By Melody Mock

The cumulonimbus clouds that form during our monsoon season often bring forth thunderstorms together with rain so welcome to our arid desert landscape.

Gathering The Clouds installation Photo by Melody Mock

The Pueblo people in New Mexico and Arizona have songs to make the rain come, and prayer songs that they sing while they gather cotton and spin it into the yarn which is woven into garments. The cotton is the clouds; the garments contain colors, shapes, and symbols which represent nature’s compositions. A woven stairstep pattern is a rain cloud while the strands hanging down from the edge of a sash are the water. White fibers are the clouds; dark ones are the thunderclouds.

Clay pots are also metaphors for the clouds which hold water. Insects, which gather near water, are seen in the imagery on the pots. During the Pueblo planting season, a pot is blessed by the medicine man, then broken at the planting site, asking the clouds in the sky to open and send rain down to the crops.

Karen Abeita, Large Polychrome Jar, ca. 1990, photo by Melody Mock

The art of the Pueblo people is interconnected with their life and the place where they live. The bowl holds food or water and the woven fabric provides warmth or protection, while at the same time they are used to call upon and gather nature’s intertwining elements such as the cool wash of rain from the clouds.

Gathering the Clouds is a new exhibition recently opened at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. As you walk into the gallery, you are met with sky blue walls and images of thunderclouds on banners flanking the room. The sounds of Pueblo rain dance songs weave around the pieces which are displayed along with photos of dancers from each of the 19 Pueblos. A thunderstorm builds with a rumbling that rises to a crescendo.

The exhibit, the first in the Center’s new exhibit space, occupies the former gift shop (which has moved over near the Center’s restaurant), and brings together two collections. The Blair Collection of Hopi-Tewa pottery includes pieces by Hopi-Tewa potter, Nampeyo, and her family. Nampeyo (1860?–1942) created her own style based on traditional designs that she learned from her mother and grandmother. Nampeyo is credited with reviving the ancient Sikyátki style, and her family has continued the tradition. The Schaaf Textile Collection consists of works from the late 19th through 21st centuries from Pueblos of the Rio Grande and Hopi.

–

Gathering the Clouds: Many Art Forms, One Story
can be seen at the:
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
2401 12th St. NW

505.843.7270

Upcoming event:
Thursday, October 28, 2010
“Gathering the Clouds” with Louie Garcia, Tiwa-Piro
An exhibit walk with weaving presentation
5:30–7 pm
$5 public, $3 Members
Limited Space

Melody Mock is a contributing editor at albuquerqueARTS Magazine

The New York Times best-selling author Margaret Coel uncovers another gem in her Wind River mystery series,“The Spider’s Web” (Berkley, September, $24.95). The plot finds Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden defending Marcy, a beautiful Anglo outsider who moved to Colorado’s Wind River Reservation to marry Ned, an Arapaho electrician shortly afterwards found shot to death.

“A washed-out sky spread over the reservation, and darkness was coming on fast,”begins this Tony Hillerman-esque tale. Never wasting a word, Coel expertly weavesin rez ambiance, an intriguing plot and, most of all, layered character development.

Coel keeps us guessing and grounded in the Southwest, what with Ned’s former rez fiancé Roseanne resenting Ned’s dumping her for the blonde outsider who only brought him trouble; Vicky believing in the outsider’s innocence despite everyone else’s suspicions; and the increasing danger as they plunge through the shadows of the cottonwoods and squint after all-nighters, noting how “the fiery red sun lifted off the eastern horizon.”

Sept 14, 7 pm

Margaret Coel signs “The Spider’s Web” at Bookworks

Tony Hillerman Writers Weekend

Instructors:

Judith Van Gieson

Margaret Coel

Keynote speaker Valerie Plame Wilson

At the Inn and Spa at Loretto at Santa Fe

Pre-conference manuscript reviews available from Van Gieson, owner of Albuquerque Publishing,

an independent publishing company based in Albuquerque.

For more information go to:

Word Harvest

Margaret Coel

Albuquerque-raised author Stephen Jay Schwartz delves into dark places in the noir-ish thriller

“Beat” (Forge, October, $24.99).

LAPD homicide detective Hayden Glass is battling sex addiction while trying to save a girl from a life in pornography. The author, who’s been compared to James Ellroy, sets “Beat” in San Francisco.

Hayden soon enough finds “He was sick of this city. He’d had enough. There was never any place to park and the hills were a bitch on his Jeep’s transmission and he couldn’t see the sky through the electric bus cables that covered every street and sidewalk. Not like anyone could see the sky through the fog, anyway.”

Just over the southern New Mexico-Arizona state line where the Shadow Wolves—a real-life law enforcement unit of Native American trackers—seek out Mexican border smugglers in Tohono O’odham Nation territory, is where J.A. Jance‘s “Queen of the Night” (William Morrow, July, $25.99) takes place.

With 15 million mysteries in print, the popular Jance delivers a suspense tale that’soverly heavy on exposition, as it introduces numerous characters whose lives will beaffected by a string of murders, but one which ultimately proves fulfilling.

Most likable is the Apache tracker Dan Pardee, who works the night shift, stocking up on ham sandwiches to head out looking for anything awry in the flat desert, like how a white Lexus is “not exactly reservation-style wheels,” and relying on his dog’s barked warnings of danger.

Jo-Ann Mapson releases her tenth novel, “Solomon’s Oak” (Bloomsbury USA, October, $25).

About three people who have endured losses that changed them forever.

One of them, Joseph, a former Albuquerque police officer and crime-lab photographer, was shot during a meth-lab bust. The three broken souls bond in friendship in central California, where Joseph downs his painkillers with cota tea, green chile and posole while pondering his future in this emotionally satisfying novel about renewal after grief.

Oct 17, 3 pm

Jo-Ann Mapson signs “Solomon’s Oak” at Bookworks Best-selling British novelist

Nicholas Evans‘ —

Whose equine saga “The Horse Whisperer” sold a whopping 14 million copies and was made into a terrific movie.

