Sarah E. Blumenschein, Albuquerque NM Hibiscus 24 x 30 in. Courtesy/MRM
MRM New:
March 25 through April 16, 2023, the Millicent Rogers Museum (MRM) is hosting the Pastel Society of New Mexico’s Signature Members Show, an immersion of color in the form of 65+ paintings by 29 artists.
The exhibition and sale presents the work of Signature Members and distinguished pastelists in an array of genres including a range of approaches to landscapes, portraits, and constructed scenes. The showcase will be on view both in the museum’s galleries 9 and 10 as well as in an online platform. The exhibition offers a kaleidoscopic exploration of pastels, as pure pigment conveying the beauty of life.
This year’s Signature Members Show is dedicated to Margi Lucena (1954-2022), a distinguished pastelist who enthusiastically participated in many Pastel Society of New Mexico events and exhibitions. The spirit of the exhibition evokes the way she spoke of making art. In her artist statement, she wrote, “It’s often the little things…a chamisa in bloom, the shadow it casts across the ground, or the irrigation waterways that pass through the farm and ranch lands, that send me to my easel.”
The Signature Members Show reception takes place 3-5 p.m. Saturday, April 1. This event offers visitors an opportunity to meet some of the featured artists and learn more about the process of pastel painting through informal conversation. The reception is free to all visitors, and refreshments will be provided.
The Pastel Society of New Mexico is a nonprofit arts organization formed in 1989 by a small group of artists seeking to promote the appreciation of the soft pastel medium as well as to contribute to the growing arts community in New Mexico. Although PSNM is based in New Mexico, membership includes artists from more than half the states in the nation.
The Millicent Rogers Museum (a 501c3) celebrates and shares the arts and cultures of the Southwest. It serves as a memorial to Millicent Rogers (1902-1953), a Standard Oil heiress whose inspiration, patronage, and collections form the core of the museum’s holdings. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. General admission $15, with free admission daily for veterans, members, and children 12 and under. Taos County residents receive free entry Sundays.
Mike Mahon, Rio Rancho, NM Truchas Twilight 18 x 24 in. Courtesy/MRM
