Nathan Smerage: The No Land Sessions

Album Release Show

NO LAND
54 1/2 E. San Francisco St. #7

Thursday, December 21, 7 pm
$5-$10 suggested donation.

When Santa Fe guitarist Nathan Smerage left his rock band Venus and the Lion late last year, he went on the hunt for a radically different project. He spent the better part of 2017 composing acoustic guitar ballads, and emerged with nine songs inspired by classic ragtime music. “It was on my bucket list that I wanted to make a solo guitar record,” Smerage says. “Just guitar, no other instruments, no overdubbing. It was terrifying.” This summer, Smerage recruited local musician Luke Carr to help him record the album over two days at No Land art space. For the official launch of the album, titled The No Land Sessions, Smerage returns to the gallery to replicate the raw energy and unique acoustics of the recording. The album release show is at No Land on Thursday, December 21 at 7 pm. The gallery will ask for a $5-$10 donation, and The No Land Sessions CDs will be available for $10. 

“What can you do with just a guitar?” says Smerage. “That’s the question that kicked off the project, a little over a year ago.” He’d recently graduated from the Contemporary Music Performance Program at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where he formed Venus and the Lion with three other students. As Smerage began composing songs for the solo album, he worked with former SFUAD professor and sound engineer Jason Goodyear to produce demos. “I was living across the street from Jason. Every month I would write a song, go to his place and record it. He was my coach,” Smerage says.

Smerage visited No Land for the first time early last summer, and re-imagined the art space as a makeshift recording studio. “I remember Nate walking through the gallery and snapping his fingers to check the acoustics,” says No Land Co-Director Jordan Eddy. “He was hearing something that we couldn’t, which was fascinating.” Smerage describes the space’s resonance as “wooden” and “old-timey”—a perfect complement to the ragtime-inflected soundscape of his compositions.  

Smerage and Carr sprung into action in July, recording about ten takes of each song in two eight-hour sessions. “It’s the first time I’ve ever done something like that,” says Smerage. “Usually any record I’ve worked on, we’d spend months to years finessing it. With this one, Luke was like, ‘Put down what you need to, and that’s it.’” The result is a 30-minute album that Smerage calls a perfect wind down after a long workday. It’s a world away from the electric grooves of Venus and the Lion, and part of a larger musical evolution for Smerage. “I’m challenging myself to become a master of my own instrument,” he says. “I want to really put my voice into it.” 

Bio

Nathan Smerage grew up in Chicago, and studied music at Santa Fe University of Art and Design from 2012 to 2016. Since graduating, he has toured the nation as a solo act and with Santa Fe band Storming The Beaches With Logos In Hand. He is based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

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Creature Feature

A Halloween Market
by Dandelion Guild

NO LAND
54 1/2 E. San Francisco St. #7
October 28-29, 2017

Market Hours: 11 am-5 pm

Witches form covens, vampires stick to their clans, and werewolves hunt in packs. In the village of Santa Fe, a group of wildly creative black sheep has established a guild. Calixte Raifsnider’s start-up, Dandelion Guild, sprung from a regional community of makers that was hungry to collaborate. The DIY project’s series of pop-up artisan markets has been building momentum since last spring, when Raifsnider garnered a spot in the 2017 bizMIX Startup Accelerator. This fall, Dandelion Guild unites local artists, vendors, makers and monsters for a Halloween pop-up market at Strangers Collective’s No Land art space on October 28 and 29. CREATURE FEATURE is open both days from 11 am to 5 pm, with tricks and treats provided by Afterlife Alchemy Jewelry, Ashley Blanton, The Bookman & The Lady, Cold Lantern Collection, Jenny Rocks and Lindsay Payton. 

