"North Fourth Art Center/VSA Website Gallery” is a place where artists with disabilities and collaborating organizations are invited to post samples of work, artist statements or biographical information, and contact information for purchasing work.
Links to the national VSA arts site and the National Art and Disability Center connect New Mexico artists with an international network of artists, buyers and patrons. There is no charge for posting information.
Contact:
Dara McLaughlin
My writing encompasses my life as a human being, a woman, a mother, a part of today’s world, and much more. My art reflects the life I know. It is both about disability and not about disability. I don’t think of myself as a disabled artist, but rather as an artist who is also disabled.
My mission, my hope, is that in some small way I may contribute to the life and progress of Disability Culture in the best way I know how—through my words and images.
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Barbara J. McKee
She is an active performance poet, having done readings for a variety of audiences, emulating the journey of the disabled experience. Her poetry book, "Trilogy of One and other poems" is an eclectic collection of her thoughts and experiences of life before and after her entrance into the disabled culture in 1975. Barbara's poetry and short stories have been published in poetry newsletters, anthologies, and university publications.
Barbara was the first wheelchair user to graduate Suma Cum Laude with a degree in culinary arts from an accredited CIA (Culinary Institute of America) school. Barbara writes feature articles and a weekly column for the Albuquerque Tribune .
Barbara’s future includes the expansion and promotion of her production company www.Chairgrrl.com, and to further the extermination of the disabled myth "Better Off Dead".
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Charmaine
G. Brown
Social / Political Artist
Presenting Issues about Physical Disability through Thematic Installations and Objects.
Becoming physically disabled has defined my voice as an artist. This transition has
provided me with insight into how the non-disabled view the disabled. I create art
experiences to share this insight and give people opportunities to gain understanding
about physical disability. My work explores the personal, social, environmental, and
political issues surrounding physical disability. I address these attitudes and
assumptions because they underpin American society and cause inequality. My art aims to
provoke thought, initiate dialog, and develop social familiarity of the disabled. Absence
of fear can reduce discrimination, promoting the physically disabled to gain greater
social equality, better access in communities, and fuller participation in the whole of
society.
Using familiar themes, for example a circus, fairy tale, or game, I present unfamiliar
issues about physical disability. Conceptually I develop interesting polarities between
the theme and the subject of disability. I then create several primary sculptures relating
to the theme using soft pliable fabric in combination with disability paraphernalia, such
as a shower commode chair, urinary leg bag, a wheelchair, or cane. I mainly use satin
fabric and use appliqu� and embroidery techniques. I am a master seamstress with an
affection for detail and decoration. The sensual and attractive quality of satin fabric
curiously contrasts with the detractive metal quality inherent in disability equipment. I
primarily use fabric of blue and white, which are the colors of the International
Wheelchair Symbol of Access symbol. This symbol of the stick-figured wheelchair character
is repeated throughout my work and has become a prominent feature. These sculptures are
then incorporated into theatrical installations constructed of fabric structures and
architectural elements. These environments provide a visceral experience for the viewer.
Within the installation the issue of physical disability is unavoidable, yet the satirical
development of the theme establishes humorous elements which offers the viewer to
participate in the paradox. My installations maximize physical space, intellectual
content, and technical expertise in order to invite people to engage themselves more
intimately with the subject matter of disability.
Because mainstream culture is largely image oriented, art images are able to convey
complicated issues and stimulate a dialogue of concerns regarding important issues.
Acceptance of people who are physically disabled or appear as physically different
continues to be a difficult adjustment for our society. Public attitudes and ignorance
about the disabled can be much more disabling than the persons actual disability. My
intention is to deconstruct public mythology surrounding the disabled.
Charmaine G. Brown
View work online at: www.nextmonet.com
For more information: [email protected]
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Iinah Iliih Inc. (Precious Life)
Iinah Iliih Inc. encourages and promotes independence, self-sufficiency and wellness for persons with disability. Located in Gallup, the organization provides training in marketing crafts and small business development. Work by some 23 artists with disabilities is available through a retail outlet run by Iinah Iliih Inc. at the Rio West Mall in Gallup, New Mexico. Fine traditional Native crafts and contemporary work is available. Stop by or contact them at PMB #196, 1300 W. I-40, #300, Gallup, NM 87301 (505) 863-5817. [email protected]
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Sabine Becker
Born in Berlin, West Germany on January 11, 1962, I was one of
the last “Thalidomide Babies” whose mother took the drug Thalidomide during
early stages of their pregnancy. I was born with abbreviated arms, but I learned from a
very early age to compensate by using my feet for daily task such as dressing, brushing my
hair, writing etc.
