Honoring Our Ancestors Opens

"Honoring Our Ancestors," an exhibition of works by New Mexico artists Donna Caulton, Belinda Edwards, Betsie Miller-Kusz and Harriette Tsosie, opened Saturday, April 19th with a reception and program at Gaucho Blue Fine Art, Peñasco.  Opening events included a blessing by veteran and Picuris Pueblo elder Carl A. ("Cat") Tsosie, Jr.  

Carl A. Tsosie, Jr. offers exhibition blessing.

Tsosie's blessing was followed by a ceremony honoring "the eldest of the elders" from nearby villages.  Miguel Torres read in Spanish a brief biography of each elder's life and presented them a red rose.  

Teodoro, Rio Lucio elder being honored

After an intermission for refreshments, the program continued with a presentation by Tsosie about developing the buffalo herd at his pueblo.  Tsosie noted tribes across the country have organized an Intertribal Bison Cooperative, headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota.  The ITBC maintains a DNA data base and helps tribal members exchange bison to create genetically strong herds.

To a standing room only crowd, Miguel Torres from Santa Cruz, NM, offered a presentation about the New Mexico Family Tree DNA project.  He said the project is helping New Mexicans trace their ancestry through genetic testing and genealogical research.

Exhibition attendees listen to a presentation by Miguel Torres

Jerol Arguello of Colorado followed Torres presentation with a summary of his research on the twelve founding families of nearby Las Trampas.  He is 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 landgGrant"  Agguello's description of the founding families' racial and cultural diversity amplified Torres' research conclusions and the artists' viewpoint that we are all related.

Presenter and author Jerol Arguello

The exhibition featured works by the four artists which investigate their respective cultures' archetypes, creation myths, ancient migratory routes out of Africa, and contemporary settlements.  

Artist and exhibition organizer Donna Caulton (Chamisal) created artist's books and a magical music box as a tribute to her late mother, who loved Lawrence Welk.

Persuing the "Champagne in Heaven" box

Caulton also traced the route of her distant ancestors through Europe, creating acrylic paintings of now extinct animals they might have encountered along the way.

Donna Caulton.  "A Golden Morning Near Baku"

Artist Donna Caulton

African American artist Belinda Edwards (Santa Fe) created pen and ink drawings, artist's books and an installation memorializing the recent deaths of her mother and brother.  Her "Western Gate" mask, incorporating snake skin, shells, leather and other mixed media, references alchemy, an ongoing influence in her work.

Belinda Edwards.  "Western Gate: The Nigredo."

The installation of her mother's wheel chair is a haunting reminder of the fraility of human life and absurdity of human vanity.  The chair sits silently in front of the wall displaying Edwards' work.

Work by Belinda Edwards

Artists Betsie Miller-Kusz (second from left) and Belinda Edwards (third from left)                               with exhibition attendees

The work of Betsie Miller-Kusz (Jemez Springs) who installed the exhibition, features an recurring female protector image, recognized by many cultures.  Miller-Kusz says she has painted this image for years and only recently has a male counterpart begun to appear in her work.

Betsie Miller-Kusz.  "Swing Shift."

Betsie Miller-Kusz.  "Time's Resonance."

She installed a piece of tumbleweed, dipped in blue paint, in front of "Time's Resonance," creating an interesting dialog between the two dimensional painting and the natural world.

Betsie's wall with tumbleweed

Betsie Miller-Kusz with exhibition attendee

Albuquerqe artist Harriette Tsosie is exhibiting works based on her exploration of identity, which she believes is shaped primarily by genetics, language, and place.  She has been transcribing her paternal grandparents love letters (1906 - 1911) and her paternal grandmother's diaries (1900 - 1968), an activity which is providing rich fodder for her art.  Her 12 panel work, "Honoring My Ancestors," features giclee prints of old photographs embedded in diary and letter script.

Harriette Tsosie.  "Honoring My Ancestors."

Set in front of the giclee prints is a series of boxes containing "Family Secrets."

Harriette Tsosie.  "1906"

Tsosie produced an "Honoring Our Ancestors" catlog incorporating the giclee prints from the exhibition.  The catalog is on sale at the gallery.

Tsosie also included encaustic (pigmented wax) works from her current "Bosque" series, exploring the influence of place on a person's identity.  

Harriette Tsosie.  Bosque series: "Spring."

