New Mexico March 2009 E-Newsletter Articles

Welcome.

mike

As Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department, I welcome you to New Mexico, a truly diverse destination. Spring will soon be upon us. Come celebrate a season like no other in a place like no other: New Mexico, your Land of Enchantment.

Michael Cerletti

Taos’ "Summer of Love"

NMSP logo

2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the film"Easy Rider" and Taos will celebrate this anniversary with a series of special events.

Directed by then-Taos resident Dennis Hopper, who also played Billy in the film, much of "Easy Rider" was shot in Taos and edited at Hopper’s home – the original, early 1900s adobe of the famous international salon organizer Mabel Dodge Luhan.

"Easy Rider"marked a new direction for film – and then, as now, mirrors not only the beauty of Taos, but its spirit. Taos has been a draw for travelers for more than 1,000 years, and today sees nearly two million visitors annually.

  • Throughout June – September 20
    Dennis Hopper: "Silver Gelatin Prints: Selected Portraits of Artists and Paintings," Joyce and Sherman Scott Gallery of Late 20th Century Art, at Harwood Museum of Art. Focuses on photographs demonstrating Hopper's rich narrative ability with a single-lens reflex camera. The silver gelatin prints included in this exhibition are portraits that serve to demonstrate a convincing love – not only of Hopper's craft – but also of the artists he has photographed.
  • Throughout June – September 20
    "Hopper Curates: Larry Bell, Ron Cooper, Ronald Davis, Ken Price and Robert Dean Stockwell" at Harwood Museum of Art. Includes the work of five artists who by way of Los Angeles came to make Taos their home.
  • June 5 -7
    Red River Classic Car Show, Brandenburg Park, Red River
  • June 5 – July 1
    "Summer of Love" Open House Reception at the Taos Gallery. Group exhibit featuring new work by all gallery artists. Visit http://www.thetaosgallery.com
  • June 7-31
    A Photographic "trip" through the Sixties and Seventies, Starr Interiors, 117 Paseo del Pueblo Norte: Chronicler of the counter culture in Taos and other areas, photographer Paul Dembski will be present at the artist’s reception June 7, 3-5 p.m. Admission free. Call 1-800-748-1756

  • June 13

    San Antonio Feast Day, Taos Pueblo

  • June 20 - 21

    Fine Art & Wine Festival, Brandenburg Park, Red River

  • June 20 - July 4
    Wilder Nightingale Fine Art, 119 A Kit Carson Road, presents" A Lunar Experience:" New works by Marvin Moon. Meet the artist June 20, 5-7 pm. Call 575-758-3255 or visit www.wnightingale.com
  • June 21- August 6
    Taos School of Music Chamber Music Festival, TCA in Taos and Hotel St. Bernard in Taos Ski Valley: Devoted to the study and performance of chamber music.
  • June 22
    Full Moon Hike to Williams Lake, Taos Ski Valley
  • June 24
    San Juan Feast Day, Taos Pueblo plaza
  • June 26 - 28
    Taos Solar Music Festival, Kit Carson Park: Great music and interactive alternative energy displays in Taos, "The Solar Capital of the World."

  • June 27 – 28

    Annual Rodeo de Taos, Taos Rodeo Grounds

  • June 27, 2009-June 25, 2010

    40th Anniversary Year Celebration: Total Arts Gallery is proud to announce its 40th anniversary year celebration. The opening reception is June 27, 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Call 575-758-4667, write totalarts@newmex.com or visit www.totalartsgallery.com

For more information visit www.taossummeroflove.com

New Mexico Artists View Neighborhood Life

Balloon Fiesta poster

Paintings, drawings and photographs presenting multiple views of neighborhood life by New Mexico artists will be on display in Santa Fe at the Governor’s Gallery in the New Mexico State Capitol April 3 to June 14, 2009.

"Canvassing the Neighborhood" highlights works by Teal McKibben, Tim Prythero, Carlotta Boettcher, and Alex Harris, with works that range from the surreal to the abstract.

