CHANDLER: Santa Fe's the SITE for emerging artists

Mary Voelz Chandler

Published June 5, 2008 at 5:47 p.m.
Updated June 6, 2008 at 6:03 p.m.

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Photo by Nick Mangan

Nick Mangan's working drawing for 2008 SITE Santa Fe.

Photo by Nadine Robinson/Photo By Dan Krumm/Herbert Lotz

Nadine Robinson's rendering for Tri-Christus, a site-specific installation.

Until the Biennial of the Americas sets up shop in Denver in 2010, the contemporary art space SITE Santa Fe organizes the only such art event west of the Mississippi.

That is, an every-other-year check of what's going on in the art world.

This year's seventh outing, "Lucky Number Seven," hews closely to SITE's mission, with more than 20 emerging artists working on projects for the event opening June 22.

Curator Lance Fung comes to the biennial as a former owner of a contemporary gallery in New York and an independent curator. He's taken on a sort of team curatorial approach for "Lucky," reaching out to arts institutions of many types as partners, as well as other curators, to recommend participants. Each artist receives a certain amount of money ($7,500) to make a new work, which will be destroyed or recycled at the conclusion of the biennial.

SITE also has brought in architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien to remake a portion of the SITE space, adding what sounds like a sort of flying ramp to allow visitors better views and access. Some projects will be installed off-site, around the city.

Each SITE biennial has been so different: the shock of the inaugural one in 1995, which helped encourage Santa Fe to look to contemporary art as a touchstone (not just howling coyotes); the beauty and scope of Dave Hickey's memorable 2001 venture; the serious (and semantic) assemblage by Robert Storr ... I look forward to seeing what a squad of young artists can create. Especially knowing this work is not to survive when the curtain comes down.

SITE takes up a lot of space on Santa Fe's art calendar, but other events hold sway, too:

* TO MARKET: ART Santa Fe continues as an annual event and the only art fair to take hold (so far) in that city.

This year it will attract more than 50 galleries and project spaces from the United States, Europe, South America, Asia, India and Canada to the El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe space at 1615 Paseo de Peralta, in the Railyard District near SITE.

The fair opens with a preview July 10 and continues to the public through July 13. The July 12 keynote address will be given by Dean Sobel, director of the Clyfford Still Museum, in the St. Francis Auditorium in the New Mexico Museum of Art. Information: 505-988-8883; artsantafe.com.

As for the Railyard District, it's busy. Just as a park is being constructed on land next to the SITE Santa Fe building, work continues across the street at the Railyard to expand on the galleries that have flocked to that choice spot. Development includes a farmers' market and other amenities, with a grand opening set for the weekend of Sept. 13.

* BACK TO ROOTS: On the same weekend as ART Santa Fe, Museum Hill will draw a crowd to the fifth annual Santa Fe International Folk Art Market on July 12-13. More than 100 master artists will exhibit on the plaza outside the Museum of International Folk Art, Camino Lejo off of Old Santa Fe Trail.

Note: Don't even try to park in the Museum Hill area. Shuttles from various locations take visitors to the market. Information: 505-476-1189; folkartmarket.org

* EVERYTHING ELSE: It's impossible to touch on every gallery or museum exhibition on tap this summer, but there are highlights.

The Institute of American Indian Arts Museum in Santa Fe shows "An Intimate Look," work by Fritz Scholder, July 18 through Feb. 15 (505-983-1666; iaia.edu).

New Mexico Museum of Art exhibitions this summer include "Flux: Reflections on Contemporary Glass," today through Sept. 21, and the materials-based "Tuff Stuff" June 20 through Sept. 7 (505-476-5072; nmartmuseum.org). The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture features "Comic Art Indigene," through Jan. 4, 2009 (505-476-1250; indianartsandculture.org).

Finally, heading to the Harwood Museum of Art in Taos entails not just a wonderful drive, but deposits you at a destination of note no matter what the show. This summer, that's work from the collection by Taos resident Larry Bell, through Sept. 28 (505-758-9826; harwoodmuseum.org).

Chandlerm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2677

"Lucky Number Seven"

* What: Seventh SITE Santa Fe Biennial, curated by Lance Fung, with work by more than 20 artists.

* When: Free public opening, noon to 5 p.m. June 22, previews June 20 and 21. Through Jan. 4.

* Where: SITE Santa Fe, 1606 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, N.M.

* Of note: "Summit" with artists, 5 p.m. June 21, National Dance Institute, 1140 Alto St.; fee charged.

* Information: 505-989-1199; sitesantafe.org

• June 20, 2008

  2:51 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  christinemariedavis writes:

  Thank you for reminding us of all these great art events in our neighboring state. It's easy to forget how close Santa Fe is.

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