","teaser_raw":"\r\n","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e57","categories":[{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2ef","blog":"magazine","title":"May 1947","_title_sort":"may 1947","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.569Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.575Z","_totalPosts":1,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2ef","slug":"may-1947","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-1947/58b4b2404c2774661570f2ef/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-1947/58b4b2404c2774661570f2ef/#comments","totalPosts":1},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15}],"teaser":"\r\n","description":" ","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f97a","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/our-back-pages-may-2014-85855/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/our-back-pages-may-2014-85855/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/our-back-pages-may-2014-85855/","metaTitle":"Our Back Pages","metaDescription":"\r\n","cleanDescription":" ","publish_start_moment":"2014-05-06T12:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.389Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f979","title":"One of Our 50 Is Missing","slug":"one-of-our-50-is-missing-85853","publish_start":"2014-05-06T12:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","58b4b2404c2774661570f30b","58b4b2404c2774661570f267"],"tags_ids":["59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3","59090de2e1efff4c9916fafb","59090c10e1efff4c9916f95a"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_tagline":"Rueful anecdotes about New Mexico's mistaken geographical identity, since 1970.","created":"2014-05-06T12:02:17.000Z","legacy_id":"85853","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"one of our 50 is missing","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:31.866Z","active":true,"description_raw":"\r\n\r\n

ONE OF OUR DISHES IS MISSING
\r\nWhen Bernie Crum’s school-age daughter was assigned to write a report about a U.S. state, she picked New Mexico. She wrote about foods common to New Mexico that are different than those in her home state of Missouri. Along with the wide use of chiles, she also mentioned that she loved sopaipillas. When the teacher returned her paper to her, she had crossed out sopaipillas and wrote in soup and peas. Are teachers using auto-correct these days, or what?

\r\n\r\n

TREES, PLEASE!
\r\nKenneth Robertson of Clovis learned something new when trying to order trees for his new orchard business over the phone. “We are not allowed to ship some kinds of trees to foreign countries,” the person said. Robertson tried to explain that New Mexico is part of the United States, but eventually just asked her to ship the trees 10 miles away to his coworker, who
\r\nlived in Farwell, Texas. She was happy to oblige.

\r\n\r\n

NO ACCESS ZONE
\r\nThis Olympics year reminded Don Bishop of Silver Cliff, Colorado, of his thwarted quest to buy tickets to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. When he called to order them, the woman on the phone asked where he was born. He said, “Logan, New Mexico.” She informed Bishop that he would need to contact the Mexican embassy.

\r\n\r\n

BAD EXCHANGE RATE
\r\nMartha Siegling Luke of Citrus Heights, California, likes to bring gifts back whenever she visits her home state of New Mexico. She gave a jar of salsa from Chimayó to her coworker, and told her a little bit about the history of Chimayó’s Santuario and the state. “I asked if she had ever been to visit New Mexico. She said no, but she wanted to someday. She then asked if I had to pay in pesos.” Martha told her, “I didn’t go to Mexico, I went to New Mexico … next to Arizona.” Her coworker said, “I know, but did you have to pay in pesos?”

\r\n\r\n

TRANSACTION DECLINED
\r\nNiranjan Khalsa, formerly a corporate purchaser for a large security firm in Española, ran into trouble when attempting to place a sizable equipment order from a New York vendor. When she gave the clerk her address, the woman said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am, but I’ll have to cancel your order. We don’t ship overseas.” Khalsa said, “I then explained that the large expanse of land between Texas and Arizona is actually a state called New Mexico, and would qualify as domestic for shipping purposes.”

\r\n\r\n

HABLA IGLESIA?
\r\nPaul Garson, of Garson’s Religious Goods in the Duke City, received a referral recently from one of his British church-goods suppliers. The agent requested that a Honduran church “Try the shop in Mexico, they should be able to help,” and then listed the Albuquerque address of Garson’s store. “This is not the first time we’ve been confused with Arizona and Mexico,” Garson said.

","teaser_raw":"","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e60","categories":[{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f30b","blog":"magazine","title":"One Of Our 50 Is Missing","_title_sort":"one of our 50 is missing","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.592Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.600Z","_totalPosts":88,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f30b","slug":"one-of-our-50-is-missing","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/one-of-our-50-is-missing/58b4b2404c2774661570f30b/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/one-of-our-50-is-missing/58b4b2404c2774661570f30b/#comments","totalPosts":88}],"teaser":"","description":"Send Us Your Story—Please! Dear “50” fans: Help sustain this popular feature by sharing anecdotes that you haven’t gotten around to sending in. Just dash it off if you like, and we’ll take it from there. Submissions will be edited for style and space. Please include your name, hometown, and state. E-mail to fifty@nmmagazine.com, or mail to Fifty, New Mexico Magazine , 495 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501. ONE OF OUR DISHES IS MISSING When Bernie Crum’s school-age daughter was assigned to write a report about a U.S. state, she picked New Mexico. She wrote about foods common to New Mexico that are different than those in her home state of Missouri. Along with the wide use of chiles, she also mentioned that she loved sopaipillas. When the teacher returned her paper to her, she had crossed out sopaipillas and wrote in soup and peas . Are teachers using auto-correct these days, or what? TREES, PLEASE! Kenneth Robertson of Clovis learned something new when trying to order trees for his new orchard business over the phone. “We are not allowed to ship some kinds of trees to foreign countries,” the person said. Robertson tried to explain that New Mexico is part of the United States, but eventually just asked her to ship the trees 10 miles away to his coworker, who lived in Farwell, Texas. She was happy to oblige. NO ACCESS ZONE This Olympics year reminded Don Bishop of Silver Cliff, Colorado, of his thwarted quest to buy tickets to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. When he called to order them, the woman on the phone asked where he was born. He said, “Logan, New Mexico.” She informed Bishop that he would need to contact the Mexican embassy. BAD EXCHANGE RATE Martha Siegling Luke of Citrus Heights, California, likes to bring gifts back whenever she visits her home state of New Mexico. She gave a jar of salsa from Chimayó to her coworker, and told her a little bit about the history of Chimayó’s Santuario and the state. “I asked if she had ever been to visit New Mexico. She said no, but she wanted to someday. She then asked if I had to pay in pesos.” Martha told her, “I didn’t go to Mexico, I went to New Mexico … next to Arizona.” Her coworker said, “I know, but did you have to pay in pesos?” TRANSACTION DECLINED Niranjan Khalsa, formerly a corporate purchaser for a large security firm in Española, ran into trouble when attempting to place a sizable equipment order from a New York vendor. When she gave the clerk her address, the woman said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am, but I’ll have to cancel your order. We don’t ship overseas.” Khalsa said, “I then explained that the large expanse of land between Texas and Arizona is actually a state called New Mexico, and would qualify as domestic for shipping purposes.” HABLA IGLESIA? Paul Garson, of Garson’s Religious Goods in the Duke City, received a referral recently from one of his British church-goods suppliers. The agent requested that a Honduran church “Try the shop in Mexico, they should be able to help,” and then listed the Albuquerque address of Garson’s store. “This is not the first time we’ve been confused with Arizona and Mexico,” Garson said.","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f979","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/one-of-our-50-is-missing-85853/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/one-of-our-50-is-missing-85853/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/one-of-our-50-is-missing-85853/","metaTitle":"One of Our 50 Is Missing","metaDescription":"","cleanDescription":"Send Us Your Story—Please! Dear “50” fans: Help sustain this popular feature by sharing anecdotes that you haven’t gotten around to sending in. Just dash it off if you like, and we’ll take it from there. Submissions will be edited for style and space. Please include your name, hometown, and state. E-mail to fifty@nmmagazine.com, or mail to Fifty, New Mexico Magazine , 495 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87501. ONE OF OUR DISHES IS MISSING When Bernie Crum’s school-age daughter was assigned to write a report about a U.S. state, she picked New Mexico. She wrote about foods common to New Mexico that are different than those in her home state of Missouri. Along with the wide use of chiles, she also mentioned that she loved sopaipillas. When the teacher returned her paper to her, she had crossed out sopaipillas and wrote in soup and peas . Are teachers using auto-correct these days, or what? TREES, PLEASE! Kenneth Robertson of Clovis learned something new when trying to order trees for his new orchard business over the phone. “We are not allowed to ship some kinds of trees to foreign countries,” the person said. Robertson tried to explain that New Mexico is part of the United States, but eventually just asked her to ship the trees 10 miles away to his coworker, who lived in Farwell, Texas. She was happy to oblige. NO ACCESS ZONE This Olympics year reminded Don Bishop of Silver Cliff, Colorado, of his thwarted quest to buy tickets to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. When he called to order them, the woman on the phone asked where he was born. He said, “Logan, New Mexico.” She informed Bishop that he would need to contact the Mexican embassy. BAD EXCHANGE RATE Martha Siegling Luke of Citrus Heights, California, likes to bring gifts back whenever she visits her home state of New Mexico. She gave a jar of salsa from Chimayó to her coworker, and told her a little bit about the history of Chimayó’s Santuario and the state. “I asked if she had ever been to visit New Mexico. She said no, but she wanted to someday. She then asked if I had to pay in pesos.” Martha told her, “I didn’t go to Mexico, I went to New Mexico … next to Arizona.” Her coworker said, “I know, but did you have to pay in pesos?” TRANSACTION DECLINED Niranjan Khalsa, formerly a corporate purchaser for a large security firm in Española, ran into trouble when attempting to place a sizable equipment order from a New York vendor. When she gave the clerk her address, the woman said, “Oh, I’m so sorry, ma’am, but I’ll have to cancel your order. We don’t ship overseas.” Khalsa said, “I then explained that the large expanse of land between Texas and Arizona is actually a state called New Mexico, and would qualify as domestic for shipping purposes.” HABLA IGLESIA? Paul Garson, of Garson’s Religious Goods in the Duke City, received a referral recently from one of his British church-goods suppliers. The agent requested that a Honduran church “Try the shop in Mexico, they should be able to help,” and then listed the Albuquerque address of Garson’s store. “This is not the first time we’ve been confused with Arizona and Mexico,” Garson said.","publish_start_moment":"2014-05-06T12:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.389Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f978","author_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1a8","title":"Enchantment, For Sale","slug":"nm-living-real-estate-85850","publish_start":"2014-05-06T11:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52","58b4b2404c2774661570f2fb","58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0"],"tags_ids":["59090d4be1efff4c9916fa90","59090da3e1efff4c9916fad6","59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_tagline":"Ten money-saving, drama-ducking insights on buying a house in New Mexico.","created":"2014-05-06T11:52:43.000Z","legacy_id":"85850","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"enchantment, for sale","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:32.140Z","active":true,"description_raw":"

If you live somewhere else, or if you’re already here and currently renting, surely you’ve had the notion: wouldn’t it be great to buy a house in New Mexico? Then a nagging voice clears its throat. Your inner smart shopper—or your pragmatic partner—has a few questions and wants a little more information in order to make a wise decision. You can start to quell those qualms with this list of 10 things you should know about buying a home in New Mexico.

\r\n\r\n

1. IT’S AFFORDABLE

\r\n\r\n

“Affordable” might be a relative term, but even though several locales offer multimillion-dollar mansions, you can find homes from the mid-$100,000s to the mid-$400,000s statewide. The 2013 national median was $197,100. Prices in Angel Fire, a mountain resort east of Taos, and Santa Fe soar above the national median; Albuquerque, Las Cruces and south-central New Mexico, Silver City, and the Truth or Consequences area come in well below it. While sales volumes inched up last year, the fitful housing recovery leaves plenty of opportunity for finding a smart bargain.

\r\n\r\n

2. RETIREMENT=A REBOOT

\r\n\r\n

New Mexico always scores high on listings of the best places to retire. Tallying up home prices, cost of living, taxes, quality of life, and weather, Money magazine tapped Las Cruces as one of its “best places to retire.” AARP The Magazine named it a “retirement dream town.” From Silver City to Las Vegas to Farmington, colleges add an intellectual dimension to many of the state’s midsize cities, meaning you can light out for the territory without abandoning culture. Ron Cobb, managing partner of Avalon Jubilee, says people from “every corner” of the country retire to the active-adult community Jubilee Los Lunas. A quick 20 minutes from central Albuquerque, it offers a small-town living without sacrificing the amenities of the nearby metro area, from shopping to health care to jobs and the arts.

\r\n\r\n

3. THE LINGO OF ADOBE CHARM

\r\n\r\n

Over thousands of years, New Mexicans have developed an architectural style expressing an evolutionary depth you can’t find anywhere else in America. The still-beating heart of this ancient tradition pumps a slurry of mud, straw, and clay—adobe, that is. Whether you crave an authentic adobe hacienda of a certain age or prefer a modern frame-and-stucco house, learn the lingo, the features, and the foibles of what we lovingly (and sometimes ironically) call “adobe charm.” Historic properties and newly built homes in the Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival styles share the same classic features. Bone up on terms like vigas, latillas, corbels, parapets, coping, kiva fireplaces, and Talavera tile. Investigate cement and synthetic stuccos, mud plaster (it lets adobe breathe, but ¡híjole! the maintenance!), dirt-insulated attics, how to hang pictures on a mud wall, directing roof runoff through canales, and fixing evaporative coolers.

\r\n\r\n

To learn more, read the classic Santa Fe Style (Rizzoli), which provides a thorough and beautiful survey of New Mexico homes and design.

\r\n\r\n

4. SURPRISING ARCHITECTURE

\r\n\r\n

Not every house is a wavy-walled, crooked-door adobe down a dirt road with hens pecking piñon nuts along the bar ditch. Contemporary, modern, and even postmodern glass-and-steel homes dot the landscape. Large-scale subdivisions skew toward Southwestern and, more recently, so-called Tuscan styles. Elsewhere, older in-town neighborhoods in Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Silver City sport vintage Victorians and Craftsman bungalows on elm-shaded streets.

\r\n\r\n

5. TAKE IT SLOW

\r\n\r\n

House hunting isn’t speed dating. “The people I see the most comfortable after moving here have come at different seasons, spent a good bit of time looking around, and really know what they’re buying,” says Frank O’Mahony, of Evolve Santa Fe Real Estate. Attorney Suzanne Gaulin, a native of Ontario, Canada, says she courted small towns all over New Mexico but “kept coming back to Las Vegas because there was something about the geography and the little town and the people, something real.”

\r\n\r\n

If you’re interested in the Albuquerque area, take advantage of the Spring 2014 Homes of Enchantment Parade. On this tour of 35 homes, you can explore a wide range of styles and price ranges across the metro area on April 25–27 and May 2–4. For more information and a map, visit homesofenchantmentparade.com.

\r\n\r\n

6. IT TAKES ALL KINDS

\r\n\r\n

In New Mexico, you can find homes large and small, new and old, along a single road. O’Mahony says some folks appreciate the variety while others “rebel against our eclectic neighborhoods” and “can’t believe what they have to drive through” to view a high-end property. In older communities—small villages or historic neighborhoods in town—sprawling designer showplaces sometimes rub shoulders with mobile homes and rustic structures in need of attention. Newer subdivisions at any price point specialize in sleek uniformity. Let a real estate agent guide you to your comfort zone.

\r\n\r\n

7. RENT IT WHILE YOU’RE GONE

\r\n\r\n

Many second-home owners defray the costs of a second home by renting it out. In well-established vacation-rental markets like Santa Fe, Angel Fire, Red River, Elephant Butte, Chama, and Ruidoso, you can hire agents to manage your home. Marilyn Proctor, owner of Proctor Property Management, in Santa Fe, educates prospective rental-home buyers about the expenses. “The greatest outlay after buying can be furnishing it,” Proctor says. Clients often expect site-specific high-end luxury, interspersed with rustic New Mexico–style pieces picked up for a song. She’ll help develop a revenue-generating plan that satisfies the capital city’s Byzantine rental-home permitting rules. They allow 17 rental engagements a year, each from one to 29 days. You can have only one rental engagement a week. Given those rules, you’ll want to strategically plan your rental days to maximize income. Other communities are less restrictive. Even if you don’t rent, get someone to keep an eye on it while you’re gone.

\r\n\r\n

8. WEATHER MAY VARY

\r\n\r\n

Yes, it’s sunny here. New Mexico bags 320 to 340 days of sunshine a year. That number varies around the state, with generally more sol in the south and a bit less around the northern mountains. All regions of the state experience four distinct seasons. Make sure your dream home can handle the weather. On midcentury Pueblo-style houses, check the roof drainage—a sagging flat roof with poor drainage can trap the water and leak. Homes built more recently have a slightly pitched roof to correct that problem. In the mountains, think about where the roof will deposit snow. For any home, view the place critically, ask questions, insist on disclosures, and consider hiring an engineer to inspect the home and address issues like drainage and structure.

\r\n\r\n

9. FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL FOLLOW

\r\n\r\n

Pennsylvania native Barbara Humphries, who moved here from England with her husband, Tony, found Albuquerque socially open: “Everybody was so friendly. People talk to you when you’re standing in line.” And I can’t count how many people I know who moved here only to be followed by their parents, brothers, or sisters. Usually that’s a good thing. Be prepared.

\r\n\r\n

10. THE LOVE NEVER FADES

\r\n\r\n

“Tony absolutely loves it in America, but he knows New Mexico is not what the rest of America is like,” Barbara Humphries says of her British husband. Take it from the old-timers: The seductive sense of marvelous mystery that attracted you here never diminishes. ✜

","teaser_raw":"

If you live somewhere else, or if you’re already here and currently renting, surely you’ve had the notion: wouldn’t it be great to buy a house in New Mexico? Then a nagging voice clears its throat.

","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e8f","author":{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1a8","name":"Charles C. Poling","image_id":"58e7e6fe478ef02e53f5f3bc","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.238Z","blog":"magazine","_name_sort":"charles c. poling","updated":"2017-04-07T19:23:02.520Z","image":{"_id":"58e7e6fe478ef02e53f5f3bc","original_public_id":"clients/newmexico/CPheadshot_25c9db63-defd-468a-81c4-cb4941e5dd2a","title":"Charles Poling","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/CPheadshot_25c9db63-defd-468a-81c4-cb4941e5dd2a","version":1491592948,"signature":"a1e9de47ffcf2af2552c8ef4d964d757d7127df1","width":3057,"height":3057,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-04-07T19:22:28.000Z","bytes":819746,"type":"upload","etag":"51266d9e3fdd066a649893da5ac973f6","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1491592948/clients/newmexico/CPheadshot_25c9db63-defd-468a-81c4-cb4941e5dd2a.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1491592948/clients/newmexico/CPheadshot_25c9db63-defd-468a-81c4-cb4941e5dd2a.jpg","original_filename":"file"},"alt_text_raw":"Charles Poling","credits":"Charles Poling","content_owner":"magazine","title_sort":"charles poling","updated":"2017-04-07T19:22:38.125Z","deleted":false,"created":"2017-04-07T19:22:38.126Z","id":"58e7e6fe478ef02e53f5f3bc","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/CPheadshot_25c9db63-defd-468a-81c4-cb4941e5dd2a"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Charles Poling"},"_totalPosts":16,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1a8","title":"Charles C. Poling","slug":"charles-c-poling","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/charles-c-poling/58b4b2404c2774661570f1a8/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/charles-c-poling/58b4b2404c2774661570f1a8/#comments","totalPosts":16},"categories":[{"_id":"58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52","title":"Lifestyle","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"lifestyle","updated":"2017-03-14T18:51:36.346Z","created":"2017-03-14T18:51:36.346Z","_totalPosts":102,"id":"58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52","slug":"lifestyle","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/lifestyle/58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/lifestyle/58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52/#comments","totalPosts":102},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2fb","blog":"magazine","title":"NM Living","_title_sort":"nm living","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.583Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.589Z","_totalPosts":18,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2fb","slug":"nm-living","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/nm-living/58b4b2404c2774661570f2fb/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/nm-living/58b4b2404c2774661570f2fb/#comments","totalPosts":18},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15}],"teaser":"

If you live somewhere else, or if you’re already here and currently renting, surely you’ve had the notion: wouldn’t it be great to buy a house in New Mexico? Then a nagging voice clears its throat.