In 1968 I attended elementary school, which in the late
60’s was ill-equipped to deal with a disabled student. It took perseverance on the
part of my mother to convince school officials that I was capable of attending main stream
school. With a lot of hard work I graduated with a bachelors of Science Degree in Social
Work and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology. After my years at the University,
I worked with disabled children in several countries, such as France, Somalia, Ethiopia,
Switzerland, Canada, and the United States.
Following a creative urge and the need to survive, I went into
arts. Inspired by Southwestern Native American art and Alaskan Native art, I created my
own version of the “Spirit Dancer”. Sewn from leather, they are decorated with
small necklaces, dresses and feathers. I craft their “Spirit Mask” from moose or
caribou antler.
Today, much of my energy goes into advocating disability
awareness and Independent Living. I have addressed Disability Conferences throughout the
United State. But I also speak in schools to children as young as 5 years old to
demonstrate how I use my feet.
Sabine Becker
Box 174
San Cristobal, New Mexico 87564
Email: [email protected]
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Alan
Marshall: Alan Marshall grew up in Northeastern Oklahoma,
graduating from Bacone Indian School. He
attended the University of New Mexico, graduating with a degree in Theatre Arts in 1962. The following year he received a scholarship to
study with Paul Baker at the Dallas Theatre Center in Dallas, Texas. After leaving Dallas, he was awarded a Fellowship
in Theatre Design at City University of New York, Brooklyn College, where he studied Scene
and Costume Design with the late Eldon Elder. Marshall
became resident Playwright at the Inner City Cultural Center in Los Angeles, California,
where his play “Eagle Boy” was given a world premier in the late 1960’s. Awarded a Ford Foundation grant, he studied and
wrote throughout the Southwest for two years.
Returning to
New Mexico, Marshall, in collaboration with his wife Nancy and the late Santa Fe Galloway,
founded the New Playwrights Theatre in 1970 at the old Rodey Theatre on the UNM campus. The following year Marshall accepted the
Chairmanship of the Department of Fine Arts and New Mexico Institute of Technology (NMIMT)
where he taught Theatre Arts, Painting, Drawing and Film Aesthetics.
In the
1980’s/1990’s Marshall worked in California and New Mexico in film and T.V. His “Come Sweet Death,” a short film
inspired by J.S. Bach’s musical composition, was awarded Outstanding Recognition at
the Galveston on the Strand Film Festival. In
addition his play, “Eagle Boy” was accepted into the permanent collection of the
Langston Hughes Memorial Library in Los Angeles California.
Marshall has four children and he and his wife Nancy reside in Bosque Farms, where he has his art studio.
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Alex Aragon – Asked why he paints and what he likes about painting, Alex says, “What do you think - I like to work!” A 66-year old apprentice artist with VSA North Fourth Art Center, Alex has attended classes there for two years. Alex has a great passion for painting. After his morning rounds to greet every person in the offices, Alex starts to paint and continues working diligently throughout the day. His abstract paintings are filled with colors, motion, rhythm and movement.
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Sarah Boes - Sarah Boes lives in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The art process is a journey for her towards a life of happiness and reflection.
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Angelica Harrison - With small skillful hands, intense concentration, and serious intent, Angelica carefully lays down the complex design and color scheme that flows throughout her work. Not only is Angelica a serious artist but a comedian as well with a great sense of humor and a passion to make others laugh. What does Angelica have to say about her work? “So what, horse nut.” Angelica was born in 1977 with Downs Syndrome. Her adoptive mother Asiyah has been caring for Angelica since she was born. Angelica graduated from Manzano High School in 1996. From 1996 to 1998, Angelica attended a Community Transition Program in Salem, Oregon. She returned to New Mexico with her family and was accepted into VSA’s Studio Arts program in 2001. From the very start Angelica showed an intense passion for the arts. Angelica is very assertively independent. Her stature is small but her creative ability is huge.
