This year, Albuquerque’s First Friday ARTScrawl just so happens to coincide with the first day of 2016, and there are plenty of events to keep you occupied at local galleries throughout the month. If your resolution involves any manner of self-improvement, expanding your horizons by being a patron of local arts surely won’t hurt. All around the city throughout January there are ongoing exhibitions for you to catch up on, artists talks to enrich your enjoyment of them and new art openings that are sure to leave you impressed.Jump at one of your last chances to see Beau Carey’s Rise and Scott Greene’s Bewilderness at 516 Arts before the show closes on Jan. 9. These two artists have each created singular landscapes that explore the topic of climate change in creative ways. Carey’s work is inspired by Arctic environments, while Greene’s are dark and imaginative dystopias. Also save the date for 516 Arts’s Jan. 7 artist talk on environmental resiliency as they gallery rounds out its season of programming on climate change. The gallery doors are open Tuesday through Saturday, 12-5pm.
Gallery Preview:
Welcome one of Albuquerque’s newest galleries onto the scene by spending some time at Blue Lily Atelier in January. This boutique art and event space officially opened its doors early in December, and they swing into full gear this month with a number of unique events including an artist talk and demonstration by Vicki Bolen. Bolen’s exhibit, The Art of Origami: from Cranes to Quilts opens with the talk on Jan. 16 and will address Japanese paper making techniques and how the artist incorporates origami into her printmaking. The talk begins at 2pm, after which light refreshments will be served.
Gallery Preview:
It’s last call for the North Fourth Art Center‘s Printervention, a show of lithograph pieces by VSA artists that was curated by individuals from the renowned Tamarind Institute. These pieces are the product of a two week workshop led by seven students from the Tamarind Institute. The result is 1,000 unique pieces. The show opened on November 20 and will close on Jan. 4. Catch it while you can!
Gallery Preview:
The aptly titled New Year New Work opens Jan. 1 at Sumner & Dene Gallery with an array of pieces from pop surrealist Emily Trovillion and a group exhibit by resident gallery artists Angus Macpherson, Phil Hulebak, Frank McCulloch, Dee Sanchez, Bill Tondreau, Jeannie Sellmer, David Snow, Michael Norviel and Reg Loving. Visit this Downtown space during First Friday between 5 and 8pm to meet the artists, view their work and enjoy some light refreshments.Even if your New Years resolutions had nothing to do with art, aspire to be more cultured in 2016. These local galleries are a great place to start.