","description":"If you live somewhere else, or if you’re already here and currently renting, surely you’ve had the notion: wouldn’t it be great to buy a house in New Mexico? Then a nagging voice clears its throat. Your inner smart shopper—or your pragmatic partner—has a few questions and wants a little more information in order to make a wise decision. You can start to quell those qualms with this list of 10 things you should know about buying a home in New Mexico. 1. IT’S AFFORDABLE “Affordable” might be a relative term, but even though several locales offer multimillion-dollar mansions, you can find homes from the mid-$100,000s to the mid-$400,000s statewide. The 2013 national median was $197,100. Prices in Angel Fire, a mountain resort east of Taos, and Santa Fe soar above the national median; Albuquerque, Las Cruces and south-central New Mexico, Silver City, and the Truth or Consequences area come in well below it. While sales volumes inched up last year, the fitful housing recovery leaves plenty of opportunity for finding a smart bargain. 2. RETIREMENT=A REBOOT New Mexico always scores high on listings of the best places to retire. Tallying up home prices, cost of living, taxes, quality of life, and weather, Money magazine tapped Las Cruces as one of its “best places to retire.” AARP The Magazine named it a “retirement dream town.” From Silver City to Las Vegas to Farmington, colleges add an intellectual dimension to many of the state’s midsize cities, meaning you can light out for the territory without abandoning culture. Ron Cobb, managing partner of Avalon Jubilee, says people from “every corner” of the country retire to the active-adult community Jubilee Los Lunas. A quick 20 minutes from central Albuquerque, it offers a small-town living without sacrificing the amenities of the nearby metro area, from shopping to health care to jobs and the arts. 3. THE LINGO OF ADOBE CHARM Over thousands of years, New Mexicans have developed an architectural style expressing an evolutionary depth you can’t find anywhere else in America. The still-beating heart of this ancient tradition pumps a slurry of mud, straw, and clay—adobe, that is. Whether you crave an authentic adobe hacienda of a certain age or prefer a modern frame-and-stucco house, learn the lingo, the features, and the foibles of what we lovingly (and sometimes ironically) call “adobe charm.” Historic properties and newly built homes in the Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival styles share the same classic features. Bone up on terms like vigas, latillas, corbels, parapets, coping, kiva fireplaces, and Talavera tile. Investigate cement and synthetic stuccos, mud plaster (it lets adobe breathe, but ¡híjole! the maintenance!), dirt-insulated attics, how to hang pictures on a mud wall, directing roof runoff through canales, and fixing evaporative coolers. To learn more, read the classic Santa Fe Style (Rizzoli), which provides a thorough and beautiful survey of New Mexico homes and design. 4. SURPRISING ARCHITECTURE Not every house is a wavy-walled, crooked-door adobe down a dirt road with hens pecking piñon nuts along the bar ditch. Contemporary, modern, and even postmodern glass-and-steel homes dot the landscape. Large-scale subdivisions skew toward Southwestern and, more recently, so-called Tuscan styles. Elsewhere, older in-town neighborhoods in Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Silver City sport vintage Victorians and Craftsman bungalows on elm-shaded streets. 5. TAKE IT SLOW House hunting isn’t speed dating. “The people I see the most comfortable after moving here have come at different seasons, spent a good bit of time looking around, and really know what they’re buying,” says Frank O’Mahony, of Evolve Santa Fe Real Estate. Attorney Suzanne Gaulin, a native of Ontario, Canada, says she courted small towns all over New Mexico but “kept coming back to Las Vegas because there was something about the geography and the little town and the people, something real.” If you’re interested in the Albuquerque area, take advantage of the Spring 2014 Homes of Enchantment Parade. On this tour of 35 homes, you can explore a wide range of styles and price ranges across the metro area on April 25–27 and May 2–4. For more information and a map, visit homesofenchantmentparade.com . 6. IT TAKES ALL KINDS In New Mexico, you can find homes large and small, new and old, along a single road. O’Mahony says some folks appreciate the variety while others “rebel against our eclectic neighborhoods” and “can’t believe what they have to drive through” to view a high-end property. In older communities—small villages or historic neighborhoods in town—sprawling designer showplaces sometimes rub shoulders with mobile homes and rustic structures in need of attention. Newer subdivisions at any price point specialize in sleek uniformity. Let a real estate agent guide you to your comfort zone. 7. RENT IT WHILE YOU’RE GONE Many second-home owners defray the costs of a second home by renting it out. In well-established vacation-rental markets like Santa Fe, Angel Fire, Red River, Elephant Butte, Chama, and Ruidoso, you can hire agents to manage your home. Marilyn Proctor, owner of Proctor Property Management, in Santa Fe, educates prospective rental-home buyers about the expenses. “The greatest outlay after buying can be furnishing it,” Proctor says. Clients often expect site-specific high-end luxury, interspersed with rustic New Mexico–style pieces picked up for a song. She’ll help develop a revenue-generating plan that satisfies the capital city’s Byzantine rental-home permitting rules. They allow 17 rental engagements a year, each from one to 29 days. You can have only one rental engagement a week. Given those rules, you’ll want to strategically plan your rental days to maximize income. Other communities are less restrictive. Even if you don’t rent, get someone to keep an eye on it while you’re gone. 8. WEATHER MAY VARY Yes, it’s sunny here. New Mexico bags 320 to 340 days of sunshine a year. That number varies around the state, with generally more sol in the south and a bit less around the northern mountains. All regions of the state experience four distinct seasons. Make sure your dream home can handle the weather. On midcentury Pueblo-style houses, check the roof drainage—a sagging flat roof with poor drainage can trap the water and leak. Homes built more recently have a slightly pitched roof to correct that problem. In the mountains, think about where the roof will deposit snow. For any home, view the place critically, ask questions, insist on disclosures, and consider hiring an engineer to inspect the home and address issues like drainage and structure. 9. FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL FOLLOW Pennsylvania native Barbara Humphries, who moved here from England with her husband, Tony, found Albuquerque socially open: “Everybody was so friendly. People talk to you when you’re standing in line.” And I can’t count how many people I know who moved here only to be followed by their parents, brothers, or sisters. Usually that’s a good thing. Be prepared. 10. THE LOVE NEVER FADES “Tony absolutely loves it in America, but he knows New Mexico is not what the rest of America is like,” Barbara Humphries says of her British husband. Take it from the old-timers: The seductive sense of marvelous mystery that attracted you here never diminishes. ✜","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f978","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/nm-living-real-estate-85850/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/nm-living-real-estate-85850/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/nm-living-real-estate-85850/","metaTitle":"Enchantment, For Sale","metaDescription":"

If you live somewhere else, or if you’re already here and currently renting, surely you’ve had the notion: wouldn’t it be great to buy a house in New Mexico? Then a nagging voice clears its throat.

","cleanDescription":"If you live somewhere else, or if you’re already here and currently renting, surely you’ve had the notion: wouldn’t it be great to buy a house in New Mexico? Then a nagging voice clears its throat. Your inner smart shopper—or your pragmatic partner—has a few questions and wants a little more information in order to make a wise decision. You can start to quell those qualms with this list of 10 things you should know about buying a home in New Mexico. 1. IT’S AFFORDABLE “Affordable” might be a relative term, but even though several locales offer multimillion-dollar mansions, you can find homes from the mid-$100,000s to the mid-$400,000s statewide. The 2013 national median was $197,100. Prices in Angel Fire, a mountain resort east of Taos, and Santa Fe soar above the national median; Albuquerque, Las Cruces and south-central New Mexico, Silver City, and the Truth or Consequences area come in well below it. While sales volumes inched up last year, the fitful housing recovery leaves plenty of opportunity for finding a smart bargain. 2. RETIREMENT=A REBOOT New Mexico always scores high on listings of the best places to retire. Tallying up home prices, cost of living, taxes, quality of life, and weather, Money magazine tapped Las Cruces as one of its “best places to retire.” AARP The Magazine named it a “retirement dream town.” From Silver City to Las Vegas to Farmington, colleges add an intellectual dimension to many of the state’s midsize cities, meaning you can light out for the territory without abandoning culture. Ron Cobb, managing partner of Avalon Jubilee, says people from “every corner” of the country retire to the active-adult community Jubilee Los Lunas. A quick 20 minutes from central Albuquerque, it offers a small-town living without sacrificing the amenities of the nearby metro area, from shopping to health care to jobs and the arts. 3. THE LINGO OF ADOBE CHARM Over thousands of years, New Mexicans have developed an architectural style expressing an evolutionary depth you can’t find anywhere else in America. The still-beating heart of this ancient tradition pumps a slurry of mud, straw, and clay—adobe, that is. Whether you crave an authentic adobe hacienda of a certain age or prefer a modern frame-and-stucco house, learn the lingo, the features, and the foibles of what we lovingly (and sometimes ironically) call “adobe charm.” Historic properties and newly built homes in the Pueblo Revival and Territorial Revival styles share the same classic features. Bone up on terms like vigas, latillas, corbels, parapets, coping, kiva fireplaces, and Talavera tile. Investigate cement and synthetic stuccos, mud plaster (it lets adobe breathe, but ¡híjole! the maintenance!), dirt-insulated attics, how to hang pictures on a mud wall, directing roof runoff through canales, and fixing evaporative coolers. To learn more, read the classic Santa Fe Style (Rizzoli), which provides a thorough and beautiful survey of New Mexico homes and design. 4. SURPRISING ARCHITECTURE Not every house is a wavy-walled, crooked-door adobe down a dirt road with hens pecking piñon nuts along the bar ditch. Contemporary, modern, and even postmodern glass-and-steel homes dot the landscape. Large-scale subdivisions skew toward Southwestern and, more recently, so-called Tuscan styles. Elsewhere, older in-town neighborhoods in Las Vegas, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Silver City sport vintage Victorians and Craftsman bungalows on elm-shaded streets. 5. TAKE IT SLOW House hunting isn’t speed dating. “The people I see the most comfortable after moving here have come at different seasons, spent a good bit of time looking around, and really know what they’re buying,” says Frank O’Mahony, of Evolve Santa Fe Real Estate. Attorney Suzanne Gaulin, a native of Ontario, Canada, says she courted small towns all over New Mexico but “kept coming back to Las Vegas because there was something about the geography and the little town and the people, something real.” If you’re interested in the Albuquerque area, take advantage of the Spring 2014 Homes of Enchantment Parade. On this tour of 35 homes, you can explore a wide range of styles and price ranges across the metro area on April 25–27 and May 2–4. For more information and a map, visit homesofenchantmentparade.com . 6. IT TAKES ALL KINDS In New Mexico, you can find homes large and small, new and old, along a single road. O’Mahony says some folks appreciate the variety while others “rebel against our eclectic neighborhoods” and “can’t believe what they have to drive through” to view a high-end property. In older communities—small villages or historic neighborhoods in town—sprawling designer showplaces sometimes rub shoulders with mobile homes and rustic structures in need of attention. Newer subdivisions at any price point specialize in sleek uniformity. Let a real estate agent guide you to your comfort zone. 7. RENT IT WHILE YOU’RE GONE Many second-home owners defray the costs of a second home by renting it out. In well-established vacation-rental markets like Santa Fe, Angel Fire, Red River, Elephant Butte, Chama, and Ruidoso, you can hire agents to manage your home. Marilyn Proctor, owner of Proctor Property Management, in Santa Fe, educates prospective rental-home buyers about the expenses. “The greatest outlay after buying can be furnishing it,” Proctor says. Clients often expect site-specific high-end luxury, interspersed with rustic New Mexico–style pieces picked up for a song. She’ll help develop a revenue-generating plan that satisfies the capital city’s Byzantine rental-home permitting rules. They allow 17 rental engagements a year, each from one to 29 days. You can have only one rental engagement a week. Given those rules, you’ll want to strategically plan your rental days to maximize income. Other communities are less restrictive. Even if you don’t rent, get someone to keep an eye on it while you’re gone. 8. WEATHER MAY VARY Yes, it’s sunny here. New Mexico bags 320 to 340 days of sunshine a year. That number varies around the state, with generally more sol in the south and a bit less around the northern mountains. All regions of the state experience four distinct seasons. Make sure your dream home can handle the weather. On midcentury Pueblo-style houses, check the roof drainage—a sagging flat roof with poor drainage can trap the water and leak. Homes built more recently have a slightly pitched roof to correct that problem. In the mountains, think about where the roof will deposit snow. For any home, view the place critically, ask questions, insist on disclosures, and consider hiring an engineer to inspect the home and address issues like drainage and structure. 9. FRIENDS AND FAMILY WILL FOLLOW Pennsylvania native Barbara Humphries, who moved here from England with her husband, Tony, found Albuquerque socially open: “Everybody was so friendly. People talk to you when you’re standing in line.” And I can’t count how many people I know who moved here only to be followed by their parents, brothers, or sisters. Usually that’s a good thing. Be prepared. 10. THE LOVE NEVER FADES “Tony absolutely loves it in America, but he knows New Mexico is not what the rest of America is like,” Barbara Humphries says of her British husband. Take it from the old-timers: The seductive sense of marvelous mystery that attracted you here never diminishes. ✜","publish_start_moment":"2014-05-06T11:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.389Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f977","author_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1ad","title":"Up on the Roof","slug":"tasting-nm-85847","image_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4eb","publish_start":"2014-05-06T11:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58b4b2404c2774661570f32a","58c83a3d1f16f9392cf09ac4","58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0"],"tags_ids":["59090e3ce1efff4c9916fb32","59090c7ae1efff4c9916fa01","59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_photo_credit":"Douglas Merriam","custom_tagline":"It’s time for outdoor eats and drinks in Albuquerque.","created":"2014-05-06T11:13:19.000Z","legacy_id":"85847","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"up on the roof","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:32.073Z","active":true,"description_raw":"\r\n\r\n

Rooftop alfresco dining and drinks strikes me as elevated in all ways. The higher perspective gives a broader look down at streetscapes and bubbling fountains. It allows gazes to soar upward and, here, that means panoramas of mountaintops and fiery sunsets. Meals taste better outdoors, especially in New Mexico’s blue-sky, bug-free outdoors. Once lilacs and crabapples burst into bloom, it’s time to go up on the roof. Here’s a selection of my choices for this spring and summer.

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Amore Neapolitan Pizzeria
\r\nOn Amore’s University of New Mexico–area rooftop, you might indeed “see the moon hit the sky like a big pizza pie.” It was love, actually, that struck Gabriel and Kimberly Amador when they met in Naples, Italy. Gabe had accompanied his parents for a business move and met Kim, who was serving in the NATO forces. Planning their future, they decided to train as Neapolitan pizzaiolos, and open a true Naples-style pizzeria when they landed back in the United States. The Amadors are certified by the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, which is a big deal. Kim is one of the small number of women who has been trained not just to make the dough, but also to be a fornaia, the tender of the pizzas in the wood-fired oven. Even though Amore has been in business less than a year, it serves the best pizza in New Mexico, and I don’t say that lightly.The care the Amadors put into the pizzas and other dishes shows a real commitment to quality. The scarlet mosaic-tiled pizza oven, named Sophia, is nearly as drop-dead gorgeous as its namesake Italian actress. Extra-fine 00 Caputo flour, legendary in the food world, is sourced directly from Naples, as are the San Marzano tomatoes. Just about everything else that can be found locally is used, from the fresh basil for the margherita pies to the pecans for the Waldorf salad. Gabe and Kim even made an arrangement with a local tree service to cut standing dead wood, usually ash or oak, to burn in the oven for the blistering fires needed to almost instantly cook the thin pizzas. The staff stays lean from running hot pizza, beer, and wine up to the third-floor deck, which captures a panorama from the Sandías to the sunset. Launched last summer, there’s lots to love about Amore. 2929 Monte Vista NE; (505) 554-1967; amoreabq.com

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Seasons Rooftop Cantina
\r\nThe terrace atop Seasons overlooks an intimate plaza enlivened by a splashing Mexican fountain. Some of the handsome upper level is enclosed, with a semi-circular bar counter that beckons. However, the action’s really out and around, on the surrounding cantina terrace, and in a connected outdoor room, where a pair of garage doors sweep upward to open the space to the breezes. Locals know Seasons for its rooftop live jazz, which kicks off as the days lengthen.

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On the fringe of Old Town, Seasons sits back a bit from its Mountain Road address. The building is contemporary adobe style, with a brightly painted indoor dining room on the ground level. On nearly every wall, abstracted Southwestern landscape paintings by Albuquerque resident Kevin Tolman catch the eye. In this downstairs space, Chef Paul Mandigo serves a well-crafted menu of upscale dishes such as rotisserie chicken with kale-and-pumpkin seed coleslaw, or prime rib with green-chile mashed potatoes. You can have those dishes served to you upstairs on the rooftop, or choose from the more casual “cantina” fare. Think red lentil hummus (recipe at mynm.us/rc-hummus) and pita wedges, and tacos filled with sautéed cilantro-lime shrimp, or carne asada with Moroccan hot sauce. If there’s a grilled chicken sandwich topped with a haystack of crispy onion strings offered as a special when you go, be sure to order it, as it’s among the top sandwiches I’ve eaten this year. Along with the eats, order a pitcher of housemade sangria, or maybe a mojito, while you watch stars emerge in the night sky. 2031 Mountain Rd. NW; (505) 766-5100; seasonsabq.com

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Apothecary Bar and Lounge, Hotel Parq Central
\r\nThe Hotel Parq Central, near I-25’s intersection with Central Avenue, is one of my top choices when I stay in Albuquerque. Steffany Hollingsworth and HVL Interiors from Santa Fe put together an inspired, comfortably chic design—cleanly contemporary while linking clearly to the past. The four-story building was orignally a hospital, and the design throughout it playfully hints at that history, especially in the rooftop Apothecary Bar and Lounge. Humorous touches include an antique surgery table for bar nibbles and a wall full of fascinating old medicine-bottle labels. Some striking vintage apothecary jars line the lighted back bar.

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Mark Encinias, the hotel’s genial food and beverage director, also serves as the head mixologist. He loves creating seasonal cocktails such as the refreshing Sangre de Naranja Margarita, Flying Figs, and Rosemary Gin Fizz (recipes on p. 56). Accompanying nibbles are simple, perhaps a selection of olives with Manchego cheese, chips with housemade salsa and red chile queso, or sesame-crusted calamari with green chile–chive aioli. Apothecary’s terrace views, especially toward the west

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at sunset, may make you forget all about eating. The open-air terrace is spacious, with lots of cushy Dedon lounge chairs, and blankets if there’s a chill in the air. 806 Central Ave. SE; (505) 242-0040; hotelparqcentral.com

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Ibiza, Hotel Andaluz
\r\nYou may remember that my February column mentioned James Campbell Caruso taking over the restaurant Más, at the Andaluz. The esteemed Santa Fe chef and multiple James Beard Best Southwest Chef Award nominee also oversees food and drink at the rooftop bar, Ibiza. A substantial fire-emitting sculpture greets guests stepping out onto this large, sleek second-floor terrace. Scattered vine-draped wire ramadas surround some of the tables. The rooftop is perfectly sited to take in the enormous swath of eastern sky and the Sandía Mountains, which turn ruddy from reflected light as the sun sets. Along with the full bar, Chef James serves up Spanish nibbles such as warm bacon-wrapped dates, and cocas, pizza-like Mallorcan flatbreads. 125 Second St. NW; (505) 923-9033; hotelandaluz.com

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Flying Figs
\r\nThis and the following two recipes come from Apothecary at Hotel Parq Central. Mark Encinias, the head mixologist, created all three refreshers.

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Makes 1

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\r\n\t
• 2 slices fresh fig
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• ½ ounce St. Germain liqueur
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• 1½ ounces vodka
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• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
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• ½ ounce agave nectar
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• Small mint sprig
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Muddle together fig and St. Germain in cocktail mixing glass or shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, agave nectar, and several ice cubes. Shake well and strain into chilled 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Garnish with mint and serve.

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Note: If you can’t find fresh figs, cut off 2 slices of a dried fig and soak them in the St. Germain for 5 minutes before muddling.

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---

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Sangre de Naranja Margarita

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This margarita gets its fetchingly pale sunset hue partially from a Sicilian blood-orange liqueur available in well-stocked liquor stores. The liqueur’s flavor is a bit more bittersweet and zestier than common orange liqueurs such as triple sec, Cointreau, or Citronge. Any of these may be substituted in a pinch, if you wish. Just bump up the grenadine a touch to add more color. Don’t overdo it, though, or the drink will become too sweet.

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Makes 1

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\r\n\t
• Lime wedge and kosher salt
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• 1. ounces silver tequila, such as Sauza Blue
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• ½ ounce Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
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• 1 ounce agave nectar
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• 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
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• 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice
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• ¼ ounce grenadine
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Rub lime wedge around edge of 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Dip glass rim in salt.

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Combine the remaining ingredients in cocktail shaker with several ice cubes. Shake well and strain into prepared glass. Serve.
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\r\nRosemary Gin Fizz
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\r\nApothecary whips up this summery fizz with Beefeater Gin, but I prefer to use KGB Hacienda Gin, from here in New Mexico.

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Makes 1

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Rosemary Syrup

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\r\n\t
• 1 cup water
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• 1 cup sugar
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• 5 large fresh rosemary sprigs
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• 1½ ounces gin
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• 1 ounce rosemary syrup
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• ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
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• 1½ ounces soda water Lemon slice Small fresh rosemary sprig
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Make rosemary syrup. Combine ingredients in small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Let mixture sit until cool. Strain out rosemary. Refrigerate unneeded syrup in covered jar. It keeps for weeks.

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Combine in cocktail shaker gin, syrup, lemon juice, and several ice cubes. Shake well. Place several fresh ice cubes in 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Strain cocktail mixture over ice, and add soda. Garnish with lemon slice and rosemary sprig, and serve.

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Cheryl Alters Jamison is New Mexico Magazine’s contributing culinary editor. Read her blog at nmmagazine.com/tastingnm. As of late April, you can order her latest book, The Rancho de Chimayó Cookbook: 50th Anniversary Edition, from the New Mexico Magazine Store at shopnm.co/ChimayoCookbook.

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See more of Douglas Merriam’s work at douglasmerriam.com.

