Santa Fe, NM Sorrel Sky Gallery, March 1-31
This story was featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
IT’S OFTEN SAID that pastels are experiencing a revival in the fine-art world today, and for good reason. The famously luminous medium has stood the test of time in many still-vibrant pastel works by historic masters, from Jean-François Millet to Pierre Bonnard to Childe Hassam. And thanks to established groups like the Pastel Society of New Mexico, art lovers can now relish a wide array of pastels by contemporary masters at juried events like PSNM’s national painting exhibition. The group’s 27th annual show opens this month at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe, NM, with 130 paintings by top pastelists from around the country and beyond. The exhibition opens with a reception at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 1.
Although numerous works in the show were created by members of PSNM, including Signature members Jeanine Allen and Katherine Irish, many pieces come from members of other prestigious societies, including Chicago, IL, artist William Schneider, a Master Circle member of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Other pastelists who snagged a spot in this year’s exhibition hail from farther afield. “We’ve had artists from Spain, Germany, Canada—we put out a call for entries from anyone working in the medium,” says PSNM’s graphic director and Signature member Marilyn Drake. “Being one of the first pastel societies in the country, and having started this show so many years ago, we attract artists who have not only experimented with pastel, but have chosen it as their primary medium.”
Allen Garns, who garnered a top award last year for a landscape scene, returns this year with three portrait paintings, a testament to the diversity that keeps the show fresh from year to year, says Drake. “Between traditional and abstracted works, it’s a very broad range—florals, people, landscapes, animal portraits, city scenes—there’s a lot to see.” Nationally recognized plein-air painter Michael Chesley Johnson serves as the judge of awards. All works, including award-winning pieces, remain on view through the month of March, but those hoping to snap up a favorite for their own collection won’t want to delay their visit. Last year, says Drake, “we sold a tremendous number of paintings. When people see the show, they’re astounded by the variety of subject matter and just how beautiful it all looks.” —Kim Agricola
contact informationwww.pastelsnm.org
This story was featured in the March/April 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March/April 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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