Exhibitions
Western Vistas: Paintings by Arturo ChavezAugust 1 - September 6, 2008
Behind the Veil: Paintings by John FelsingSeptember 4 - September 26, 2008
Tony Foster: Searching for a Bigger SubjectSeptember 12 - November 15, 2008
FEATURED ARTIST: Arturo Chavez
Illuminating the Classical Beauty of Northern New Mexico, Western landscape artist Arturo Chavez takes a technical, almost scientific, approach to art, but the exquisite results of his paintings transcend any formula.Chavez brings a meticulous attention to color in his large-scale paintings, creating each piece by doing atleast one plein air color-study on location before moving back into his studio. "The human eye is far more sensitive to subtle variations in color than can be revealed in photographs," says the artist.
The son of a Los Alamos scientist, Chavez spent his childhood exploring the expansive terrain of Northern New Mexico, his family's home for nine generations.
Of Chavez, collector John Geraghty has said, "Arturo continues to challenge himself. His monumental canvases are inspiring, and his control of light and color values are exceptional."
Dr.Helen Lucero, former Smithsonian Institution curator and former Director of Visual Arts for the National Hispanic Cultural Center has said "perhaps the most significant aspect of Chavez's choice of subject matter is his reclamation of the landscape tradition within an Hispano context. From the Hudson River painters to the present, most artists in this genre have positioned themselves as visitors, explorers or otherwise outsiders to the depicted environment. As a multi-generational resident of the dynamic geography of NewMexico, Chavez has reclaimed the landscape for the Hispanic population."
Illuminating the Classical Beauty of Northern New Mexico, Western landscape artist Arturo Chavez takes a technical, almost scientific, approach to art, but the exquisite results of his paintings transcend any formula.Chavez brings a meticulous attention to color in his large-scale paintings, creating each piece by doing atleast one plein air color-study on location before moving back into his studio. "The human eye is far more sensitive to subtle variations in color than can be revealed in photographs," says the artist.
The son of a Los Alamos scientist, Chavez spent his childhood exploring the expansive terrain of Northern New Mexico, his family's home for nine generations.
Of Chavez, collector John Geraghty has said, "Arturo continues to challenge himself. His monumental canvases are inspiring, and his control of light and color values are exceptional."
Dr.Helen Lucero, former Smithsonian Institution curator and former Director of Visual Arts for the National Hispanic Cultural Center has said "perhaps the most significant aspect of Chavez's choice of subject matter is his reclamation of the landscape tradition within an Hispano context. From the Hudson River painters to the present, most artists in this genre have positioned themselves as visitors, explorers or otherwise outsiders to the depicted environment. As a multi-generational resident of the dynamic geography of NewMexico, Chavez has reclaimed the landscape for the Hispanic population."