","teaser_raw":"","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e89","author":{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1ad","name":"Cheryl Alters Jamison","image_id":"59138216da8f9b60115b3580","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.239Z","blog":"magazine","_name_sort":"cheryl alters jamison","updated":"2017-05-10T21:11:58.639Z","image":{"_id":"59138216da8f9b60115b3580","original_public_id":"clients/newmexico/CAJ_BW_36f37d54-1074-4dad-ad62-234bf6b9b14a","title":"Cheryl Alters Jamison","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/CAJ_BW_36f37d54-1074-4dad-ad62-234bf6b9b14a","version":1494450690,"signature":"37a1e18b8af055135713befeb4d9b6e095d2ad1a","width":728,"height":728,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-05-10T21:11:30.000Z","bytes":107873,"type":"upload","etag":"e792d6cadec339c9b104b0d982f6a7eb","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1494450690/clients/newmexico/CAJ_BW_36f37d54-1074-4dad-ad62-234bf6b9b14a.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1494450690/clients/newmexico/CAJ_BW_36f37d54-1074-4dad-ad62-234bf6b9b14a.jpg","original_filename":"file"},"alt_text_raw":"Cheryl Alters Jamison","content_owner":"magazine","title_sort":"cheryl alters jamison","updated":"2017-05-10T21:11:50.414Z","deleted":false,"created":"2017-05-10T21:11:50.415Z","id":"59138216da8f9b60115b3580","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/CAJ_BW_36f37d54-1074-4dad-ad62-234bf6b9b14a"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Cheryl Alters Jamison"},"_totalPosts":103,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1ad","title":"Cheryl Alters Jamison","slug":"cheryl-alters-jamison","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/cheryl-alters-jamison/58b4b2404c2774661570f1ad/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/cheryl-alters-jamison/58b4b2404c2774661570f1ad/#comments","totalPosts":103},"categories":[{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f32a","title":"Tasting NM","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.632Z","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"tasting nm","updated":"2017-03-31T23:13:30.823Z","_totalPosts":138,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f32a","slug":"tasting-nm","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/tasting-nm/58b4b2404c2774661570f32a/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/tasting-nm/58b4b2404c2774661570f32a/#comments","totalPosts":138},{"_id":"58c83a3d1f16f9392cf09ac4","title":"Cuisine","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"cuisine","updated":"2017-03-14T18:45:17.668Z","created":"2017-03-14T18:45:17.669Z","_totalPosts":245,"id":"58c83a3d1f16f9392cf09ac4","slug":"cuisine","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/cuisine/58c83a3d1f16f9392cf09ac4/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/cuisine/58c83a3d1f16f9392cf09ac4/#comments","totalPosts":245},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15}],"image":{"_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4eb","legacy_id":"85849","title":"Main -upontheroof","created":"2014-05-06T11:45:18.000Z","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:08.818Z","credits":"Henry Lopez","content_owner":"magazine","tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"title_sort":"main -upontheroof","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_upontheroof_bfe2cbba-46ec-48b5-a8e5-c4b79d4f8b22","version":1488237129,"signature":"b6e804dd823cc8dd213b365ece2471ec380321a3","width":490,"height":400,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-02-27T23:12:09.000Z","bytes":70566,"type":"upload","etag":"7f0df2efe45f62077dc151b422a19c18","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_upontheroof_bfe2cbba-46ec-48b5-a8e5-c4b79d4f8b22.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_upontheroof_bfe2cbba-46ec-48b5-a8e5-c4b79d4f8b22.jpg","original_filename":"main-upontheroof"},"deleted":false,"id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4eb","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_upontheroof_bfe2cbba-46ec-48b5-a8e5-c4b79d4f8b22"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Main -upontheroof"},"teaser":"","description":"Grilled Pizza with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce Pizza-oven pizza is wonderful in restaurants, but not many of us have a special high-heat oven at home to get similar results. Using a grill, either charcoal or gas, is the best way to emulate pizza-oven pizza. Grilled pizza should be made like a Neapolitan pie, with a thin crust and a relatively light load of toppings. This recipe doubles up on the grilled flavor with a homemade sauce of fire-charred tomatoes. I’ve also included a scattering of fresh basil common to a margherita pizza, but other room temperature or warm toppings can be added. Just use a light hand, since the quick cooking time doesn’t allow for toppings to thoroughly heat on the grill. Makes two 11-inch pizzas Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce 3 red-ripe plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon flavorful extra-virgin olive oil Splash or two of garlic-flavored oil, optional Salt   Pizza Dough for the Grill 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced and blotted of moisture (preferred) or 1¼ cups grated mozzarella Pinch or two of crushed, dried hot red chile, optional ½ cup lightly packed thin-sliced fresh basil leaves Fire up grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1–2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (5–6 seconds with the hand test). Grill tomatoes over high heat about 6 to 8 minutes, turning on all sides, until skins are somewhat blackened and split, and tomatoes are soft. As soon as tomatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them and squeeze out watery liquid. Purée tomatoes in a blender or food processor with remaining sauce ingredients. Place tomato sauce, mozzarella, optional chile, and basil within easy reach of grill. Have baking sheet near grill on convenient work surface, and have large spatula or pizza peel handy. Place first crust on grill, laying it directly on cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1–1½ minutes, until crust becomes firm yet still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on crust, as they will be flattened when you turn over crust in next step. Flip crust onto baking sheet, cooked side up. Immediately spoon on one-half of tomato sauce, and sprinkle with one half of cheese and, if you wish, a bit of chile. Quickly return pizza to grill (without baking sheet), uncooked side down. Arrange pie so that half of it is over high heat and other half is over medium-low. Cook pizza another 3–5 minutes, rotating it in ¼ turns about every 30–45 seconds. This may sound awkward, but becomes second nature very quickly. Using spatula to lift edge slightly, check bottom during last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed, to get a uniformly brown crisp crust. Scatter with basil shortly before removing pizza from grill. Slice pizza into wedges and serve immediately. The Hand Test: The effective way to measure heat on the grill’s surface is to place your hand a couple of inches above the top of the cooking grate and count the number of seconds before you have to pull it away. One to 2 seconds signifies hot, and 5–6 seconds is mediumlow, with other temperatures in between. Pizza Dough for the Grill The crust for a grilled pizza should be a supporting player, but an important one. You can use store-bought dough, but we’ve never found one that gives us the crispy, crunchy, flavorsome results that come from this homemade dough, which is a little stiffer than average. Makes two thin 11-inch pizza crusts 2 cups flour, preferably bread flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour (more as needed) 3 tablespoons cornmeal, preferably coarse ground 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast such as Fleischmann’s ¾ cup lukewarm water 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil In food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, salt, and yeast. With motor running, add water and 2 tablespoons of oil. Continue processing for about 30 seconds more, until dough forms a fairly cohesive ball that is smooth and elastic. If it remains sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. Knead dough a few times on floured work surface, forming it into a ball. Pour remaining oil into large bowl and add dough, turning it around and over until coated with oil. Cover with damp cloth. Set dough in warm, draft-free spot and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Form dough into two thin disks, each about 1⁄8-inch thick and 11 inches in diameter. We find that a combination of first flattening crust with rolling pin and then stretching and prodding it with fingers works best. (A raised edge isn’t necessary.) Dough is ready to use at this point, but also can be saved in refrigerator or freezer for later. Stack crusts on baking sheet covered with wax paper, and place another sheet of wax paper between crusts. If refrigerating or freezing, chill crusts on baking sheet for about 30 minutes to firm dough, then remove from baking sheet and wrap crusts before storing. Bring crusts back to room temperature before proceeding. Adapted from 100 Grilling Recipes You Can’t Live Without © 2014 Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, Harvard Common Press. Rooftop alfresco dining and drinks strikes me as elevated in all ways. The higher perspective gives a broader look down at streetscapes and bubbling fountains. It allows gazes to soar upward and, here, that means panoramas of mountaintops and fiery sunsets. Meals taste better outdoors, especially in New Mexico’s blue-sky, bug-free outdoors. Once lilacs and crabapples burst into bloom, it’s time to go up on the roof. Here’s a selection of my choices for this spring and summer. Amore Neapolitan Pizzeria On Amore’s University of New Mexico–area rooftop, you might indeed “see the moon hit the sky like a big pizza pie.” It was love, actually, that struck Gabriel and Kimberly Amador when they met in Naples, Italy. Gabe had accompanied his parents for a business move and met Kim, who was serving in the NATO forces. Planning their future, they decided to train as Neapolitan pizzaiolos , and open a true Naples-style pizzeria when they landed back in the United States. The Amadors are certified by the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, which is a big deal. Kim is one of the small number of women who has been trained not just to make the dough, but also to be a fornaia , the tender of the pizzas in the wood-fired oven. Even though Amore has been in business less than a year, it serves the best pizza in New Mexico, and I don’t say that lightly.The care the Amadors put into the pizzas and other dishes shows a real commitment to quality. The scarlet mosaic-tiled pizza oven, named Sophia, is nearly as drop-dead gorgeous as its namesake Italian actress. Extra-fine 00 Caputo flour, legendary in the food world, is sourced directly from Naples, as are the San Marzano tomatoes. Just about everything else that can be found locally is used, from the fresh basil for the margherita pies to the pecans for the Waldorf salad. Gabe and Kim even made an arrangement with a local tree service to cut standing dead wood, usually ash or oak, to burn in the oven for the blistering fires needed to almost instantly cook the thin pizzas. The staff stays lean from running hot pizza, beer, and wine up to the third-floor deck, which captures a panorama from the Sandías to the sunset. Launched last summer, there’s lots to love about Amore. 2929 Monte Vista NE; (505) 554-1967; amoreabq.com Seasons Rooftop Cantina The terrace atop Seasons overlooks an intimate plaza enlivened by a splashing Mexican fountain. Some of the handsome upper level is enclosed, with a semi-circular bar counter that beckons. However, the action’s really out and around, on the surrounding cantina terrace, and in a connected outdoor room, where a pair of garage doors sweep upward to open the space to the breezes. Locals know Seasons for its rooftop live jazz, which kicks off as the days lengthen. On the fringe of Old Town, Seasons sits back a bit from its Mountain Road address. The building is contemporary adobe style, with a brightly painted indoor dining room on the ground level. On nearly every wall, abstracted Southwestern landscape paintings by Albuquerque resident Kevin Tolman catch the eye. In this downstairs space, Chef Paul Mandigo serves a well-crafted menu of upscale dishes such as rotisserie chicken with kale-and-pumpkin seed coleslaw, or prime rib with green-chile mashed potatoes. You can have those dishes served to you upstairs on the rooftop, or choose from the more casual “cantina” fare. Think red lentil hummus (recipe at mynm.us/rc-hummus) and pita wedges, and tacos filled with sautéed cilantro-lime shrimp, or carne asada with Moroccan hot sauce. If there’s a grilled chicken sandwich topped with a haystack of crispy onion strings offered as a special when you go, be sure to order it, as it’s among the top sandwiches I’ve eaten this year. Along with the eats, order a pitcher of housemade sangria, or maybe a mojito, while you watch stars emerge in the night sky. 2031 Mountain Rd. NW; (505) 766-5100; seasonsabq.com Apothecary Bar and Lounge, Hotel Parq Central The Hotel Parq Central, near I-25’s intersection with Central Avenue, is one of my top choices when I stay in Albuquerque. Steffany Hollingsworth and HVL Interiors from Santa Fe put together an inspired, comfortably chic design—cleanly contemporary while linking clearly to the past. The four-story building was orignally a hospital, and the design throughout it playfully hints at that history, especially in the rooftop Apothecary Bar and Lounge. Humorous touches include an antique surgery table for bar nibbles and a wall full of fascinating old medicine-bottle labels. Some striking vintage apothecary jars line the lighted back bar. Mark Encinias, the hotel’s genial food and beverage director, also serves as the head mixologist. He loves creating seasonal cocktails such as the refreshing Sangre de Naranja Margarita, Flying Figs, and Rosemary Gin Fizz (recipes on p. 56). Accompanying nibbles are simple, perhaps a selection of olives with Manchego cheese, chips with housemade salsa and red chile queso, or sesame-crusted calamari with green chile–chive aioli. Apothecary’s terrace views, especially toward the west at sunset, may make you forget all about eating. The open-air terrace is spacious, with lots of cushy Dedon lounge chairs, and blankets if there’s a chill in the air. 806 Central Ave. SE; (505) 242-0040; hotelparqcentral.com Ibiza, Hotel Andaluz You may remember that my February column mentioned James Campbell Caruso taking over the restaurant Más, at the Andaluz. The esteemed Santa Fe chef and multiple James Beard Best Southwest Chef Award nominee also oversees food and drink at the rooftop bar, Ibiza. A substantial fire-emitting sculpture greets guests stepping out onto this large, sleek second-floor terrace. Scattered vine-draped wire ramadas surround some of the tables. The rooftop is perfectly sited to take in the enormous swath of eastern sky and the Sandía Mountains, which turn ruddy from reflected light as the sun sets. Along with the full bar, Chef James serves up Spanish nibbles such as warm bacon-wrapped dates, and cocas, pizza-like Mallorcan flatbreads. 125 Second St. NW; (505) 923-9033; hotelandaluz.com Flying Figs This and the following two recipes come from Apothecary at Hotel Parq Central. Mark Encinias, the head mixologist, created all three refreshers. Makes 1 2 slices fresh fig ½ ounce St. Germain liqueur 1½ ounces vodka 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ ounce agave nectar Small mint sprig Muddle together fig and St. Germain in cocktail mixing glass or shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, agave nectar, and several ice cubes. Shake well and strain into chilled 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Garnish with mint and serve. Note: If you can’t find fresh figs, cut off 2 slices of a dried fig and soak them in the St. Germain for 5 minutes before muddling. Sangre de Naranja Margarita This margarita gets its fetchingly pale sunset hue partially from a Sicilian blood-orange liqueur available in well-stocked liquor stores. The liqueur’s flavor is a bit more bittersweet and zestier than common orange liqueurs such as triple sec, Cointreau, or Citronge. Any of these may be substituted in a pinch, if you wish. Just bump up the grenadine a touch to add more color. Don’t overdo it, though, or the drink will become too sweet. Makes 1 Lime wedge and kosher salt 1. ounces silver tequila, such as Sauza Blue ½ ounce Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur 1 ounce agave nectar 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice ¼ ounce grenadine Rub lime wedge around edge of 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Dip glass rim in salt. Combine the remaining ingredients in cocktail shaker with several ice cubes. Shake well and strain into prepared glass. Serve. Rosemary Gin Fizz Apothecary whips up this summery fizz with Beefeater Gin, but I prefer to use KGB Hacienda Gin, from here in New Mexico. Makes 1 Rosemary Syrup 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 5 large fresh rosemary sprigs   1½ ounces gin 1 ounce rosemary syrup ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 1½ ounces soda water Lemon slice Small fresh rosemary sprig Make rosemary syrup. Combine ingredients in small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Let mixture sit until cool. Strain out rosemary. Refrigerate unneeded syrup in covered jar. It keeps for weeks. Combine in cocktail shaker gin, syrup, lemon juice, and several ice cubes. Shake well. Place several fresh ice cubes in 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Strain cocktail mixture over ice, and add soda. Garnish with lemon slice and rosemary sprig, and serve. Cheryl Alters Jamison is New Mexico Magazine ’s contributing culinary editor. Read her blog at nmmagazine.com/tastingnm . As of late April, you can order her latest book, The Rancho de Chimayó Cookbook: 50th Anniversary Edition , from the New Mexico Magazine Store at shopnm.co/ChimayoCookbook . See more of Douglas Merriam ’s work at douglasmerriam.com .","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f977","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/tasting-nm-85847/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/tasting-nm-85847/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/tasting-nm-85847/","metaTitle":"Up on the Roof","metaDescription":"","cleanDescription":"Grilled Pizza with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce Pizza-oven pizza is wonderful in restaurants, but not many of us have a special high-heat oven at home to get similar results. Using a grill, either charcoal or gas, is the best way to emulate pizza-oven pizza. Grilled pizza should be made like a Neapolitan pie, with a thin crust and a relatively light load of toppings. This recipe doubles up on the grilled flavor with a homemade sauce of fire-charred tomatoes. I’ve also included a scattering of fresh basil common to a margherita pizza, but other room temperature or warm toppings can be added. Just use a light hand, since the quick cooking time doesn’t allow for toppings to thoroughly heat on the grill. Makes two 11-inch pizzas Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce 3 red-ripe plum tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 1 tablespoon flavorful extra-virgin olive oil Splash or two of garlic-flavored oil, optional Salt   Pizza Dough for the Grill 6 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced and blotted of moisture (preferred) or 1¼ cups grated mozzarella Pinch or two of crushed, dried hot red chile, optional ½ cup lightly packed thin-sliced fresh basil leaves Fire up grill for a two-level fire capable of cooking at the same time on both high heat (1–2 seconds with the hand test) and medium-low heat (5–6 seconds with the hand test). Grill tomatoes over high heat about 6 to 8 minutes, turning on all sides, until skins are somewhat blackened and split, and tomatoes are soft. As soon as tomatoes are cool enough to handle, halve them and squeeze out watery liquid. Purée tomatoes in a blender or food processor with remaining sauce ingredients. Place tomato sauce, mozzarella, optional chile, and basil within easy reach of grill. Have baking sheet near grill on convenient work surface, and have large spatula or pizza peel handy. Place first crust on grill, laying it directly on cooking grate. Grill uncovered over high heat for 1–1½ minutes, until crust becomes firm yet still flexible. Don’t worry about any bubbles that form on crust, as they will be flattened when you turn over crust in next step. Flip crust onto baking sheet, cooked side up. Immediately spoon on one-half of tomato sauce, and sprinkle with one half of cheese and, if you wish, a bit of chile. Quickly return pizza to grill (without baking sheet), uncooked side down. Arrange pie so that half of it is over high heat and other half is over medium-low. Cook pizza another 3–5 minutes, rotating it in ¼ turns about every 30–45 seconds. This may sound awkward, but becomes second nature very quickly. Using spatula to lift edge slightly, check bottom during last minute or two, rotating a bit faster or slower if needed, to get a uniformly brown crisp crust. Scatter with basil shortly before removing pizza from grill. Slice pizza into wedges and serve immediately. The Hand Test: The effective way to measure heat on the grill’s surface is to place your hand a couple of inches above the top of the cooking grate and count the number of seconds before you have to pull it away. One to 2 seconds signifies hot, and 5–6 seconds is mediumlow, with other temperatures in between. Pizza Dough for the Grill The crust for a grilled pizza should be a supporting player, but an important one. You can use store-bought dough, but we’ve never found one that gives us the crispy, crunchy, flavorsome results that come from this homemade dough, which is a little stiffer than average. Makes two thin 11-inch pizza crusts 2 cups flour, preferably bread flour, or unbleached all-purpose flour (more as needed) 3 tablespoons cornmeal, preferably coarse ground 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast such as Fleischmann’s ¾ cup lukewarm water 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil In food processor, pulse together flour, cornmeal, salt, and yeast. With motor running, add water and 2 tablespoons of oil. Continue processing for about 30 seconds more, until dough forms a fairly cohesive ball that is smooth and elastic. If it remains sticky, add another tablespoon or two of flour. Knead dough a few times on floured work surface, forming it into a ball. Pour remaining oil into large bowl and add dough, turning it around and over until coated with oil. Cover with damp cloth. Set dough in warm, draft-free spot and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Form dough into two thin disks, each about 1⁄8-inch thick and 11 inches in diameter. We find that a combination of first flattening crust with rolling pin and then stretching and prodding it with fingers works best. (A raised edge isn’t necessary.) Dough is ready to use at this point, but also can be saved in refrigerator or freezer for later. Stack crusts on baking sheet covered with wax paper, and place another sheet of wax paper between crusts. If refrigerating or freezing, chill crusts on baking sheet for about 30 minutes to firm dough, then remove from baking sheet and wrap crusts before storing. Bring crusts back to room temperature before proceeding. Adapted from 100 Grilling Recipes You Can’t Live Without © 2014 Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison, Harvard Common Press. Rooftop alfresco dining and drinks strikes me as elevated in all ways. The higher perspective gives a broader look down at streetscapes and bubbling fountains. It allows gazes to soar upward and, here, that means panoramas of mountaintops and fiery sunsets. Meals taste better outdoors, especially in New Mexico’s blue-sky, bug-free outdoors. Once lilacs and crabapples burst into bloom, it’s time to go up on the roof. Here’s a selection of my choices for this spring and summer. Amore Neapolitan Pizzeria On Amore’s University of New Mexico–area rooftop, you might indeed “see the moon hit the sky like a big pizza pie.” It was love, actually, that struck Gabriel and Kimberly Amador when they met in Naples, Italy. Gabe had accompanied his parents for a business move and met Kim, who was serving in the NATO forces. Planning their future, they decided to train as Neapolitan pizzaiolos , and open a true Naples-style pizzeria when they landed back in the United States. The Amadors are certified by the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, which is a big deal. Kim is one of the small number of women who has been trained not just to make the dough, but also to be a fornaia , the tender of the pizzas in the wood-fired oven. Even though Amore has been in business less than a year, it serves the best pizza in New Mexico, and I don’t say that lightly.The care the Amadors put into the pizzas and other dishes shows a real commitment to quality. The scarlet mosaic-tiled pizza oven, named Sophia, is nearly as drop-dead gorgeous as its namesake Italian actress. Extra-fine 00 Caputo flour, legendary in the food world, is sourced directly from Naples, as are the San Marzano tomatoes. Just about everything else that can be found locally is used, from the fresh basil for the margherita pies to the pecans for the Waldorf salad. Gabe and Kim even made an arrangement with a local tree service to cut standing dead wood, usually ash or oak, to burn in the oven for the blistering fires needed to almost instantly cook the thin pizzas. The staff stays lean from running hot pizza, beer, and wine up to the third-floor deck, which captures a panorama from the Sandías to the sunset. Launched last summer, there’s lots to love about Amore. 2929 Monte Vista NE; (505) 554-1967; amoreabq.com Seasons Rooftop Cantina The terrace atop Seasons overlooks an intimate plaza enlivened by a splashing Mexican fountain. Some of the handsome upper level is enclosed, with a semi-circular bar counter that beckons. However, the action’s really out and around, on the surrounding cantina terrace, and in a connected outdoor room, where a pair of garage doors sweep upward to open the space to the breezes. Locals know Seasons for its rooftop live jazz, which kicks off as the days lengthen. On the fringe of Old Town, Seasons sits back a bit from its Mountain Road address. The building is contemporary adobe style, with a brightly painted indoor dining room on the ground level. On nearly every wall, abstracted Southwestern landscape paintings by Albuquerque resident Kevin Tolman catch the eye. In this downstairs space, Chef Paul Mandigo serves a well-crafted menu of upscale dishes such as rotisserie chicken with kale-and-pumpkin seed coleslaw, or prime rib with green-chile mashed potatoes. You can have those dishes served to you upstairs on the rooftop, or choose from the more casual “cantina” fare. Think red lentil hummus (recipe at mynm.us/rc-hummus) and pita wedges, and tacos filled with sautéed cilantro-lime shrimp, or carne asada with Moroccan hot sauce. If there’s a grilled chicken sandwich topped with a haystack of crispy onion strings offered as a special when you go, be sure to order it, as it’s among the top sandwiches I’ve eaten this year. Along with the eats, order a pitcher of housemade sangria, or maybe a mojito, while you watch stars emerge in the night sky. 2031 Mountain Rd. NW; (505) 766-5100; seasonsabq.com Apothecary Bar and Lounge, Hotel Parq Central The Hotel Parq Central, near I-25’s intersection with Central Avenue, is one of my top choices when I stay in Albuquerque. Steffany Hollingsworth and HVL Interiors from Santa Fe put together an inspired, comfortably chic design—cleanly contemporary while linking clearly to the past. The four-story building was orignally a hospital, and the design throughout it playfully hints at that history, especially in the rooftop Apothecary Bar and Lounge. Humorous touches include an antique surgery table for bar nibbles and a wall full of fascinating old medicine-bottle labels. Some striking vintage apothecary jars line the lighted back bar. Mark Encinias, the hotel’s genial food and beverage director, also serves as the head mixologist. He loves creating seasonal cocktails such as the refreshing Sangre de Naranja Margarita, Flying Figs, and Rosemary Gin Fizz (recipes on p. 56). Accompanying nibbles are simple, perhaps a selection of olives with Manchego cheese, chips with housemade salsa and red chile queso, or sesame-crusted calamari with green chile–chive aioli. Apothecary’s terrace views, especially toward the west at sunset, may make you forget all about eating. The open-air terrace is spacious, with lots of cushy Dedon lounge chairs, and blankets if there’s a chill in the air. 806 Central Ave. SE; (505) 242-0040; hotelparqcentral.com Ibiza, Hotel Andaluz You may remember that my February column mentioned James Campbell Caruso taking over the restaurant Más, at the Andaluz. The esteemed Santa Fe chef and multiple James Beard Best Southwest Chef Award nominee also oversees food and drink at the rooftop bar, Ibiza. A substantial fire-emitting sculpture greets guests stepping out onto this large, sleek second-floor terrace. Scattered vine-draped wire ramadas surround some of the tables. The rooftop is perfectly sited to take in the enormous swath of eastern sky and the Sandía Mountains, which turn ruddy from reflected light as the sun sets. Along with the full bar, Chef James serves up Spanish nibbles such as warm bacon-wrapped dates, and cocas, pizza-like Mallorcan flatbreads. 125 Second St. NW; (505) 923-9033; hotelandaluz.com Flying Figs This and the following two recipes come from Apothecary at Hotel Parq Central. Mark Encinias, the head mixologist, created all three refreshers. Makes 1 2 slices fresh fig ½ ounce St. Germain liqueur 1½ ounces vodka 1 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ ounce agave nectar Small mint sprig Muddle together fig and St. Germain in cocktail mixing glass or shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, agave nectar, and several ice cubes. Shake well and strain into chilled 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Garnish with mint and serve. Note: If you can’t find fresh figs, cut off 2 slices of a dried fig and soak them in the St. Germain for 5 minutes before muddling. Sangre de Naranja Margarita This margarita gets its fetchingly pale sunset hue partially from a Sicilian blood-orange liqueur available in well-stocked liquor stores. The liqueur’s flavor is a bit more bittersweet and zestier than common orange liqueurs such as triple sec, Cointreau, or Citronge. Any of these may be substituted in a pinch, if you wish. Just bump up the grenadine a touch to add more color. Don’t overdo it, though, or the drink will become too sweet. Makes 1 Lime wedge and kosher salt 1. ounces silver tequila, such as Sauza Blue ½ ounce Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur 1 ounce agave nectar 1 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice 1 ounce freshly squeezed orange juice ¼ ounce grenadine Rub lime wedge around edge of 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Dip glass rim in salt. Combine the remaining ingredients in cocktail shaker with several ice cubes. Shake well and strain into prepared glass. Serve. Rosemary Gin Fizz Apothecary whips up this summery fizz with Beefeater Gin, but I prefer to use KGB Hacienda Gin, from here in New Mexico. Makes 1 Rosemary Syrup 1 cup water 1 cup sugar 5 large fresh rosemary sprigs   1½ ounces gin 1 ounce rosemary syrup ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice 1½ ounces soda water Lemon slice Small fresh rosemary sprig Make rosemary syrup. Combine ingredients in small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Let mixture sit until cool. Strain out rosemary. Refrigerate unneeded syrup in covered jar. It keeps for weeks. Combine in cocktail shaker gin, syrup, lemon juice, and several ice cubes. Shake well. Place several fresh ice cubes in 8- to 10-ounce rocks glass. Strain cocktail mixture over ice, and add soda. Garnish with lemon slice and rosemary sprig, and serve. Cheryl Alters Jamison is New Mexico Magazine ’s contributing culinary editor. Read her blog at nmmagazine.com/tastingnm . As of late April, you can order her latest book, The Rancho de Chimayó Cookbook: 50th Anniversary Edition , from the New Mexico Magazine Store at shopnm.co/ChimayoCookbook . See more of Douglas Merriam ’s work at douglasmerriam.com .","publish_start_moment":"2014-05-06T11:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.390Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f976","author_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1e1","title":"Mountain Man","slug":"dave-hahn-mountain-man-85773","image_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4ea","publish_start":"2014-04-30T12:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52","58b4b2404c2774661570f2a3","58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0"],"tags_ids":["59090d4be1efff4c9916fa90","59090cb1e1efff4c9916fa25","59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_photo_credit":"Grayson Schaffer","custom_tagline":"Guide extraordinaire Dave Hahn may be a global mountaineering nomad, but it’s New Mexico that he calls home.","created":"2014-04-30T12:06:07.000Z","legacy_id":"85773","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"mountain man","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:32.048Z","active":true,"description_raw":"\r\n\r\n

