Los Alamos Arts Council Assistant Director Ken Nebel and Executive Director Chris Monteith together in July discussing the merger with Fuller Lodge Art Center. Photo by Kirsten Laskey/ladailypost.com
By BONNIE J. GORDON
Los Alamos Daily Post
bjgordon@ladailypost.com
Perhaps the biggest Los Alamos arts news occurred when the Los Alamos Arts Council and Fuller Lodge Art Center showed just how resourceful the arts community can be by merging during the COVOD-19 pandemic.
The newly merged organization is overseen by Los Alamos Arts Council Executive Director Chris Monteith and Assistant Director Ken Nebel of the Art Center. The merger, announced in July, was in the works when the pandemic hit. The Arts Council has adjusted its programs during the Pandemic.
For instance, its annual Sec Sandoval Chalk Walk had participants create their art at their homes and share their work through pictures. Also, for the Arts Council’s Kite Festival, kite kits were distributed so people could assemble, decorate, and fly their kites while sharing their via social media. The Art Center has continues to host shows, although openings had to be curtailed after the pandemic hit. Read more at https://ladailypost.comlos-alamos-arts-council-and-fuller-lodge-art-center-join-forces-and-merge-together/
In January, Los Alamos Concert Association brought The Horszowski Trio to Los Alamos. In February, Fuller Lodge Art Center hosted Six of One, featuring the work of six women artists, all local, and In the Portal Gallery was “Something Wild”, paintings by Tatiana Klimov. The Upstairs Gallery at Mesa Public Library was host to CONDUIT, paintings by Betsie Miller-Kusz. Liddie Martinez, the food columnist at the Los Alamos Daily Post (Post) was busy signing copies of her cookbook “The Chile Line: Historic Northern New Mexican Recipes, published by Los Alamos publishers, Pajarito Press LLC.Read more: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1k8JZOALzSmiAPDNcexECtDpSX-mlpWHd/view.
Los Alamos Museum of Art’s Inside Arts show began airing Feb. 16 on PAC8 and airs 8:30 p.m. Sundays, 4 p.m. Tuesdays and 8 p.m. Thursdays. Read more at https://ladailypost.comnew-show-inside-arts-begins-airing-on-pac-8-feb-16/.
In early March we were still going strong in the arts. Gil Shaham, one of the foremost violinist in the world, brought his “Countess Polignac” Stradivarius to Los Alamos for a performance with long-time duo partner, pianist Akira Eguchi for a Concert Association event. LALT gave us “Glitter Girls Santa Fe playwright Mark Dunn’s featured a strong cast, mostly female. Think Steel Magnolias meets Survivor! LALT hosted Los Alamos playwright Robert Benjamin’s “Simple Gifts” performed “script in hand” March 7. Fiery dobro player Abbie Gardner performed at Fuller Lodge as part of the “Live in Los Alamos” concert program.
By mid-March, we were living in a world of zoom meetings and social distancing, with performances canceled and galleries closed. There was no monthly Prism published in the Post for April and due to the shut down of events, has yet to return. Artists are a resourceful bunch, but things have been tough for the arts community since mid-March through December 2020.
In August, the Post launched “State of the Arts”, a new series about how New Mexico artists and other art professionals are coping with the global pandemic. Starting with the Andrea Fisher Gallery’s live streamed demonstrations and talks by Pueblo potters, the series has featured painters, sculptures, dancers, theater artists and other art professionals who have coped with COVID in creative, innovative ways. Catch up with the series by searching “State of the Arts” on the Post website.
