Artists showcased at kick-off for Gathering
BY JASON MORGAN EDWARDSa
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
RezArtX organizers Warren Montoya and Shawna Sunrise stand in front of several pieces of art presented at the “Fun-raiser” party in downtown Albuquerque last Friday.
ALBUQUERQUE — Several Naive artists were showcased at the peview and fundraising party, officially opening the Gathering of Nations Powwow festivities last Friday in downtown Albuquerque.
The Rezilience Experience held its 2017 Preview Party/Fun-Raising that featured three hours of live painting, poetry slamming and music.
The organization, founded by Warren Montoya, Santa Ana/Santa Clara, states its mission as being “a proactive force that cultivates opportunities for people to create, build, be uplifted, and find healing.”
Montoya said the concept has been developing over years.
“I really just wanted to do something on my own terms, for my own communities,” he said. “It started evolving into working with other people, with other organizations.”
He found like-minded people to accomplish a common goal.
“They’re amazing individuals with major skills,” he said. “All other indigenous peoples, along with our other heritage –
Chicano – everybody connected on this idea of wanting to build our communities in a positive way.”
Among those that participated in the FunRaiser was Diné artist Vanessa Bowen who does graphic design, web design, painting and works as a disc jockey. She was invited to participate because of her painting style.
“I’ve live-painted since high school,” she said. “But this is my first Rezil- ience.”
Bowen does mainly commissioned and privately funded work. The paint- ing she did during the Fun-Raising event was auctioned off to benefit the organization’s future shows. Although she has a collection of works that she’s done for herself, she said she’s done work for people who want her paint- ings, usually portraiture, but whatev- er inspires her.
Bowen’s work can been viewed or purchased at: https://bowencreative.co/.
Another soon-to-be-famous artist, George Alexander, Muscogee Creek, also participated in the live-paint. Alexander bills himself as just an artist. He has had a relatively short career as a painter, only five years, but the recent Institute of American Indian Arts graduate is already getting attention.
“I just got accepted into the Studio Arts College International in Florence, Italy,” he said.
His current collection can be found at https://www.rationalmindsstudio.
RezArtX preview rolls out welcome mat for indigenous art experience
BY COLLEEN KEANE
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES
A LBUQUERQUE – An upbeat “Fun-raising” preview party held last Friday night at a downtown hotspot gave a great taste of what’s to come during this year’s Rezilience Indigenous Arts Experience (RezArtX), April 29-30.
There was music, dancing, paintings in the making by wellknown native artists, fashions, poetry, and some of the best brew in town.
As reggae-rock band Innostate set up, DJ Way Fonkey, Jemez, warmed up the cozy interior of the DUEL Brewery with drum-rocking sounds.
Throughout the creative mix, RezArtX executive director War- ren Montoya, Santa Ana/Santa Clara, said the events both the preview and upcoming ones, are all about having a good time with family and friends, new and old.
“That’s why we called it a Fun-raiser,” quipped Montoya referring to Friday’s preview.
Showcasing some of the RezArtX experiences to come, several artists were busy at work creating on-the-spot paintings and original designs for an art auction that would be held later that night.
With his paint brush hitting the canvas in tune to the music, a dramatic face of a great, red wolf emerged in a work by Patrick Burnham, Diné/Hopi, a painter, musician, and dancer, whose known in the art world as CloudFace.
Set up next to CloudFace, Vanessa Bowen, Diné, brought to life a strong indigenous woman through geometric dimensions.
“I want her to be powerful, breathtaking – enough to stop you in your tracks,” she said as she turned her attention back to the canvas she was working on.
Nearby, renowned Laguna potter Josephine Seymour demon- strated her more contemporary work called Wearable Art.
Leaning back in her chair, a light illuminated a delicate figure of a lizard Seymour was painting on a brand new Converse tennis shoe.
Across from her, a striking black and white image of a native elder from the 1920s surfaced as George Alexander, Muscogee
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES | J. MORGAN EDWARDS PHOTOGRAPHY
Noted muralist Joe Stacey completes a portrait during the REZILIENCE Preview Party/Fun Raiser last Friday in Albuquerque.