Dave Hahn does not stop moving. On the trail, his penchant for perpetual motion makes him an inspiration to his mountaineering teammates and the clients he guides on the world’s toughest terrain. But getting him to sit down for an interview—that’s tough. I caught him on the road as he drove from his home in Taos to Washington State, where he was scheduled to catch a flight to Alaska to make his 21st ascent of Denali/Mt. McKinley, at 20,000 feet, the highest peak in North America.

\r\n\r\n

Hahn spends much of his time on Mount Rainier, a technical but approachable 14,000-foot peak in Washington that he’s topped more than 270 times. He can also be found on mountains in Antarctica, Argentina, and the Alps. It’s Hahn’s record-breaking assault on Mount Everest that commands the most attention, though. He’s reached the top of the world’s tallest mountain more times than any non-Sherpa—15 successful summits.

\r\n\r\n

The numbers don’t tell the whole story. In an expedition documented by PBS, Hahn helped find the body of English mountaineer George Mallory, who’d gone missing on Everest in 1924. In 2004, he retraced Shackleton’s legendary traverse of South Georgia Island in Antarctica. “I’ve actually attempted the Shackleton Traverse seven times and succeeded five times,” Hahn says. (Nobody’s perfect.) He guides an exclusive clientele for Rainier Mountaineering and climbs with elite colleagues on Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent Team. In 2009, Men’s Journal magazine named Hahn the guide of the year.

\r\n\r\n

Spend a little time with him, and it’s easy to tell why. Hahn, 52, has a gentle, easygoing nature that makes him seem as much camp counselor as world-class athlete. He has a dark tan, naturally, and a youthful mien; there’s little gray in the beard he often sports. His experience is most obvious on a trail. Despite a more than six-foot frame, Hahn moves nimbly and confidently. He rarely takes time off, and maintains his conditioning throughout the year.

\r\n\r\n

Hahn moved to New Mexico 27 years ago from upstate New York, where he attended the State University of New York at Buffalo. “When I got out of school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew where I wanted to go. Without much more of a plan than that, I moved to New Mexico,” says Hahn. His family had roots in the region. “When I was 14, I spent the summer in Albuquerque with my grandmother. I still have vivid memories of hiking La Luz trail that year with my uncle, who lives near Jémez Springs,” says Hahn. “Sandía always fascinated me. I still can’t drive down I-25 without staring up at the crest and looking for the tram.”

\r\n\r\n

Post-grad, Hahn first found work at Angel Fire as a ski instructor, quickly moved on to Taos, and switched to patrolling in 1991.

\r\n\r\n

“I started guiding in 1986,” says Hahn. “I’d always been hiking in the mountains when I was young. My dad had been a Yosemite rock climber in the 1940s and ’50s.” Hahn Sr. also climbed around Shiprock, in the Organ Mountains, and the Gila. “But I didn’t do it till I was getting out of college. And it was actually because I wanted to go to Mount McKinley with my father. My task for that was to go to Mount Rainier and learn everything I needed to learn. When I saw the guiding trip up there, I knew right away that’s what I wanted to do.”

\r\n\r\n

Hahn devotes the summer to Washington and Alaska. Everest takes up most of the spring. He also makes time to work in Antarctica during the North American winter on Mount Vinson, a 16,000-footer. He spends his short “off-season” as a ski patroller in Taos, to stay fit. Patrolling keeps him at altitude, exposed to the cold and conditions. “My house is at 7,500 feet, our ski patrol headquarters are at 11,819 feet, and it’s pretty typical on a normal day to hike up to Kachina Peak, at 12,481 feet. I just generally try to stay outside and do my job,” says Hahn.

\r\n\r\n

The skiing and mountaineering community in New Mexico makes Hahn feel at home, but it wasn’t always so. “I can remember when I probably had some of the only mountaineering or touring skis in New Mexico back in the 1980s. Or it seemed like that when I’d bring ’em into a shop to get worked on. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about.”

\r\n\r\n

The state’s mountaineering scene has expanded since, but not too much. “I like that climbing and mountaineering are not so foreign to New Mexico anymore, but it’s not as mainstream as in Colorado or Utah. There’s not that feeling that you have to fight the crowds,” he says.

\r\n\r\n

Like Hahn, you can get your training started in New Mexico on one of the state’s featured peaks. (See “A Guide to 6 NM Peak Experiences,” at right.) The first key to training, says Hahn, is getting out on the trail. “I often meet people and they’re asking, ‘How do I get to Everest?’ It’s like, well, ‘Do you like to hike?’ Because it’s like aiming for the World Series when you don’t like to play catch in the backyard. If you want to go mountain climbing you should get into mountain hiking. You can do that totally easily in New Mexico. We’ve got the perfect combination of great weather and nice mountains and high altitude.” ✜