His new book offers up another page turner set in the American West.

“The Brave” (Little, Brown, October, $26.99)

An engrossing tale of a Montana man estranged from his only son just back from deployment in Iraq, and the man’s memories of his own unstable youth in 1960s Hollywood, where his actress mom led a glamorous life with disastrous consequences. The young adult sci-fi book “Saving Sky” (HarperCollins, August, $15.99) by New Mexico’s Diane Stanley Set in the Southwest after terrorist attacks have killed the U.S. president and unleashed chaos. Memoirs and nonfiction

Albuquerque-born Leslie Marmon Silko , of mixed ancestry merging Laguna Pueblo, Cherokee, Mexican and white heritage, offers “The Turquoise Ledge” (Viking Adult, October, $25.95).

Set mostly amid the sandy-white washes and arroyos of the Sonoran desert, where turquoise is formed after rain. It’s a rambling personal memoir with reflections on growing up at New Mexico’s Laguna Pueblo and a keen connection to clouds, rain and spirits.

“In the Americas, the sacred surrounds us, no matter how damaged or changed a place may appear to be,” Silko contends.

Nov. 18, 7 pm

Leslie Marmon Silko signs “The Turquoise Ledge,” venue to be determined, presented by Bookworks

505.344.8139 In a fresh twist on American history, UNM history professor Virginia Scharff— best known for her witty mysteries penned under the name Virginia Swift— takes a feminist view of President Thomas Jefferson’s love life in “The Women Jefferson Loved” (HarperCollins, October, $27.99).

Oct. 26, 7 pm

Virginia Scharff signs “The Women Jefferson Loved” at Bookworks

4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW

505.344.8139 A feisty mommy memoir called “Bring Down the Little Birds” (University of Arizona Press, October, $15.95) comes from Carmen Giménez Smith, Assistant professor at New Mexico State University, the publisher of Noemi Press and the editor-in-chief of Puerto DEL SOL. .  “Turquoise: The World Story of a Fascinating Gemstone”
(Gibbs Smith, October, $75)
by Joe Dan Lowry and Joe P. Lowry
550 images of turquoise from the owners of Albuquerque’s Turquoise Museum.Sept. 24, 6 pm signing of “Turquoise”

at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
2401 12^th St. NW

Albuquerque, NM 87104
1.866.855.7902

Turquoise Museum
2107 Central Avenue NW
Albuquerque, NM 87104-1605
505.247.8650 Other notable  Literary events

Sept. 13, 7:30 pm

William Gibson signs his sci-fi book “Zero History”

The Main Library
501 Copper Ave NE
505.768.5140
presented by Bookworks.

Sept. 18, 1 pm

Former TV news anchor Carla Aragon signs her children’s book “Dance of the Eggshells”

Barnes and Noble
Coronado Center
6600 Menaul Blvd NE
505.883.8200

–Wolf Schneider is a contributing editor to albuquerqueARTS. ]]> http://abqarts.com/?feed=rss2&p=6511 0 http://abqarts.com/?p=6549 http://abqarts.com/?p=6549#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:26:36 +0000 Melody Mock http://abqarts.com/?p=6549 Magic, myth, synesthesia and street art add texture to a varied visual arts season

By Melody Mock

This month, Tamarind

Magic, myth, synesthesia and street art add texture to a varied visual arts season

By Melody Mock

This month, Tamarind Institute celebrates 50 years of making prints. For their birthday celebration taking place Sept. 10–12, they will be bringing in Tamarind printers from all around the world for a symposium as well as holding a lottery-style fundraiser. The University of New Mexico (UNM) Art Museum , which has been closed for renovations, reopens with the retrospective exhibition, “Tamarind Touchstones: Fabulous at Fifty, Celebrating Excellence in Fine Art Lithography.”

Read our interview with Director Marjorie Devon.

Two other exhibits opening Sept. 10 at the UNM Art Museum are “Desire for Magic: Patrick Nagatani 1978–2008” and “To Form from Air: Music and the Art of Raymond Jonson.” “Eva Hesse Spectres” is an exhibit opening next January, accompanied by a new book edited by the museum’s director, E. Luanne McKinnon.

Frederico Vigil’s fresco in the Torreón at NHCC to be unveiled on Oct. 10

Another milestone is the National Hispanic Cultural Center NHCC marking its 10th anniversary.  A community celebration will kick off in October, with a highlight being the unveiling of Frederico Vigil’s fresco in the Torreón on Oct. 10. They also continue their “New Mexico Furniture is Art” exhibition until Jan. 23.

“Fire Sounds” by Angest Pelton (1881-1961) (oil on canvas, 34" x 24", Private Collection) in “Sensory Crossovers: Synesthesia in American Art”, photo by Don Roper

The “Sensory Crossovers: Synesthesia in American Art” exhibit continues at The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History through Jan. 2, followed by an exhibition of Harold Joe Waldrum’s SX-70 Polaroid monoprints opening in February. Also at the museum are an exhibit of Navajo and Pueblo jewelry from 1870 to the present (through Oct. 10) and “Off the Bed: Historic Quilts from the Museum Collection” (through Oct. 3).

The Albuquerque Art Business Association continues organizing gallery receptions around town for First Fridays and third Friday Artscrawl events. For the third year they are also sponsoring Local Treasures, in which artists are nominated for special recognition and are represented in shows around town. On Sept. 19, seven 2010 Local Treasures artists will be honored at the Albuquerque Museum. Artists are: Lea Anderson, Teresa Archibeque, Farrell Cockrum, Thais Haines, Oscar Lozoya, Dan Stouffer, and Mary Sweet.

"Chamisa Abundance" by Lee McVey (11" x 9", pastel) in “A View With Room”, Open Space Visitor Center

The City’s Open Space Visitor Center on Coors has not only a great view but they also regularly schedule art exhibits. From Sept. 5–Oct. 28 is their fifth annual “A View with Room” exhibition by the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico . Also coming up is an exhibit of mandala-like designs of plants and animals by Pat Malcolm (November). In January, Volcano Vista High School students present works interpreting Open Space properties.

