A plein air pastel by Sally Hayden von Conta. Courtesy/Historic Santa Fe Foundation 
Artist Sally Hayden von Conta. Courtesy/Historic Santa Fe Foundation HSFF News:
Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) is hosting Chasing the Heart, an exhibition of Sally Hayden von Conta’s plein air pastels July 5-26 with the opening 5-7 p.m., Friday, July 5 at HSFF’s El Zaguán, 545 Canyon Road.
ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
von Conta’s newest exhibition features plein air pastels that she created in visually compelling and inspirational locations around New Mexico. These places bring her solace and often provide an expansive landscape for quiet examination. While she selects them for their visual appeal, the locations solicit more that an optical and cerebral reaction.
She said she feels a sense of place that many experience in New Mexico – the warmth of its landscape, the history of the land, the recognition of the passing of time through the light and shadows, the evidence of the movements of the waters and winds – and manifests the feelings in vibrantly-colored paintings. She was led by her heart to New Mexico and her work captures this emotional connection to the grandeur of the vistas of the state. This exhibition features 16 recent plein air pastels by von Conta.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Following fine art scholarship studies in Florida, Montana and Mexico, von Conta pursued graphic design studies in New York City. This culminated in a 25-year career in advertising as an art director in New York.
Arriving in Santa Fe in 1986, von Conta quickly became established as an artist specializing in mixed media fine-art, and since 2001, she has been working in plein air pastels. She has exhibited at Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, St. Joseph, Mo.; Red River Valley Museum, Vernon, Texas; and Museum of the Southwest, Midland, Texas, among other venues. Her one-person exhibitions include shows at Galeria de los Colorines, Mexico City, Mexico; Century Gallery, Santa Fe, in “Reflections in the Moment” and Leech Studio Gallery, Sarasota, Fla. Her plein air pastel paintings have been honored with numerous awards and included in many invitational group exhibitions. von Conta lives and paints in Santa Fe.
For more information on the exhibition, contact Melanie McWhorter at 505.983.2567 or melanie@historicsantafe.org.