","teaser_raw":"","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e81","author":{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1e1","name":"Jason Strykowski","image_id":"59139b80da8f9b60115b378b","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.319Z","blog":"magazine","_name_sort":"jason strykowski","updated":"2017-05-10T23:00:25.352Z","image":{"_id":"59139b80da8f9b60115b378b","original_public_id":"clients/newmexico/JS_BW_538e09cb-4039-42c1-b664-e8e931e4febb","title":"Jason Strykowski","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/JS_BW_538e09cb-4039-42c1-b664-e8e931e4febb","version":1494457213,"signature":"036a25499ad68269b1a2787fd2c78dc8ade84c68","width":2375,"height":2375,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-05-10T23:00:13.000Z","bytes":1215328,"type":"upload","etag":"c8572caf8d476330b40ccfa133f4954c","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1494457213/clients/newmexico/JS_BW_538e09cb-4039-42c1-b664-e8e931e4febb.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1494457213/clients/newmexico/JS_BW_538e09cb-4039-42c1-b664-e8e931e4febb.jpg","original_filename":"file"},"alt_text_raw":"Jason Strykowski","content_owner":"magazine","title_sort":"jason strykowski","updated":"2017-05-10T23:00:16.311Z","deleted":false,"created":"2017-05-10T23:00:16.312Z","id":"59139b80da8f9b60115b378b","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/JS_BW_538e09cb-4039-42c1-b664-e8e931e4febb"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Jason Strykowski"},"_totalPosts":5,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f1e1","title":"Jason Strykowski","slug":"jason-strykowski","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/jason-strykowski/58b4b2404c2774661570f1e1/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/jason-strykowski/58b4b2404c2774661570f1e1/#comments","totalPosts":5},"categories":[{"_id":"58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52","title":"Lifestyle","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"lifestyle","updated":"2017-03-14T18:51:36.346Z","created":"2017-03-14T18:51:36.346Z","_totalPosts":102,"id":"58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52","slug":"lifestyle","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/lifestyle/58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/lifestyle/58c83bb81f16f9392cf09b52/#comments","totalPosts":102},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2a3","blog":"magazine","title":"Features","_title_sort":"features","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.492Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.504Z","_totalPosts":271,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2a3","slug":"features","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/features/58b4b2404c2774661570f2a3/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/features/58b4b2404c2774661570f2a3/#comments","totalPosts":271},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15}],"image":{"_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4ea","legacy_id":"85775","title":"Main _mountainman","created":"2014-04-30T12:25:13.000Z","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:08.696Z","credits":"Henry Lopez","content_owner":"magazine","tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"title_sort":"main _mountainman","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_mountainman_da82cd56-a9a4-4eaa-9217-498768a33274","version":1488237129,"signature":"28c3a1725f1548fdc9da8fa0655dd68f0b7a2967","width":490,"height":735,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-02-27T23:12:09.000Z","bytes":65734,"type":"upload","etag":"80fb6d09a03113c15dd7f199f736c133","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_mountainman_da82cd56-a9a4-4eaa-9217-498768a33274.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_mountainman_da82cd56-a9a4-4eaa-9217-498768a33274.jpg","original_filename":"main_mountainman"},"deleted":false,"id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4ea","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_mountainman_da82cd56-a9a4-4eaa-9217-498768a33274"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Main _mountainman"},"teaser":"","description":"A Guide To Six NM Peak Experiences The marquee peaks and climbs in the state vary in difficulty, but all demand cautious preparation. At the very least, every individual should pack plenty of water and a few layers of clothing, as the weather up high changes quickly. It’s always prudent to check conditions on the roads and trails before your hike, and to check with rangers before your adventure. Many of the trails require usage fees. In the summer, fast-moving thunderstorms should be on your radar. After celebrating your accomplishment, minimize time on the summit to avoid exposure. 1. Capulín Volcano DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy/Moderate DISTANCE: One mile round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Year-round SUMMIT: 8,182 feet INFO: National Park Service, Capulín Volcano National Monument; (575) 278-2201 A rewarding hike despite the short distance, the trail to the top of Capulín affords significant vistas of northeast New Mexico. The trail starts just 2 mi . from the Capulín Volcano National Monument visitor center on the park access road located off N.M. 325, 3 m. N. of the town of Capulín, 35 mi. E. of Ratón. The hike is a simple loop from the trailhead. 2. Wheeler Peak Trail DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Difficult, but does not require technical climbing equipment DISTANCE: 14.6 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Summer SUMMIT: 13,165 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Carson National Forest; (575) 758-6200 Not far from Taos Ski Valley (TSV), New Mexico’s tallest mountain is a very doable day hike. Park just past the TSV main parking lot near the Twining campground. Head NE toward the Bull-of-the-Woods Pasture boundary, and continue until you hit the Gold Hill Trail. Continue SE on the trail toward Bull-of-the-Woods Mountain. Don’t be fooled by Mount Walter, which gives you the impression you’ve already reached the summit of Wheeler Peak. The peak is a little bit farther. 3. La Luz Trail DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Very difficult DISTANCE: 15 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Year-round, winter months require technical gear and expertise SUMMIT: 10,678 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Sandia Ranger District; (505) 281-3304 Not exactly a secret, this approach up the Sandías makes for a crowded but convenient training trip. The trail has a wide cut, so the steep climb up to the top of the Sandía Crest feels a little easier. Take Tramway Rd. off I-25 to Forest Rd. 333. The trailhead is past the Juan Tabo picnic grounds. Follow the markers for Trail 137. The La Luz Trail finishes at the Sandia Peak Tramway, providing a scenic way down if you parked at the base of the tram. 4. Manzano Peak DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate DISTANCE: 7.25 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Early summer through fall SUMMIT: 10,098 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Mountainair Ranger District; (505) 847-2990 Manzano Peak is the wild crown of the Manzano Range. Here hikers may encounter cougars, bears, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. From N.M. 55 running north of Mountainair, take N.M. 131 to Forest Road 253, and then take Forest Road 422. Park at the junction of Forest Road 422 and Forest Road 275. Take Trail 80 to its junction with Trail 170, which climbs to the summit. 5. Mount Taylor DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate/Difficult DISTANCE: Six miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Late spring through fall SUMMIT: 11,301 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Mount Taylor Ranger District; (505) 287-8833 A solitary peak along central New Mexico’s I-40 corridor, Mount Taylor commands impressive views of the region. The ascent, however, is relatively short and readily accessible from Grants. N.M. 547 leads to the mountain from the center of town, and Forest Road 193 picks up at the end of the pavement. 193 bears right on a dirt road for five miles before the trailhead. Follow the signs for Trail 77, and take it to the summit. The final stretch of the climb is steep and challenging. Alternatively, adventure athletes can wait until winter for the Mount Taylor Quadrathlon and run, bike, ski, or snowshoe to the top. In October, a 50K run to the top shows off the fall colors. 6. Santa Fe Baldy DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Difficult, but does not require technical climbing equipment DISTANCE: 14 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Summer SUMMIT: 12,622 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Española Ranger District; (505) 753-7331 The Santa Fe Baldy approach begins on the famed Winsor Trail near the bottom of the Santa Fe Ski Basin. The first half-mile climbs sharply to the fenced border of the Pecos Wilderness, and then the trail levels out for the next several miles. The Winsor Trail eventually meets Trail 251 heading N., and leads to the top of Santa Fe Baldy. Toward the summit, hikers should be very aware of conditions. Baldy is named so for a good reason—the last section of the hike offers little protection from the elements. D ave Hahn does not stop moving. On the trail, his penchant for perpetual motion makes him an inspiration to his mountaineering teammates and the clients he guides on the world’s toughest terrain. But getting him to sit down for an interview—that’s tough. I caught him on the road as he drove from his home in Taos to Washington State, where he was scheduled to catch a flight to Alaska to make his 21st ascent of Denali/Mt. McKinley, at 20,000 feet, the highest peak in North America. Hahn spends much of his time on Mount Rainier, a technical but approachable 14,000-foot peak in Washington that he’s topped more than 270 times. He can also be found on mountains in Antarctica, Argentina, and the Alps. It’s Hahn’s record-breaking assault on Mount Everest that commands the most attention, though. He’s reached the top of the world’s tallest mountain more times than any non-Sherpa—15 successful summits. The numbers don’t tell the whole story. In an expedition documented by PBS, Hahn helped find the body of English mountaineer George Mallory, who’d gone missing on Everest in 1924. In 2004, he retraced Shackleton’s legendary traverse of South Georgia Island in Antarctica. “I’ve actually attempted the Shackleton Traverse seven times and succeeded five times,” Hahn says. (Nobody’s perfect.) He guides an exclusive clientele for Rainier Mountaineering and climbs with elite colleagues on Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent Team. In 2009, Men’s Journal magazine named Hahn the guide of the year. Spend a little time with him, and it’s easy to tell why. Hahn, 52, has a gentle, easygoing nature that makes him seem as much camp counselor as world-class athlete. He has a dark tan, naturally, and a youthful mien; there’s little gray in the beard he often sports. His experience is most obvious on a trail. Despite a more than six-foot frame, Hahn moves nimbly and confidently. He rarely takes time off, and maintains his conditioning throughout the year. Hahn moved to New Mexico 27 years ago from upstate New York, where he attended the State University of New York at Buffalo. “When I got out of school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew where I wanted to go. Without much more of a plan than that, I moved to New Mexico,” says Hahn. His family had roots in the region. “When I was 14, I spent the summer in Albuquerque with my grandmother. I still have vivid memories of hiking La Luz trail that year with my uncle, who lives near Jémez Springs,” says Hahn. “Sandía always fascinated me. I still can’t drive down I-25 without staring up at the crest and looking for the tram.” Post-grad, Hahn first found work at Angel Fire as a ski instructor, quickly moved on to Taos, and switched to patrolling in 1991. “I started guiding in 1986,” says Hahn. “I’d always been hiking in the mountains when I was young. My dad had been a Yosemite rock climber in the 1940s and ’50s.” Hahn Sr. also climbed around Shiprock, in the Organ Mountains, and the Gila. “But I didn’t do it till I was getting out of college. And it was actually because I wanted to go to Mount McKinley with my father. My task for that was to go to Mount Rainier and learn everything I needed to learn. When I saw the guiding trip up there, I knew right away that’s what I wanted to do.” Hahn devotes the summer to Washington and Alaska. Everest takes up most of the spring. He also makes time to work in Antarctica during the North American winter on Mount Vinson, a 16,000-footer. He spends his short “off-season” as a ski patroller in Taos, to stay fit. Patrolling keeps him at altitude, exposed to the cold and conditions. “My house is at 7,500 feet, our ski patrol headquarters are at 11,819 feet, and it’s pretty typical on a normal day to hike up to Kachina Peak, at 12,481 feet. I just generally try to stay outside and do my job,” says Hahn. The skiing and mountaineering community in New Mexico makes Hahn feel at home, but it wasn’t always so. “I can remember when I probably had some of the only mountaineering or touring skis in New Mexico back in the 1980s. Or it seemed like that when I’d bring ’em into a shop to get worked on. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about.” The state’s mountaineering scene has expanded since, but not too much. “I like that climbing and mountaineering are not so foreign to New Mexico anymore, but it’s not as mainstream as in Colorado or Utah. There’s not that feeling that you have to fight the crowds,” he says. Like Hahn, you can get your training started in New Mexico on one of the state’s featured peaks. (See “A Guide to 6 NM Peak Experiences,” at right.) The first key to training, says Hahn, is getting out on the trail. “I often meet people and they’re asking, ‘How do I get to Everest?’ It’s like, well, ‘Do you like to hike?’ Because it’s like aiming for the World Series when you don’t like to play catch in the backyard. If you want to go mountain climbing you should get into mountain hiking. You can do that totally easily in New Mexico. We’ve got the perfect combination of great weather and nice mountains and high altitude.” ✜","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f976","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/dave-hahn-mountain-man-85773/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/dave-hahn-mountain-man-85773/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/dave-hahn-mountain-man-85773/","metaTitle":"Mountain Man","metaDescription":"","cleanDescription":"A Guide To Six NM Peak Experiences The marquee peaks and climbs in the state vary in difficulty, but all demand cautious preparation. At the very least, every individual should pack plenty of water and a few layers of clothing, as the weather up high changes quickly. It’s always prudent to check conditions on the roads and trails before your hike, and to check with rangers before your adventure. Many of the trails require usage fees. In the summer, fast-moving thunderstorms should be on your radar. After celebrating your accomplishment, minimize time on the summit to avoid exposure. 1. Capulín Volcano DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Easy/Moderate DISTANCE: One mile round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Year-round SUMMIT: 8,182 feet INFO: National Park Service, Capulín Volcano National Monument; (575) 278-2201 A rewarding hike despite the short distance, the trail to the top of Capulín affords significant vistas of northeast New Mexico. The trail starts just 2 mi . from the Capulín Volcano National Monument visitor center on the park access road located off N.M. 325, 3 m. N. of the town of Capulín, 35 mi. E. of Ratón. The hike is a simple loop from the trailhead. 2. Wheeler Peak Trail DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Difficult, but does not require technical climbing equipment DISTANCE: 14.6 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Summer SUMMIT: 13,165 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Carson National Forest; (575) 758-6200 Not far from Taos Ski Valley (TSV), New Mexico’s tallest mountain is a very doable day hike. Park just past the TSV main parking lot near the Twining campground. Head NE toward the Bull-of-the-Woods Pasture boundary, and continue until you hit the Gold Hill Trail. Continue SE on the trail toward Bull-of-the-Woods Mountain. Don’t be fooled by Mount Walter, which gives you the impression you’ve already reached the summit of Wheeler Peak. The peak is a little bit farther. 3. La Luz Trail DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Very difficult DISTANCE: 15 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Year-round, winter months require technical gear and expertise SUMMIT: 10,678 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Sandia Ranger District; (505) 281-3304 Not exactly a secret, this approach up the Sandías makes for a crowded but convenient training trip. The trail has a wide cut, so the steep climb up to the top of the Sandía Crest feels a little easier. Take Tramway Rd. off I-25 to Forest Rd. 333. The trailhead is past the Juan Tabo picnic grounds. Follow the markers for Trail 137. The La Luz Trail finishes at the Sandia Peak Tramway, providing a scenic way down if you parked at the base of the tram. 4. Manzano Peak DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate DISTANCE: 7.25 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Early summer through fall SUMMIT: 10,098 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Mountainair Ranger District; (505) 847-2990 Manzano Peak is the wild crown of the Manzano Range. Here hikers may encounter cougars, bears, and Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep. From N.M. 55 running north of Mountainair, take N.M. 131 to Forest Road 253, and then take Forest Road 422. Park at the junction of Forest Road 422 and Forest Road 275. Take Trail 80 to its junction with Trail 170, which climbs to the summit. 5. Mount Taylor DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Moderate/Difficult DISTANCE: Six miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Late spring through fall SUMMIT: 11,301 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Mount Taylor Ranger District; (505) 287-8833 A solitary peak along central New Mexico’s I-40 corridor, Mount Taylor commands impressive views of the region. The ascent, however, is relatively short and readily accessible from Grants. N.M. 547 leads to the mountain from the center of town, and Forest Road 193 picks up at the end of the pavement. 193 bears right on a dirt road for five miles before the trailhead. Follow the signs for Trail 77, and take it to the summit. The final stretch of the climb is steep and challenging. Alternatively, adventure athletes can wait until winter for the Mount Taylor Quadrathlon and run, bike, ski, or snowshoe to the top. In October, a 50K run to the top shows off the fall colors. 6. Santa Fe Baldy DIFFICULTY LEVEL: Difficult, but does not require technical climbing equipment DISTANCE: 14 miles round-trip BEST HIKING SEASON: Summer SUMMIT: 12,622 feet INFO: USDA Forest Service, Española Ranger District; (505) 753-7331 The Santa Fe Baldy approach begins on the famed Winsor Trail near the bottom of the Santa Fe Ski Basin. The first half-mile climbs sharply to the fenced border of the Pecos Wilderness, and then the trail levels out for the next several miles. The Winsor Trail eventually meets Trail 251 heading N., and leads to the top of Santa Fe Baldy. Toward the summit, hikers should be very aware of conditions. Baldy is named so for a good reason—the last section of the hike offers little protection from the elements. D ave Hahn does not stop moving. On the trail, his penchant for perpetual motion makes him an inspiration to his mountaineering teammates and the clients he guides on the world’s toughest terrain. But getting him to sit down for an interview—that’s tough. I caught him on the road as he drove from his home in Taos to Washington State, where he was scheduled to catch a flight to Alaska to make his 21st ascent of Denali/Mt. McKinley, at 20,000 feet, the highest peak in North America. Hahn spends much of his time on Mount Rainier, a technical but approachable 14,000-foot peak in Washington that he’s topped more than 270 times. He can also be found on mountains in Antarctica, Argentina, and the Alps. It’s Hahn’s record-breaking assault on Mount Everest that commands the most attention, though. He’s reached the top of the world’s tallest mountain more times than any non-Sherpa—15 successful summits. The numbers don’t tell the whole story. In an expedition documented by PBS, Hahn helped find the body of English mountaineer George Mallory, who’d gone missing on Everest in 1924. In 2004, he retraced Shackleton’s legendary traverse of South Georgia Island in Antarctica. “I’ve actually attempted the Shackleton Traverse seven times and succeeded five times,” Hahn says. (Nobody’s perfect.) He guides an exclusive clientele for Rainier Mountaineering and climbs with elite colleagues on Eddie Bauer’s First Ascent Team. In 2009, Men’s Journal magazine named Hahn the guide of the year. Spend a little time with him, and it’s easy to tell why. Hahn, 52, has a gentle, easygoing nature that makes him seem as much camp counselor as world-class athlete. He has a dark tan, naturally, and a youthful mien; there’s little gray in the beard he often sports. His experience is most obvious on a trail. Despite a more than six-foot frame, Hahn moves nimbly and confidently. He rarely takes time off, and maintains his conditioning throughout the year. Hahn moved to New Mexico 27 years ago from upstate New York, where he attended the State University of New York at Buffalo. “When I got out of school, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew where I wanted to go. Without much more of a plan than that, I moved to New Mexico,” says Hahn. His family had roots in the region. “When I was 14, I spent the summer in Albuquerque with my grandmother. I still have vivid memories of hiking La Luz trail that year with my uncle, who lives near Jémez Springs,” says Hahn. “Sandía always fascinated me. I still can’t drive down I-25 without staring up at the crest and looking for the tram.” Post-grad, Hahn first found work at Angel Fire as a ski instructor, quickly moved on to Taos, and switched to patrolling in 1991. “I started guiding in 1986,” says Hahn. “I’d always been hiking in the mountains when I was young. My dad had been a Yosemite rock climber in the 1940s and ’50s.” Hahn Sr. also climbed around Shiprock, in the Organ Mountains, and the Gila. “But I didn’t do it till I was getting out of college. And it was actually because I wanted to go to Mount McKinley with my father. My task for that was to go to Mount Rainier and learn everything I needed to learn. When I saw the guiding trip up there, I knew right away that’s what I wanted to do.” Hahn devotes the summer to Washington and Alaska. Everest takes up most of the spring. He also makes time to work in Antarctica during the North American winter on Mount Vinson, a 16,000-footer. He spends his short “off-season” as a ski patroller in Taos, to stay fit. Patrolling keeps him at altitude, exposed to the cold and conditions. “My house is at 7,500 feet, our ski patrol headquarters are at 11,819 feet, and it’s pretty typical on a normal day to hike up to Kachina Peak, at 12,481 feet. I just generally try to stay outside and do my job,” says Hahn. The skiing and mountaineering community in New Mexico makes Hahn feel at home, but it wasn’t always so. “I can remember when I probably had some of the only mountaineering or touring skis in New Mexico back in the 1980s. Or it seemed like that when I’d bring ’em into a shop to get worked on. Nobody knew what the hell I was talking about.” The state’s mountaineering scene has expanded since, but not too much. “I like that climbing and mountaineering are not so foreign to New Mexico anymore, but it’s not as mainstream as in Colorado or Utah. There’s not that feeling that you have to fight the crowds,” he says. Like Hahn, you can get your training started in New Mexico on one of the state’s featured peaks. (See “A Guide to 6 NM Peak Experiences,” at right.) The first key to training, says Hahn, is getting out on the trail. “I often meet people and they’re asking, ‘How do I get to Everest?’ It’s like, well, ‘Do you like to hike?’ Because it’s like aiming for the World Series when you don’t like to play catch in the backyard. If you want to go mountain climbing you should get into mountain hiking. You can do that totally easily in New Mexico. We’ve got the perfect combination of great weather and nice mountains and high altitude.” ✜","publish_start_moment":"2014-04-30T12:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.390Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f975","author_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f18a","title":"What’s All the Chatter?","slug":"music-may-2014-85770","image_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4e8","publish_start":"2014-04-30T11:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58b4b2404c2774661570f2f5","58c839601f16f9392cf09a98","58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0"],"tags_ids":["59090d93e1efff4c9916fac9","59090c80e1efff4c9916fa05","59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_photo_credit":"PETER OGILVIE","custom_tagline":"David Felberg brings classical performances to edgy venues in Albuquerque.","created":"2014-04-30T11:54:52.000Z","legacy_id":"85770","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"what’s all the chatter?","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:31.985Z","active":true,"description_raw":"\r\n\r\n

Gathered around a six-foot-long table beneath industrial workshop lights, their instrument cases flung open to prop up sheet music, the musicians resemble a team of surgeons bringing something to life: a musical Frankenstein’s monster drawn from centuries-old violin concerti by Vivaldi and Stravinsky and reassembled into a program about to be performed in a downtown Albuquerque warehouse on a Sunday morning. David Felberg, the artistic director of the string ensemble, plays the role of mad scientist. As the players pluck and bow through the rehearsal, Felberg administers gentle suggestions.

\r\n\r\n

“Run the Stravinsky with 75 percent emotion.”

\r\n\r\n

“Treat it like three big phrases.”

\r\n\r\n

“Give it a bigger crescendo.”

\r\n\r\n

With a mischievous glimmer in his eye, he looks up from his 1829 J. B. Vuillaume violin and asks, “What if we intersperse the Vivaldi with the Stravinsky?” When his fellow musicians exchange horrified looks—they’re minutes away from performing—he demurs. “Okay, well, maybe not today. But it would be cool.”

\r\n\r\n

This maverick spirit infuses Felberg, who programs, plans, conducts, and often plays some 60 concerts a year, featuring more than 160 professional musicians, in his role with Ensemble Music New Mexico, the 501(c)(3) parent of Chatter. The nonprofit’s repertoire includes nearly weekly Chatter Sunday concerts (combinations of music and poetry); Chatter Cabaret chamber concerts six times a year; and Chatter 20-21 performances (boldly programmed concerts of music from the 20th and 21st centuries) once or twice a year. The latter series features midsize ensembles performing in unexpected venues, and this month’s presentation is no exception. Felberg will conduct in the abandoned blacksmith shop at Albuquerque’s Rail Yards, where the sounds of two grand pianos, one harpsichord, and a 24-piece string ensemble will soar. His penchant for unexpected venues and contemporary classical (aka New Music), not to mention his own talent as a violinist, have earned Felberg a place among the state’s music elite.

\r\n\r\n

He’s a homegrown talent. His father, violinist Leonard Felberg, served as concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony for 24 years—a role David now holds—and his mother, Arlette Felberg, is a pianist and esteemed teacher. Although Felberg was immersed in music during his Albuquerque childhood and began playing violin at age five (“I didn’t know any different,” he says of his instrument choice), he didn’t express professional interest in music until college. He earned his master’s in orchestral conducting at the University of New Mexico and was performing with the now defunct New Mexico Symphony Orchestra when,
\r\nin 2002, he and friend Eric Walters formed Chatter to gain conducting and composing
\r\nexperience. Chatter held its inaugural concert in 2003 and found its footing by presenting
\r\na couple of concerts a year.

\r\n\r\n

On a parallel track, Felberg had taken to playing weekend concerts as part of the popular Church of Beethoven concert-and-talk series, the creation of one of his friends, cellist and composer Felix Wurman. Upon Wurman’s 2009 death, it seemed only fitting that the two envelope-pushing classical groups should merge, which they did in 2010. Thanks to Chatter’s artistic staff, which includes Felberg and associate artistic director James Shields, and board members, including president Pamela Michaelis, the group is now the source for contemporary classical music in Albuquerque. Occasionally, the concert works are atonal or minimalist; often, they challenge audience tastes. Frequently, they’ve never been heard outside of New York or London—a coup for the Duke City.

\r\n\r\n

“Nothing really sounds weird to me anymore,” says Felberg, who relies on the

\r\n\r\n

Internet and his ever-present curiosity to unearth works from composing greats and modern unknowns alike. “They’re interesting, beautiful, and adventurous.” Unusual venues are another Chatter hallmark: Music is presented in stripped-down spaces where the players’ musicianship and the sounds are raw, perhaps never more so than during this month’s concert at the Blacksmith Shop at the Rail Yards.

\r\n\r\n

Once the confluence of Albuquerque’s transit and commerce, the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway repair shop sat empty for nearly 50 years. It’s made appearances in Terminator: Salvation, Breaking Bad, and other Hollywood productions, but for the most part, this cathedral to the Industrial Age hasn’t been utilized. In the past year, the City of Albuquerque renovated minimally—replacing broken windows, adding lighting and the like—to transform it into a venue, albeit a rustic one. As Michaelis, whose spark of inspiration brought Chatter to the Yards, observes, “The building has such a decrepitness and vastness to it. What was missing was something really elegant.”

\r\n\r\n

Works by European composers old and new are slated for the program. With the bare 25,000-square-foot space as inspiration, Felberg chose “Tabula Rasa,” a work by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, to signify the Rail Yards’ new beginnings as a cultural space. He paired this work with others by Alfred Schnittke and J. S. Bach.

\r\n\r\n

If anyone can pull it off, it’s Felberg, who has achieved status as “one of the most significant musical figures in our community,” says Christine Rancier, a violist for the New Mexico Philharmonic, where Felberg sits as associate concertmaster and conducts several times a year. He’s also the music director of the Albuquerque Philharmonic. In all his roles, Felberg balances conducting and performing at a high level. “He’s such a fine violinist. He approaches conducting as a musician,” says Rancier. “He’s very fun to watch. Very engaging and emotionally involved when he conducts and plays.”

\r\n\r\n

But Felberg is more about artistic guts than glory. Describing Felberg’s approach as concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony, founder and general director Gregory W. Heltman observes, “He’s gentle and well studied. He commands our respect, but it’s not demanded.” Barbara Reeback, a faithful patron of Chatter Sunday, along with her husband, Del, appreciates Felberg’s combination of self-confidence and humility: “He animates what happens here. It feels like he’s welcoming us to his place. … But it’s not just David’s platform. We as the audience trust him to make great artistic decisions. It’s adventurous programming. We accept that and go with it.”

\r\n\r\n

As Reeback slides into her reserved seat at the spring Chatter Sunday concert, Felberg and his fellow musicians have taken the stage. He makes eye contact with each and inhales, his bow hovering above the strings. And in that infinitesimal pregnant pause, there’s a promise that something marvelous is about to live again. ✜

