Nancy Holt, Views Through a Sand Dune, 1972, Narragansett Beach, Rhode Island cement-asbestos pipe, sand. Photo by Nancy Holt.

Santa Fe Art Institute through June 29

The Santa Fe Art Institute is proud to present Nancy Holt: Sightlines, an in-depth examination of Holt’s early projects from 1966 to 1980, on view from May 5 through June 29. Holt’s pioneering work falls at the intersection of art, architecture, and time-based media. The career of this important American artist took off in the late 1960s when she and other like-minded artists in the U.S. turned away from the emerging commercial gallery system to embrace the American landscape and its geological diversity. Located beyond the confines of New York gallery walls, Holt began working on large-scale outdoor projects that responded to the environment and offered novel means for observing natural phenomena.

Although Holt’s work has regularly appeared in surveys and anthologies on the Land Art movement, many of her forays into film and video, landscape architecture, and environmental ecology have gone surprisingly unexamined. This exhibition includes some 40 works and archival documents and was organized by the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery of Columbia University and curated by Alena J. Williams.

Nancy Holt was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, in 1938 and grew up in New Jersey. Shortly after graduating from Tufts University in 1960 as a biology major, she moved to New York, where — alongside a group of colleagues and collaborators including Michael Heizer, Carl Andre, Eva Hesse, Richard Serra, and Robert Smithson — she began working in film, video, installation, and sound art. With her novel use of cylindrical forms, light, and techniques of reflection, Holt developed a unique aesthetic of perception, which enabled visitors to her sites to engage with the landscape in new and challenging ways.

Works like Sun Tunnels (1973–76), Views Through a Sand Dune (1972), and her extensive Locator series provided a new lens for observing natural phenomena (such as summer and winter solstices and sun and moonlight patterns), which transform specific geographic locations into vivid and resonant experiences. Her sculptural sites allow the viewer to channel the vastness of nature into human scale while creating a contemplative, subjective experience grounded in a specific location in real time.

Holt wrote in 1977 about her magnum opus, Sun Tunnels, located in the Great Basin Desert of Utah: “I wanted to bring the vast space of the desert back to human scale. I had no desire to make a megalithic monument. The panoramic view of the landscape is too overwhelming to take in without visual reference points . . . through the tunnels, parts of the landscape are framed and come into focus. . . the work encloses—surrounds. . .”

While Holt may be best known for Sun Tunnels, the construction of which is prominently featured as a large video projection, the exhibition includes a good deal of material being shown for the first time. Included are early color photographic works taken during trips to different Mid-Atlantic States, to the western states of Utah, Nevada, Montana, and California, and abroad to Wales, England, and the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. New digital photographic works document in color the passage of time at some of her sites such as Sun Tunnels. A number of archival documents including text-based works (such as scripts and concrete poetry), audiotapes, and drawings appear for the first time.

Exhibition Publication
The exhibition coincides with the release of Nancy Holt: Sightlines by the University of California Press, the first published retrospective account of Holt’s 45-year career. The book is edited by the exhibition curator, Alena J. Williams. The multi-authored book charts Holt’s artistic trajectory from initial experiments with new and unconventional media like sound, light, and industrial materials to the culmination of her development of major site interventions and freestanding environmental sculpture. The book is available for purchase through the Santa Fe Art Institute for $50.

Saturday, May 5 – Friday, June 29
Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm
Santa Fe Art Institute Gallery II, 1600 St Michaels Drive, Santa Fe, NM 87505

Photo of the Construction of Sun Tunnels, 1976, Utah. Photo by Nancy Holt.

Saturday, May 11, at the Outpost Performance Space

Presented in partnership with the Local Poets Guild and Basement Films, this one-of-a-kind performance showcases poets from Toronto, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Santa Fe, and Albuquerque, all of whom have some kind of a “disability.”

A night of unique perspectives celebrates the newly released Beauty is a Verb: The New Poetry of Disability, which has been named one of ALA’s Notable Books of 2012.

Kenny Fries

Kenny Fries is the author of four books including The History of My Shoes and the Evolution of Darwin’s Theory, which received the Outstanding Book Award from the Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights.

Denise Leto

Denise Leto is an experimental poet, writer, and editor. She was guest editor for Sinister Wisdom. She moves through the world with dystonia.

Natalie Illumi

Natalie E. Illum is the author of Spastic and produced the first-ever National Queer Slam, Capturing Fire. She has Spastic Cerebral Palsy and an excerpt from her memoir will be featured on This American Life.