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Ayren Valery - Photographs to primitive people had, so it is said a fearful magical quality. When photos of any kind first made their appearance, magical power was given to them, believing their power could have only come from a supernatural source. To one who is not callous by continuous exposure to photographic images, there is still something intriguing in the power that a two dimensional photo has in expressing the wide and diversified universe of animate and inanimate things. My intention is to draw the viewer through a door, to that time and place where photography first appeared, into the universe of spontaneity, order and the magical power of photography.
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Bethe Sailer - Bethe is an artist and teacher living with her family in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has been a professional dancer and was later a chef, becoming a fine artist in 1988. Sailer was in a serious automobile accident in 1997 and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury and numerous bone fractures. Her work is currently shown in galleries in Albuquerque and Clovis, including Gathering of Dreams in the Old Town Patio Market. She and her husband Jason offer both private and group art instruction in a variety of venues.
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Callian
Mer An – Callian Mer An works primarily in watercolor and
India ink on artist’s paper. Her use of
woven strips of painted Braille paper on greeting cards and some larger works results in a
wonderfully unique texture and depth. “For
a long time,” Callian says, “I just painted swatches of color as a way of
discharging feelings. Later as I began to
gain energy I started drawing flowers and cacti. One
day I added a shell to my drawing and something inside me shifted. I knew then I was going to be an artist.”
Callian, who worked for many years as
a preschool teacher before moving to Santa Fe, says, “My paintings are light, playful
and colorful. Playfulness has always been
central to my life’s journey even when addressing the soul’s dark side.”
Dark is not the descriptive adjective
that comes to mind when viewing Callian’s colorful, joyous, and sometimes whimsical
work.
Callian came to Santa Fe in 1990,
seeking clean air and a place to heal. Her
working studio is a favorite stop on the San Marcos Studio Tour. Her work has been shown at the Onate Center,
Espanola; El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe; and VSA/North Fourth Art Center exhibits.
Callian Mer An
Watercolors
24 Cedar Road, Rt 2, Box 644
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
(505)
471-7130
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Ellen Kesten, Pastel
Artist - When the moment
comes, it is in the act of moving away.
In New Mexico we feel the
moving away of time every day, that passion of beauty and grief when high clouds
collide with bright light and dark mountains. Even as we watch, the brilliance changes, fades, leaving us
with memory and inexpressible longing. This
shifting of light, color and pattern, is my inspiration.
These paintings are impressionistic and also recognizably here �high
desert, New Mexico at its highest, deepest, most powerfully vivid.
As an artist my intent is
to paint fluidly, moving quickly to catch that light, that phrase of cloud on
desert floor, until the moment is gone.
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Casey Ferguson – Casey’s imaginative world, as expressed through his pen and ink drawings, has captivated connoisseurs of na�ve art for a number of years. Many of Casey’s works have a playful quality, but he often combines this with a more thoughtful and interestingly complex view of the world around him. Casey has been refining his skills and developing his techniques as an artist at VSA’s North Fourth Art Center for a number of years. His designs have previously been chosen by Adelante Development Center for reproduction for their company’s holiday greeting card. Casey’s work has been featured in exhibits at the VSA gallery and other venues statewide as well as at autism conferences in New Mexico and other states.
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Catalina
Rael - Cat chooses
subjects in her paintings that reflect the variety of her interests and the people around
her. In addition to her work in the visual arts, Cat is a member of VSA’s Buen Viaje
Dance Company, through which she both performs and assists with dance residencies in the
public schools. Cat loves to work in clay and has an opportunity to do some acting in her
video class. She also writes and likes to study drama.
At home in the South Valley, Catalina keeps busy tending to her animals, especially her horse, Chico. She rides Chico during Special Olympics in which she has won many awards. Catalina is very devoted to her faith and when asked how she felt about being an artist she replied, “The Angel said to me. You are the best artist. It’s fun to do all at VSA arts New Mexico. It makes me feel happy to do the right thing in the arts.”
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Barbara Goodmiller - I am
on an adventurous journey in life. Having
exhibited throughout New Mexico and nationally, as well as being an Artist �
in � Residence with the State of New Mexico�s Arts Division and working with
VSA New Mexico for its first 20 years, I have been able to share this journey.
