Albuquerque: Breaking New Ground

Fresh thinking and outstanding spaces draw attention to Albuquerque’s art scene.

By Mary Anne Redding

Seen right: Brooke Steiger's mixed media Native Bird appeared in a group show at the nonprofit 516 Arts.
Photo Courtesy 516 Arts

Suzanne Sbarge, the dynamic director of 516 Arts, is gaining national press for making the nonprofit space that opened in 2006 one of the state’s marquee art destinations. Too often, visitors overlook Albuquerque in their rush north to Santa Fe, Abiquiú, Ghost Ranch, Taos, and Red River. Albuquerque — and even points farther south — have growing art scenes worthy of exploration.

“The Albuquerque art scene is growing all the time,” Sbarge says. “There is a huge number of artists living and working here, and that creates an energy and buzz. Albuquerque is getting noticed nationally. Our location in the desert has a tendency to open the mind and give artists a sense of freedom.

“At 516 Arts, I showcase a mix of established and emerging artists, as well as a mix of local, national, and international artists,” she continues. “I believe this mix helps to create a broader dialogue about Albuquerque’s place in the larger art world.”

Collaborative on all levels, 516 Arts showcases paintings, sculpture, photography, installation art, and film and video. It also hosts poetry events, performance, and educational programming.

Next door, Richard Levy Gallery presents Albuquerque’s premier program, featuring Louise Bourgeois, John Baldessari, Thomas Barrow, Gregory Crewdson, Damien Hirst, Sol LeWitt, Ed Ruscha, and Thomas Ruff. Levy’s excellent eye has attracted Per Martensson’s first U.S. exhibition and emerging and mid-career artists such as William Betts, Teo Gonzalez, and Andrea Zittel.

Albuquerque Arts Crawl takes place the first Friday of each month. Other spaces to see include New Grounds Print Workshop and Gallery, one of Albuquerque’s only nontoxic print workshops offering classes and studio spaces. The gallery features the work of international printmakers from New Mexico, Europe, Austria, Japan, and Latin America. Albuquerque has another internationally respected print resource: The Tamarind Institute. The legendary institute — a division of the College of Fine Arts of the University of New Mexico — offers 90-minute tours and printing demonstrations on the first Friday of the month. Tamarind is currently in the throes of a $5 million fundraising campaign to build a state-of-the-art facility at 2500 Central Ave. in the heart of Albuquerque’s Cultural Corridor. Ed Ruscha, who twice represented the United States at the venerable Venice Biennale, is the honorary chair and guardian angel of the capital campaign. The UNM Art Museum is located in Popejoy Hall, a short walk from Central Avenue. Visitor parking is accessible next door.

The North Fourth Art Center is affiliated with the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and brings national arts and theatre to the Duke city. The Mariposa Gallery in Nob Hill  is at once thoughtful and playful. Albuquerque, like all of New Mexico, shows that art can be serious business, but only if you’re having fun.