“Gathering the Clouds–Many Art Forms, One Story” is an exhibit currently at The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center , which features Hopi-Tewa pottery and a collection of textiles dating from the late 19th century to the present from Pueblos of the Rio Grande and Hopi.

Bright Rain Gallery in Old Town will feature artists Beau Carey (September), Orlando Leyba (October), Monique Janssen-Belitz (November), and Lea Anderson (December).

“Myth, Reality and Nature (Mito, Realidad y Naturaleza)” is a show of paintings and drawings by Saul Nevarez, Andres Orlowski, and Jesus Ponce opening at South Broadway Cultural Center on Sept. 2. The annual “Día De Los Muertos” exhibition takes place in November; “Articulate Threads,” a show of contemporary art quilts, and “La Guadalupana” are in December.

“Pas de Deux” by Iva Morris (oil/linen, 73" x 43"), the VSA Gallery

The VSA North Fourth Art Center Gallery has exhibitions planned of works by Iva Morris and Brian O’Connor; Augustine Romero; and artists of the VSA Day Arts and Exploratory Arts programs. VSA artists’ work will also be shown at locations such as UNM campus and the Open Space Center (November–December).

516 ARTS downtown has brought contemporary exhibits and programs to Albuquerque for the past four years. Through Sept. 11, they continue two weaving-based exhibitions, “Unraveling Tradition” and “Restoration.” In October, they will unveil “Street Text,” a two-part exhibition examining the Street Art movement.  This exhibit is part of a city-wide collaboration called “STREET ARTS: A Celebration of Hip Hop Culture & Free Expression,” with over a dozen Albuquerque arts organizations presenting events, murals, music, exhibitions, film, and more.

SCA Contemporary Art, near downtown in a renovated warehouse and now expanded to include artist studios, often presents shows connected with the UNM Art Department, and their upcoming season is no exception. Their schedule includes “InPrint II,” running through October 1; “Shadows,” a performance and art exhibit curated by UNM professor Joyce Neimanas, is in October and November. Also scheduled are projects from the “Land Arts of the American West” program, and in January is “ArtLab: Studio Artists of SCA Contemporary.”

THE LAND/an art site runs both a downtown gallery and a 40-acre piece of land near Mountainair, which has, over the years, been home to art installations and numerous artist residencies, all related to their goal of exploring the environment through art. In the gallery on Sept. 4, works by Mary Ellen Long explore “Roots,” while in October, Miriam Sagan (poet) and Marilyn Batts (glass artist) collaborate on an exhibit called “Star Midden.” In November you can find pieces selected from the collection of Ray Graham, a tireless supporter of contemporary art.

Silver and amethyst jewelry by Local Treasure Teresa Archibeque, at Sumner & Dene

Over on Central, Sumner & Dene Gallery presents a “Jewelry Showcase” featuring contemporary Spanish jewelry by silversmith Teresa Archibeque, opening on September 3. Future exhibits highlight painter Michael Norviel (October); art doll creator Ruth Morris (November); and a “New Year New Work” annual group show in January.

105 Art Gallery in the heart of downtown offers “Look at Me: The Face in Contemporary Art,” opening September 3; their Annual Halloween/Dia de los Muertos/Living Dead Show in October; and “L’art pour L’art, an Exhibit of Contemporary Collage” in November.

Mariposa Gallery in Nob Hill is planning a variety of shows by their stable of artists, including painter Sam Esmoer (September); illustrator and painter Greg Tucker (November); and painter Kenyon Thomas and his two daughters Mary Thomas and Sarah Siltala (December). They kick off the new year with an invitational called “Let’s Eat!” and in February feature recycle artist Marcia Sednek.

Further east on Central, Matrix Fine Art and New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery present a full season of monthly exhibitions. Matrix showcases landscapes by Iva Morris (September); abstract paintings by Sally Condon (October); paintings by Frank McCulloch and clay sculpture by Sarah D’Alessandro (November); and a photographic exhibition titled “1 x 15 – One Model, Fifteen Photographers” in December. New Grounds presents a variety of prints: landscapes by Jacob Tarazon Matteson (September); gravure by Jorge Tristani (October); etchings by Pamela DiMauro (November); their annual holiday sale in December; and “New Work” by gallery artists in January.

Several painters are featured at Palette Contemporary Art & Craft over the coming months, including Ryan Goodwin (September); Daniel North (October); and Janet Bothne (November).

Art collectors can also look forward to OFFCenter’s annual We Art the People Folk Art Festival in Robinson Park (Sept. 12); Go! Downtown Albuquerque Arts Festival (Sept. 24–26); the first annual Los Ranchos Art Studio Tour (Nov. 6–7); and, of course, Weems ArtFest takes place in November (Nov. 12–14) as well.

—Melody Mock is a contributing editor to albuquerqueARTS.

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By Kelly Koepke

Albuquerque Little Theatre, White Christmas

Adobe Theater

The Adobe Theater’s fall season began in August with David Mamet’s “A Life in the Theater” (through Sept. 5), and September/October continues with George Bernard Shaw’s classic “Candida.” October/November brings in “A Thousand Clowns” by Herb Gardner, and the holiday season kicks off with “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

Albuquerque Little Theatre

From the newest to the oldest, Albuquerque Little Theatre heralds its 81^st season with the rousing “Chicago” in September/October, then switches to family friendly holiday fare with Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” for November/December. Albuquerque Little Theatre also provides space for October’s production of “Captain Louie, Junior” from PLAY Conservatory Project.

Albuquerque Senior Theatre

Albuquerque Senior Theatre, the city’s first live theater program directed to the senior population, produces plays at local senior centers. This fall catch October’s “Murder on the El Capitan,” a dinner theater with original narration, pantomime and audience participation. Then in December, enjoy “Merry Christmas Caper” by D.K. Oklahoma.