Mary McGinnis has been published in over 65 magazines and anthologies. Blind since birth, she has written with power and humor about the disability experience, wild pears, and the dreams she doesn’t remember. She is the author of Listening to Cactus.

Lisa Gill. Photo Kathy Meidell

This evening’s host, Lisa Gill, will also share her work. Founder of Local Poets Guild, Gill is the recipient of an NEA Fellowship and the author of five books of poetry, including Caput Nili, which tells the story of how she got her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.

This show is the kick-off event for LINK: THE WRITE DISABILITY which will continue discussions with the authors downtown on Saturday, May 12th. This event is made possible by the generous support of the McCune Charitable Foundation, the New Mexico Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. 

May 11, 7:30 pm
Outpost Performance Space 210 Yale SE
Tickets: $15/$10 Members and Students
For full schedule, please visit the Local Poets Guild

Desirae Anslover performing Woken, Wishing, Willing, part of Ballet Repertory Theatre’s “Literally Dance – words in movement”

For over 20 years, Ballet Repertory Theatre has provided local audiences with dance programming that represents a gamut of styles and artistic interpretations.

Formerly known as Ballet Theatre, the company has become a leading institution in local ballet education and aesthetics. Currently under the artistic direction of Katherine Giese, Ballet Repertory Theatre provides opportunities for pre-professional and professional dancers alike.

While there has been some transformation in balletic presentation, many companies remain committed to solely presenting a classical repertoire. However, as is becoming more commonplace, ballet companies are presenting works that place them outside of the canonic land of fairy tales and into absolute states of existence.

While Ballet Repertory Theatre has a history of working within the classical tradition, it is always the evolutionary characteristics of any thriving entity that allows for progression into the fresh, ever-expanding contemporary landscape.

An installment in the “Season of Literature,” Ballet Repertory Theatre’s “Literally Dance – words in movement,” a program – sans tutus – is a departure from the traditional ballet ideal. It incorporates elements of modern and contemporary ballet with spoken word poetry. “Literally Dance” will showcase the stylistic diversity of four distinct choreographers: Devon Adams, Celia Dale, Alex Ossadnik and Katherine Giese.  

Joined by Hakim Bellamy, Albuquerque’s first Poet Laureate, the cast of 11 dancers will perform pieces that demonstrate each individual’s strengths and highlight the company’s diversity. Concurrently joining aural and visual sensorial components, the production will give new light to the notion of juxtaposing fluid and rigid lines through spoken word maneuvering through space.

–Christine Vigil

May 5, 7pm, May 6, 2pm
Premiere: “Literally Dance – words in movement”
KiMo Theatre, 423 Central Ave N.W.
Ticket prices range from $15-$25 (all seats reserved) and may be purchased at the KiMo Theatre Box Office, 768-3544. Also available from KiMoTickets.com and HoldMyTicket.com.

The goal of Free Comic Book Day is to promote the comic book medium to new customers young and old and celebrate the independent comic book retailers and their stores. Comics are fun and a great tool for introducing young children to the world of reading.

This year’s list of free comics includes mainstream titles such as: Star Wars, SpongeBob, Donald Duck, Transformers, Buffy, The Smurfs, Spider-Man, The Avengers from this year’s expected blockbuster movie and many more. All you have to do to get one is visit one of these stores:

HASTINGS ENTERTAINMENT
6001-R Lomas Blvd. N.E.
Fair Plaza Shopping Ctr.
Albuquerque, NM, 87110 

OLD WEST COMICS AND GAMES
5201 Lomas Blvd Ne
Albuquerque, NM, 87110 

TALL TALES COMICS & NOVELTIES
1510-C Wyoming Blvd. Northeast
Albuquerque, NM, 87112 

HASTINGS ENTERTAINMENT
4315 Wyoming N.E.
La Mirada Shopping Ctr.
Albuquerque, NM, 87111 

THE COMIC WAREHOUSE
9617 Menaul Blvd NE
Albuquerque, NM, 87112

ASTRO-ZOMBIES
3100 Central Avenue Se
Albuquerque, NM, 87106 

For more information visit Free Comic Book Day.

Strater Hotel Fireworks. Photo by Sven Brunso.

You can drive to the cozy Rocky Mountain town of Durango, Colorado in less than four hours. Located at approximately 6500 feet elevation, the town’s wide streets feature plenty of parking, lovingly restored Victorian buildings, and vintage streetlights. Old-fashioned outdoor signs advertise spots such as Thru The Lens Old West Photos, Francisco’s Restaurante Y Cantina and Magpies Newsstand Café.