“Each market we create adds another chapter to our story,” says Raifsnider. “This one is shrouded in shadows, but that’s where you find the best treasures.” From the talismanic accessories of Afterlife Alchemy Jewelry to the metamorphic, mixed-media collages of Ashley Blanton, CREATURE FEATURE is Dandelion Guild’s spookiest manifestation yet. Cold Lantern Collection contributes illustrations inspired by classic horror films, Lindsay Payton conjures dark fairytales in her narrative drawings, The Bookman & The Lady unveils a curated collection of horror and dark fantasy novels, and Jenny Rocks offers up beautiful and bizarre found object jewelry. “If you’re looking to gear up for Halloween, there’s be no better place to be on the weekend before the big day,” says Raifsnider.

Raifsnider worked with Betterday Coffee to put together the first Dandelion Guild pop-up last April, and collaborated with Eliza Lutz of Matron Records on a larger, more elaborate manifestation of the market at Ghost in mid-June. She’s been a purveyor of vintage apparel for years, and works with her partner Benjamin Bailey-Buhner to sell rare books under the moniker The Bookman & The Lady. They run both businesses online, but have dreamed of opening a brick-and-mortar location. 

“We found ourselves in the same boat as a lot of DIY vendors we know,” says Bailey-Buhner. “We couldn’t afford a space on our own, so pooling resources made a lot of sense.” Dandelion Guild was their solution, a DIY passion project with a seriously collaborative mission. The company’s name, inspired by Ray Bradbury’s 1957 novel Dandelion Wine, is a reflection of this philosophy. “Dandelion is a lovely, lyrical word, and Guild anchors it,” says Raifsnider. “Our events are really fun and lively, and they also provide support to these professional makers and vendors who are working hard to make a living. It’s hugely inspiring.” 

Dandelion Guild’s participation in bizMIX this spring and summer has helped transform the grassroots endeavor into a full-fledged business, though Raifsnider is intent on preserving the organic energy of her early events. “We want to maintain that dynamic, vibrant, community fun feel, but within a structure,” she says. The pop-up markets are part of Raifsnider’s long-term plan to open a storefront that connects local vendors with treasure hunters.

“Dandelion Guild harnesses the collective power of emerging artists and artisans, a mission we can very much identify with,” says No Land co-director Alex Gill. “We’re excited to add some Halloween mischief to Calixte’s magical brew.” As past Dandelion Guild markets have shown, there are some surprises in store during the weekend of CREATURE FEATURE. “Who knows, there might just be a séance,” hints Raifsnider. 

Poster art: Cold Lantern Collection, Made Like New, digital illustration, 2017, 8 x 10 in.

Dandelion Guild

Dandelion Guild is curated, collaborative retail committed to forwarding the interests of talented local vendors and makers in Santa Fe. With this in mind, we will combine our resources to create a unique retail environment featuring vintage and handmade clothing, jewelry, books and other accessible art forms.

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Afterlife Alchemy Jewelry

Afterlife Alchemy Jewelry is Nature-inspired, earth-embodiment adornment that invokes healing and medicinal protection through talismanic representations. Each Afterlife Alchemy design is cleansed and super-charged with earthen, solar or lunar energy. Jewelry is not just jewelry; it is mystical energy. 

"Jewelry holds power, intention and meaning, creating realms that can emit this magic." 
-Monica Watson, Creative Designer

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Ashley Blanton

Ashley Blanton creates metamorphic mutations that are seeking new homes in which to belong. These handmade, original, small mixed media collages on paper are macabre, magical mementos for your walls.

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The Bookman & The Lady

The Bookman & The Lady believe in the magic of real objects...be they books or vintage clothing or perhaps the odd bit of ephemera. Combining powers, the two specialize in uncommon and collectible books, with an emphasis on fantasy, science fiction and horror. They also curate a small but colorful explosion of vintage clothing for stylish and eccentric souls.

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Cold Lantern Collection

I design and illustrate distinct and sometimes subtle images based on the Horror genre, specifically films. Have been described by others as “Macabre. Comic Booky. Satanic. Eighties.”  Don’t listen to them, they don’t know me. -J.

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Jenny Rocks

Jenny Rocks is the alter ego of Jenn Ingram--hot yoga teacher, clerk at Art.i.fact, waitress at Jambo and pet sitter extraordinaire. Jenny Rocks is a jewelry company as diverse as her resume with a sweet side and an edgy side. "Gumball" necklaces, steampunk jewelry, headbands with giant plastic sharks, bug pins, gnome rings, flower clips, and animal barrettes. You never know what you will find at a Jenny Rocks booth! 