Auxiliary Dog Theatre

Auxiliary Dog Theatre starts its fourth season in September with Steve Martin’s “Picasso at the Lapin Agile” then slides into October/November with “Coming Attractions” by Ted Tally. Aux Dog also provides a venue to other companies in town, so watch for their productions, too.

Blackout Theatre Company

The Box Performance Space moved into the heart of Downtown at 2^nd and Gold this year, and its resident company Blackout Theatre presents Noah Haidle’s “Rag and Bone,” directed by legendary Albuquerque director Denise Schulz, in September. Look for a new sketch show in November, as well.

Desert Rose Playhouse

The Desert Rose Playhouse’s Northeast Heights theater brings “Vecinos” directed by Henrique Valdevinos in September and “I Considered Smiling” written and directed by Theodore Jackson in October.

Duke City Repertory

The fledging company opened the season in August with “Trust,” and brings David Mamet’s “Oleanna” to The Filling Station in October. Then the pros at Duke City Rep put a twist on a seasonal classic with “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” by Tom Mula in December: Scrooge from his partner’s perspective.

The East Mountain Centre for Theatre

Dinner and a show? At The East Mountain Centre for Theatre, the October show, “The Dress Shop Murders of 1933, a Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre,” written and directed by Richard Atkins, includes eats by Greenside Café. And food’s even in the title of “A Tuna Christmas,” the December romp about a fictional town in Texas.

Explora! Theater

Learning’s not just for the young ones at the Explora! Theater—they produce full-length plays related to science, technology and art. Fall 2010 productions include “Frank Oppenheimer: Of Bombs and Museums” on Sept. 18, “Christa McAuliffe—Teacher to Astronaut” and “Albert Einstein—More Than Just Hair” in October.

FUSION Theatre Company

FUSION Theatre Company’s Broadway-influenced season announcement made waves because of its novel delivery method—a YouTube video, FUSION Theatre Company. Fall begins with their exciting news of the regional premiere of the Pulitzer and Tony Awards-winning “August: Osage County” by Tracy Letts in September. A month later, see Nobel Prize-winning Samuel Beckett’s tender portrait of a couple in “Happy Days.”

Landmark Musicals

Landmark Musicals is becoming the go-to group for song and dance theatrical productions. October’s “A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline” by Dean Regan, starring the amazing Laurie Finnegan, returns by popular demand.

Mother Road Theatre Company

Get thee to The Filling Station again for the new season from Mother Road Theatre Company, including September’s “Moby Dick” and October/November’s “Love Song” by John Kolvenbach.

Musical Theatre Southwest

MTS is bouncing back from the fire that destroyed its costume warehouse with a holiday production of “Willy Wonka.”

N4th Theater

N4th Theater stages and produces intriguing works this fall. This month, see the Two Worlds Festival’s staged reading of “War Paint” by Bret Jones, a two-act play set in the present day among the people of the Muscogee (Creek) tribe. In October, Global DanceFest presents the U.S. debut of “The Crossing” by Jonathan Khumbulani Nkala, a unique theatrical story of Zimbabwe. November’s staged reading of local Lou Clark’s “We All Fall Down” will be performed by N4’s resident Solarity Theater Company. December turns festive with Ka-HOOTZ for Kids’ “Cinderella &The Beanstalk” (also by Lou Clark) and directed by Susan Pearson.

National Hispanic Cultural Center

“Bless Me, Ultima,” Rudolfo Anaya’s iconic work, a mystical coming-of-age story set in post-World War II New Mexico, has been adapted by the author as a full-length stage production, to be shown Nov. 11-14. Part of the Revolutions International Theatre Festival, New Orleans performance artist José Torres Tama’s “The Cone of Uncertainty” explores the concept of forced exile after Hurricane Katrina in a multimedia solo piece in January.

New Mexico Young Actors

Also for the kiddies (and their adults) is New Mexico Young Actors’ November production of Disney’s “Aladdin, Jr.” Then December announces “Here Come the Cows,” a touring melodrama.

Popejoy

Popejoy bring the best touring theater to Albuquerque with two shows that couldn’t be more different in December—the Tony-nominated “The Color Purple” and “A Christmas Carol.” And by now I’m sure you’ve all heard about “Wicked” coming in January. You haven’t? Come out from under your rock!

Teatro Nuevo Mexico

Local company Teatro Nuevo Mexico brings the esteemed New York theatre company Repertorio Español to the National Hispanic Cultural Center in October for “La Casa De Bernarda Alba” by Federico García Lorca.

Tricklock Company and UNM Department of Theatre and Dance

Tricklock Company’s avant garde sensibilities run to the physical, and “Traitors” by Kristen D. Simpson in November at UNM’s Theatre X is no exception—a fantasy of action, adventure, true love and treachery. And while we’re on the subject of UNM, the students and faculty of the UNM Department of Theatre and Dance produce plays and the Words Afire Festival of New Works each year. October’s set for “The Firebugs” by Max Frisch, and “No Exit” by Jean-Paul Sartre, while November’s ablaze with “The Cherry Orchard” and the aforementioned Words Afire.

The Vortex

The Vortex comes off a highly successful summer Shakespeare trifecta with September’s “Crimes of the Heart” by Beth Henley, then slides into October’s classic “The Little Foxes” by Lillian Hellman. Susan Erickson’s “Raised by Humans” arrives for November and stays through December.

Albuquerque Theatre Guild

For details on dates, tickets and a schedule of upcoming live theatrical productions visit the Albuquerque Theatre Guild’s website.

—Kelly Koepke is a contributing editor to albuquerqueARTS.

Fall in New Mexico brings cooler breezes, changing skies and continued movie-making and world-class film events.

Here are a few highlights, by month.

Emelie O’Hara in Baby Monitor, ABQ Film Festival

September

A great way to get into the autumn film spirit is to take the Trolleywood Film Sites Tour of Albuquerque, started by tour guides Jesse Heron and Mike Silva in late August. Riders on this custom-built, gas-powered trolley can check out where “Breaking Bad,” “In Plain Sight,” “Sunshine Cleaning,” “Wild Hogs,” “The Book of Eli” and so many more feature films and TV shows have been shot. For schedules and rates, visit Trolleywood Film Sites Tour.

