanent collections of the Albuquerque and Santa Fe Museums of Art. For years he was a social worker dealing mostly with children. After Reg became a full time artist, he worked in programs aimed at placing artists into schools that did not have art instruction. Over the years he has donated numerous pieces of his artwork to charity fundraisers and served as a member of the Bernalillo County Public Art Board for six years from 2004-2010. His work can be seen at Sumner & Dene in Downtown Albuquerque where there will be an artists’ reception honoring him on Friday, September 5.

Pam Lujan-Hauer: Pam is a potter from the Taos Pueblo who lives in Albuquerque. She is a strong proponent of traditional micaceous pottery, making her pots in the way she learned from her aunts at Taos. She digs her clay, prepares it by hand, coils her pots, polishes them and fires them outdoors. She uses both red and white clays. Aside from her traditional pots, Pam also experiments, making clay sculpture and jewelry in which she imbeds silver before firing, so that it liquifies, leaving a multicolor glaze on the clay. Pam often gives demonstrations of pottery making at venues such as the Maxwell Museum and the State Fair. She has taught both children and adults at UNM, SIPI, and the Harwood Art Center. She has been featured on the Discovery Channel’s “How It’s Made” series. Presently, Pam is on the Board of Directors of the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA), and is the President of the IACA Education Fund. Her work can be seen at Wrights Indian Art where there will be an artist’s reception in October. taosindianpottery.com

Marcia Newren: For a number of years, Marcia was a professional archaeologist involved in excavations in the Southwestern US, Mexico and Canada, culminating in research on small sites in Chaco Canyon. As a glass artist for more than 20 years, she has carried forward some of the environmental concerns that stem from her prehistoric reconstruction. Her innovations in kiln-worked glass have been widely recognized and she has spent numerous hours giving help to beginning kiln-workers as well as presenting lectures to the public. She is the recipient of numerous awards, both local and national, and was nominated for the Corning Award from Pilchuck Glass School (an institution founded by Dale Chihuly.) As a resident of Corrales, she was on the committee that founded their recycling facility. As a teacher, she has opened her studio to children ages 6 to 12 so they can learn to enjoy and explore glass. She has helped artists in other media incorporate glass elements into their work. Her work can be seen at Weyrich Gallery where there will be a First Friday ARTScrawl reception for her on September 5. marcianewren.com

Augustine Romero: Augustine (Gus) Romero was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado where he studied art and completed a BA in Graphic Design at the University of Southern Colorado. He continued his global education by traveling to Europe, Australia, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico. In 1997 he received an MA in Sculpture from New York University. Before Moving to Albuquerque, he taught at Parsons School of Design and participated in numerous New York exhibitions. He is the Gallery Curator for the City of Albuquerque, overseeing the South Broadway Cultural Center and KiMo Galleries. As a curator, Augustine is extremely generous with his time and expertise in helping artists and arts organizations prepare for and present meaningful exhibitions. Many an emerging artist has learned from him. Twice a year he curates exhibits especially meaningful to the South Broadway neighborhood where SBCC is located. He was nominated jointly by 516 ARTS where he serves on their advisory board and SE-OC Right Brain Gallery where he will be honored in a reception on October 3 (also the gallery’s first anniversary). romerosculpture.blogspot.com

Dianna Shomaker: Dianna Shomaker has been a public-health nurse, a University professor, a researcher, a Dean and an anthropologist – but through it all, she has been an artist. Space, design, line, depth and surprise effects are important regardless of her media. She believes art should express a statement of intent and feeling regardless of rendering, creating a painting that is thought-provoking, stretching the boundaries of light and space. She works in acrylic, oil, encaustic, ink and torn paper on rag board or canvas along with all manner of mark-making bits. Accidental surprises spring forth when she uses multimedia with the final effects ranging from impressionistic to abstraction. Dianna is a community-centered person who devotes much of her time to the organizations around her. The joy she has found in her community and her life’s work are easily seen in her artwork. Her work can be seen at Framing Concepts Gallery which will host at an artists’ reception for her Saturday September 5. diannashomaker.com

Mary Sundstrom-Gramer: Mary is an avid printmaker, illustrator, cut paper artist and teacher. She has been active in the arts community for 30 years, exhibiting her work around the world while teaching and mentoring aspiring artists. Her education includes a BFA from UNM, Advance Studies at the Minneapolis College of Art & Design and Graduate Studies in Museum Practices at UNM. Mary has illustrated 18 children’s book titles and an Audubon field guide series as well as numerous exhibit illustrations for the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, including the painting of a “bone patina” on a 16 foot Stegosaurus skeleton. She is the 2006 recipient of the Rachel Allen Printmaking Fellowship at New Grounds and continues her printmaking there today. She teaches the monotype workshops, mentors fellow printmakers and volunteers at the gallery regularly. She volunteers at New Grounds in her spare time. She reaches out to support the community by teaching cut paper classes at OASIS, a creative learning and community service for adults 50+ and she has donated art to support Art in the Schools, Abused Deaf Women’s Advocacy Series and Casa Esperanza. Mary’s work can be seen at the Old Schoolhouse Gallery, the NM Museum of Natural History & Science and New Grounds Gallery in Albuquerque, NM where she has a solo show opening September 5, 2014, .

Bart Prince: The Albuquerque Art Business Association is proud to recognize Bart Prince for creating extraordinary livable art. Prince is a fourth generation New Mexican and internationally renowned architect who opened his Albuquerque office in 1973. He is known for creating remarkable residences, something he accomplishes largely on his own. He names Frank Lloyd Wright as an inspiration but notes that Goff, Einstein, Picasso and Debussy also exemplify what it means to be a creative individual in any age. His style is called “organic” and it is unconventional. Organic architecture is a philosophy of architecture which promotes complete harmony between human habitation and the surrounding natural world through design approaches so sympathetic and well integrated with its site that buildings, furnishings and surroundings become part of a unified, interrelated composition. He is also a master of the art of model-making. His philosophy is to begin again and again with a fresh mind as each new problem is presented to him. “I want to understand the client, the climate, the site, and respond to this input in a creative way. There should be as many indivi-dual designs as there are individual people. The buildings we build for ourselves should be unlike any done before, since we don’t live as people used to, and our resources, technology and lifestyles should be reflected in how we respond to these aspects of our life in the ‘continuous present.” bartprince.com

Watch a video about Bart Prince and his work here.