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Lindsay Payton

A locally based artist in Santa Fe, NM, Lindsay Payton has always found refuge from every day life in stories. The raconteurs that made up her childhood influenced an eventual need to express her own stories through fiction, and then art.

Two years ago, fiction was put on the back burner to make way for the illustrations that were quickly coming to life. Today, she continues her narrative illustrations featuring children lost in the woods, local urban legends, hidden creatures and ancient fears. Making life less mundane by bringing light to the darkest tales of old so they are never forgotten.

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Dancing Over 50 Book Launch

featuring co-author Emmaly Wiederholt
Saturday, June 17, 5-8 pm

NO LAND
54 1/2 E. San Francisco Street #7

To many professional dancers, early retirement seems like an inevitability. Santa Fe dancer Emmaly Wiederholt spent most of her 20’s in San Francisco, performing in contemporary dance companies. When she was 28, she moved back to her home state of New Mexico, but didn’t leave dance behind. Instead, she embarked on a quest to interview dancers who are decades past their ostensible expiration dates. 

On a series of crowdfunded expeditions through San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle, Wiederholt and photographer Gregory Bartning gathered the stories of 54 dancers ranging in age from 50 to 95. The words and images they captured became the independently published book Beauty Is Experience: Dancing 50 and Beyond, which makes its official debut at No Land on Saturday, June 17 from 5-8 pm. Wiederholt will speak and sign books at this special reception, and limited edition prints of Bartning’s photographs from the project will be available for purchase. 

“Our culture celebrates youth and athleticism, but what if we also celebrate the inherent wisdom that comes with a body that has life experience?” says Wiederholt. This idea first came to her in 2012, when she attended a retrospective performance by septuagenarian butoh dancers Eiko Otake and Takashi Koma Otake. The couple, known professionally as Eiko & Koma, have been dancing together for over 50 years. “I was really moved by their capacity as dancers to convey things so simply, clearly and powerfully,” Wiederholt says. “With life experience comes the capacity to emote and to creatively express something that maybe a younger person hasn’t fleshed out or even felt.” 

Wiederholt teamed up with Bartning and began interviewing older dancers for her blog, Stance on Dance. They called the project Dancing Over 50, and sought out practicing dancers in a variety of genres, from ballet and Argentine tango to African and contact improvisation. After each conversation, Bartning photographed the subjects in motion. “We were looking for people who’d been dedicated to understanding themselves through dance for a long period of time,” Wiederholt says. Early in the project, they connected with then 93-year-old Anna Halprin, a pioneer of postmodern dance. “Interviewing her was a pretty big turning point, because we had a big name,” she says. “That helped the project take shape, and other dancers started to come out of the woodwork.” 

By 2015, Wiederholt and Bartning had completed 32 interviews in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Portland and Seattle. Late that year, they mounted a monumental road trip to all four cities and conducted 25 additional conversations. They also hosted a number of fundraising events to promote an Indiegogo campaign that would help them compile the Stance on Dance blog posts into a book. They completed Beauty Is Experience this year, and the book launch at No Land marks its official debut. The 210-page, 9 x 12 in., hardcover, full color photography book features 54 interviews and over one hundred photographs. The event kicks off Wiederholt’s book tour to each of the cities where interviews were conducted. 

“Emmaly has contributed powerful performances to a number of Strangers Collective exhibitions,” says No Land co-director Kyle Farrell. “When she showed us this project, we were blown away by the dynamic imagery and inspiring insight of these remarkable artists.” Strangers Collective's new art space, No Land, features solo and small group exhibitions by artists, writers and performers. Dedicated to those ready to take the next step in their careers, No Land invites emerging artists to develop and show complete bodies of work. 

For more information and high resolution images, please contact No Land co-directors Jordan Eddy, Alex Gill and Kyle Farrell at strangersartcollective@gmail.com. 