Another ongoing film tour this fall is the statewide free-admission New Mexico Filmmakers Winning Showcase Tour on the following September dates:  Sept. 18, 1:30–4:30 p.m. at the Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla. For information, contact Jeff Berg, 575.524.8287; Sept. 22, 5–9 p.m. at Warehouse 21, 1614 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe. For more information contact Ana Maria Gallegos y Reinhardt, 505.989.4423.

Laurel and Hardy, Abbot and Costello, The Marx Brothers, and Mae West will bring out the big laughs at The Guild Cinema, Sept. 17–22, when the American Vaudeville Museum presents “Vaudeville Kings and Queens of Hollywood Comedy.”

You can watch for those now-familiar movie crew signs around town this fall. There are plenty of films in production this month and on into the fall, according to the Albuquerque Film Office, including Disney’s “Lemonade Mouth,” Dreamworks’ “3D Fright Night” and there will be new TV seasons being shot in Albuquerque of both “In Plain Sight” and “Breaking Bad” (which recently won the Best Drama Award of the Television Critics Association).

Another sign of our film-conscious times is the regular broadcast on Encantada TV Channel 26 every Saturday at 11 a.m. of “Site & Scene,” a program of films produced by students at Albuquerque’s Public Academy for Performing Arts.

October

October looks to be a very big month for New Mexico film fests. Albuquerque’s annual Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival happens October 8–14. Schedule and details at Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, 505.243.1870.

The first ever Duke City Doc Fest, organized by filmmaker/attorney Jesse Quakenbusch, will take place October 10–15 at Albuquerque’s historic El Rey and KiMo Theaters.

The nationally famed Santa Fe Film Festival takes place October 20-24, moved forward from its December schedule of previous years. The schedule is still to be announced and will be posted at Santa Fe Film Festival.

November and December

See the continuation of the ongoing statewide New Mexico Filmmakers Winning Showcase Tour and, of course, many new independent and studio productions.

—Bill Nevins is a contributing editor to albuquerqueARTS.

By E Christina Herr

As the golden spinning light begins to shift and change, a rich crop of aural delights gleams ahead of us. Look behind the curtain and see the passionate promoters who spend their time creating enticing reasons for us to go out and experience amazing local and traveling artists. They are the unsung heroes of our local culture. Next time you go to a show, seek them out and say thanks, or become a volunteer and hear great music for free while helping to make it all possible.

¡Globalquerque!

Non Stop Bhangra

Promoter Neal Copperman of AMP Concerts truly embraces the eclectic, ranging from folk, bluegrass, Americana and jazz to world music. This year he started a free Public Library Series, and he continues to spice up the local music scene by running the spectacular sixth annual Globalquerque! (with co-producer Tom Frouge). This two-day festival runs Sept. 24-25 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC).

This year all the acts are new except Albuquerque’s own Rahim Alhaj . The Iraqi oud virtuoso, composer and two-time Grammy nominee and his Little Earth Orchestra will debut a special project, performing live with guest musicians from his upcoming new CD.

Some festival highlights are Peru’s Susana Baca , Chile’s Inti-Illimani , The Flatlanders —Joe Ely, Butch Hancock and Jimmie Dale Gilmore—with Tom Russell, Emeline Michel from Haiti, Native American Bill Miller, and Líber Téran from Mexico.

Liber Teran

A multi-media show presented by Oreka Tx, from Spain, mixes travel videos and musical collaborations from around the globe as a backdrop to their live music. They are reviving an almost lost instrument called the txalaparta, which takes two people to play. According to Copperman, “It’s pretty wild.”

Globalquerque! hosts a big dance party driven by Non Stop Bhangra, from India, with an MC, drummer, DJ and dancers.

For the entire schedule click here  ¡Globalquerque!.

On the horizon

Hayes Carll

Hayes Carll , Americana singer songwriter and winner of Best Song—“She Left Me for Jesus”—at the Americana Music Awards in 2008 will play The Cooperage on Oct. 7. From the Texas songwriting tradition of such heroes as Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, Carll puts a flavor of irony, humor and romance with a twist that is truly his own. Carll is a fine singer and musician with a tight, multi-talented band that will have you laughing and toe tapping simultaneously.

Tom Tkach and staff at Popejoy Hall are bringing many delights to town throughout an exciting season. First up is “Benise—The Spanish Guitar ,” Oct. 14. Benise and his Emmy Award-winning “Nights of Fire” cast return with an all-new world music and dance production, traveling to worlds both far away and deeply personal. It is presented in partnership with KNME .

DRUMLine Live

DRUMLine Live will grace Popejoy’s stage Oct. 16-17. Strutting on stage with riveting rhythms, bold beats and electrifying energy, this performance is based on the Historical Black College and University marching band tradition of soul-infused, intense drum riffs and colorful choreography in a spectacular, synchronized musical showcase.

In at The Outpost

Tom Guralnick at The Outpost continues to host some of the most sophisticated shows in Albuquerque. He brings John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension to the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe on Nov. 30. In the early 1960s, McLaughlin was the guitarist for Georgie Fame’s rocking Blue Flames; later he explored the electric guitar, developing his revolutionary jazz-rock fusion style with Tony Williams’s “Lifetime” and Miles Davis’s “Bitches Brew.”

Ravi Coltrane, the son of legendary saxophonist John Coltrane and pianist Alice Coltrane, will play with his group at the Outpost Performance Spaceon Dec. 1-2.

Holly daze

Danú–A Christmas in Ireland: An Nollaig in Éirinn, visits Popejoy Hall on Dec. 9.  Joyful music and dance honor the season in grand Irish style, with personal family songs and traditions.  Also at Popejoy, Mariachi Christmas returns for its 12th season, with Ballet Folklorico Paso del Norte on Dec. 16. Then enjoy the Nebraska Theatre Caravan production of “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 22-23.