I did not choose this path,
it was chosen for me. I only went
where the road took me. Diagnosed
with Multiple Sclerosis in 1976, I started my journey into the unknown and
traversed over various medical, physical and emotional terrains.
The art began to express this journey.
My heart attack came in the early nineties changing the course of the
path and for a while I worked through the MS as well as the attack and my art
expressed the changes in the journey. Cancer
decided to travel with me when I was given 18 months to experience a new trail.
I struggled on that trail and the bridge to the new millennium found me
cancer free and my art expressed the journey.
My latest path has been a brain tumor and I found myself traveling into
gamma knife surgery in 2003. Various
lymphomas have been removed over the past three years.
The journey continues.
Through my art the paths of my mind have opened, life is defined, the hearts emotion expressed, and my soul is set free for the journey. FREEDOM NOW
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Christina Caraveo – Christina particularly enjoys the silk-screen process, though she is a multi-faceted artist. Her quilt won a second place ribbon in the baby quilts category at the 2003 New Mexico State Fair. Christina takes great pleasure in mastering new arts and crafts skills. Her print, “A Short Story With Mom,” reminds her of reading to her children when they were young.
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Derrick Wanoskia - Derrick has been attending classes at the VSA North Fourth Art Center for four years. He began by using his fingers as it was impossible for him to independently hold a paintbrush. As the years passed, Derrick observed others around him and realized he had the talent inside to adapt methods to paint that allowed him more control. He uses a variety of brush styles with adaptive handles and grips to add texture to his paintings. Derrick has proven to others that his work can be striking and powerful.
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Donna Goebel – “I was born in the Midwest but made Taos, New Mexico my home as a young adult in 1970. I attended the Institute of Art in Denver, Colorado in 1968-69. I work in watercolor, enjoying its fluidity and color. I have had multiple sclerosis since the 1970’s and have been in a wheelchair for the last ten years.”
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Mary McGinnis
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Kirk
A. Rogers - For
me, Art has become a source of joy and an escape from pain.
Ever since I survived a 54 day long coma, which left me paralyzed and
confined to a wheelchair, painting has provided me with freedom and a
much-needed outlet for self-expression. It
is this freedom that makes me happy! I love to paint. It is like reading a good
book where you feel like you�re part of the story. The paintings that �pass
though me� are like my children.
These creations are a part of me, an extension of my being, a part of my soul.
It is my sincere hope that you, the viewer, may find a glimpse of beauty in
this, my art.
Contact
Information:
Marion Block
408 Solano Dr, NE
Albuquerque 87108
(505) 265-2910
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Duane
Trujillo
- Since he began taking classes at VSA in 2000, Duane has pushed himself in different
directions and is always challenging his creative side. Everything Duane attempts he puts
his heart and soul into. If someone tells him he can’t do a certain project because
of his disability, he will prove them wrong and he will succeed. As a young man, Duane was
involved in an accident that left him with a traumatic brain injury, which, in a sense,
has given Duane the determination to live life to the fullest.
Duane’s work reflects what he has gone through in his life and the constant struggles he faces as an individual with disabilities. He enjoys painting, drawing, printmaking, clay, drama, and has performed as part of Equilibrium Theatre Company. Duane is also a poet, an artistic form in which the pain of living with his condition is expressed strongly. His work is a struggle and everything takes time for Duane to do, but the outcome far exceeds even his own expectations. Duane says, “Don’t count me out. People tend to judge me for all the wrong reasons. I can create and I do have a voice in this world.”
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George
Mendoza - A man of
courage and vision, George Mendoza seems invincible even though he has lost his sight at
the age of 15. He has gone on to become a
world-class runner, Olympic contender, author, painter and a motivational speaker for the
youth and the disabled in America.
Mr. Mendoza has written an autobiographical screenplay, “The George Mendoza Story”, a one-hour docudrama, which was aired on the public broadcasting system (PBS), hosted and narrated by academy award winning actor, Robert Duvall. A biography about Mr. Mendoza entitled “Running Toward the Light,” has been written by best selling author William J. Buchanan and will soon be made into a major motion picture.
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Georgia Moya - Georgia came to the world of visual art rather late in her life. For many years she worked in sheltered workshop and business settings associated with disabilities. Often this involved repetitive and monotonous work. When Georgia became an apprentice artist at VSA and began to develop her skills in visual arts classes, she discovered a world of color in the art of painting. Georgia expresses her love of nature and color in her painting, “My Flowers.”