The exhibition opens April 3, 2009, with a reception 4- 6 p.m., hosted by the Women’s Board of the Museum of New Mexico. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Admission is free.

Many Santa Feans knew Teal McKibben as part of the Canyon Road community of artists and shopkeepers, but few of her customers knew her as an artist. McKibben specialized in the region’s indigenous arts that also filled her apartment behind the store. This private, solitary artist wove figurative textiles and drew large pastels of her collections. However, McKibben rarely revealed her spellbinding works to outsiders.

Tim Prythero constructs his own neighborhoods of diners, trailers, taco wagons, service stations, and auto parts stores. This hyper-real sculptor revels in the patina of well worn objects from a fleeting past, and skillfully recreates the illusion of those surfaces.

Carlotta Boettcher salvages automobile hoods and transforms them into metal "canvases" for her paintings. These works present an eclectic mix of imagery that ranges from memories of Cuba to geometric abstraction.

Alex Harris offers an over-the-hood view of life in Northern New Mexico. Many of his color photographs present New Mexico as it is often seen - through the windshield of a car or truck.

The Governor's Gallery is located on the 4th floor of the State Capitol at the corner of Old Santa Fe Trail and Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe.

For more information call 505-476-5072 or visit www.nmartmuseum.org

Annual Corrales Quilt and Wine Fair a Treat for All

City Seals

The second annual Quilt and Wine Fair in Corrales, May 9-10, 2009, is a treat for the senses.

The fair is noon-6 p.m. each day at the Corrales Recreation Center East Soccer Fields, off Corrales Road.

Peruse the beautiful quilt work of local quilters. Sample the delightful wines from New Mexico Wine Country vintners. Come to the Village of Corrales, named 19th Best Place to Live in Money Magazine for 2007.

More than 60 quilters will not only display their creations in the juried quilt competition, but will sell them as well. To enter the competition visit www.quiltwinecorrales.com. A quilting demonstration will be held throughout the two-day event to provide advice and guidance during your quilt-making process.

Sample wines from local vintners, all members of New Mexico Wine Country. As members the vintners guarantee that all grapes used are grown in New Mexico. All members are family-owned wineries that produce their own wines.

Lots of delicious local food will be served with the wines; and local entertainment will have you dancing from tent to tent. Along with food and entertainment, Jim Hammond, wine blogger and popular wine columnist, will provide talks about wine with tips on tasting, swirling and exploring the complexities of wine.


According to Hammond, "Corrales has a long history with wine. Its rich soil and riverside location brought it to the forefront of a burgeoning wine industry in the 1880s. Today this community is again home to thriving vineyards, thanks to a growing number of dedicated wine lovers and two excellent boutique wineries: Corrales Winery and Milagro Vineyards. The Corrales Quilt and Wine Fair is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the roots and modern-day allure of this rural gem in the heart of the Albuquerque-Rio Rancho metro complex."

And for those who like to taste, browse and shop, more than 30 artists and crafters will sell fine jewelry, ceramic pottery, metal work and more. Bring the kids along- there will be children’s activities to make it a fun-packed day for the whole family.

As you enter the Fair May 10, you will pass through the Corrales Growers’ Market, which offers fresh, locally grown produce and agriculturally-based products, such as jam, honey, baked goods, soaps, lotions, and fresh seasonal vegetables.

You must be 21 years of age or older to taste and/or buy wine. Admission is $15 for those age 21 and older, $25 per couple, $5 for youths ages 13-20, and no charge for children under age 13. Included in your admission package will be coupons good at local Corrales businesses.

Contact Lisa Kirkpatrick, 505-553-2306 or information@quiltwinecorrales.com or visit www.quiltwinecorrales.com.

Lincoln Fandango Celebrates Billy the Kid Trail Ride

Cranes

Get a hands-on, seat-in-the-saddle look at New Mexico’s Western heritage with the folks in Lincoln, NM when they celebrate completion of the seventh annual Billy the Kid Trail Ride May 16, 2009.

