Yes, Picasso, there is fine art in the gallery at the Ocotillo Performing Arts Center all season long!
One of the exciting new things happening at the OPAC is the fine art shows for the 2016-17 season. The gallery is open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. – noon Saturdays beginning Sept. 17, as well as two hours before events and special guests.
“It is free to the public to view the gallery,” said Laurie Schotz, Artesia Arts Council executive director. “One may even bring in a brown bag lunch or dinner and sit and enjoy (don’t forget dessert is right next door at the Dessert Studio).”
Shows include:
• August: Tyler Green, “The Field,” October 2012, digital pigment print on aluminum. Born in Las Cruces in 1985, Green was an Artesia resident for more than 18 years. “The Field” is a collection of photographic vignettes cataloguing what an oilfield worker might see during their shift in the Permian Basin of New Mexico. By removing clutter from the scene, the images allow the viewer to focus on the colors, shapes and textures of various oilfield equipment against the backdrop of the Chihuahuan Desert. The images were created over a three-year span while navigating the endless patchwork of caliche roads during the sunset hour.
• September: Mike Lanfor, “AirPlay.” A resident of Roswell, Lanfor pursued a life of adventure such as rock/mountain climbing, skydiving and flying, which led to the founding of AirPlay. AirPlay is a way to involve photography or video in aerial photography, video, time lapse, green and blue screen, and studio and events.
• October: Juanita Fingers, beading. Fingers found her love for beading in 1991. Each piece is designed with complete and unrestricted freedom of movement, size and color. Handcrafting each piece in her studio in Roswell, Fingers gives complete focus to each, making the pieces limited and a true one-of-a-kind collector’s item. In an effort to show her work as well as that of other bead artists, she has opened the only art gallery in the country dedicated solely to beaded art.
• November: Martha Lou Kolterman, oil painting.
• December: Holiday Boutique. Artists and fine crafters are currently being sought to participate in the first Holiday Boutique, which will feature unique items for the holidays. For more information on participating or shopping, call the OPAC at 746-4212. The OPAC fine art classes will also be displaying their work.
• January/February: Cheyenne Hewitt, oil, watercolor and charcoal.
• March: Sara Grijalva Photography Show. Members and non-members are welcome. For more information, call 746-4212.
• April: RoxAnne Turner, encaustic monotype prints.
• May: Kathie Butts, photography and watercolor.
Artesians are also encouraged to visit www.artesiaartscouncil.com or call the OPAC at 746-4212 for information on workshops and classes being offered to all skill levels and ages.