Founded in the shadow of the rugged San Juan Mountains, more than 125 years ago, Durango is currently undergoing a 20-year revitalization project, paying homage to its designation as a Nationally Registered Historic District.

The Narrow Gauge Railroad in Whitehead Gulch.

While outdoors enthusiasts enjoy rafting, skiing, horseback riding, and breathtaking views from Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, there’s also plenty of action inside this great walking town. Grab some grub at dozens of restaurants, many highlighting fresh local ingredients. Savor an El Patron margarita with your Green Chile Relleno at Gazpachos, and chow down on premium Bison Burgers at Mahogany Grille. Or sip a beer at one of multiple local brew pubs.

You’ll find dozens of art galleries and jewelry stores here. Antique stores, book stores, and gift shops abound, too. Purchase hand-thrown stoneware bowls from Durango Pottery, stunning photographic art from the Open Shutter Gallery, or a painstakingly crafted sterling and turquoise ring from Durango Silver Company.

Durango Melodrama & Vaudeville and Comedy Nights promise hilarity and crazy antics, at ‘The Hank’ – the Henry Strater Theatre, located inside the restored 1887 Strater Hotel. This theater has delighted townspeople and visitors for more than 50 years, hosting local and touring theatrical performances. The Strater also houses two popular bars, Diamond Belle Saloon and The Office Spiritorium.

Issabella riding the Narrow Gauge Railroad

“Durango has a very thriving art scene now and it’s growing,” says Margaret Hedderman, marketing coordinator for Sorrel Sky Gallery. “We’ve held on to a small town mentality but we do have a lot going on.”

Relax at The Springs Resort, where pools of hot, therapeutic mineral water soak away stress. History buffs will find a restored 1905 classroom, Pueblo pottery and other fascinating exhibits at the Animas Museum, housed in a renovated 1904 school building.

You’ll enjoy different views of this Wild West town while following a Beer Lovers Weekend Itinerary. Or attend the February festival known as SnowDown, with its costume parties, parades bluegrass music, and cowboy poets. Other popular events include the Summer Jazz Festival, Oktoberfest, Holidazzle and the Durango Arts Festival.

“For a small town we’ve got a pretty progressive art scene,” says Shawn Clark, Executive Chef and general Manager of Steamworks, a Durango microbrewery. “It’s not metropolitan by any stretch but I think we’re pretty cultured for a small college town.”

–Lisa Waterman-Gray

See more on our tour of Durango:
Durango’s Sorrel Sky Gallery 
Ska Brewing Company

Gunfighters at the Diamond Belle. Photo by Diamond Belle.

Sorrel Sky Gallery's large collection of artisan jewelers including Ben Nighthorse. Paintings by Sharon Abshagen and Cynthia DeBolt.

Since 2002, Sorrel Sky Gallery has showcased contemporary Western fine art in a bright, airy space amid high ceilings, exposed brick, and vintage wallpaper. A wrought-iron balcony, glass block and tall windows surround visitors in this delightful art destination. Gallery owner Shannon Kimball Wells liked the name ‘Sorrel’ because it is one of the most common colors for horses that she feels are symbolic of the American West.

Representing more than 60 painters, sculptors, and jewelers, Sorrel Sky Gallery’s offerings have appeared in Cowboys & Indians and Hemispheres magazines, drawing art collectors from across the nation. Tabletop bronze Native American sculptures, acrylic paintings of cowboys on horseback, and intricate wood-turned pieces are only the beginning. You can also purchase a graceful, multi-colored glass vase, find the perfect sweeping landscape painting for your living room wall, or even purchase a one-of-a-kind handcrafted chandelier.

“A very big percentage of our artists are award winners – you’ll see new pieces almost every time you come in,” says Margaret Hedderman, marketing coordinator for the gallery. “Our newest artist is also a working cowboy.”

Visit Sorrel Sky Gallery at 828 Main Avenue, 970.247.3555. Seasonal hours are 9-6, Monday-Saturday, and 10-4 Sunday.

–Lisa Waterman-Gray

Ska BreweryTasting Room. Photo by D.W. Smith.

Located outside of town, Ska Brewing Company has won 20 national awards since 1995. From two ska-music-loving guys making beer, their operation has grown to include a beer garden where an Airstream trailer serves Mexican food, with indoor and outdoor stages.