The Billy the Kid Trail Ride begins in Ft. Sumner May 9, 2009 and travels 125 miles to Lincoln over the same route that Billy the Kid used to move between Lincoln and Ft. Sumner after his infamous escape from the Lincoln County Jail in April 1881. With historically accurate reenactments, story telling, chuck wagon dinners and safe horsemanship, the Billy the Kid Trail Ride, through its host ranches, offers a true western experience while preserving lands and landmarks.

After the riders hit Lincoln May 16 – and after a well-earned opportunity to freshen up – they will join Lincoln residents and their visitors in an old fashion Fandango at the Lincoln State Monument Visitor’s Center, beginning at 5 p.m. Green chile stew, frijoles, tortillas and homemade cobbler with ice cream are on the menu; and story tellers and musicians will provide the entertainment.


Lodging is available in Lincoln for the riders and other visitors are welcome to participate in the Fandango.


"This is a great way to share in the legend that is Billy the Kid," said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. "It is incredible how everyone has come together to create this living monument to Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett and the Wild West of southern New Mexico."

For more information about the Lincoln Fandango,
call The Ellis Store Country Inn, 800-653-6460, or the Dolan House, 575-653-4670.
For more Information on the Billy the Kid Trail Ride
contact Beth MacQuigg, 505-550-9508 or emacquigg@comcast.net.

The Nation's Largest RV Rally Visits Albuquerque

aero mexico

Get your kicks on Route 66 Friday, April 17-April 20, 2009, with the nation's largest RV Rally, featuring the latest in recreational vehicles and accessories, live entertainment, family activities and educational seminars.

The Rally 2009, at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque, is hosted by Affinity, the nation's largest provider of outdoor recreation clubs, media and events, and is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

Product exhibits will be open daily with more than 1,000 new RV models from top manufacturers on display and available for test drives. Nightly musical entertainment includes Neil Sedaka, Rita Coolidge, and The Osmond Brothers.

Attendees will also be able to participate in optional tours from Indian ruins to whitewater rafting, the annual Dog Show, a golf tournament and an attempt to break the world record for the most people wearing balloon hats. Additionally, there will also be a volunteer day at the Rio Grande Community Farm, which provides produce to help city schools and local organizations, where Rally attendees will have the opportunity to plant and weed at the farm.

For more information, visit www.therally.com

Carrizozo Cowboy Days Celebration Saddles Up in June

cowboy days

The American cowboy – an independent soul, with a rough and ready nature, driving cattle across the wide-open plains - is alive and well and heading to Carrizozo this June for the annual Cowboy Days.

What began as a one-day celebration now fills three days (June 12-14, 2009) with music, heritage, vittles and, of course, cowboys, horses and cattle. Events and activities are being scheduled to entertain youth and seniors alike. Top entertainers in the Western music field are being booked and facilities remodeled in anticipation of the large crowds that are expected.

Returning this year is the popular sunrise cattle round-up on the Bar-W Ranch, with biscuits, gravy and cowboy coffee. Entertainment will feature Western bands and vocalists, cowboy poets and story tellers, a street dance, a large exhibit hall filled with vendors, and a cowboy parade complete with Longhorn cattle.

Also planned are a Range War shoot-out on Carrizozo’s main street; a Kid’s Rodeo (non-livestock); a golf tournament; a Wild West Ranch Rodeo and Pony Rides; cowboy church services; and other events still in the planning stages.

"Polish your boots, shine your spurs, dust off your hat and ride on down to Carrizozo for Cowboy Days," said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. "This down-home celebration gives New Mexicans and their visitors the opportunity to explore one of the state’s most scenic areas, and at the same time, share in a family experience sure to be treasured."

For more information call, 575-648-2265 or 575-648-2912 or write zozobandit@tularosa.net

Hummingbird Festival Attracts Birds-of-a-Feather to Lake Roberts

fiery foods

Even experienced birders toting binoculars and spotting scopes with checklists a mile long find fauna-filled New Mexico exciting, offering some of the finest bird-watching spots in the world, featuring hundreds of resident and migrating species.

No species is as popular in the Land of Enchantment, however, than the bird world’s smallest, featured at the annual Hummingbird Festival in Lake Roberts July 25-26, 2009, sponsored by Hummingbirds of New Mexico, a non-profit organization.