Harriette Tsosie with her work

"Honoring Our Ancestors" continues through May 26th at Gaucho Blue Fine Art.  The gallery is located on the scenic High Road to Taos at 14148 State Road 75, Peñasco, New Mexico.  Gallery hours are Thursday - Monday, 11:00 AM - 5:00 PM and by appointment.  For additional information, contact the gallery at 575/587-7076.

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.

Current Work
on exhibit at:
Park Fine Art, Albuquerque, NM
www.parkfineart.com

Harriette Tsosie.  Bosque series: "Summer." 2014.  Encaustic/panel.  24 x 24"

Harriette Tsosie.  Bosque series: "Autumn." 2014.  Encaustic/panel.  24 x 24."

on exhibit at:

Gaucho Blue Fine Art, Peñasco, NM

http://gauchoblue.com/Home_Page.html

Harriette Tsosie.  Bosque series: "Winter." 2014.  Encaustic/panel. 24 x 24."

Harriette Tsosie.  Bosque series: "Spring." 2014.  Mixed media encaustic/panel.  24 x 24."

Exhibition Schedule

(remainder of year)

MAY

7 May - 15 June 2014

Opening reception: Saturday, 17 May, Noon - 5:00 PM

“Wax with Dimension”

Encaustic Art Institute

18 County Road 55 A

Cerrillos, NM 87010

505/424-6487

www.eainm.com

JULY

July 19 - August 31st

Opening reception: Saturday, 19 July, Noon - 5:00 PM

“The Art of Nature and All that is Natural”

Encaustic Art Institute

18 County Road 55 A

Cerrillos, NM 87010

505/424-6487

www.eainm.com

SEPTEMBER

14 September 2014

Opening reception: Sunday, 14 September, 2:00 - 6:00 PM

EAI Sixth Annual Fundraising Gala

Encaustic Art Institute

18 General Goodwin Road

Cerrillos, NM 87010

505/424-6487

www.eainm.com

OCTOBER

October 9th - 12th, 2014

“encaustiCon Miami”

pre con workshops: October 7 - 8

post con workshops: October 13 - 15

4 October - 2 November 2014

Opening reception: Saturday, 4 October, Noon - 5:00 PM

“4th Annual National Juried Encaustic/Wax Exhibition”

Encaustic Art Institute

18 General Goodwin Road

Cerrillos, NM 87010

505/424-6487

www.eainm.com

4 - 5 October 2014

and

11 - 12 October 2014

“Madrid/Cerrillos Open Studio Tour”

“Miniatures & More”

Albuquerque Museum of Art and History

2000 Mountain Road NW

Albuquerque, NM 87104

505/242-4600

DECEMBER

“12 x 12 Annual Fundraiser and Exhibition”

Harwood Art Center

1114 Seventh Street NW

Albuquerque, NM 87102

505/242-6367

Code Talking: Word and Symbol as Image

“Code Talking: Word and Symbol as Image”

"Code Talking: Word and Symbol as Image" was my solo show at the now defunct Leich Lathrop Gallery in Albuquerque's Old Town.  It included twenty works exploring the language aspect of identity.  Here is my artist's statement from the show as well as some of the works.

Artist's Statement for "Code Talking."

My work is invariably about identity, as shaped by place, language and genetics and revealed in the mark making unique to each person.

Encaustic (pigmented wax) is my primary medium. The surfaces on which I work are paper, Baltic birch plywood, and encausticbord. I create series of paintings rather than single works so that I can fully explore a subject or idea. My technique involves layering my materials. Layers give the work the physical and psychological depth that I want.

This body of work explores the language aspect of identity, as it is manifested in all kinds of codes. From ancient glyphs to contemporary texting, humans have been amazingly inventive in creating secret ways to communicate with one another.

Technology has made such secret communication more accessible and faster.

"Genetic Marker #1." 2012.  Mixed media.  13 x 13."

Technlogy has made such secret communication more accessible and faster.  But accessibilitly and speed have come at a cost.  The internet, e-mail, Facebook and other "social media" can be weapons as well as "friends."  There is ample opportunity for government spying, leaking secrets, and making serious mistakes.  Where disgruntled spouses once hired private eyes, attorneys now mine the internet to gather evidence for their divorce clients.  It is readily, shamelessly available.  The internet provides materialistic cultures yet more avenues for shopping, even as the so-called "Third World" peoples create revolutions with it














Some of the new codes are visually quite beautiful, especially the QR (quick response) codes, which a Los Angeles artist has likened to Navajo rug weavings. I have also used them in this exhibition. 