*All photographs courtesy of Gregory Bartning, Belle Images. 

Santa Fe Zine Fest

Strangers Collective at Santa Fe Zine Fest
Saturday, May 20, 11 am-5 pm
Center for Contemporary Arts
1050 Old Pecos Tr.

An annual celebration of zines, comics, and alternative press. Santa Fe's inaugural zine fest will feature 20+ exhibitors showcasing their zines and comics. Come hang out, meet and talk with local artists and zine makers, and buy zines. This event is free and open to the public.

Jesús Castillo: Remains

A poetry reading featuring Jesús Castillo and Sonja Bjelić
Friday, May 19, 8:00 pm

NO LAND
54 1/2 E. San Francisco St. #7
Current exhibition | Marcus Zúñiga: Ya Veo

 About seven years ago, Santa Fe poet Jesús Castillo bought a pack of index cards to take notes while he was reading. He was living in Berkeley at the time, in a house full of young writers who’d recently graduated from college. The city was buzzing with literary energy, and Castillo felt inspired to start an ambitious project: a book-length poem. “I realized that each of these index cards made a nice little stanza, and three of them fit on the page,” he says. “For two years after that, I just carried them around with me and filled them out whenever something came up.” The fragments were united in Castillo’s book Remains, which was published by McSweeney’s in early 2016. The book will make its Santa Fe debut at his reading with New York poet Sonja Bjelić at Strangers Collective’s NO LAND art space on Friday, May 19, 8:00 pm. 

“Strangers Collective has always worked to interlink emerging artists and writers in Santa Fe,” says Jordan Eddy, NO LAND Co-director. “When we connected with Jesús and learned about his collaborations with young creatives in the Bay Area, it felt like a perfect fit.” During his time in the Bay Area, Castillo helped organize ‘Lectric Collective, a collaboration that brought poets and visual artists together to produce exhibitions. The reading at NO LAND is a return to form: Castillo and Bjelić will read among the new media artworks of Marcus Zúñiga, whose solo show Ya Veo is on view at NO LAND through June 11. 

Jesús Castillo was born in 1986 in San Luis Potosí, Mexico. He moved to California with his parents and sister in 1998. In 2009, he graduated with a BA in literature and writing from the University of California-San Diego and moved to the Bay Area. There, he took an interest in the poetry of Ron Silliman and Ben Lerner. “They were working on this thing called the serial poem, which was not a single-page poem, but a long poem in sections, structured as a book,” he says. “I started messing around trying to see if I could figure out a way to create a longer poem out of short fragments.” That’s when the index cards floated into his life, and Castillo started spinning an epic poem on pages that could fit in his pocket. 

About halfway through the writing process, Castillo made a chance connection with an editor from McSweeney’s at a ‘Lectric Collective reading. They provided him with a small advance, and about four years later the poems were in print. “Castillo has created a sprawling contemporary epic that channels the mighty voices of the past (Ovid, Sappho) into a plainspoken song of our times,” writes McSweeney’s of Remains. “The book is lovingly relentless, quietly piercing. It is a terrifyingly recognizable call: it is filled with all of our voices, our panic, our modern love, our screens, our roommate’s cough, our melting icebergs, our planes and malls and frailties.” 

Each page of Remains is divided into three stanzas, a reflection of their origins on the index cards. “I wanted to make a complete landscape. If you have a larger canvas, you can say more stuff,” says Castillo. “Creating that structure actually allows for more freedom.” Castillo says the book captures an emotional arc in his life, though the stanzas were written to be broken apart and rearranged—much like shuffling index cards. “When I read from it, I like to read different parts of it, come up with new orders to see what happens,” Castillo says. “To me, the interesting parts are the jumps between stanzas, so messing around to see what different kinds of jumps you can find is cool.”

For more information and high resolution images, please contact NO LAND co-directors Jordan Eddy, Alex Gill and Kyle Farrell at strangersartcollective@gmail.com. 