","teaser_raw":"","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e80","author":{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f18a","name":"Ashley M. Biggers","image_id":"59139af2da8f9b60115b377c","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.226Z","blog":"magazine","_name_sort":"ashley m. biggers","updated":"2017-05-10T22:58:03.119Z","image":{"_id":"59139af2da8f9b60115b377c","original_public_id":"clients/newmexico/AMB_BW_8f15e5a0-833e-468c-b6cb-0585a1de53ab","title":"Ashley M. 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Biggers","content_owner":"magazine","title_sort":"ashley m. biggers","updated":"2017-05-10T22:57:54.938Z","deleted":false,"created":"2017-05-10T22:57:54.939Z","id":"59139af2da8f9b60115b377c","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/AMB_BW_8f15e5a0-833e-468c-b6cb-0585a1de53ab"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Ashley M. Biggers"},"_totalPosts":53,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f18a","title":"Ashley M. 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David Felberg, the artistic director of the string ensemble, plays the role of mad scientist. As the players pluck and bow through the rehearsal, Felberg administers gentle suggestions. “Run the Stravinsky with 75 percent emotion.” “Treat it like three big phrases.” “Give it a bigger crescendo.” With a mischievous glimmer in his eye, he looks up from his 1829 J. B. Vuillaume violin and asks, “What if we intersperse the Vivaldi with the Stravinsky?” When his fellow musicians exchange horrified looks—they’re minutes away from performing—he demurs. “Okay, well, maybe not today. But it would be cool.” This maverick spirit infuses Felberg, who programs, plans, conducts, and often plays some 60 concerts a year, featuring more than 160 professional musicians, in his role with Ensemble Music New Mexico, the 501(c)(3) parent of Chatter. The nonprofit’s repertoire includes nearly weekly Chatter Sunday concerts (combinations of music and poetry); Chatter Cabaret chamber concerts six times a year; and Chatter 20-21 performances (boldly programmed concerts of music from the 20th and 21st centuries) once or twice a year. The latter series features midsize ensembles performing in unexpected venues, and this month’s presentation is no exception. Felberg will conduct in the abandoned blacksmith shop at Albuquerque’s Rail Yards, where the sounds of two grand pianos, one harpsichord, and a 24-piece string ensemble will soar. His penchant for unexpected venues and contemporary classical (aka New Music), not to mention his own talent as a violinist, have earned Felberg a place among the state’s music elite. He’s a homegrown talent. His father, violinist Leonard Felberg, served as concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony for 24 years—a role David now holds—and his mother, Arlette Felberg, is a pianist and esteemed teacher. Although Felberg was immersed in music during his Albuquerque childhood and began playing violin at age five (“I didn’t know any different,” he says of his instrument choice), he didn’t express professional interest in music until college. He earned his master’s in orchestral conducting at the University of New Mexico and was performing with the now defunct New Mexico Symphony Orchestra when, in 2002, he and friend Eric Walters formed Chatter to gain conducting and composing experience. Chatter held its inaugural concert in 2003 and found its footing by presenting a couple of concerts a year. On a parallel track, Felberg had taken to playing weekend concerts as part of the popular Church of Beethoven concert-and-talk series, the creation of one of his friends, cellist and composer Felix Wurman. Upon Wurman’s 2009 death, it seemed only fitting that the two envelope-pushing classical groups should merge, which they did in 2010. Thanks to Chatter’s artistic staff, which includes Felberg and associate artistic director James Shields, and board members, including president Pamela Michaelis, the group is now the source for contemporary classical music in Albuquerque. Occasionally, the concert works are atonal or minimalist; often, they challenge audience tastes. Frequently, they’ve never been heard outside of New York or London—a coup for the Duke City. “Nothing really sounds weird to me anymore,” says Felberg, who relies on the Internet and his ever-present curiosity to unearth works from composing greats and modern unknowns alike. “They’re interesting, beautiful, and adventurous.” Unusual venues are another Chatter hallmark: Music is presented in stripped-down spaces where the players’ musicianship and the sounds are raw, perhaps never more so than during this month’s concert at the Blacksmith Shop at the Rail Yards. Once the confluence of Albuquerque’s transit and commerce, the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway repair shop sat empty for nearly 50 years. It’s made appearances in Terminator: Salvation, Breaking Bad, and other Hollywood productions, but for the most part, this cathedral to the Industrial Age hasn’t been utilized. In the past year, the City of Albuquerque renovated minimally—replacing broken windows, adding lighting and the like—to transform it into a venue, albeit a rustic one. As Michaelis, whose spark of inspiration brought Chatter to the Yards, observes, “The building has such a decrepitness and vastness to it. What was missing was something really elegant.” Works by European composers old and new are slated for the program. With the bare 25,000-square-foot space as inspiration, Felberg chose “Tabula Rasa,” a work by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, to signify the Rail Yards’ new beginnings as a cultural space. He paired this work with others by Alfred Schnittke and J. S. Bach. If anyone can pull it off, it’s Felberg, who has achieved status as “one of the most significant musical figures in our community,” says Christine Rancier, a violist for the New Mexico Philharmonic, where Felberg sits as associate concertmaster and conducts several times a year. He’s also the music director of the Albuquerque Philharmonic. In all his roles, Felberg balances conducting and performing at a high level. “He’s such a fine violinist. He approaches conducting as a musician,” says Rancier. “He’s very fun to watch. Very engaging and emotionally involved when he conducts and plays.” But Felberg is more about artistic guts than glory. Describing Felberg’s approach as concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony, founder and general director Gregory W. Heltman observes, “He’s gentle and well studied. He commands our respect, but it’s not demanded.” Barbara Reeback, a faithful patron of Chatter Sunday, along with her husband, Del, appreciates Felberg’s combination of self-confidence and humility: “He animates what happens here. It feels like he’s welcoming us to his place. … But it’s not just David’s platform. We as the audience trust him to make great artistic decisions. It’s adventurous programming. We accept that and go with it.” As Reeback slides into her reserved seat at the spring Chatter Sunday concert, Felberg and his fellow musicians have taken the stage. He makes eye contact with each and inhales, his bow hovering above the strings. And in that infinitesimal pregnant pause, there’s a promise that something marvelous is about to live again. ✜","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f975","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/music-may-2014-85770/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/music-may-2014-85770/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/music-may-2014-85770/","metaTitle":"What’s All the Chatter?","metaDescription":"","cleanDescription":"NEED TO KNOW Chatter at ABQ Rail Yards Saturday, May 3, at 5–6:30 p.m. The Yards, 1100 Second St. SW General admission $15, $9 students and under 30, $5 children 12 and under, Special Donor Reception $100. chatterabq.org/calendar/railyards ; music@chatterabq.org Chatter Sunday 50 Sundays a year, 10:30 a.m. (arrive early for espresso and pastries) The Kosmos, 1715 Fifth St. NW; chatterabq.org/Sunday ; music@chatterabq.org Gathered around a six-foot-long table beneath industrial workshop lights, their instrument cases flung open to prop up sheet music, the musicians resemble a team of surgeons bringing something to life: a musical Frankenstein’s monster drawn from centuries-old violin concerti by Vivaldi and Stravinsky and reassembled into a program about to be performed in a downtown Albuquerque warehouse on a Sunday morning. David Felberg, the artistic director of the string ensemble, plays the role of mad scientist. As the players pluck and bow through the rehearsal, Felberg administers gentle suggestions. “Run the Stravinsky with 75 percent emotion.” “Treat it like three big phrases.” “Give it a bigger crescendo.” With a mischievous glimmer in his eye, he looks up from his 1829 J. B. Vuillaume violin and asks, “What if we intersperse the Vivaldi with the Stravinsky?” When his fellow musicians exchange horrified looks—they’re minutes away from performing—he demurs. “Okay, well, maybe not today. But it would be cool.” This maverick spirit infuses Felberg, who programs, plans, conducts, and often plays some 60 concerts a year, featuring more than 160 professional musicians, in his role with Ensemble Music New Mexico, the 501(c)(3) parent of Chatter. The nonprofit’s repertoire includes nearly weekly Chatter Sunday concerts (combinations of music and poetry); Chatter Cabaret chamber concerts six times a year; and Chatter 20-21 performances (boldly programmed concerts of music from the 20th and 21st centuries) once or twice a year. The latter series features midsize ensembles performing in unexpected venues, and this month’s presentation is no exception. Felberg will conduct in the abandoned blacksmith shop at Albuquerque’s Rail Yards, where the sounds of two grand pianos, one harpsichord, and a 24-piece string ensemble will soar. His penchant for unexpected venues and contemporary classical (aka New Music), not to mention his own talent as a violinist, have earned Felberg a place among the state’s music elite. He’s a homegrown talent. His father, violinist Leonard Felberg, served as concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony for 24 years—a role David now holds—and his mother, Arlette Felberg, is a pianist and esteemed teacher. Although Felberg was immersed in music during his Albuquerque childhood and began playing violin at age five (“I didn’t know any different,” he says of his instrument choice), he didn’t express professional interest in music until college. He earned his master’s in orchestral conducting at the University of New Mexico and was performing with the now defunct New Mexico Symphony Orchestra when, in 2002, he and friend Eric Walters formed Chatter to gain conducting and composing experience. Chatter held its inaugural concert in 2003 and found its footing by presenting a couple of concerts a year. On a parallel track, Felberg had taken to playing weekend concerts as part of the popular Church of Beethoven concert-and-talk series, the creation of one of his friends, cellist and composer Felix Wurman. Upon Wurman’s 2009 death, it seemed only fitting that the two envelope-pushing classical groups should merge, which they did in 2010. Thanks to Chatter’s artistic staff, which includes Felberg and associate artistic director James Shields, and board members, including president Pamela Michaelis, the group is now the source for contemporary classical music in Albuquerque. Occasionally, the concert works are atonal or minimalist; often, they challenge audience tastes. Frequently, they’ve never been heard outside of New York or London—a coup for the Duke City. “Nothing really sounds weird to me anymore,” says Felberg, who relies on the Internet and his ever-present curiosity to unearth works from composing greats and modern unknowns alike. “They’re interesting, beautiful, and adventurous.” Unusual venues are another Chatter hallmark: Music is presented in stripped-down spaces where the players’ musicianship and the sounds are raw, perhaps never more so than during this month’s concert at the Blacksmith Shop at the Rail Yards. Once the confluence of Albuquerque’s transit and commerce, the former Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway repair shop sat empty for nearly 50 years. It’s made appearances in Terminator: Salvation, Breaking Bad, and other Hollywood productions, but for the most part, this cathedral to the Industrial Age hasn’t been utilized. In the past year, the City of Albuquerque renovated minimally—replacing broken windows, adding lighting and the like—to transform it into a venue, albeit a rustic one. As Michaelis, whose spark of inspiration brought Chatter to the Yards, observes, “The building has such a decrepitness and vastness to it. What was missing was something really elegant.” Works by European composers old and new are slated for the program. With the bare 25,000-square-foot space as inspiration, Felberg chose “Tabula Rasa,” a work by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, to signify the Rail Yards’ new beginnings as a cultural space. He paired this work with others by Alfred Schnittke and J. S. Bach. If anyone can pull it off, it’s Felberg, who has achieved status as “one of the most significant musical figures in our community,” says Christine Rancier, a violist for the New Mexico Philharmonic, where Felberg sits as associate concertmaster and conducts several times a year. He’s also the music director of the Albuquerque Philharmonic. In all his roles, Felberg balances conducting and performing at a high level. “He’s such a fine violinist. He approaches conducting as a musician,” says Rancier. “He’s very fun to watch. Very engaging and emotionally involved when he conducts and plays.” But Felberg is more about artistic guts than glory. Describing Felberg’s approach as concertmaster of the Santa Fe Symphony, founder and general director Gregory W. Heltman observes, “He’s gentle and well studied. He commands our respect, but it’s not demanded.” Barbara Reeback, a faithful patron of Chatter Sunday, along with her husband, Del, appreciates Felberg’s combination of self-confidence and humility: “He animates what happens here. It feels like he’s welcoming us to his place. … But it’s not just David’s platform. We as the audience trust him to make great artistic decisions. It’s adventurous programming. We accept that and go with it.” As Reeback slides into her reserved seat at the spring Chatter Sunday concert, Felberg and his fellow musicians have taken the stage. He makes eye contact with each and inhales, his bow hovering above the strings. And in that infinitesimal pregnant pause, there’s a promise that something marvelous is about to live again. ✜","publish_start_moment":"2014-04-30T11:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.391Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f974","author_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f18a","title":"The Rock Diva of Albuquerque","slug":"the-rock-diva-of-albuquerque-85767","image_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4e3","publish_start":"2014-04-30T11:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58c839601f16f9392cf09a98","58b4b2404c2774661570f2a3","58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0"],"tags_ids":["59090c80e1efff4c9916fa05","59090cb1e1efff4c9916fa25","59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_tagline":"Gertrude Zachary’s eponymous jewelry stores are menageries of color.","created":"2014-04-30T11:18:21.000Z","legacy_id":"85767","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"the rock diva of albuquerque","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:32.386Z","active":true,"description_raw":"\r\n\r\n

Gertrude Zachary’s eponymous jewelry stores are menageries of color. Gemstones in hues of celadon, coral, and amethyst adorn striking baubles. Such colorful and contemporary designs have been Zachary’s signature since the 1970s, when she saw the potential of gems such as turquoise to be the centerpieces of contemporary designs. This innovation set a new course for Southwestern design, and inspired new generations of turquoise lovers.

\r\n\r\n

Zachary (1937–2013) arrived in New Mexico by way of Germany, New York, and Michigan. The young doctor’s wife soon fell in love with the state—if out of love with her husband. While a single mother, Zachary built a career buying and selling Native American jewelry. After a subsequent divorce from Albuquerque businessman Dick Zachary, she gained a jewelry manufacturing facility in the settlement, and set up her wholesale operation in 1974. She moved the workshop downtown in 1976, where it remains today.

\r\n\r\n

Zachary had no experience in design or craft, but she had a fresh approach to a genre renowned for its adherence to tradition. In 1991, she opened a retail shop catering to local women, ranging from serious collectors to the young and stylish. The company now has two Albuquerque stores, one in Nob Hill and one downtown, and an antiques store. Zachary may have been petite, but her personality was anything but. “She was bigger than life. Nothing really fazed her,” says Erica Hatchell, Zachary’s daughter and COO of Gertrude Zachary Jewelry. “She was 100 percent business. She worked in bed, and carried a notepad with her while she was getting ready in the morning and at dinner, so she could jot ideas down. She believed in complete perfection. Anything she touched turned to gold.”

\r\n\r\n

The company has remained devoted to contemporary Native American designs, but Hatchell has introduced more variety. Hatchell’s designs are conservative, dainty, and affordable compared to Zachary’s blingier ones. Zachary amassed an impressive turquoise collection from now shuttered mines, such as Sleeping Beauty and Cerrillos, and the company will be drawing on these rare reserves for years to come, as well as on Zachary’s never-produced designs. A team of seven in-house Native American silversmiths and six other artists handcraft each design,
\r\nand are particularly known for their intricate inlay works.

\r\n\r\n

Zachary paved the way for female designers—the Native American jewelry industry was long dominated by men—and prompted others to employ traditional stones, such as turquoise. Among them is her sister Lilly Barrack, who worked in Zachary’s shop in the 1980s and went on to create her own glittering line, typified by large, eye-catching, statement silver pieces set with tumbled stone. Barrack now has three Albuquerque stores in North East Heights, Nob Hill, and the North Valley.

","teaser_raw":"","version_id":"59f8ebb4648901d6cd725ec4","author":{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f18a","name":"Ashley M. Biggers","image_id":"59139af2da8f9b60115b377c","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.226Z","blog":"magazine","_name_sort":"ashley m. biggers","updated":"2017-05-10T22:58:03.119Z","image":{"_id":"59139af2da8f9b60115b377c","original_public_id":"clients/newmexico/AMB_BW_8f15e5a0-833e-468c-b6cb-0585a1de53ab","title":"Ashley M. 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ALBUQUERQUE SHOP At the Fall Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show, Oct. 3–5, you can hunt for New Mexico turquoise and chat with rockhounds among scores of mineral-loving vendors. Expo New Mexico; exponm.com VISIT The Turquoise Museum shares the reality, lore, and history of turquoise from around the world. (505) 247-8650; mynm.us/turqmuseum CERRILLOS VISIT Casa Grande Trading Post showcases turquoise from local mines such as the Little Chalchihuitl and the Little Blue Bell, in a rustic setting with a petting zoo and museum. 17 Waldo St.; (505) 438-3008; casagrandetradingpost.com MADRID SHOP Gypsy Gem (2883 Hwy. 14; 505-424-0503) and Trading Bird Pottery Gallery (2868 Hwy. 14; 505-438-6144) feature jewelry with gemstones mined by the stores’ owner Riana Newman, from her Carlita claim in the Cerrillos hills. EAT The Hollar brings Southern-fusion fare to this historic mining town, including fried green tomatoes, and shrimp and grits. (505) 471- 4821; thehollarrestaurant.com G ertrude Zachary’s eponymous jewelry stores are menageries of color. Gemstones in hues of celadon, coral, and amethyst adorn striking baubles. Such colorful and contemporary designs have been Zachary’s signature since the 1970s, when she saw the potential of gems such as turquoise to be the centerpieces of contemporary designs. This innovation set a new course for Southwestern design, and inspired new generations of turquoise lovers. Zachary (1937–2013) arrived in New Mexico by way of Germany, New York, and Michigan. The young doctor’s wife soon fell in love with the state—if out of love with her husband. While a single mother, Zachary built a career buying and selling Native American jewelry. After a subsequent divorce from Albuquerque businessman Dick Zachary, she gained a jewelry manufacturing facility in the settlement, and set up her wholesale operation in 1974. She moved the workshop downtown in 1976, where it remains today. Zachary had no experience in design or craft, but she had a fresh approach to a genre renowned for its adherence to tradition. In 1991, she opened a retail shop catering to local women, ranging from serious collectors to the young and stylish. The company now has two Albuquerque stores, one in Nob Hill and one downtown, and an antiques store. Zachary may have been petite, but her personality was anything but. “She was bigger than life. Nothing really fazed her,” says Erica Hatchell, Zachary’s daughter and COO of Gertrude Zachary Jewelry. “She was 100 percent business. She worked in bed, and carried a notepad with her while she was getting ready in the morning and at dinner, so she could jot ideas down. She believed in complete perfection. Anything she touched turned to gold.” The company has remained devoted to contemporary Native American designs, but Hatchell has introduced more variety. Hatchell’s designs are conservative, dainty, and affordable compared to Zachary’s blingier ones. Zachary amassed an impressive turquoise collection from now shuttered mines, such as Sleeping Beauty and Cerrillos, and the company will be drawing on these rare reserves for years to come, as well as on Zachary’s never-produced designs. A team of seven in-house Native American silversmiths and six other artists handcraft each design, and are particularly known for their intricate inlay works. Zachary paved the way for female designers—the Native American jewelry industry was long dominated by men—and prompted others to employ traditional stones, such as turquoise. Among them is her sister Lilly Barrack, who worked in Zachary’s shop in the 1980s and went on to create her own glittering line, typified by large, eye-catching, statement silver pieces set with tumbled stone. Barrack now has three Albuquerque stores in North East Heights, Nob Hill, and the North Valley.","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f974","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/the-rock-diva-of-albuquerque-85767/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/the-rock-diva-of-albuquerque-85767/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/the-rock-diva-of-albuquerque-85767/","metaTitle":"The Rock Diva of Albuquerque","metaDescription":"","cleanDescription":"NEED TO KNOW Follow the scenic and sinuous Highway 14—the aptly named Turquoise Trail. ALBUQUERQUE SHOP At the Fall Gem, Mineral, and Jewelry Show, Oct. 3–5, you can hunt for New Mexico turquoise and chat with rockhounds among scores of mineral-loving vendors. Expo New Mexico; exponm.com VISIT The Turquoise Museum shares the reality, lore, and history of turquoise from around the world. (505) 247-8650; mynm.us/turqmuseum CERRILLOS VISIT Casa Grande Trading Post showcases turquoise from local mines such as the Little Chalchihuitl and the Little Blue Bell, in a rustic setting with a petting zoo and museum. 17 Waldo St.; (505) 438-3008; casagrandetradingpost.com MADRID SHOP Gypsy Gem (2883 Hwy. 14; 505-424-0503) and Trading Bird Pottery Gallery (2868 Hwy. 14; 505-438-6144) feature jewelry with gemstones mined by the stores’ owner Riana Newman, from her Carlita claim in the Cerrillos hills. EAT The Hollar brings Southern-fusion fare to this historic mining town, including fried green tomatoes, and shrimp and grits. (505) 471- 4821; thehollarrestaurant.com G ertrude Zachary’s eponymous jewelry stores are menageries of color. Gemstones in hues of celadon, coral, and amethyst adorn striking baubles. Such colorful and contemporary designs have been Zachary’s signature since the 1970s, when she saw the potential of gems such as turquoise to be the centerpieces of contemporary designs. This innovation set a new course for Southwestern design, and inspired new generations of turquoise lovers. Zachary (1937–2013) arrived in New Mexico by way of Germany, New York, and Michigan. The young doctor’s wife soon fell in love with the state—if out of love with her husband. While a single mother, Zachary built a career buying and selling Native American jewelry. After a subsequent divorce from Albuquerque businessman Dick Zachary, she gained a jewelry manufacturing facility in the settlement, and set up her wholesale operation in 1974. She moved the workshop downtown in 1976, where it remains today. Zachary had no experience in design or craft, but she had a fresh approach to a genre renowned for its adherence to tradition. In 1991, she opened a retail shop catering to local women, ranging from serious collectors to the young and stylish. The company now has two Albuquerque stores, one in Nob Hill and one downtown, and an antiques store. Zachary may have been petite, but her personality was anything but. “She was bigger than life. Nothing really fazed her,” says Erica Hatchell, Zachary’s daughter and COO of Gertrude Zachary Jewelry. “She was 100 percent business. She worked in bed, and carried a notepad with her while she was getting ready in the morning and at dinner, so she could jot ideas down. She believed in complete perfection. Anything she touched turned to gold.” The company has remained devoted to contemporary Native American designs, but Hatchell has introduced more variety. Hatchell’s designs are conservative, dainty, and affordable compared to Zachary’s blingier ones. Zachary amassed an impressive turquoise collection from now shuttered mines, such as Sleeping Beauty and Cerrillos, and the company will be drawing on these rare reserves for years to come, as well as on Zachary’s never-produced designs. A team of seven in-house Native American silversmiths and six other artists handcraft each design, and are particularly known for their intricate inlay works. Zachary paved the way for female designers—the Native American jewelry industry was long dominated by men—and prompted others to employ traditional stones, such as turquoise. Among them is her sister Lilly Barrack, who worked in Zachary’s shop in the 1980s and went on to create her own glittering line, typified by large, eye-catching, statement silver pieces set with tumbled stone. Barrack now has three Albuquerque stores in North East Heights, Nob Hill, and the North Valley.","publish_start_moment":"2014-04-30T11:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.391Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f973","title":"One of Our 50 Is Found!","slug":"one-of-our-50-is-found-85686","image_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4e4","publish_start":"2014-04-23T10:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","58b4b2404c2774661570f266"],"tags_ids":["59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3","59090c0be1efff4c9916f953"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_tagline":"A-Ha! Moments when our readers realized that New Mexico was the place for them.","created":"2014-04-23T10:44:19.000Z","legacy_id":"85686","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"one of our 50 is found!","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:31.717Z","active":true,"description_raw":"

WILD HORSES (CARRIED AWAY)
\r\nWe trundled down the muddy, rutted road in the middle of nowhere, fleeing the gathering thunderstorm as bursts of lightning exposed the surrealistic outlines of mesas and hoodoos in the twilight. The dim yellow headlights of our 20-year-old pickup revealed the occasional glimpse of painted horses roaming wild-eyed and free across the landscape, manes tangled and glistening in the summer rain. It was 1996, and we were on a hurried cross-country journey, moving the truck and camper from California to Tennessee for my work. It was also the first time my wife and I had escaped together for a few precious days from the rigors of raising three children in Texas. Chaco Canyon was number one on my list of “must-sees” for this trip. Two decades earlier, while attending college in North Carolina, I happened to read about the recent discovery of the Anasazi Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon. I was overcome with a deep yearning to visit Chaco someday.

\r\n\r\n

We camped in Chaco Canyon just for the night, slowing down the pace of our trip for a moment, and celebrating the passion of the place as thunder echoed around the canyon, feeling that we would return to New Mexico some fine day for a proper exploration.

\r\n\r\n

July 4, 2004, was the day we left Texas to make New Mexico our home for good. We’ve been back to Chaco many times since. We were privileged to attend a lecture that Anna Sofaer, the discoverer of the Sun Dagger, gave in Santa Fe a few years ago. The black and white Saddlebred my wife fell in love with last year is now named Chaco, in honor of those muddy horses we saw all those years ago.

\r\n\r\n

We are truly enchanted by New Mexico. Living here, not a day goes by when we don’t acknowledge how fortune has smiled on us by allowing us to call New Mexico home.

\r\n\r\n

Ross and Michelle Kells
\r\nEdgewood

\r\n\r\n

REEL LOVE
\r\nThe most recent experience of cherishing the power of New Mexico’s hold on my imagination was when I attended the opening-day screening of The Lone Ranger last summer. My wife has a small role early in the film, playing a temperance woman. She spent many days dressed in a hoop skirt and several layers of wool, riding a train around and around in the heat, blowing dust, and stark beauty of Río Puerco Valley. Her five seconds of screen-time fame quickly came and went, but the radiance of New Mexico’s scenery lingered in my mind for days.

\r\n\r\n

The radiant landscape of our state was on display, from distant views of the Puerco’s otherworldly volcanic plugs to the final scene when Tonto and the Lone Ranger ride away from Tse Bit’a’i or Rock with Wings (also called Ship Rock).

\r\n\r\n

Too bad that some critics didn’t seem to care for the movie, but my family and friends loved it. I’m an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, and it helped me to know that Johnny Depp’s performance was embraced by the Comanches.