Texting has created an entirely new language and spelling system. Some text codes are used by children to keep information from their parents: KPC=keep parents clueless; 9=parent is watching; and 99=parent is no longer watching. 

Other texting codes set up sexual encounters: GNOC=get naked on cam. Some are hilariously insulting and sexist: BOBFOC=body off Baywatch, face off Crimewatch. One of my favorites is: IITLYTO (if it’s too loud, you’re too old). I detest contemporary assaults on silence, such as obnoxious music in restaurants.

Language embodies culture, so contemporary codes say a lot about both who we are as a people and as individuals. It’s difficult to make ethical judgments about the astonishing changes being wrought by new codes. We can only try to understand them.           

Harriette Tsosie
October 2013

Piano Roll #2.  Mixed media/panel. 30 x 24'

Piano Roll #3.  Mixed media/panel.  30 x 24"

Advent.  Mixed media/panel. 30 x 24"

"Triple Sec" to Albuquerque Museum Show

My triptych, "Triple Sec" has been selected for inclusion in the Albuquerque Museum's  "Miniatures and More" exhibition, October 26 - December 8 at the Museum.  Pictured below.

"Sec"

"Triple Sec"

"Double Sec"

Solo exhibition opens at Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque

"I HAVE A QUESTION and there's no one left to answer it" opened Friday, May 3, at the Harwood Art Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  The exhibition installation is the culmination of a year's work pursuing my interest in identity issues.  The work both incorporates and is responsive to my grandparents love letters (1906 - 1911) and my paternal grandmother's diaries (1900 - 1968).

His and Hers.  2013.  Mixed media.

Departing from my usual mode of working in encaustic for this exhibition, I produced 12 fine art prints which hung on the gallery walls.  The prints  incorporated family photos into the actual text of the diaries and letters, illustrating the tradition of fine penmanship and the art of composing letters now basically lost to our culture with the advent of comptures.  The fine art prints cover ten years of my Grandmother's life, 1900 - 1910, from her youth (she was 17 when she started keeping the diaries) through her young adulthood.


Augmenting the photos and text is a series of 12 boxes called "Family Secrets."  These works respond to information in the diaries and letters for which there are no photographs.  They also reference family secrets, such as the discovery that my paternal great grandfather was Jewish.  (I wondered why therefor I was not Jewish, but some Jewish friends explained that Jewishness is inherited from the mother).  My great grandfather was also the subject of two lawsuits brought against him by the widow of his partner, who felt she had been shortchanged in his purchase of her husband's share of their paint brush manufacturing company.  The company, Rennous Kleinle & Company, is depicted on the cover of the piece called "Shhh."

"Shh." (front view). 2013. Mixed media

               

"Shh." 2013.  Mixed media.

Other "Family Secret" boxes address the perceived shortcomings of my Grandfather:  he was poor, Irish and Catholic: "Three Strikes."  Because of those prejudices, my Grandmother's family did not want her to marry him.  A five year long courtship ensued.

"Three Strikes." 2013.  Mixed media.

The pasttimes enjoyed by my grandparents generation were simple and wholesome: playing cards (euchre) and other games (caroom); canoeing; going for walks; tennis; music programs (my Grandmother played the piano).  As automobiles were popularized, "automobiling" became a pasttime as well.

As was behavior, gifts and prizes were carefully prescribed.  Grandmother was an excellent euchre player and the prizes she won included: handkerchiefs, pins, gloves, a china "hair receiver," cups and saucers, lace collars, pictures, a brass candle stick.



A common courtship gift was candy, usually "Huyler's."  My Grandmother had very poor teeth, probably as a result of this sweet gift.  (Fortunately her uncle was a dentist).  Throughout the ten year period covered in the exhibition, she has as many as 20 suitors.  By counting the number of times their names appeared in her diaries, I was able to determine her favorites.  They are depicted in "Candymen," a box of wax (encaustic) chocolates, the legend of which names the men.

"The Candymen." 2013,  Mixed media.

"The Candymen." (inside view). 2013. Mixed media.

The cover of "The Candymen" is a lithograph image of the candy factory, set inside a coconut (a key candy ingredient) with horse drawn carriages carting the candies off to be eaten by fair young maidens.  Huyler's was based in New York and operated a chain of restaurants and candy stores.  Its founder became one of the trustees of Syracuse University.  When he died, his sons inherited and ran the family business.