If you like a blues Christmas, don’t miss the 13th Annual Legendary Christmas Extravaganza with Cadillac Bob and The Rhinestones Cadillac Bob and the Rhinestones on Dec. 11. Gracing the stage of The Historic El Rey Theater for their tenth year headlining the event. This New Mexico band has performed with legendary blues players Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Ben E. King, and recently opened for “Beatlemania” in Albuquerque. Known for a repertoire of standards and chartbusters, they bring their own zest to all your favorites. This is a 21+ event.

–E Christina Herr is a contributing editor to albuquerqueARTS.

African American Performing Arts Center

Albuquerque Little Theatre

Albuquerque Senior Theatre

Albuquerque Theatre Guild

Auxiliary Dog Theatre

Blackout Theatre Company

The Box Performance Space

Cardboard Playhouse Productions

The Cell Theatre

Desert Rose Playhouse

Duke City Repertory

The East Mountain Centre for Theatre

Explora! Theater

FUSION Theatre Company

Landmark Musicals

Mother Road Theatre Company

Musical Theatre Southwest

N4th Theater

National Hispanic Cultural Center

New Mexico Young Actors

The New Mexico School for the Arts (NMSA)

Opera Southwest

PLAY Conservatory

Popejoy

Public Academy for Performing Arts

Teatro Nuevo Mexico

Tricklock Company

UNM Department of Theatre and Dance

The Vortex

If you would like your theater listed please send you website link to calendar@abqarts.com.

By Peggy Herrington

Synesthesia refers to sensory fusions or crossovers among the fields of music, art, literature and linguistics – such as the visual manifestation of “colored hearing,” or the ability of colors to call up certain chromatic musical pitches.

Open now until Jan. 2, the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History brings together 24 artists,  lecturers and local chamber music group Chatter in “Sensory Crossovers: Synesthesia in American Art,” to illuminate the relationship between visual art and other areas of the arts. To that end, the museum will premiere “Onomatopoeia,” on Nov. 14, an original composition for flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, and cello by Jonathan Chenette, performed by Chatter.

Andrew Connors, the museum’s curator of art, conducts tours of this unique exhibit each month. Visit the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History for details.

A fiery season for the Symphony

Igor Stravinsky

“We are thrilled to present Stravinsky’s early masterpiece, ‘The Firebird,’” said Guillermo Figueroa, New Mexico Symphony Orchestra music director and conductor. “And it is especially gratifying and exciting to have a New Mexico legend, Patricia Dickinson, the director of Festival Ballet Albuquerque – and, I may add, my dear friend – choreograph the dances for this event.

“As opposed to a ‘normal’ ballet performance, in which the musicians are in the pit and the dancers are the main show, both the full orchestra and dancers will share the stage, highlighting the deep relationship that Stravinsky envisioned between the music and the dance, and promising one of the most exciting concerts the NMSO has ever produced. Magnificent, glorious music, and powerful, dynamic dance, all together on one stage – how can it be better than that?”

The Firebird Dance Spectacular runs Sept. 24-26 at Popejoy Hall.

Among the NMSO’s impressive line-up of classics this season, performed at Popejoy and at the National Hispanic Cultural Center are Beethoven’s Seventh, Oct. 22-24; Violin Pyrotechnics, Nov. 5-7; and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio, Dec. 16-18.

“We have a new chamber music series at Robertson and Sons Violin Shop Recital Hall,” said Marketing Assistant Ashley Gray of the NMSO. “It combines a small, intimate group of musicians performing some of the most profound and important works of the most influential composers of all time.” Details are on NMSO’s website New Mexico Symphony Orchestra.

Opera Southwest’s 38^th

Eve Giglio

Eve Gigliotti (who debuted last spring as Mercedes in the Metropolitan Opera’s production of “Carmen”) stars in Opera Southwest’s season opener, the comedic “The Italian Girl in Algiers” (“L’italiana in Algeri”) on Oct. 2, 8, 10, one of two operas that catapulted Gioachino Rossini to international fame when he was just 20 years old. It demonstrates beautifully how a bored dignitary who trades his wife for a shipwreck survivor – the Italian girl of the title – ends up defining “be careful what you wish for.”

“‘L’italiana’ promises to be the most sparkling and energetic comic opera we have ever produced,” observed David Bartholomew, artistic director. “The singing is spectacular and the music is fabulous.”

Opera Southwest’s spring production of Verdi’s “La Traviata” (March 19, 22, 25) tells of young love, separation and reconciliation in that eternal city of love, Paris.

September events include Opera Southwest Extravaganza at the Church of Beethoven, and their 4^th Annual Fundraising Gala at the Hotel Andaluz featuring “L’italiana” cast members, music excerpts and belly dancers (505.898.7669 for reservations), both on Sept. 19. Get details at Opera Southwest, 505.243.0591 or  Church of Beethoven.

The Chatter around town

Chatter Chamber Ensemble specializes in 20^th and 21^st Century music. Definitely edgy, it’s always interesting. Five composer portraits at Kosmos Theater (unless specified elsewhere) constitute this season:

Fall: Spotlight on New Mexico Composer Eric Walters, Tues. Sept 28; and Music Noire, featuring acoustic instruments, electronics, and appropriate lighting; on Oct. 27, music by Saariaho, Marshall, Feldman and a world premiere by New Mexico composer James Shields.

Early 2011: Spotlight on New Mexico composer Fredrick Frahm, Jan. 30. Plus Music by Living African-American Composers, Feb. 5, at the African-American Performing Arts Center with music by Coleman, Mumford, Baker and Singleton. Chatter and special guests from the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, Mar. 15, at Keller Hall (UNM) with music by Glass, Penderecki, Barber and Johnny Greenwood.

Albuquerque Chamber Soloists

Local professional music luminaries will (de)light your senses this season. On Oct. 3, ACS celebrates bicentennials of Chopin and Schumann, the 100th anniversary of Barber and 20th birthday of ACS.