Enjoy live music, join a trivia competition or tour the 24,000-square-foot facility.

“First and foremost we’re a manufacturer making beer that we ship, but we have an area where you can hang out,” says co-founder Dave Thibodeau.

You can also tour Steamworks (steamworksbrewing.com), a 16-year-old brewery and pub in a century-old building.

“We can arrange a tour of our brewery providing it’s not really crazy in here – at no cost – and it usually lasts about 20 minutes,” says Shawn Clark, executive chef and general manager.

Steamworks offers lagers AND pale ales. Menu items range from the Cajun Boil to sustainable seafood and locally raised beef.

“It does not need to be a special occasion to come to our place and have a decent meal,” Clark says.

–Lisa Waterman-Gray

Ska Brewery. Have a microbrew!

By Carlos Contreras

Albuquerque's first Poet Laureate, Hakim Bellamy with his son.

When speaking with newly appointed Poet Laureate of Albuquerque, Hakim Bellamy, it is easy to see where his focus lies: family, career, community. If I had to sum him up in three words, those are the words I would choose.

When I asked Hakim to perform that task for himself, he chose “Blessed, Epicurean, A.D.D.” I am pretty sure A.D.D would count as three words in and of itself—that little rule-breaker poet! In any event, he is A.D.D in a way that our community can be so very thankful for. 

A day in the life of Hakim Bellamy is never the same; no groundhogs here, just a daily grind in a different way with each sunrise.

After readying his son Kaylem for school and dropping him off, Hakim heads to his headquarters and check-cutter, the Media Literacy Project, which is housed on the Albuquerque Academy Campus. Hakim is the Strategic Communications Director there, managing press releases, social media, blog posts and just about anything else you can imagine that needs a quick-witted, savvy hustler of vocab. Bellamy manages all things literary for the Project, and does a fine job of it; he is so good at what he does, that he was recently taken on by a local magazine to write for their music beat and so sometimes, while at his desk, the beats of local bands infiltrate his brain, along with lines of rhymes he is waiting to craft for means of his own musical expression.

Yes, he is a musician, too. 

 In fact, Bellamy admits to “digging music most these days.” The recently rewarded Laureate realizes that might not be the popular populist answer, but he remains true to his roots in bearing the truth—a young man who grew up in Jersey spitting rhymes and freestyles, who found himself out in the Southwest on a Golden West stage many years ago. He pretty much sums up his experiences with writing by proclaiming, “Like June Jordan said, ‘at the end of the day, I’m just a poet writing songs.’”

 Touché, my poet friend, songs they are. Bellamy’s poetry sings to the hearts of men, the hearts of women, who are getting by, getting through their day, and not letting life get the best of them. Bellamy is an organizer at heart and a humble master of the word; in his efforts to continue doing his thing he often makes it a point to make space for others.

We spoke about his desire to keep it fresh when involving others in his projects. He mentioned how important it is to “cross-pollinate” genres of entertainment. He is a busy bee himself, so this comes as no surprise and, in fact, it’s something he already partakes of with guest appearances on albums by the likes of the “2bers,” and a former stint with “Law of Attraction.” Bellamy is always searching for that synergy, the one that makes you go mmmm.

I asked Hakim what keeps him interested in art, in Albuquerque, what keeps him creating, and why. He talked at length about a number of motivations. Bellamy expressed the desire and motivation to continue grinding toward art and music, being his career—not his after-work or weekend hustle, but rather his day-to-day, pay-the-bills and feed-his-son kind of hustle. He mentioned how working and creating in Burque helps to remind him to take his art seriously; he has a profound respect for his fellow practitioners in the Albuquerque scene. Their presence continually challenges and encourages him to keep on keepin’ on.

Keepin’ on he is. You can catch Bellamy on nearly any stage—it’s never a surprise to see him at an event you where wouldn’t normally expect a poet to bless the mic, so keep your eyes peeled. He creates regularly these days with a local experimental Hip-Hop theater group called “Urban Verbs,” and is working with “Sina Soul” currently on an adaptation of Gwendolyn Brooks’ “We Real Cool” for a show with the “Last Poets,” coming to town in July.

People continue to support Albuquerque’s first Poet Laureate, and there is no question in my mind as to why: Bellamy is humble, dedicated, and community-minded.

To sum up our conversation, he made it a point to mention his appreciation for the way this city has embraced him. In 2005 it took him in, made him a champion on the slam scene, and has never let him go. He told me that he loves being held by the arms of this city, and is grateful for the friends he found that year, the friends that he holds dear to this day.