"Hummingbirds are pretty special," said Lake Roberts’ Joan Day-Martin. "Most people don’t think of them as a pollinator, but they are very important in New Mexico during migration and breeding season. A great deal of the state’s wildflower population is dependent on hummingbirds. In fact, some are only pollinated by hummingbirds. Hummingbirds are profoundly important to New Mexico wildlife."

New Mexico’s location within a major southern migration route for hummingbirds makes it a great place to see these tiny birds. There have been encounters of 18 separate species of hummingbirds within New Mexico - very few states can claim this diversity of species.

While this year’s schedule is still being finalized, past events have offered guided walks, educational programs on hummingbirds and area birds, bats, local geology, native plants and Native American history. Local artists offer an assortment of products, including hummingbird art and photography, feeders, pottery, ceramics, jewelry, books by local authors, T-shirts and caps.

"The Hummingbird Festival may be one of New Mexico’s more unique small-town festivals," said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. "The folks in Southwest New Mexico schedule numerous annual events to enjoy with family and friends and to entertain their guests. They are to be commended for their promotional efforts."

Lake Roberts is north of Silver City on State Road 35. The Festival location is at the west end of Lake Roberts, behind the Sapillo Creek Fire & Rescue Department.
Call 575-536-3866 or visit www.hummingbirdsofnewmexico.com

Upcoming Events in Roswell

  • Hike It & Spike It! – Registration - Forms available in the Roswell Chamber of Commerce. Contact: Cla 575-623-5695 or 1-877-849-7679 or www.roswellgridiron.com
  • Annual Bowl for Kids’ Sake – Roswell - 575-627-2227
  • First Tee of the Pecos Valley – 575-420-0330
    Registration Forms – NMMI Golf Course
  • 2009 Ploy Hockey State Championship
    Special Olympics New Mexico 505 856-0342
  • Rio Pecos Kennel Club – Shamrock Wag ‘N Walk
    575-623-6270 or 575-625-1863
  • 43nd Annual Hobby Show – Roswell – 575-624-6720 or 575-624-6718
  • Rise with Roswell - Breakfast - Roswell Chamber of Commerce – 575-623-5695
  • Annual Pecos Valley Stampede – 575-627-5507 or 575-624-6720
  • Annual Artist At Play – The Roswell Community League - 575-623-5600
  • Kite Festival – Roswell - 624-6719

Upcoming Events Statewide

Don’t forget to mark your calendar:

April 2009 Events
1 Tinkertown Museum Opens, Sandia Park – www.tinkertown.com
4 Tour of Trinity Site, Alamogordo – 575-437-6120
5 Apple Blossom Contest Pow Wow, Farmington 800-448-1240
18-19 Roswell Spring Arts and Crafts Fair – 575-622-6298
19-20 Frontier Days, Las Cruces – 575-526-8911
23–25 Gathering of Nations, Albuquerque – 505-836-2810
24 Arbor Day – Keep Roswell Beautiful – 575-637-6212
25 & 26 La Vina Blues & Jazz Festival, Las Cruces – 575-882-7632
26-27 Shakespeare Ghost Town Reenactments -www.shakespeareghosttown.com

May 2009 Events
1-2 Smokey Bear Days, Capitan – 575-354-2273
1-3 La Fiesta de Colores, Grants
T or C Ralph Edwards Fiesta – torcfiesta.com
14-17 Mescal Roast, Carlsbad – carlsbadchamber.com
15-16 Bloomfield Days – 505-632-0880
16 Heritage Day, Corrales – corraleshistory.org
16-17 Aspencash Motorcycle Run, Ruidoso – 575-257-8696
22-24 Riverfest, Farmington – 800-448-1240
Hike It and Spike It, Roswell – 575-623-5695
22-25 Memorial Day Motorcycle Rally, Red River – redriver.org
23 Ruidoso Downs Racetrack opens – www.ruidownsracing.com
Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad opens, Chama – 888-286-2737