“You’ll hear the Largo from Chopin’s cello Sonata, Mahler’s one-movement Piano Quartet that was featured in Martin Scorsese’s thriller, ‘Shutter Island,’ and Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E flat Major, op. 44,” said Arlette Felberg, ACS founder and artistic director. “Join us for the party after the concert. This is your celebration too, as your support and enthusiasm have been our inspiration for 20 years.”

Figueroas, Felbergs & Friends VII present “Morphing” on Jan. 9 featuring Schubert, Strauss and Dvorak performed by Guillermo Figueroa, Leonard Felberg and Valerie Turner, violin; and other local greats.

All performances are at St. Paul Lutheran Church on Nob Hill. Details: 505.255.8468 and Albuquerque Chamber Soloists.

Church of Beethoven

David Felberg and James Shields arrange Sunday morning services (sans religion) in September and the modest admission includes espresso, tea and baked goods. Details at Church of Beethoven.

Sep. 5: Two French pieces for clarinet and piano (Schmitt and Cahuzak), Ravel: String Quartet in F Major, Poet: Maria Leyba

Sep. 12: Copland: Quiet City, Beethoven: Sonata for Cello and Piano Op 102, No 1, Poet: Carlos Contreras

Sep. 19: Rachmaninoff: Cello Sonata (Mvt 3), Opera Southwest Extravaganza with Frederick Jackson, Poet: Lauren Camp

Sep. 26: Mozart: Oboe Quartet in F Major, Uccellini: Aria Quinta sopra la Begamasca, Boyce: Trumpet Voluntary in D, Hertel: Concerto for Oboe, Poet: Margaret Randall

Chamber Music Albuquerque

In its 70^th season, the Chamber Music Albuquerque CMA powerhouse  brings international groups to the Simms Performing Arts Center. This is a tantalizing auditory appetizer to their 2010-2011 June Music Festival. Reservations are available for:

The Assad Brothers, Brazilian Guitar, Then and Now, Sun. Nov.7

Dan Franklin Smith, La Vida Iberiana from New York City, Dec. 5

The Cypress String Quartet, time-honored classics, Fri., Feb 4; Sun., Feb.6

The Leipzig String Quartet, acclaimed internationally, Fri, Mar. 31

Music in Corrales

The celebrated Moscow String Quartet opens the season with favorites by Borodin, Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky. Music in Corrales imports a stunning variety of styles including a performance by one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the country, Imani Winds.

Imani Winds

“Imani Winds has enjoyed numerous visits to New Mexico where they always find warm and receptive audiences,” said their manager, Rob Robbins. “They especially enjoy the unique and intimate space of the old San Ysidro Church, the venue for Music in Corrales concerts.” Meet this contemporary group and tour their latest release here watch?v=D2fJSDE7ag0.

The 2010-11 season features the Moscow String Quartet, Sept. 11; Manhattan Piano Trio, Oct. 16; The Woods Tea Company, Nov. 14; Douglas Cardwell Trio, Dec. 11; DI WU on piano, Jan. 15; Petar Jankovic, Feb. 19; and Imani Winds, Mar. 19.

Placitas Artist Series

Willy Sucre and Friends again opens the Placitas Artist Series 2010-11 season in Las Placitas Presbyterian Church, playing String Quartet No. 2, Intimate Pages by Janáček, and String Quartet in C Sharp Minor, op.131 by Beethoven. Details at the Placitas Artist Series.

Choral Artists of the Southwest

Explore the wonders of creation, the cosmos and nature as Quintessence: Choral Artists of the Southwest, debuts its 2010-11 season with Earthsongs: Music of Creation on Oct. 9-10, featuring Aaron Copland’s “In the Beginning” among others.

Celebrate the holidays on Dec. 4-5 with sacred and secular pieces including Susa’s “Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest” on Mar. 5-6, with a musical feast of audible delicacies by Carey, Bernstein, J.S. Bach and others. It’s “Happy 25th anniversary, Quintessence” for the finale on May 14-15 featuring Rutter’s “Birthday Madrigals” and works by Purcell, Menotti, Handel and Liszt. (Remember: great musicians never play Lisztlessly.)

Saturday performances are at Immanuel Presbyterian Church with Sundays at St. John’s United Methodist Church. For details, call 505.672.8863 or go to the website Quintessence: Choral Artists of the Southwest.

Music at St. John’s also hosts Voces8, an a cappella octet from Britain, on Sunday, Feb. 13.

–Peggy Herrington is associate editor to albuquerqueARTS.

By Stephanie Hainsfurther

The story of the boy-king Tutankhamun belongs to the ages and so to the realm of history. And as they collaborate in telling the tale, the treasures found in his tomb would properly belong in a museum of history. Yet the Denver Art Museum scored big when it was chosen to house the exhibit “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs,” showing now through January 9.

“It has to do with finding the right venue in a city or region,” says Mark Lach, senior vice president and creative director for Arts and Exhibitions International, the designers of the King Tut exhibit. “It could be either [art or history]. We looked for appropriate museum spaces with the appropriate enthusiasm for this exhibit. With their new facility and wonderful enthusiasm, the Denver Art Museum met and exceeded all criteria.”

There are more than 100 objects from the reigns of prominent Egyptian rulers from about 2,600 B.C. to 660 B.C. in the current show. Lach feels that the more than 50 pieces from Tut’s tomb itself would be well represented even in a gallery-style setting.

“They can stand on their own with simple lighting and still are quite special,” he says. “However, this was an opportunity for a theatrical presentation, with multimedia that supports the objects.”

To that end, the exhibit is set on two levels, including four rooms that represent the four rooms of King Tut’s tomb. The largest representation of Tut ever found – a 10-foot tall statue – is on view. Don’t miss the Gold Gallery, where some of the most stunning items are on display, like Tut’s golden sandals and the death mask of Psusennes I (see below).

Lach and his team were aiming for “a sense of mystery and discovery” when designing the rooms. “We want visitors to think, ‘Today’s my trip to Egypt.’”

The “Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition” that has toured since 1995 was also designed by Arts and Exhibitions International. Lach recalls that putting together the Titanic exhibit was in many ways less of a challenge than the King Tut.