We love you too, Hakim—Write on!

-Carlos Contreras is a poet, writer and sole proprietor of Immastar Productions. He and Hakim Bellamy consider each other to be family.

 May 5, 7 pm; May 6, 2 pm 

Literally Dance-words in movement with the Ballet Repertory Theatre
KiMo Theatre, 423 Central Avenue NW
$15.00 to $25.00, $5.00 discount for seniors and college students with current ID, $10 discount for children 10 and under. Details at KOB

May 10, 9pm
Vagrant Variety at Low Spirits, 2823 2nd Street NW 


 May 25, 9:30 am
Senior Commencement Address in Sanchez Park
Bosque School, 4000 Learning Road NW

June 13 TBA
Correctional Facility Visit with Literary Activist E. Ethelbert Miller, Washington D.C.

June 16 TBA
Albuquerque Centennial Summerfest
Civic Plaza and Central Avenue, Downtown



July 29 TBA
New Mexico Jazz Fest Performance with A.B. Spellman

The Outpost Performance Space, 210 Yale Boulevard S.E.

Informal rehearsal for Billy The Kid and Other Tall Tales by Festival Ballet Albuquerque. Lead Characters (center, from left to right): Dominic Guerra-Tunstall, Louie Giannini-Billy the Kid, Courtney Giannini-Maria, Thax von Reither-Sheriff Pat Garrett. Photo by Holly Plugge.

Commemorating the State Centennial, the National Hispanic Cultural Center and Festival Ballet Albuquerque will present “Billy the Kid and Other Tall Tales,” an evening of Americana in ballet.

 The evening will also feature a cast of four accomplished New Mexico-based, nationally known artists:  live music by country & Western singer/songwriter Jim Jones; and choreography containing Southwestern folklore and Western-themed narratives in “La Llorona” by Dominic Guerra, “Equus Ferrus” by Thax von Reither, and “Homestead” by Jennifer Borren.

 Under the direction of Patricia Dickinson Wells, “Billy the Kid” is a lighthearted narrative and fun display of balletic artistry complete with sets straight out of the old Wild West.

 “I am drawn to create story ballets, and this story, while complex, is a fun departure for both the dancers and the audience from the strict classical ballet fairy tale,” she says.

 Choreography for this production was originally created in 2001 by Dickinson Wells, with bar scene by Dara Beckley. “Billy the Kid” tells the legendary story of the young William H. Bonney and his early death at age 22. The artistic concept for the piece is Dickinson Well’s homage to the inception of the Land of Enchantment’s statehood. It has a musical score by Aaron Copland, the 20^th-century American composer who conceived of the original three-part musical suite for the “Billy the Kid” ballet in 1938.

 Featuring a showcase of talent, the nearly two hours of dance includes 68 professional dancers and 22 student and pre-professional dancers, and will take audiences back to a time where horseback riding, gun slinging and can-can girls in saloons were commonplace. 

–Christine Vigil

 May 11-12, 7 pm
“Billy the Kid and Other Tall Tales”
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Ticket prices range from $15-$30 and may be purchased the NHCC box office, 724.4771; or visit www.nhccnm.org. Tickets also available at Dance Theatre Southwest by calling 296.9645.

By Mary Montano

"Totally Ethnic" by Betsy Shaw.

Finding and acquiring artwork is already a satisfying pastime, but what better way is there than to buy directly from the artist? That opportunity presents itself at the 14th Annual Corrales Art Studio Tour.

 More than 60 Corrales artists will display and sell their works from their homes, studios, and at a central exhibit at the Rancho De Corrales Event Center. Artwork will range from traditional to contemporary, including oils, watercolors, pastels, ceramics, fiber, jewelry and metal.

Tickets are $20 per person and may be purchased at the door the night of the event and prior to the event through Corrales Main Street, ARCA, Corrales Bosque Gallery, Galleria de Corrales, or the Corrales Art Center. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit ARCA and the Corrales Arts Center, and a portion of the ticket cost is tax deductible.

14th Annual Corrales Art Studio Tour
Ranchos de Corrales Event Center
May 5-6, Saturday-Sunday, 10 am-5 pm
Tickets $20; Frontier Mart, 3677 Corrales, Corrales, Ranchos de Corrales Event Center, 4895 Corrales, Corrales, 505.974.1904, 505.898.2445; corralesartstudiotour.com