‘Music Of The Night’ Collection On Display At Village Arts

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on July 10, 2024
- 7:32 am

Artwork from the ‘Music of the Night’ collection at Village Arts through Aug. 3 at 216 DP Road. Courtesy/VA

ARTS News:

Village Arts is hosting Music of the Night, a new collection of artwork highlighting more than 20 artists from across the region. The exhibit is on display through Aug. 3, and is a truly exciting combination of the sights and sounds surrounding the more mysterious part of the day.

The prompt for this exhibit was inspired by the line from the Phantom of the Opera, “Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation—Darkness stirs and wakes imagination—”, and artists rose to the occasion exploring the dark hours and the creatures and emotions that materialize.

Many artists looked to the skies and the amazing landscapes of stars, moons and dipping suns that are so often a draw on our dark desert nights. E.E. Aicher’s galaxy centered watercolors and Ted Greer’s Milky Way series both create a unique sense of place and otherworldliness, and Connie Pacheco’s “Psalm 19:1” echoes the wonder of the skies. John Sarracino’s night photography pieces chronicle dusk, reveal time lapse star trails, and detail the crevices and craters of the moon.

Mysterious dreamscapes such as Ann Greene’s beaded “Midnight Reverie (Creativity’s Lair)” and Wendy Alexander’s “Who Will Paint The Midnight Sky If Not For Us, Wild Thing?” find a home alongside the Koshari trickster series by Jerry Beguin and Rosalia Olivas’ “Witching Hour”. Jeannie Gibson’s themes of the ancients and foundational stories of the southwest tie together these dreamscapes and add music to the mixture.

“The flow and depth of the work in this show is unlike any other I’ve shared … the colors and themes help make Village Arts feel a little bit cooler on these hot days,” Village Arts owner Ken Nebel said.

The deep green eyes of the cat in “Night Wanderer” by Phyllisha Hamrick, yellow deep sea denizens in Seth Dustin’s “Cosmic Fluther” and burgundy crocheted owl “Harold” by Lily Houghteling round out the prevailing colors of purples, blacks and blues evident in Melissa Alexander’s “Twilight” knitted wrap and Cathy Hinojosa’s abstract paint pours.

Visitors should be aware that road construction is taking place along the DP Road corridor and cars will be routed onto gravel. Drivers should use the marked turn around just past the store to come back up the road and make use of Village Arts’ parking. The delay is minimal and the exhibit is well worth the effort! Viewers are encouraged to vote on their favorite pieces and embarrass an artist of their choice.

Many pieces are also available for purchase, which means it might just be possible to catch a falling star and put it in your pocket!

Village Arts’ mission is to provide inspiration and tools for artists and hobbyists from start to finish, and custom archival framing for all the memories Los Alamos is busy creating!

Village Arts is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday at 216 DP Road. Find out more on social media or visit www.villageartsframing.com.