HONORING OUR ANCESTORS installed at Gaucho Blue

Honoring our ancestors, the latest iteration of the Sojourners' Creation/Migration project, has been successfully installed at Gaucho Blue Gallery, Penasco, New Mexico.  The exhibition, featuring the works of Chamisal artist Donna Caulton, Santa Fe artist Belinda Edwards, Jemez Springs artist Betsie Miller-Kusz, and Albuquerque artist Harriette Tsosie, opens Saturday, April 19, with a reception from 3:00 - 7:00 PM.  

Donna Caulton.  "A Golden Morning near Baku."

Chamisal artist Donna Caulton's intricate acrylic works on canvas trace her ancestral roots out of what is now the African continent across the Middle East, Europe and Asia, referencing the myths associated with many of those places.

Belinda Edwards.  "Western Gate: the Nigredo." 

Santa Fe artist Belinda Edwards works reference her African American identity and the recent deaths of her mother and only sibling.  She creates three dimensional sculptures as well as artist's books and pen and ink drawings.

The artists have reserved one wall of the gallery for community submissions which relate to the theme of honoring ancestors or are ancestral artifacts.   The gallery is exhibiting more than 40 community contribitions, including a buffalo skull from Picuris Pueblo and artifacts from the Chamisal Ancianos historic collection.  Many of the community contributions are historic photographs of familes from northern New Mexico's rural villages.  

In addition to the visual arts  objects, oral presentations of local history and storytelling will be offered throughout the opening reception hours.  Picuris Pueblos elders will open the events with a blessing offered in both Tiwa and English, followed by a multi lingual greeting from Larry Torres, Associate Professor of Languages and Cultures at the University of New Mexico.

The Sojourners.  "The Blessing Place."

The four featured artists have created a collaborative piece, "The Blessing Place," which acts as a shrine or altar on which exhibition attendees can place objects memorializing their ancestors or ancestral or sacred places.  The shrine is the focal point of the community section of the exhibition.  It includes sacred water and earth from the Sanctuario de Chimayo, feathers from Picuris Pueblo, burden basket bells, a replica of a Celtic cross, a Star of David, Chinese medallions and other objects referencing the world's religions and spritual traditions.

Betsie Miller-Kusz.  "Swing Shift." 

Artist Betsie Miller-Kusz' works incorporate a protective, usually female, ancestral figure representing healing and harmony.  Her colorful canvases are painted with acrylic and emanate peace.

Harriette Tsosie.  "1899."  Fine art giclee print.

Harriette Tsosie's work includes a 12 panel depiction of ten years of writings and photographs from her paternal grandparents love letters and diaries.  The piece covers entries from 1900 - 1911, at which time her grandparents long courtship ended in marriage and they settled in New York City.  Tsosie also includes some of her recent encaustic work referencing the influence of Place on identity, in this case the influence of the Rio Grande bosque on her life here in New Mexico.

Harriette Tsosie.  Bosque series: "Spring."

The opening day ceremonies conclude with a 4:30  PM power point presenation by Jerol Arguello, researcher and author of "A Pioneering Community: A Tribute to Juan de Arguello and the Original Families who settled the Santo Thomas Apostol del Rio de Las Trampas Land Grant."

The exhibition remains on view at Gaucho Blue Fine Arts through May 26th, 2014.  Gaucho Blue is located on the scenic High Road to Taos at 14148 State Road 75, Penasco.  Following the opening event, the Gallery hours will be Thursdays - Mondays from 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM and by appointment.  For questions or directions: 575/587-7076.