“There was more of a detailed story with the Titanic exhibit,” he says. “We know far less about the Boy King. We felt in both respects a very heavy responsibility to tell the story well.”

The narrative line followed throughout this exhibit showcases the splendor of the pharaohs, their functions in spheres both earthly and divine, and what Egyptian kingship meant. It begins with a short National Geographic documentary narrated by actor Harrison Ford (nope, the fictional Indiana Jones did not discover Tut’s tomb; British explorer and archaeologist Howard Carter did in 1922), and includes the first three-dimensional CT scans of Tut’s mummy. There is a companion volume by Zahi Hawass, published by National Geographic Books.

The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust is a cultural partner and, if a road trip seems too much, American Airlines is the official airline.

–Stephanie Hainsfurther is publisher and editor of albuquerqueARTS.

“Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs”

Ongoing through January 9, 2011

Denver Art Museum, Hamilton Building

Anschutz Gallery and Gallagher Family Gallery

For detailed ticket information group ticketing and hotel packages go to:

Denver Art Museum website here or King Tut Denver

Call: 1.877.5.GO2TUT

By Jim Belshaw

Hugh Witemeyer, secretary of the Albuquerque Theatre Guild

You are an actor standing just offstage in the wing of a theater. You listen to the muffled chatter of an audience settling into its seats. Maybe you sneak a peek through a little part in the curtain to see what the “house” looks like. All the while you wait for the stage manager to whisper one of the most frightening one-syllable words you will ever hear—“Go!”

An addictive habit

The experience produces odd sensations for an actor. The rush of adrenaline combines with the abject fear of forgetting your first line, and the next thing you know the inside of your mouth has become a jar full of cotton balls. But the curtain lifts and on you go.

It’s called theater. A new show has begun.

Multiply this by a factor of 30 or so and you have many such moments, new shows and new seasons, full of expectation and the addictive energy that brings people back to the stage time and time again.

“People do get addicted to it,” Hugh Witemeyer, secretary of the Albuquerque Theatre Guild, said. “One of the common wisecracks you often hear is what job do you have to support your theater habit?”

Genesis of the Guild

The Albuquerque Theatre Guild came into being in 2007, largely built on dissatisfaction with the way local media—or more to the point, the Albuquerque Journal—covered (or didn’t cover) local theater productions. Frequently, shows would open and close with sparse audiences because people simply didn’t know about the show.

“The Guild came about in a kind of protest,” he said. “Theater is pretty much all volunteer, and you had these groups working so hard and no one in the media was covering them. Things weren’t getting reviewed. If we were lucky we got one or two reviews in a week. In January of 2007, there was a meeting of theater groups and out of it came the idea of a guild organization or federation or alliance of theater groups to represent the theaters and to try to lobby on behalf of them.”

The Guild has 38 member organizations, 35 of which stage productions. (Three are venues only that do not stage their own productions.) There are children’s theater groups, about a dozen organizations devoted in whole or part to theater education, groups specializing in musical theater, groups that have their own space and groups that don’t.

Some are beginning a new season; some perform all year round.

“I think here in Albuquerque the ‘new season’ is a less dramatic annual transition than it is in cities where the theater scene is quiet in the summer,” Witemeyer said. “In many cities theaters are dark in the summer, but here theaters operate all year round. It’s never really dark. The Adobe Theater, for instance, does 10 shows a year. The Vortex Theatre is just finishing up its summer Shakespeare festival, and then comes ‘Crimes of the Heart’ in fall. But it’s not coming in with trails of red and gold leaves as a seasonal event.”

New company, big goals

One group that most assuredly is starting a new season is the Duke City Repertory Theatre. The season is not only new, but so is the Rep, featured last month in albuquerqueARTS. This year marks its inaugural season, the culmination of years of work.

“Terrifying and exciting,” its artistic director, Amelia Ampuero said. “We have worked toward this for three years, and suddenly it’s a week from when we open and it’s like we’re having a baby, a real baby.”

The new season and new company began on August 19 with “Trust.” Its next production, opening on October 14, will be the David Mamet play “Oleanna.”

The Duke City Rep has big plans for Albuquerque and the Southwest.

“We want to become a theater that pays everyone a living wage,” Ampuero said. “We want to be the theater where people who have chosen this art form as their career can make a living. We aim to be the state theater of New Mexico and the regional theater of the Southwest. There is a lot of community theater that’s wonderful, but we want to be something bigger than that.”

Theater thrills

Hugh Witemeyer calls the growth in local theatre “explosive” in the last five years. Witemeyer, who said he’s been involved in theater since high school, retired from teaching at the University of New Mexico six years ago and says that theater has become the central activity in his life, pointing to the “great diversity of people held together by this one interest.”

“From an audience point of view, what’s exciting about the theater is that it’s live,” he said. “It’s real people up there on a stage walking a metaphorical tightrope they could fall off of at any moment. There’s an element of risk you don’t have in movies or television. It has the poignancy of the ephemeral. Theater is in the moment. When the show is over, it’s over, never to be recovered.”

There’s a payoff for the actor, too, especially one who spent a career standing in the front of a classroom.

“For the performer there is the thrill of doing your thing in front of an audience and being appreciated for it if you do it well,” he said. “You have a feeling that you’re making a difference for people. You’re either entertaining them or making them think. It’s that sense of being in contact. For me, when you’re acting, it’s not unlike teaching. You’re up in front of a group of people doing your thing. But in the theater you get a response right away which, believe me, is not always the case in the classroom. And to top it off, you don’t have to grade their papers! It’s the best of all possible worlds for me.”

Many new seasons are beginning. Many actors are standing in the wings, waiting for a stage manager to whisper, “Go!” Check out the Web page Albuquerque Theatre Guild, the Theater story on p. 4 of  September’s print issue, and at albuquerqueARTS for online listings.

The seasons will announce themselves to you there.

Jim Belshaw

—Jim Belshaw is a contributing editor at large for albuquerqueARTS.