\r\n\r\n

Mike Osborn
\r\nAlbuquerque

\r\n\r\n

TUNED IN
\r\nIn the early 1980s, I drove from the Midwest through New Mexico on my way to California. I was starting over and had no clue about what would happen to me. I was driving on the Turquoise Trail, as I had decided to take a detour to Albuquerque. There I was, driving on the loveliest section of road I’d ever seen … rough but beautiful. All of a sudden a song came on the radio: “God Bless the Child.” I turned up the volume and rolled down the windows. I sang at the top of my lungs. New Mexico had understood and embraced me! I’ve been back to this amazing place several times since. I always feel like I am returning home.

\r\n\r\n

Noel West
\r\nSacramento, CA

\r\n\r\n

IMMORTAL LOVE
\r\nIn a world of change, I found a place of timelessness. It was early 1960 when I spent several months at the Presbyterian Hospital in Embudo working as a nurse’s aide. I was a student at the University of Minnesota, seeking my own mission in life. Although I didn’t become a nurse, my time in New Mexico remained significant.

\r\n\r\n

Fast-forward to 2004. I was still in Minnesota, but returned to Taos with my daughter, who would eventually relocate there. Approaching Embudo Valley, I wondered how the present reality would compare to 50-year-old memories. I was thrilled to see the hospital building still there. The landscape of the valley was unchanged, and I rejoiced that something in life could be eternal. My fascination with New Mexico was rekindled! The embers keep glowing and turn to flames during my now annual visits.

\r\n\r\n

Kathy Hoaglund
\r\nMinneapolis, MN

","teaser_raw":"

WILD HORSES (CARRIED AWAY)
We trundled down the muddy, rutted road in the middle of nowhere, fleeing the gathering thunderstorm as bursts of lightning exposed the surrealistic outlines of mesas and

","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e4f","categories":[{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f266","blog":"magazine","title":"50 Found","_title_sort":"50 found","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.490Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.495Z","_totalPosts":14,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f266","slug":"50-found","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/50-found/58b4b2404c2774661570f266/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/50-found/58b4b2404c2774661570f266/#comments","totalPosts":14}],"image":{"_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4e4","legacy_id":"85695","title":"Main -50","created":"2014-04-23T15:19:21.000Z","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:08.685Z","credits":"Henry Lopez","content_owner":"magazine","tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"title_sort":"main -50","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_50_50580e40-559f-48c2-9835-a125bf7b569c","version":1488237129,"signature":"38e4e1e35274354e5a8b986a64a1e923a39f7e5a","width":490,"height":413,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-02-27T23:12:09.000Z","bytes":48243,"type":"upload","etag":"1b773737e21ff84a5eaa7286b301c88a","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_50_50580e40-559f-48c2-9835-a125bf7b569c.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_50_50580e40-559f-48c2-9835-a125bf7b569c.jpg","original_filename":"main-50"},"deleted":false,"id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4e4","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_50_50580e40-559f-48c2-9835-a125bf7b569c"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Main -50"},"teaser":"

WILD HORSES (CARRIED AWAY)
We trundled down the muddy, rutted road in the middle of nowhere, fleeing the gathering thunderstorm as bursts of lightning exposed the surrealistic outlines of mesas and

","description":"WILD HORSES (CARRIED AWAY) We trundled down the muddy, rutted road in the middle of nowhere, fleeing the gathering thunderstorm as bursts of lightning exposed the surrealistic outlines of mesas and hoodoos in the twilight. The dim yellow headlights of our 20-year-old pickup revealed the occasional glimpse of painted horses roaming wild-eyed and free across the landscape, manes tangled and glistening in the summer rain. It was 1996, and we were on a hurried cross-country journey, moving the truck and camper from California to Tennessee for my work. It was also the first time my wife and I had escaped together for a few precious days from the rigors of raising three children in Texas. Chaco Canyon was number one on my list of “must-sees” for this trip. Two decades earlier, while attending college in North Carolina, I happened to read about the recent discovery of the Anasazi Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon. I was overcome with a deep yearning to visit Chaco someday. We camped in Chaco Canyon just for the night, slowing down the pace of our trip for a moment, and celebrating the passion of the place as thunder echoed around the canyon, feeling that we would return to New Mexico some fine day for a proper exploration. July 4, 2004, was the day we left Texas to make New Mexico our home for good. We’ve been back to Chaco many times since. We were privileged to attend a lecture that Anna Sofaer, the discoverer of the Sun Dagger, gave in Santa Fe a few years ago. The black and white Saddlebred my wife fell in love with last year is now named Chaco, in honor of those muddy horses we saw all those years ago. We are truly enchanted by New Mexico. Living here, not a day goes by when we don’t acknowledge how fortune has smiled on us by allowing us to call New Mexico home. Ross and Michelle Kells Edgewood REEL LOVE The most recent experience of cherishing the power of New Mexico’s hold on my imagination was when I attended the opening-day screening of The Lone Ranger last summer. My wife has a small role early in the film, playing a temperance woman. She spent many days dressed in a hoop skirt and several layers of wool, riding a train around and around in the heat, blowing dust, and stark beauty of Río Puerco Valley. Her five seconds of screen-time fame quickly came and went, but the radiance of New Mexico’s scenery lingered in my mind for days. The radiant landscape of our state was on display, from distant views of the Puerco’s otherworldly volcanic plugs to the final scene when Tonto and the Lone Ranger ride away from Tse Bit’a’i or Rock with Wings (also called Ship Rock). Too bad that some critics didn’t seem to care for the movie, but my family and friends loved it. I’m an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, and it helped me to know that Johnny Depp’s performance was embraced by the Comanches. Mike Osborn Albuquerque TUNED IN In the early 1980s, I drove from the Midwest through New Mexico on my way to California. I was starting over and had no clue about what would happen to me. I was driving on the Turquoise Trail, as I had decided to take a detour to Albuquerque. There I was, driving on the loveliest section of road I’d ever seen … rough but beautiful. All of a sudden a song came on the radio: “God Bless the Child.” I turned up the volume and rolled down the windows. I sang at the top of my lungs. New Mexico had understood and embraced me! I’ve been back to this amazing place several times since. I always feel like I am returning home. Noel West Sacramento, CA IMMORTAL LOVE In a world of change, I found a place of timelessness. It was early 1960 when I spent several months at the Presbyterian Hospital in Embudo working as a nurse’s aide. I was a student at the University of Minnesota, seeking my own mission in life. Although I didn’t become a nurse, my time in New Mexico remained significant. Fast-forward to 2004. I was still in Minnesota, but returned to Taos with my daughter, who would eventually relocate there. Approaching Embudo Valley, I wondered how the present reality would compare to 50-year-old memories. I was thrilled to see the hospital building still there. The landscape of the valley was unchanged, and I rejoiced that something in life could be eternal. My fascination with New Mexico was rekindled! The embers keep glowing and turn to flames during my now annual visits. Kathy Hoaglund Minneapolis, MN","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f973","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/one-of-our-50-is-found-85686/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/one-of-our-50-is-found-85686/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/one-of-our-50-is-found-85686/","metaTitle":"One of Our 50 Is Found!","metaDescription":"

WILD HORSES (CARRIED AWAY)
We trundled down the muddy, rutted road in the middle of nowhere, fleeing the gathering thunderstorm as bursts of lightning exposed the surrealistic outlines of mesas and

","cleanDescription":"WILD HORSES (CARRIED AWAY) We trundled down the muddy, rutted road in the middle of nowhere, fleeing the gathering thunderstorm as bursts of lightning exposed the surrealistic outlines of mesas and hoodoos in the twilight. The dim yellow headlights of our 20-year-old pickup revealed the occasional glimpse of painted horses roaming wild-eyed and free across the landscape, manes tangled and glistening in the summer rain. It was 1996, and we were on a hurried cross-country journey, moving the truck and camper from California to Tennessee for my work. It was also the first time my wife and I had escaped together for a few precious days from the rigors of raising three children in Texas. Chaco Canyon was number one on my list of “must-sees” for this trip. Two decades earlier, while attending college in North Carolina, I happened to read about the recent discovery of the Anasazi Sun Dagger on Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon. I was overcome with a deep yearning to visit Chaco someday. We camped in Chaco Canyon just for the night, slowing down the pace of our trip for a moment, and celebrating the passion of the place as thunder echoed around the canyon, feeling that we would return to New Mexico some fine day for a proper exploration. July 4, 2004, was the day we left Texas to make New Mexico our home for good. We’ve been back to Chaco many times since. We were privileged to attend a lecture that Anna Sofaer, the discoverer of the Sun Dagger, gave in Santa Fe a few years ago. The black and white Saddlebred my wife fell in love with last year is now named Chaco, in honor of those muddy horses we saw all those years ago. We are truly enchanted by New Mexico. Living here, not a day goes by when we don’t acknowledge how fortune has smiled on us by allowing us to call New Mexico home. Ross and Michelle Kells Edgewood REEL LOVE The most recent experience of cherishing the power of New Mexico’s hold on my imagination was when I attended the opening-day screening of The Lone Ranger last summer. My wife has a small role early in the film, playing a temperance woman. She spent many days dressed in a hoop skirt and several layers of wool, riding a train around and around in the heat, blowing dust, and stark beauty of Río Puerco Valley. Her five seconds of screen-time fame quickly came and went, but the radiance of New Mexico’s scenery lingered in my mind for days. The radiant landscape of our state was on display, from distant views of the Puerco’s otherworldly volcanic plugs to the final scene when Tonto and the Lone Ranger ride away from Tse Bit’a’i or Rock with Wings (also called Ship Rock). Too bad that some critics didn’t seem to care for the movie, but my family and friends loved it. I’m an enrolled member of the Cherokee Nation, and it helped me to know that Johnny Depp’s performance was embraced by the Comanches. Mike Osborn Albuquerque TUNED IN In the early 1980s, I drove from the Midwest through New Mexico on my way to California. I was starting over and had no clue about what would happen to me. I was driving on the Turquoise Trail, as I had decided to take a detour to Albuquerque. There I was, driving on the loveliest section of road I’d ever seen … rough but beautiful. All of a sudden a song came on the radio: “God Bless the Child.” I turned up the volume and rolled down the windows. I sang at the top of my lungs. New Mexico had understood and embraced me! I’ve been back to this amazing place several times since. I always feel like I am returning home. Noel West Sacramento, CA IMMORTAL LOVE In a world of change, I found a place of timelessness. It was early 1960 when I spent several months at the Presbyterian Hospital in Embudo working as a nurse’s aide. I was a student at the University of Minnesota, seeking my own mission in life. Although I didn’t become a nurse, my time in New Mexico remained significant. Fast-forward to 2004. I was still in Minnesota, but returned to Taos with my daughter, who would eventually relocate there. Approaching Embudo Valley, I wondered how the present reality would compare to 50-year-old memories. I was thrilled to see the hospital building still there. The landscape of the valley was unchanged, and I rejoiced that something in life could be eternal. My fascination with New Mexico was rekindled! The embers keep glowing and turn to flames during my now annual visits. Kathy Hoaglund Minneapolis, MN","publish_start_moment":"2014-04-23T10:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.391Z"},{"_id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f972","author_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f240","title":"The Dragonfly Effect","slug":"artscapes-the-dragonfly-effect-85685","image_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4ee","publish_start":"2014-04-23T10:00:00.000Z","enable_comments":true,"categories_ids":["58b4b2404c2774661570f27b","58c839601f16f9392cf09a98","58ed168096df945d13d07701","58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0"],"tags_ids":["59090c53e1efff4c9916f9ec","59090c80e1efff4c9916fa05","59090c49e1efff4c9916f9e6","59090d72e1efff4c9916fab3"],"cms_tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"enabled":true,"custom_photo_credit":"MINESH BACRANIA","custom_tagline":"The 10th annual Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival honors a couple of Placitas artists who share a transformative passion for their work, and one another.","created":"2014-04-23T10:42:18.000Z","legacy_id":"85685","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"the dragonfly effect","updated":"2017-10-31T21:31:31.878Z","active":true,"description_raw":"\r\n\r\n

A January drive to the Placitas home studio of artists Joe and Althea Cajero provides the first stunning work of art I’ll see today: The afternoon sun casts a coral-orange glow onto the imposing spine of the Sandía Mountains, the crest made slightly opaque by the soft rise of piñon smoke from adobes nestled into the valley below.

\r\n\r\n

Joe, originally from Jemez Pueblo, is a sculptor who works in bronze and clay, and Althea (from Santo Domingo and Acoma Pueblos), crafts jewelry using cuttlefish bone castings. They’re busy preparing pieces for the 10th anniversary of the Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival, which will take place in Santa Fe on Memorial Day weekend, May 24–25.

\r\n\r\n

The invitational show began in 2004 as a small event on Museum Hill, with the goal of raising money to benefit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC). It has since matured into one of the most popular Native-arts festivals in the Southwest, featuring museum-quality work. Drawing serious collectors from around the world, the festival bestows the honor of MIAC Living Treasure on a particular artist each year. For the first time in the festival’s history, two artists will share the title: the Cajeros.

\r\n\r\n

Stepping into the Cajero studio, more stunning views quickly pile up. On a wooden work surface sits Joe’s large clay figure of a corn maiden, its smooth contours and elaborate floral designs awaiting a final once-over before being shipped off to Phoenix for bronze casting. At Althea’s workstation sit her tools and a variety of intricately designed jewelry pieces, including a silver, cuttlefish-cast bracelet topped with a silver dragonfly (a popular Native American symbol for transformation) sculpted by her husband. The piece was created especially for this year’s Native Treasures preview party, the theme of which is “Journey.”

\r\n\r\n

“A married couple sharing a studio isn’t very common, I don’t think,” Joe says, Althea nodding in agreement. “But I think the way we met and grew as a couple, and the way we approach our art, make it possible for us to embrace the situation and make it work for us.” The Cajeros’ relationship and their trajectories as celebrated New Mexico artists are intertwined, and have as much to do with personal metamorphosis as they do with their generosity within the New Mexico arts community.

\r\n\r\n

What began as a chance encounter at a fitness center blossomed into an eight-year friendship, but Joe eventually became too smitten to stay silent. “I told her I loved her and, yes, it was awkward,” Joe says, laughing. “And it didn’t go my way. After that I took about a week off from seeing her. But then the next time we saw each other, she sort of gazed into me a little bit.”

\r\n\r\n

“No, Joe. I flirted,” Althea recalls. “And I’m glad I did. It felt like the decisions we were making together were flowing. And we’ve been best friends ever since.”

\r\n\r\n

Married in 2005 at the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden, the Cajeros weren’t both artists when they met. Prior to their engagement, Althea, who is the daughter of silversmith Dorothy Tortalita and lapidary jeweler and Kewa Pueblo tribal leader Tony Tortalita, worked for the Indian Health Service (IHS). She spent a total of 20 years with the agency. “When we started seeing each other romantically,” Althea says, “I would come out here to Placitas to see Joe, and to express my feelings about work, and life in general. Things were changing. I was changing. I was in a place where I had lost my connection to artists, especially after my mother passed away 18 years ago. I missed it.”

\r\n\r\n

In Joe’s studio, Althea’s creative urges began to percolate once more. “She would come in after work, and she would talk about her day,” Joe recalls. “And while I was in the studio working, I thought, ‘Well, while we’re talking, she could be helping me.’ So I asked her if she wanted to take some sandpaper and smooth out the rough edges of one of my sculptures. As I watched her, I realized how incredibly mindful she was being. She was very intent about how she moved her hand around the clay.” As time passed, Joe offered Althea more tasks in the studio. “Brushing some of

\r\n\r\n

my clay pieces with white paint was another step into that meticulousness that seemed to calm her and fulfill something in her heart,” he says. “When I observed how thorough and clean she was being with her brush, I said, ‘Man, you’re really good!’ And then I gave her yet another task.” After Althea assisted Joe with the inlay for a bronze cross, he couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “I said, ‘You know what? That’s it. You’re an artist. Now you just have to figure out what medium you want to explore.’”

\r\n\r\n

Sacrificing job security petrified Althea, but ultimately she couldn’t reject the prospect of a more creative life. While still working for IHS, she began stringing together simple, elegant pieces with lapis, turquoise, sugilite, and coral gemstones. “People at my office started buying the pieces right off my neck,” she says. “I realized that if I could do the findings [the cones and clasps used to connect jewelry pieces], I could get into shows—and good ones.” She took a jewelry making class led by Diné master jewelry designer Fritz Casuse at the POEH Cultural Center and Museum, in Pojoaque Pueblo. “I watched how a student carved into a delicate cuttlefish bone,” Althea says, “and how she melted her metal and poured it. After the metal cooled, she pulled the bone mold apart. I was amazed by the cuttlefish-bone texture and pattern on the cooled metal’s surface. Once it was revealed, I knew that’s what I wanted to create.”

\r\n\r\n

For Joe, watching Althea tap into her creativity in his studio early on was magical. “And it continues to be,” he says, “because now we’re helping each other and supporting each other to push the envelope of our work even further. Her transformation into an artist has made us both happier people. Working together in the studio is a lot like being in a relationship: Sometimes you know when to say something. And sometimes you know when to not say anything at all.”

\r\n\r\n

 

\r\n\r\n

EXHIBITIONS
\r\nMay marks the beginning of the busy studio-tour season in the state, with three time-honored events unfolding in sequential weekends. Now in its 16th year, the Corrales Studio Tour (May 3–4) kicks things off with its self-guided tour, featuring work by more than 70 traditional and contemporary local artists. The Placitas Studio Tour (May 10–11) has been a Mother’s Day tradition for 16 years in this small community about 25 miles north of Albuquerque, and it continues in 2014 with more than 45 participating artists, including two featured in “The Dragonfly Effect” (see p. 28). The tour is overseen by the Placitas Mountaincraft and Soirée Society, which benefits arts education in and around Placitas. The following weekend, the 23rd annual Eldorado Studio Tour (May 17–18) opens with a public artist reception on May 16 at the La Tienda Exhibit Space. To get an early peek at the work of participating artists, a preview gallery at La Tienda will be open to the public 11 a.m.–4 p.m., May 3–16.

\r\n\r\n

The Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos opens an exhibit of work by emerging and established artists titled Things With Wings, which encourages artists to “just wing it” and take their work in new and compelling directions, while depicting things that soar, buzz, and flutter (May 2–June 14).

\r\n\r\n

At Chiaroscuro in Santa Fe, photographer Walter Nelson celebrates The Black Place in northern New Mexico, a region that inspired many of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, with an exhibit of photographs taken there over the past 20 years. A book of Nelson’s work will be published in conjunction with the exhibit (May 2–31). An artist’s reception and book signing will take place Friday, May 9, 5–7 p.m., at the gallery. Also in Santa Fe, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts opens an exhibit of paper baskets and other work by Eastern Band of Cherokee contemporary weaver Shan Goshorn. Combining copies of historical documents, such as the Indian Removal Act, and photographs with traditional weaving techniques and patterns, Goshorn educates viewers about Native American history and indigenous sovereignty (May 24–July 31). At the New Mexico History Museum, Toys and Games: A New Mexico Childhood explores how children played during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From spinning tops to dolls and snow sleds, the exhibition encourages play, as well as contemplation on how much it has changed over the years (May 25, 2014–February 1, 2015). Turquoise, Water, Sky: The Stone and Its Meaning, which examines the geology, mining, and history of the gemstone, continues at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (through March 2016). See our related feature, “The Spirit in the Stone” on p. 33.