Jesús Castillo

Jesús Castillo was born in 1986 in San Luis Potosí, Mexico and moved to California with his parents and sister in 1998. He studied literature and writing at the University of California-San Diego, and earned an MFA in Poetry from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. His first book, Remains, was published by McSweeney’s in 2016, and he was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 2017. He has worked at a counseling center for victims and perpetrators of domestic violence, in Santa Fe, NM for the past year.

Sonja Bjelić

Sonja Bjelić lives in New York City where she is earning an M.F.A. in Poetry from N.Y.U. She studied Poetry and Indigenous Liberal Studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts, and her poems have been translated into Serbian and Spanish. She is currently at work on her first book.

1905 Magazine Benefit Show

A Pop-Up Event Presented by Strangers Collective
54 1/2 East San Francisco St. #7
Saturday, February 18, 2017, 7-10 pm

There’s a fashion movement brewing in Santa Fe, and the proof is in the pages of 1905 Magazine. Editors Mariah Romero and Darnell Thomas founded the quarterly digital publication in 2014, with the help of their fellow students at Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Now they’re taking their first steps into the larger fashion industry, and ushering a community of young style mavens to the cultural forefront in Santa Fe and beyond. Strangers Collective is pleased to present the 1905 Benefit Party, a pop-up fashion event at 54 1/2 East San Francisco Street on Saturday, February 18 from 7-10 pm. Artwork and merchandise from the magazine will be available for purchase at the reception, in support of Thomas and Romero’s sweeping vision for the publication. This event is free and open to the public, and will include complimentary refreshments. 

Thomas and Romero dreamed up 1905 Magazine in a typography class at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design in winter 2014. Romero was a sophomore graphic design student, and Thomas was a junior majoring in business and graphic design. Both of them were interested in fashion, but SFUAD didn’t have any classes on the subject. “We were both working on fashion-related projects, to have something in our portfolios,” says Romero. “We knew other people were also doing photo shoots, and we wanted to create a community to bring it all together.”

The duo chose the title 1905 Magazine as a reference to the birth year of legendary designer Christian Dior, and put together their first issue over winter break in 2014. Up-and-coming designers, photographers, writers, stylists and chefs quickly filled their masthead. For almost a year, they produced monthly issues. Thomas, Romero and their contributors produced editorial fashion spreads using borrowed clothes from local thrift shops, cooked up stunning culinary features in the kitchens of their college apartments, and designed style guides that encouraged their readers to embrace their individuality. 

“We give off the message that you don’t have to be trendy to be stylish,” says Thomas. “It’s not about what’s on the runway at fashion week; that’s what everyone else is doing. You don’t need a lot of money to have an eye for style.” The SFUAD community quickly embraced the new cultural platform. The graphic design department helped fund a print edition of 1905 in spring 2015, and a film student made a documentary about the magazine. That fall, Thomas and Romero switched to a quarterly publication schedule and got serious about polishing up the design and content. The monthly issues often ran over 100 pages, but they worked hard to edit it down to around 60 in 1905’s seasonal manifestation. 

“We want it to look as professional as the magazines we’re looking up to,” says Romero. They’ve examined every detail of Darling, Kinfolk and other arts and culture publications for inspiration. “We want to be at that level,” Romero says. “This isn’t just a student project any more, it’s what we want to do.” Their hard work paid off in 2016: the wildly popular social networking app Snapchat featured some of their images in its Discover feed, and an LA author profiled them for an upcoming lifestyle book. 

Thomas graduated from SFUAD in 2016, and Romero will get her diploma this spring. They didn’t think twice about carrying 1905 Magazine into the professional world with them, and they’re bringing their collaborators along for the ride. The 1905 Magazine Benefit Show will feature photographs and designs by a number of contributors to the publication. SFUAD graphic design professor David Grey, who has mentored Thomas and Romero, will contribute artwork to the exhibition. Andie Fuller, who has contributed recipes to the magazine’s culinary section, collaborated with Romero and Thomas to design a cookbook that will debut at the event. A new line of 1905 Magazine merchandise will also be available, at a price range of $5-$50.