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Geraldine
Mlynek: “I believe that looking or listening to
artwork, whether it be painting, sculpture, music, or literature, is more than a visual or
auditory dialogue. It is relating with the
work, taking you out of the world of aloneness because you know someone was there creating
the work. You get enveloped by another
consciousness.
“The
older I get the more I slow down, having more time to “trust my intuition and follow
my instincts” as said by the late Raymond Jonson.
This is not as easy as it sounds.
I believe that
‘Truth plus Integration equals Reality’
Time passes
with every blink of the eye…
…as do
roots grow to provide support…
…from
the ancient past till today…
…so my
work progresses…
“I was
first introduced to VSA arts of NM in 1988. The
name then was Very Special Arts. At that
time my disability was a mental one that was being treated by psychiatrists.
Today my mental problems no longer need medication. But now, at age 73, I’m dealing with osteo-arthritis in the lower back. Now it is spreading to my hips, etc. My activities are dictated by the illness. The output of my artwork has slowed down but I will not let it stop.”
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James Sobczak, Jr. – “At first I was afraid of the other people at VSA. I didn’t know them. I was amazed at the work of the Performing Arts Studio. Now in 2003, I got better at my work and I also have lots of friends here. I color with oil pastels because the color comes out of the picture. I like to draw 275 million-year-old seascapes with mermaids, sea creatures, and sharks. My main choice most of the time is video class and writing stories like Friday the 13th, the movie. Hopefully my dream will come true.”
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Jason Huth - Jason is skilled at a wide variety of imaginative topics and artistic techniques. His works depict space travel, extra-terrestrials, alien-beings as well as detailed landscapes and particular buildings that catch his eye and imagination. All these, as well as dinosaurs, dragons, realistic robotics are created in unique detail. Jason enjoys working on large pieces. He was commissioned by the Marriott Courtyard Hotel near Albuquerque’s Sunport for an image that is now used by the hotel as a postcard for their guests. The original is hanging in the lobby of the hotel. Another commission by the legendary La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe resulted in a depiction of that hotel that is also on permanent display at that establishment. Jason’s paintings have been shown in the Leslie Muth Gallery and the New Mexico Cancer Treatment Center in Albuquerque as well as numerous VSA events.
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Juliana
Coles – “As an
epileptic, my reality is somewhat altered. It
is through my work, whether it be a painting, drawing, Artist Book or Mixed Media Visual
Journal that I have sought to piece together and understand my fragmented memories. My images are an attempt to create a personal
history that I was not always a conscious participant in, as well as to raise awareness
and compassion in the viewer by challenging them with my experience. My art empowers me to create order, clarity, and
understanding in the midst of abnormal cerebral function."
“Presently I am at work on “Mysterious Disappearances Probed,” an Illustrated Book in Visual Journal format that describes my experience of life Subject to Seizure. A Visual Journal is a mixed media book of self-expression that combines journal writing with art making in order to simultaneously access both the left and right hemispheres of the brain for deeper introspection. This is the creative process I designed. I teach internationally and also present my student show, now in it’s 6th year, that profoundly challenges humanity with its rawness and honesty. This process promotes self- awareness, growth, and transformation. When this book is published, I hope it will encourage others to begin to speak out about their secret world in order to facilitate open discussion and emotional healing. I can’t heal my brain, but I can work through my feelings of inadequacy, that I was somehow a mistake, or that I must have done something terribly wrong to deserve this. My handicap has become my gift: no longer a handicap, but the intense essence of who I am and the very foundation of my mission in life. My brain is the delicate and imperfect core of the unique vision of my artwork and my teaching, and for that, I am grateful and full of respect for the mystery of this life.”
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Laura Gilbert - Laura is a 26-year-old graduate of Manzano High School in Albuquerque. She has few voluntary motor skills as a result of her cerebral palsy. She practices her head movements through the use of her home computer. Each stroke in Laura Gilbert’s paintings has been accomplished with her head movement, manipulating brushes taped to a baseball cap. Although nonverbal, Laura uses her eyes and facial expressions to select colors from a color wheel and to direct her nurse/assistant to position the paper. One constant is a splash of purple paint, her “signature.”