\r\n\r\n

The Harwood Museum of Art in Taos hosts John Connell: Cheap Secrets of the East and Highlights from the Gus Foster Collection (May 17–September 14). The Connell exhibition includes drawings and sculpture by the Taos/Santa Fe artist, while Highlights offers a selection of works gifted to the Harwood by photographer and longtime museum supporter Gus Foster. The collection, which comprises 341 pieces by 86 contemporary artists, includes works by Ken Price, Larry Bell, Earl Stroh, and Emil Bisttram. The Gateway to Imagination juried art competition at the Farmington Museum and Visitors Center at Gateway Park draws artists from across the United States, and features more than 90 works in a variety of mediums. The show also includes work by artists from in and around San Juan County (May 10–July 12). ✜

","teaser_raw":"","version_id":"59f8ebb3648901d6cd725e6e","author":{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f240","blog":"magazine","name":"Rob DeWalt","_name_sort":"rob dewalt","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.394Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.405Z","_totalPosts":22,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f240","title":"Rob DeWalt","slug":"rob-dewalt","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/rob-dewalt/58b4b2404c2774661570f240/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/author/rob-dewalt/58b4b2404c2774661570f240/#comments","totalPosts":22},"categories":[{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f27b","blog":"magazine","title":"Artscapes","_title_sort":"artscapes","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.491Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.499Z","_totalPosts":30,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f27b","slug":"artscapes","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/artscapes/58b4b2404c2774661570f27b/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/artscapes/58b4b2404c2774661570f27b/#comments","totalPosts":30},{"_id":"58c839601f16f9392cf09a98","title":"Culture","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"culture","updated":"2017-03-14T18:41:36.747Z","created":"2017-03-14T18:41:36.748Z","_totalPosts":258,"id":"58c839601f16f9392cf09a98","slug":"culture","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/culture/58c839601f16f9392cf09a98/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/culture/58c839601f16f9392cf09a98/#comments","totalPosts":258},{"_id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","blog":"magazine","title":"May 2014","_title_sort":"may 2014","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.576Z","created":"2017-02-27T23:12:00.581Z","_totalPosts":15,"id":"58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0","slug":"may-2014","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/category/may-2014/58b4b2404c2774661570f2f0/#comments","totalPosts":15}],"image":{"_id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4ee","legacy_id":"85693","title":"Main -artscapes","created":"2014-04-23T15:07:09.000Z","updated":"2017-02-27T23:12:08.683Z","credits":"Henry Lopez","content_owner":"magazine","tags_ids":["58b061ec6a2b0936c34a23ea"],"title_sort":"main -artscapes","resource_raw":{"public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_artscapes_5864282b-223d-47e6-8528-c49fa731b509","version":1488237129,"signature":"fea843ec02b1cb63e7945e2f4f149239c0b2b806","width":490,"height":300,"format":"jpg","resource_type":"image","created_at":"2017-02-27T23:12:09.000Z","bytes":31575,"type":"upload","etag":"95cc0faf286df3ff5d338caef65baef7","url":"http://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_artscapes_5864282b-223d-47e6-8528-c49fa731b509.jpg","secure_url":"https://res.cloudinary.com/simpleview/image/upload/v1488237129/clients/newmexico/main_artscapes_5864282b-223d-47e6-8528-c49fa731b509.jpg","original_filename":"main-artscapes"},"deleted":false,"id":"58b4b2494c2774661570f4ee","type":"image","resource":{"raw":{"resource_type":"image","format":"jpg","public_id":"clients/newmexico/main_artscapes_5864282b-223d-47e6-8528-c49fa731b509"}},"inAssetRequest":false,"alt_text":"Main -artscapes"},"tags":[{"_id":"59090c49e1efff4c9916f9e6","title":"Art","blog":"magazine","_title_sort":"art","updated":"2017-05-02T22:46:33.341Z","created":"2017-05-02T22:46:33.341Z","_totalPosts":107,"id":"59090c49e1efff4c9916f9e6","slug":"art","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/tag/art/59090c49e1efff4c9916f9e6/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/tag/art/59090c49e1efff4c9916f9e6/#comments","totalPosts":107}],"teaser":"","description":"NEED TO KNOW The 10th anniversary Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival will be held 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat. and Sun., May 24–25, at Santa Fe Community Convention Center (201 W. Marcy St.; 505-955-6200; communityconventioncenter.com ). Sat. admission, $10; Sun., no charge. Special Sat. early-bird preview, 9–10 a.m., $20. All tickets available at the door. May 23 Benefit Preview Party and Living Treasure award presentation ($100) includes an early-bird ticket for Sat. (505) 982-7799; Ext. 3; nativetreasures.org THE MARKET DIFFERENT Event cochair Karen Freeman and the Cajeros agree that while the Santa Fe Indian Market draws over 100,000 collectors, art lovers, and artists every year, and remains the heart of Santa Fe’s peak-season Indian-arts market, Native Treasures brings a more intimate atmosphere to the table, for artists and collectors alike. “Because of the time of year, this show has an aura of growth and rejuvenation,” Joe says. “My belief is that people feel this but don’t really recognize or acknowledge it. Indian Market is marvelous in its own unique ways, but we enjoy the opportunity to spend a little more time with collectors and art lovers at this show. Santa Fe produces the best Native American art shows in the country, and the work presented here are top-tier, museum-quality pieces. Another plus: We get to have our own lighting, so we can showcase our pieces in a specialized way.” Twenty-five percent of art sales from Native Treasures benefits future exhibitions at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Boasting more than 200 artists from 40 tribes and Pueblos, this year’s event also honors all former Living Treasures Award recipients, including Santa Clara Pueblo potter Tammy Garcia, who will present the award to the Cajeros during a special preview dinner on May 23. “Each year the recipient is given a piece of artwork made by the previous year’s award winner,” Freeman says. “It’s a reciprocal act that speaks to the effort these artists make in furthering the museum, and the future of Native art, while continuing to nurture their own bright careers.” A January drive to the Placitas home studio of artists Joe and Althea Cajero provides the first stunning work of art I’ll see today: The afternoon sun casts a coral-orange glow onto the imposing spine of the Sandía Mountains, the crest made slightly opaque by the soft rise of piñon smoke from adobes nestled into the valley below. Joe, originally from Jemez Pueblo, is a sculptor who works in bronze and clay, and Althea (from Santo Domingo and Acoma Pueblos), crafts jewelry using cuttlefish bone castings. They’re busy preparing pieces for the 10th anniversary of the Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival, which will take place in Santa Fe on Memorial Day weekend, May 24–25. The invitational show began in 2004 as a small event on Museum Hill, with the goal of raising money to benefit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC). It has since matured into one of the most popular Native-arts festivals in the Southwest, featuring museum-quality work. Drawing serious collectors from around the world, the festival bestows the honor of MIAC Living Treasure on a particular artist each year. For the first time in the festival’s history, two artists will share the title: the Cajeros. Stepping into the Cajero studio, more stunning views quickly pile up. On a wooden work surface sits Joe’s large clay figure of a corn maiden, its smooth contours and elaborate floral designs awaiting a final once-over before being shipped off to Phoenix for bronze casting. At Althea’s workstation sit her tools and a variety of intricately designed jewelry pieces, including a silver, cuttlefish-cast bracelet topped with a silver dragonfly (a popular Native American symbol for transformation) sculpted by her husband. The piece was created especially for this year’s Native Treasures preview party, the theme of which is “Journey.” “A married couple sharing a studio isn’t very common, I don’t think,” Joe says, Althea nodding in agreement. “But I think the way we met and grew as a couple, and the way we approach our art, make it possible for us to embrace the situation and make it work for us.” The Cajeros’ relationship and their trajectories as celebrated New Mexico artists are intertwined, and have as much to do with personal metamorphosis as they do with their generosity within the New Mexico arts community. What began as a chance encounter at a fitness center blossomed into an eight-year friendship, but Joe eventually became too smitten to stay silent. “I told her I loved her and, yes, it was awkward,” Joe says, laughing. “And it didn’t go my way. After that I took about a week off from seeing her. But then the next time we saw each other, she sort of gazed into me a little bit.” “No, Joe. I flirted,” Althea recalls. “And I’m glad I did. It felt like the decisions we were making together were flowing. And we’ve been best friends ever since.” Married in 2005 at the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden, the Cajeros weren’t both artists when they met. Prior to their engagement, Althea, who is the daughter of silversmith Dorothy Tortalita and lapidary jeweler and Kewa Pueblo tribal leader Tony Tortalita, worked for the Indian Health Service (IHS). She spent a total of 20 years with the agency. “When we started seeing each other romantically,” Althea says, “I would come out here to Placitas to see Joe, and to express my feelings about work, and life in general. Things were changing. I was changing. I was in a place where I had lost my connection to artists, especially after my mother passed away 18 years ago. I missed it.” In Joe’s studio, Althea’s creative urges began to percolate once more. “She would come in after work, and she would talk about her day,” Joe recalls. “And while I was in the studio working, I thought, ‘Well, while we’re talking, she could be helping me.’ So I asked her if she wanted to take some sandpaper and smooth out the rough edges of one of my sculptures. As I watched her, I realized how incredibly mindful she was being. She was very intent about how she moved her hand around the clay.” As time passed, Joe offered Althea more tasks in the studio. “Brushing some of my clay pieces with white paint was another step into that meticulousness that seemed to calm her and fulfill something in her heart,” he says. “When I observed how thorough and clean she was being with her brush, I said, ‘Man, you’re really good!’ And then I gave her yet another task.” After Althea assisted Joe with the inlay for a bronze cross, he couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “I said, ‘You know what? That’s it. You’re an artist. Now you just have to figure out what medium you want to explore.’” Sacrificing job security petrified Althea, but ultimately she couldn’t reject the prospect of a more creative life. While still working for IHS, she began stringing together simple, elegant pieces with lapis, turquoise, sugilite, and coral gemstones. “People at my office started buying the pieces right off my neck,” she says. “I realized that if I could do the findings [the cones and clasps used to connect jewelry pieces], I could get into shows—and good ones.” She took a jewelry making class led by Diné master jewelry designer Fritz Casuse at the POEH Cultural Center and Museum, in Pojoaque Pueblo. “I watched how a student carved into a delicate cuttlefish bone,” Althea says, “and how she melted her metal and poured it. After the metal cooled, she pulled the bone mold apart. I was amazed by the cuttlefish-bone texture and pattern on the cooled metal’s surface. Once it was revealed, I knew that’s what I wanted to create.” For Joe, watching Althea tap into her creativity in his studio early on was magical. “And it continues to be,” he says, “because now we’re helping each other and supporting each other to push the envelope of our work even further. Her transformation into an artist has made us both happier people. Working together in the studio is a lot like being in a relationship: Sometimes you know when to say something. And sometimes you know when to not say anything at all.”   EXHIBITIONS May marks the beginning of the busy studio-tour season in the state, with three time-honored events unfolding in sequential weekends. Now in its 16th year, the Corrales Studio Tour (May 3–4) kicks things off with its self-guided tour, featuring work by more than 70 traditional and contemporary local artists. The Placitas Studio Tour (May 10–11) has been a Mother’s Day tradition for 16 years in this small community about 25 miles north of Albuquerque, and it continues in 2014 with more than 45 participating artists, including two featured in “The Dragonfly Effect” (see p. 28). The tour is overseen by the Placitas Mountaincraft and Soirée Society, which benefits arts education in and around Placitas. The following weekend, the 23rd annual Eldorado Studio Tour (May 17–18) opens with a public artist reception on May 16 at the La Tienda Exhibit Space. To get an early peek at the work of participating artists, a preview gallery at La Tienda will be open to the public 11 a.m.–4 p.m., May 3–16. The Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos opens an exhibit of work by emerging and established artists titled Things With Wings , which encourages artists to “just wing it” and take their work in new and compelling directions, while depicting things that soar, buzz, and flutter (May 2–June 14). At Chiaroscuro in Santa Fe, photographer Walter Nelson celebrates The Black Place in northern New Mexico, a region that inspired many of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, with an exhibit of photographs taken there over the past 20 years. A book of Nelson’s work will be published in conjunction with the exhibit (May 2–31). An artist’s reception and book signing will take place Friday, May 9, 5–7 p.m., at the gallery. Also in Santa Fe, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts opens an exhibit of paper baskets and other work by Eastern Band of Cherokee contemporary weaver Shan Goshorn. Combining copies of historical documents, such as the Indian Removal Act, and photographs with traditional weaving techniques and patterns, Goshorn educates viewers about Native American history and indigenous sovereignty (May 24–July 31). At the New Mexico History Museum , Toys and Games: A New Mexico Childhood explores how children played during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From spinning tops to dolls and snow sleds, the exhibition encourages play, as well as contemplation on how much it has changed over the years (May 25, 2014–February 1, 2015). Turquoise, Water, Sky: The Stone and Its Meaning , which examines the geology, mining, and history of the gemstone, continues at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (through March 2016). See our related feature, “The Spirit in the Stone” on p. 33. The Harwood Museum of Art in Taos hosts John Connell: Cheap Secrets of the East and Highlights from the Gus Foster Collection (May 17–September 14). The Connell exhibition includes drawings and sculpture by the Taos/Santa Fe artist, while Highlights offers a selection of works gifted to the Harwood by photographer and longtime museum supporter Gus Foster. The collection, which comprises 341 pieces by 86 contemporary artists, includes works by Ken Price, Larry Bell, Earl Stroh, and Emil Bisttram. The Gateway to Imagination juried art competition at the Farmington Museum and Visitors Center at Gateway Park draws artists from across the United States, and features more than 90 works in a variety of mediums. The show also includes work by artists from in and around San Juan County (May 10–July 12). ✜","id":"58b4b2804c2774661570f972","url":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/artscapes-the-dragonfly-effect-85685/","commentsUrl":"/nmmagazine/articles/post/artscapes-the-dragonfly-effect-85685/#comments","absoluteUrl":"https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/artscapes-the-dragonfly-effect-85685/","metaTitle":"The Dragonfly Effect","metaDescription":"","cleanDescription":"NEED TO KNOW The 10th anniversary Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival will be held 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sat. and Sun., May 24–25, at Santa Fe Community Convention Center (201 W. Marcy St.; 505-955-6200; communityconventioncenter.com ). Sat. admission, $10; Sun., no charge. Special Sat. early-bird preview, 9–10 a.m., $20. All tickets available at the door. May 23 Benefit Preview Party and Living Treasure award presentation ($100) includes an early-bird ticket for Sat. (505) 982-7799; Ext. 3; nativetreasures.org THE MARKET DIFFERENT Event cochair Karen Freeman and the Cajeros agree that while the Santa Fe Indian Market draws over 100,000 collectors, art lovers, and artists every year, and remains the heart of Santa Fe’s peak-season Indian-arts market, Native Treasures brings a more intimate atmosphere to the table, for artists and collectors alike. “Because of the time of year, this show has an aura of growth and rejuvenation,” Joe says. “My belief is that people feel this but don’t really recognize or acknowledge it. Indian Market is marvelous in its own unique ways, but we enjoy the opportunity to spend a little more time with collectors and art lovers at this show. Santa Fe produces the best Native American art shows in the country, and the work presented here are top-tier, museum-quality pieces. Another plus: We get to have our own lighting, so we can showcase our pieces in a specialized way.” Twenty-five percent of art sales from Native Treasures benefits future exhibitions at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Boasting more than 200 artists from 40 tribes and Pueblos, this year’s event also honors all former Living Treasures Award recipients, including Santa Clara Pueblo potter Tammy Garcia, who will present the award to the Cajeros during a special preview dinner on May 23. “Each year the recipient is given a piece of artwork made by the previous year’s award winner,” Freeman says. “It’s a reciprocal act that speaks to the effort these artists make in furthering the museum, and the future of Native art, while continuing to nurture their own bright careers.” A January drive to the Placitas home studio of artists Joe and Althea Cajero provides the first stunning work of art I’ll see today: The afternoon sun casts a coral-orange glow onto the imposing spine of the Sandía Mountains, the crest made slightly opaque by the soft rise of piñon smoke from adobes nestled into the valley below. Joe, originally from Jemez Pueblo, is a sculptor who works in bronze and clay, and Althea (from Santo Domingo and Acoma Pueblos), crafts jewelry using cuttlefish bone castings. They’re busy preparing pieces for the 10th anniversary of the Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival, which will take place in Santa Fe on Memorial Day weekend, May 24–25. The invitational show began in 2004 as a small event on Museum Hill, with the goal of raising money to benefit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC). It has since matured into one of the most popular Native-arts festivals in the Southwest, featuring museum-quality work. Drawing serious collectors from around the world, the festival bestows the honor of MIAC Living Treasure on a particular artist each year. For the first time in the festival’s history, two artists will share the title: the Cajeros. Stepping into the Cajero studio, more stunning views quickly pile up. On a wooden work surface sits Joe’s large clay figure of a corn maiden, its smooth contours and elaborate floral designs awaiting a final once-over before being shipped off to Phoenix for bronze casting. At Althea’s workstation sit her tools and a variety of intricately designed jewelry pieces, including a silver, cuttlefish-cast bracelet topped with a silver dragonfly (a popular Native American symbol for transformation) sculpted by her husband. The piece was created especially for this year’s Native Treasures preview party, the theme of which is “Journey.” “A married couple sharing a studio isn’t very common, I don’t think,” Joe says, Althea nodding in agreement. “But I think the way we met and grew as a couple, and the way we approach our art, make it possible for us to embrace the situation and make it work for us.” The Cajeros’ relationship and their trajectories as celebrated New Mexico artists are intertwined, and have as much to do with personal metamorphosis as they do with their generosity within the New Mexico arts community. What began as a chance encounter at a fitness center blossomed into an eight-year friendship, but Joe eventually became too smitten to stay silent. “I told her I loved her and, yes, it was awkward,” Joe says, laughing. “And it didn’t go my way. After that I took about a week off from seeing her. But then the next time we saw each other, she sort of gazed into me a little bit.” “No, Joe. I flirted,” Althea recalls. “And I’m glad I did. It felt like the decisions we were making together were flowing. And we’ve been best friends ever since.” Married in 2005 at the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden, the Cajeros weren’t both artists when they met. Prior to their engagement, Althea, who is the daughter of silversmith Dorothy Tortalita and lapidary jeweler and Kewa Pueblo tribal leader Tony Tortalita, worked for the Indian Health Service (IHS). She spent a total of 20 years with the agency. “When we started seeing each other romantically,” Althea says, “I would come out here to Placitas to see Joe, and to express my feelings about work, and life in general. Things were changing. I was changing. I was in a place where I had lost my connection to artists, especially after my mother passed away 18 years ago. I missed it.” In Joe’s studio, Althea’s creative urges began to percolate once more. “She would come in after work, and she would talk about her day,” Joe recalls. “And while I was in the studio working, I thought, ‘Well, while we’re talking, she could be helping me.’ So I asked her if she wanted to take some sandpaper and smooth out the rough edges of one of my sculptures. As I watched her, I realized how incredibly mindful she was being. She was very intent about how she moved her hand around the clay.” As time passed, Joe offered Althea more tasks in the studio. “Brushing some of my clay pieces with white paint was another step into that meticulousness that seemed to calm her and fulfill something in her heart,” he says. “When I observed how thorough and clean she was being with her brush, I said, ‘Man, you’re really good!’ And then I gave her yet another task.” After Althea assisted Joe with the inlay for a bronze cross, he couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “I said, ‘You know what? That’s it. You’re an artist. Now you just have to figure out what medium you want to explore.’” Sacrificing job security petrified Althea, but ultimately she couldn’t reject the prospect of a more creative life. While still working for IHS, she began stringing together simple, elegant pieces with lapis, turquoise, sugilite, and coral gemstones. “People at my office started buying the pieces right off my neck,” she says. “I realized that if I could do the findings [the cones and clasps used to connect jewelry pieces], I could get into shows—and good ones.” She took a jewelry making class led by Diné master jewelry designer Fritz Casuse at the POEH Cultural Center and Museum, in Pojoaque Pueblo. “I watched how a student carved into a delicate cuttlefish bone,” Althea says, “and how she melted her metal and poured it. After the metal cooled, she pulled the bone mold apart. I was amazed by the cuttlefish-bone texture and pattern on the cooled metal’s surface. Once it was revealed, I knew that’s what I wanted to create.” For Joe, watching Althea tap into her creativity in his studio early on was magical. “And it continues to be,” he says, “because now we’re helping each other and supporting each other to push the envelope of our work even further. Her transformation into an artist has made us both happier people. Working together in the studio is a lot like being in a relationship: Sometimes you know when to say something. And sometimes you know when to not say anything at all.”   EXHIBITIONS May marks the beginning of the busy studio-tour season in the state, with three time-honored events unfolding in sequential weekends. Now in its 16th year, the Corrales Studio Tour (May 3–4) kicks things off with its self-guided tour, featuring work by more than 70 traditional and contemporary local artists. The Placitas Studio Tour (May 10–11) has been a Mother’s Day tradition for 16 years in this small community about 25 miles north of Albuquerque, and it continues in 2014 with more than 45 participating artists, including two featured in “The Dragonfly Effect” (see p. 28). The tour is overseen by the Placitas Mountaincraft and Soirée Society, which benefits arts education in and around Placitas. The following weekend, the 23rd annual Eldorado Studio Tour (May 17–18) opens with a public artist reception on May 16 at the La Tienda Exhibit Space. To get an early peek at the work of participating artists, a preview gallery at La Tienda will be open to the public 11 a.m.–4 p.m., May 3–16. The Fuller Lodge in Los Alamos opens an exhibit of work by emerging and established artists titled Things With Wings , which encourages artists to “just wing it” and take their work in new and compelling directions, while depicting things that soar, buzz, and flutter (May 2–June 14). At Chiaroscuro in Santa Fe, photographer Walter Nelson celebrates The Black Place in northern New Mexico, a region that inspired many of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintings, with an exhibit of photographs taken there over the past 20 years. A book of Nelson’s work will be published in conjunction with the exhibit (May 2–31). An artist’s reception and book signing will take place Friday, May 9, 5–7 p.m., at the gallery. Also in Santa Fe, the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts opens an exhibit of paper baskets and other work by Eastern Band of Cherokee contemporary weaver Shan Goshorn. Combining copies of historical documents, such as the Indian Removal Act, and photographs with traditional weaving techniques and patterns, Goshorn educates viewers about Native American history and indigenous sovereignty (May 24–July 31). At the New Mexico History Museum , Toys and Games: A New Mexico Childhood explores how children played during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. From spinning tops to dolls and snow sleds, the exhibition encourages play, as well as contemplation on how much it has changed over the years (May 25, 2014–February 1, 2015). Turquoise, Water, Sky: The Stone and Its Meaning , which examines the geology, mining, and history of the gemstone, continues at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (through March 2016). See our related feature, “The Spirit in the Stone” on p. 33. The Harwood Museum of Art in Taos hosts John Connell: Cheap Secrets of the East and Highlights from the Gus Foster Collection (May 17–September 14). The Connell exhibition includes drawings and sculpture by the Taos/Santa Fe artist, while Highlights offers a selection of works gifted to the Harwood by photographer and longtime museum supporter Gus Foster. The collection, which comprises 341 pieces by 86 contemporary artists, includes works by Ken Price, Larry Bell, Earl Stroh, and Emil Bisttram. The Gateway to Imagination juried art competition at the Farmington Museum and Visitors Center at Gateway Park draws artists from across the United States, and features more than 90 works in a variety of mediums. The show also includes work by artists from in and around San Juan County (May 10–July 12). ✜","publish_start_moment":"2014-04-23T10:00:00.000Z","publish_end_moment":"2019-08-18T23:14:38.391Z"}]});