“1905 Magazine represents a new vanguard of local, talented fashion professionals,” says Strangers Collective co-director Kyle Farrell. “They’re already shaping Santa Fe culture, so we’re calling on the community to further elevate this inspiring project.” For more information and high resolution images, contact Jordan Eddy at strangersartcollective@gmail.com. 

Contributors: Lydia Abernathy, Jennifer Carrillo, David Grey, Laura San Román, Mark Baker-Sanchez, Amy West, Jonathon Duarte, Callan Ramirez, Keynan Johnson, Andie Fuller, Jennie Johnsrud, Mariah Romero & Darnell Thomas.

ECHO CHAMBER

LONG ECHO
 Center for Contemporary Arts
1050 Old Pecos Trail
October 28-January 15

ECHO CHAMBER
EVENT SERIES
Panel Discussion: 1/4/17, 6:30 pm
Round Table: 1/11/17, 6:30 pm

Strangers Collective presents a special event series that is designed to send ripples through Santa Fe’s creative landscape. The emerging arts group will convene leaders of a new vanguard to discuss the future of the City Different’s contemporary scene. Echo Chamber is a two-night program that coincides with Strangers Collective’s Long Echo exhibition in CCA’s Cinematheque Lobby Gallery. The public is invited to engage in a social media dialogue, a panel discussion on January 4, and a round table conversation on January 11. Five innovators from the local visual arts, writing and performing arts communities will guide the conversation, challenging the audience to imagine the power and possibility of a tightly interlinked creative community. 

“Long Echo comes at a time when many of us are delving into past experiences,” says Strangers co-director Alex Gill. “These conceptual and aesthetic elements are ringing out again in clearer and stronger ways.” This urge to examine the past—and spin its lessons into something new—presented an opportunity to discuss the larger evolution of the local arts community. “We want to examine the path of these daring new projects so far, and build links between them as we move forward,” says Strangers co-director and cofounder Jordan Eddy. “How can we create a ripple effect that extends far beyond the closing date of a single exhibition?” 

Echo Chamber will feature three conversations in different formats. First, each participating panelist will pick a topic regarding Santa Fe’s emerging arts community. Strangers Collective will reveal the topics one-by-one on the Echo Chamber Facebook event, sparking a series of online discussions. On January 4, the panel will convene to discuss each topic in front of an audience. On January 11, they will invite the public to add their voices to the conversation in a round table discussion. Strangers Collective will announce each panelist and their chosen topic on the CCA website and Facebook event in the coming weeks. 

Click here to learn more about Long Echo, and click the button below to RSVP for Echo Chamber on Facebook and join the conversation. 

PANELISTS

Eliza Lutz

Eliza Lutz is the founder of Matron Records, an independent, Santa Fe-based label and creative agency dedicated to helping artists tell their stories. A self-taught musician, graphic designer, silk screener, and promoter, Lutz’s passion for DIY in both art and business inspired her to build an independent record label that empowers musicians and artists to be more autonomous. Her personal projects include As In We, GRYGRDNS, and Future Scars.

Alicia Guzman

Originally from Truchas, a village at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, Alicia Inez Guzmán holds a PhD in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester, New York. A freelance writer and contributing faculty member at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, her work focuses on mestizo and indigenous land based art and histories of land use. Alicia’s forthcoming website Tierra is a 2017 recipient of a Creative Capital Arts Writers Grant. 

Liz Brindley

Liz Brindley is an artist who moved to Santa Fe in August. Primarily a printmaker and illustrator, Liz makes artwork about food to focus on our connection to the earth and each other. She believes art has the power to strengthen local communities by providing spaces for public interaction and honest dialogue.  

Currently, Liz balances her time as an Educator at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and a Farmer’s Assistant at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market. She hopes to one day combine her love for food, nature, and art into an Art and Ecology Community Center.  

Elaine Ritchel

Elaine Ritchel is an independent museum educator and arts writer. She holds an MA in Art History from the University of Texas at Austin and has worked as a gallery teacher and language services specialist with arts institutions in the US and abroad, including the Blanton Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art Zagreb, and the Croatian Association of Artists. After a three-year stint in Croatia, she is now based in Santa Fe, where she launched Santa Fe Art Tours in 2015.