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Lorraine Raczkowski - Emerging fine art photographer, Lorraine Raczkowski, has been creating gelatin silver, sepia toned, infrared and color prints for the past several years. Her images of landscapes, nature and domestic animals have won numerous awards at the New Mexico State Fair, Rio Grande Nature Center, and the Animal Humane Society. When disability left her unable to work, Lorraine re-kindled a long-standing interest in photography as a creative and therapeutic outlet. “Photography is a visual bridge that connects us by capturing remembrances of emotion or moments of beauty and sharing them with others,” she says. “Surrounding yourself with art in any form not only enriches your life, but can renew and support your spirit especially in difficult times.” Lorraine is a resident of Rio Rancho.
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Natalie Candelaria - Natalie is a young artist who participates in performing and literary arts activities as well as her visual arts classes at VSA. She enjoys using color in a personal and expressionistic style. Natalie is especially drawn to working with oil pastels as these give her the opportunity to create colorful and vibrant work. Natalie often uses animals, particularly her own pets, as her subject matter.
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No.B.Coe
“The colors used are an
expression of self and experience: rhythm,
chaos and order… it’s a way of seeing and feeling that which is me and that
which is around me… INside and OUTside merged.
“In the forty plus years I have
been producing paintings and sculpture, the Spirit and experience have culminated into a
hybrid “cultural abstract” that expresses both halves of me into a comfortable
philosophical safety-zone in which to bring forth work… a birthing, if you will. Now, I easily float back and forth between the
mixing of heritage and cultural boundaries. My
work has finally “BECOME” the bridge that Grandmother said was meant to
be.
“Everyone has a story. Life can be complicated with its twists and turns. For an artist, these “twists and turns”
change the flavor of the work. The goal of
the work is to express the facts of any given imagery while maintaining the integrity of
the human’s being. I think Manet said
it best: “The artist’s greatest
gift is to create reality NOT copy it.”
No.B.Coe has a degree in commercial
art from the Robert Morgan Technical Institute in Miami, Florida; studied sculpture at the
North Carolina State University School of Design; stained glass with Raymond Stevens at
the Carolina Studios in Raleigh, North Carolina and at the Fischer Stained Glass Studios
in Houston Texas.
Her work has been shown at Abilities,
Inc of Florida, the North Carolina Council on the Status of Women, the N.C. Fine Arts
Society Competition, the N.C. Museum of Art, the ASID Designer House Invitational (where
she was awarded Best in Show), and at the Independent Living Resource Center in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her work is hanging
in private and corporate collections in the U.S., Canada, Africa, England, the
Netherlands, Israel and the Ukraine.
Nancy Coe-Munsey (No.B.Coe)
PO Box 27044
Albuquerque, New Mexico 87106
(505) 232-8576
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Peggy Zuris
After attending New Mexico Highlands
University, she submitted her portfolio for a juried selection process and was accepted to
the Kansas City Art Institute, Otis/Parson in Los Angeles and Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena. Following her training, she
returned to New Mexico where she maintains an active studio.
Peggy has been described as a “colorist
with a natural understanding and naivet� which transcends the creative experience and
allows the successful abstraction of her subjects.” (Carmine De Vivi/ Artist and Art
Consultant)
Wesley Pulkka, art critic with the
Albuquerque
Journal says, “Her ruddy oils are lavished with juicy layers of paint. Mountains and valleys, all slightly askew, prance
across the canvas. Her work has life and
singular vision.”
Peggy Zuris is currently represented
by:
Act One Gallery, Taos New Mexico
(505) 758-7831
Patrician Design/Caliente,
Albuquerque New Mexico (505) 242-7646
Musikantow Studio Gallery, La Porte,
IN (219) 778-9828
Art is OK Gallery, Albuquerque New
Mexico (505) 883-7368
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Ralph Gonzales - Ralph Gonzalez has attended classes at VSA for four years. He works in a non-stop and vigorous style. Ralph prefers to use the kind of drip technique that is strikingly similar to the work of Jackson Pollock. Ralph’s ‘drip’ paintings are fluid in nature and full of motion. He chooses a variety of colors and adds layer upon layer to create a maze of depth.
