New Mexico Communities Embrace the Arts
Communities large and small in ‘The ‘Land of Enchantment’ offer an abundance of classes, workshops and retreats
New Mexico is home to rich Native American culture, The City Different (that's Santa Fe, known for its public art and opulent galleries and shops) and 26 state and national scenic byways that wind through diverse landscapes of stunning beauty. Cities and towns throughout the state support the arts with classes, workshops and retreats for a day, a weekend or longer.
Pottery classes are particularly popular. Paseo Pottery in Santa Fe gleefully advertises "mud therapy" for "travelers and newbies" through two-hour sessions or long-term classes. The ceramic artists who teach there volunteer their time, and net proceeds are donated to local charities. Owners Angela and Jason Kirkman recently opened the Tumbleroot Pottery Pub, where customers are invited to hand-build clay creations while sipping a house-made brew.
"We eat a lot of dishes now that we didn't before, and I even learned a better way to knead bread."
The Taos Ceramics Center in that storied town holds some two-day pottery workshops in August and November, and also schedules private lessons. In Albuquerque, Kelly Jo Designs by Wine and Kiln It Art Studio are two of the studios that encourage individuals of all ages to paint pottery or express themselves on canvas. In one demonstration at the Santa Fe School of Cooking, a trout is wrapped in damp corn husks and sealed in a clay shell. When the clay turns dark in the oven, the shell is broken and the fish is ready to eat.
A Tasty Retirement Gift
Fans of the culinary arts speak highly of Jane Butel's Southwest Cooking School in Corrales, an hour southwest of Santa Fe, where students enroll for day-long, weekend or week-long classes. An internationally recognized authority on the regional cooking of the American Southwest, Butel is the author of more than 30 cookbooks and she is credited with popularizing Tex-Mex dishes throughout the country.
Debbie Summers, a nurse who lives in Westerville, Ohio, bought a week-long session with Butel as a retirement gift. "Jane is warm and welcoming, and she makes every day a cultural and historical experience while she teaches cooking techniques," said Summers, 65. "I took the class a year ago, and I still make my own flour tortillas, I torch chilies, I prepare migas — scrambled eggs with tortilla chips — and I bake flan. We eat a lot of dishes now that we didn't before, and I even learned a better way to knead bread. I could not have given myself a better retirement present!"
Kimberly Wortman, 66, traveled to Butel's cooking school from her home in Green River, Wyoming for a weekend-long class. "We made enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and breakfast foods, and we learned a lot about spices, too," she said. "I enjoyed the whole experience." (Online classes also are available at the school.)
An Accidental Silversmith and a Dedicated Glassblower
Before retiring nine years ago as a social worker for the New Mexico Department of Health, Alicia Williams was cooking up plans to keep busy after she left her job. As an experiment, she took a few classes in silversmithing at different venues. Six years ago, she enrolled at Meltdown Studio in Albuquerque, and just a year later, Williams started a small business. Now 70, she sells her handmade jewelry at weekend farmers' markets in Albuquerque, where she says she meets people from all over the world.
"I never imagined I would be bitten by the jewelry-making bug," Williams said, laughing. "I am Native American — my family background is weaving — but I've never had an artistic bone in my body." Students at Meltdown learn to make rings, bracelets, pendants and more, and sessions are offered for all skill levels.
Williams continues to enroll in new classes. "Lauren, the owner, is very detail-oriented in her teaching, and she helps anyone gain confidence," she said. "It's fun, and the social benefits are huge, with exposure to other people, including older adults, who are so energetic and inspiring."
At Tesuque Glassworks just north of Santa Fe, artist David Shanfeld has provided glassblowing experiences to individuals from 9 to 83 years old. "Experiences" is the right word, he says. One class, Shanfeld points out, does not a glassblower make. "It looks easy to most people, but it takes a long time to practice glassblowing with the intention of making it look easy," said Shanfeld, 55. He's worked with glass for almost 30 years.
Shanfeld added that after a session, most people have a deeper appreciation of what goes into the art. Glassblowing experiences are available from 30 minutes to 2.5 hours, and participants can choose to make paperweights, chili peppers, ornaments, vases or bowls or a drinking tumbler.
"Some people who made a drinking glass years ago tell us that everything they drink out of that glass tastes better," Shanfeld said. "They come in and want to make another one."
From Science Fiction to Bluegrass to Fiber Arts
Elsewhere in Albuquerque, Hot Flash Glass teaches classes in stained glass and fused glass jewelry. Also, science fiction and fantasy writers, take note: In June, Walter Jon Williams and Nancy Kress have scheduled a two-week master class in town. George R.R. Martin is the special guest and E.M. Tippetts will be on hand as well. See Taos Toolbox for details.
Two hours north of Albuquerque, Ghost Ranch — a popular retreat center — holds classes and workshops in painting, photography, poetry, quilting, mosaics and more. The musically inclined sign up for the week-long Bluegrass Camp, with sessions for those who play guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass and banjo.
The Española Valley Fiber Arts Center, 35 miles south of Ghost Ranch, offers one- or two-day classes and workshops in several fiber arts. A former student, Suzie Fowler-Tutt, now rents one of the many looms at the Center. "I was a silk artist who knew nothing about weaving, but after the second class, I was hooked," said Fowler-Tutt, 61.
A retired Naval intelligence officer, Fowler-Tutt now serves as a volunteer fire fighter in the town of Abiquiu. Figurative sparks fly when she weaves. "I do Saori weaving, a Japanese free-flow style," she said. "I'm all over the place, mixing colors, textures and fibers. I make pillows, shawls, scarves, bandanas and serapes, using mostly recycled fibers." (See her work on Instagram.) She also has taken a flax paper-making class at the Center. "It's always so great to meet like-minded people and share ideas while we keep traditions alive."
"I was a silk artist who knew nothing about weaving, but after the second class, I was hooked."
Outside of North Central and Central New Mexico, weekend art workshops are held at gallupArts in Gallup, and classes and "paint parties" are popular at Main Street Arts in Roswell. Some visitors scope out pottery workshops in July at the annual Clay Festival in Silver City. The Stitch-n-Pines Retreat Center in Alto welcomes quilters and knitters. Drawing, painting and collage are among the summer classes on the schedule at Cloudcroft Art Workshops in Cloudcroft.
Travelers ready to relax after attending workshops and classes in New Mexico may want to head for Truth or Consequences, 148 miles south of Albuquerque. There, you can get a cultural fix at RioBravoFineArt ® Gallery, known internationally for contemporary and historic fine art, and then book a stay at a lodge or spa for a soothing soak in the area's acclaimed hot springs. Ahhh!