Niomi Fawn

Niomi Fawn is an award-winning Queer Feminist Renegade Independent Curator and artist. She pushes the boundaries of the art world’s hierarchical structures by curating exhibitions in alternative spaces and by using spaces alternatively, sometimes moving outside of the gallery walls and into the actual streets. In 2014, she founded CURATE, a (Curatorial Venture) and has curated over 20 public and private art shows. She has been the sole curator since Fall 2014 at Santa Fe’s Iconik Coffee Roasters, bringing radical art into public space. She won the City of Santa Fe City IGNITE Grant 2016,  curating a permanent art installation on the Santa Fe Plaza. Her work as an artist includes four years as an active member of Santa Fe’s famous art collective, Meow Wolf, and has exhibited in over 25 shows. 

DISPATCH

ART.i.factory Gallery
930 Baca Street, Suite C
July 23-September 10

Opening Reception:
Second Annual Baca Street Bash
Saturday, July 23, 5-9 pm

Santa Fe, NM— It’s the Santa Fe art market, as seen from the outside in. Local art groups SCUBA and Strangers Collective challenged 96 New Mexico artists to create representations of Santa Fe art spaces on 3 x 6 inch tiles. The grid of visual “dispatches” will fill ART.i.factory Gallery, forming a monumental map of the art establishment by artists who often work outside its boundaries. The exhibition will bring two poles of Santa Fe’s art world together for new conversations. DISPATCH opens Saturday, July 23 from 5-9 pm at Art.i.fact, in conjunction with the second annual Baca Street Bash. 

“Each tile on this giant tabletop will represent a unique viewpoint on the art world,” says Sandra Wang of SCUBA. “It’s a platform for artists to examine and discuss art spaces—and their role in the larger community—in a very direct way.” Throughout the exhibition, running from July 23 through September 10, visitors to the show will be encouraged to mail their own "dispatches" to the featured art spaces in pre-postmarked envelopes. As mysterious letters appear in mailboxes all over town, disparate members of the art world will join the discussion. “The featured artists often work in close proximity to the spaces they’re depicting in this show, but don’t necessarily have much contact with them,” says Kyle Farrell, cofounder of Strangers Collective. “What will happen when we literally bring them to the same table?” An audio guide of the show and a series of to-be-announced gatherings will help stimulate the dialogue as well. 

The idea for DISPATCH took shape after ART.i.factory Gallery co-directors Jennifer Rowland and Michael Gullberg encouraged SCUBA and Strangers Collective to collaborate. “ART.i.factory is a launchpad for artists who have new and exciting things to say,” says Rowland. “SCUBA and Strangers share our philosophy, and we knew they would dream up something spectacular and challenging. In terms of participating artists, DISPATCH is by far our biggest show ever.” 

SCUBA is a two-person art collaborative comprising Wang and Crockett Bodelson. The duo has mounted exhibitions at Center for Contemporary Arts and James Kelly Contemporary, and curates the alternative art space Caldera on Water Street. They also operate Caldera Ceramics at Meow Wolf. Strangers Collective is an alliance of 37 local, emerging artists and writers, directed by Farrell and Jordan Eddy. The group throws seasonal pop-up shows, with past exhibitions at Santa Fe Community Gallery and Wheelhouse Art. DISPATCH is a return to Baca Street for both groups: SCUBA operated an art space not far from ART.i.factory Gallery from 2011-2012, and Strangers mounted its inaugural public exhibition at ART.i.factory Gallery at last year’s Baca Street Bash.

A second manifestation of DISPATCH appears this fall and winter at New Mexico Highlands University. It features additional contributions from NMHU faculty members, expanding our New Mexico art map to encompass both Santa Fe and Las Vegas. See it now at Trolley Barn, 1183 San Francisco Ave, Las Vegas, NM. Click here to see an image of the exhibition and learn more.