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Raymond Grossetette – Raymond combines working at Adelante with his interest in making art at VSA’s North Fourth Art Center. He particularly enjoys the silk-screen medium and has created several prints. “Clown” is his newest work. When asked to comment on his work, Raymond says he likes it “pretty fine.”
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Roger Torres - Roger has been at VSA for three years. When he first began painting Roger would work with such intense strength and energy that he would quickly become exhausted and end with shredded paper. With encouragement he was able to slow down and become more controlled. Roger uses masking tape to block off certain areas of the surface, manipulating forms, shapes and colors in many layers. With this process it can sometimes take weeks to complete one composition. The results are complicated and magnificent paintings.
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Orlando Najar - Orlando has been a full-time apprentice artist at VSA’s North Fourth Art Center for almost three years. “Art is my favorite thing,” says Orlando. He most often chooses to work in pastel, creating both abstract pieces and portraits. Orlando says that he gets ideas from “his brain.” He has been working in screen-printing class for about a year. He enjoys every step of the process, from stretching the silk to developing the design, and exploring alternatives for applying the colors. When asked about his work Orlando says he likes his teacher and that the class is fun.
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Dan Godfrey – Artist Statement
Dan Godfrey has been painting as a professional artist since the mid 1960's after graduating with an MA in Fine Arts from the University of New Mexico in 1962. Dan's work runs the entire gamut of media and includes watercolor, pastel, oil pastel, pen and ink, oils, acrylics and mixed media and even sculpture in metal and stone. His work includes as subject matter landscapes, portraits, nudes, still lives and wildlife. Dan has won top awards, the most recent being first place in a statewide competition at the Bardean Miniature yearly exhibit in 1996. The judge for this particular competition was Wilson Hurley. In 1997, Dan won second place in this miniature competition. He has written and illustrated several bi-lingual children's books. The most recent book of his was published by the University of New Mexico in 1984 entitled Wildflowers Along Forest and Mesa Trails. Dan's most recent paintings are in oil pastel, the subject matter being the Rio Grande River.
Dan had a one-man show during the month of October 2004 at the New Mexico Art League on Juan Tabo NE in Albuquerque. The title of the show was "Seasons of the River" and included paintings and prints of the four seasons of the Rio Grande.
Dan's works are in private collections in all parts of the world and he ahs had exhibits at the University of New Mexico, the Kimo Gallery, the Albuquerque Public Library and galleries in Scottsdale and Tucson Arizona, Fairleigh-Dickenson University in Madison, New Jersey, Vancouver British Columbia, Canada and various other galleries in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos and Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Dan is currently a faculty member at the New Mexico Art League and will be scheduling some classes in landscape painting there following his second one-man exhibit coming this October 2005, and the theme of "Seasons of the River" will be continued in this exhibit. This exhibit will include Giclee prints which come as close to the original painting as is currently possible.
Dan Godfrey
Great River Heritage
2928 Tennessee NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505) 323 5619
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Ben Wozniak
Biography
I have lived in Albuquerque almost all my life, except to go away to Lafayette College in Easton, PA. I graduated with Honers in Mechanical Engineering and Fine Arts. Since then, I have been creating artwork in the mediums of colored pencil, felt tip marker and oil paints. I sold my first work of art when I was 8 years old. Most recently, I had a solo art show at Transitional Living Services. Before that, I had a multi-person art show nine years ago at the Easton State Gallery.
Ben Wozniak – Artist Statement
What motivates my artistic expression is that my art is being seen. Previously, I did installation Art Work, which is art that one experiences in its environment. However, my art is now focused on Abstract Design and careful color selection. I hope that these designs remind you of a pleasant memory.
For more information, call May Hussain or Deborah Mashibini at the North Fourth Art Center: (505) 345 -2872 ext. 11 or 18 or email: [email protected]
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Sharon McConnell
Artist Statement
"I am blind. I lost my sight when I was in my 20's. Through life casting I create images that let me see and feel the faces behind the music that has become my passion. This project also allows me to participate in a dynamic creative exchange. Through life casting I honor these musicians. I adore them and adorn them with plaster and wrap them up like precious packages. They are precious. Their contributions to American music are precious. These great musicians and their families deserve to see themselves in and be honored by our nation's museums while they are still alive."
visit Sharon McConnell's web site:
www.sharonmcconnell.net
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