outlook
A cadre of contemporary art champions envision Downtown Albuquerque as a vital cultural corridor for the state and the region
The
Pro-Activists of Art BY KATHRYN M DAVIS | PHOTOS BY KATE RUSSELL
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pend any time in Albuquerque and one fact stands out above the others: it is the urban center of the state of New Mexico. Boasting all kinds of arts institutions, museums, and galleries, not only is Albuquerque strongly rooted in its own art history, it is a bastion of diversity. Rather than existing off to the side as some sort of elitist “other,” art has over the decades woven itself into the very fabric of the city, intertwined with its vitality as a whole. And not just traditional art; Albuquerque is also quickly emerging as a nexus for galleries that focus on contemporary works. As with all strong points, however, there’s a flip side: the Duke City can seem to be spread out in an unwieldy fashion as visitors drive up and down and back and forth on Lomas and Montaño and San Mateo and, well, you get the picture. The bigger it gets, the greater its need for a centralized arts district. Where, of course, is the question. Fortunately, it seems Historic Route 66 could provide the answer. Central Avenue, the byway for the University of New Mexico, Nob Hill, and the downtown drag, keeps the kitschy yet vital spirit of America’s Mother Road alive and kicking. Despite a few near-fatal bouts with economic influenza, Central Avenue has been and still is Albuquerque’s lifeline. Which is why a growing and incorrigibly proactive group of professionals—who happen to be women—have a magnificent and perfectly feasible vision for Burque’s contemporary art future that focuses on this corridor. Grounding themselves in and expanding upon what’s
Opposite: Suzanne Sbarge at the entrance to 516 ARTS, with Thomas Christopher Haag’s 2010 mural Trinity: (the way things ought to be). Sbarge, who arrived in Albuquerque over 25 years ago to earn her Master of Arts from UNM, has been instrumental in raising the profile of Albuquerque artists and the downtown arts scene, first as executive director of Magnifico Arts and then as owner of 516 ARTS, which she founded in 2006. This year Sbarge brings the Fulcrum Fund to 516 ARTS, which will function as the Albuquerque arm of the Andy Warhol Foundation’s regional regranting program to support artists and curators.
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already transpired so far in the downtown scene, they have farsighted plans for their city, from furthering aspects of the city’s master plan for downtown revitalization, to a statewide program of main-street initiatives, to impressively ambitious schemes that could impact the entire Southwest. These women’s names will be familiar to anyone who’s been paying attention. The public face and core of the group is composed of Viviette Hunt, director of the anchor-stone Richard Levy Gallery at 514 Central Avenue Southwest; Suzanne Sbarge, founder and executive director of 516 ARTS next door to Levy gallery; and Nancy Zastudil, founder and director of the newly relocated Central Features, now upstairs from Levy’s gallery, a contemporary art gallery that “promotes environmental stewardship, social progress, and the intrinsic value of creative arts.” Other players integral to Albuquerque’s developing sense of itself as a contemporary art hub include Sheri Crider, founder of SCA Contemporary Art; Kymberly Pinder, Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico; Tey Marianna Nunn, director and chief curator of the art museum at the National Hispanic Cultural Center; and Sherri Brueggemann, manager of the Public Art Urban Enhancement Program in the Cultural Services Department of the City of Albuquerque. Many more are sure to join in as momentum continues to grow. Speaking with these women, both together in an informal round table discussion, as well as separately over the phone and through e-mails, it becomes apparent that Albuquerque’s urban abandon makes it perfect for the kinds of projects these women envision. “Unlike Santa Fe, Albuquerque is not so restricted by an imposed aesthetic,” Pinder says. Her remarks are particularly telling given that she is relatively new to the
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