Letter from Rachel, CEO

 Our new exhibit, IMPRINT, opened August 14 , with nearly 300 people joining the festivities. It was incredibly energizing and gave us ideas for more such collaborative art experiences for the community. You can still see the main exhibit (alas, the outside murals are no more, due to rain and weather) through March 29. So, visit on a First Friday or call to schedule a private docent-led tour of it and the rest of our eclectic collection.

Save the Date - Thursday, December 13, Holiday Open House.  We are planning a special exhibit with a holiday tree installed and decorated with over 200 Native-American ornaments by the Coe Hands-On Curatorial Program high school students. Admission will be free, and the event is open to the public.

We are planning now for 2019 programs.  In addition to continuing and expanding successful programs such as Hands-On Student Curators, and Side-by-Side, we are planning something really unusual for a 2019 summer experience. We are continuing our collaboration with other art organizations and communities to craft more youth education programs and smaller events. Of course, all of this - well - takes money, and like most nonprofits, we try to do a lot with a little. As a Private Operating 501(c)3, some may be surprised that, yes, we need to raise funds. so although the Coe may never plan to "grow up", we are serious about the work and plan for the Coe to be around for many years to come, evolving to serve and to give back to the communities, artists, and people it serves.

We have formed our Development Committee. As we continue to evolve, we are seeking more voices and more ideas from around the state. That's why we are thrilled that Joaquin Amador of The Loan Fund and Lee Francis, founder of Native Realities and Indigenous Comic Con are pitching in with their expertise and perspective. (More coming soon about events we are planning with The Loan Fund and other partners). If you would like more information about getting involved, email mschmidt@coeartscenter.org (our new development officer).

As always, we welcome your ideas and questions -- let us know at info@coeartscenter.org

You can still visit the IMPRINT exhibit! We had a great opening celebration - with nearly 300 people enjoying the unique art, the food ( YouthWorks Food Truck - tacos!), live music with DJ Garronteed and simply connecting with each other. Thanks again to the incredible creativity of six leading printmakers, Eliza Naranjo Morse, Jamison Chas Banks (Seneca-Cayuga, Cherokee), Jason Garcia (Santa Clara Pueblo Tewa), Terran Last Gun (Piikani), Dakota Mace (Dine (Navajo)), and Jacob Meders (Mechoopda/Maidu) who, along with Coe curators Bess Murphy and Nina Sanders (Apsaalooke) spent the past year working collaboratively to build IMPRINT.

If you live in Santa Fe, you may have seen the IMPRINT repurposed newspaper boxes around town, filled with art by all six artists; it was quite the scavenger hunt as people wanted to collect all six. There was also a great cover story in Santa Fe Reporter by Alicia Inez Guzmán the week of the opening, with three different covers and free art inserts (They went fast, as people collected all of the pieces).

IMPRINT also shows the power of collaboration. Santa Fe's mobile art space, Axle Contemporary presented part of the exhibit as THE IMPRINTMOBILE, from August 3-26. The partnership with Axle increased the flexibility of approach and outreach that is fundamental to this exhibition. And, IMPRINT collaborated with Meow Wolf on public programming, including a free family printmaking event. Both Axel and Meow Wolf helped us celebrate at the opening, with the mobile exhibit and Meow Wolf offering face painting (for all ages).

Help Us Offer More Experiences Like Imprint - Your Online Donation

The Curator's Corner: A Visit with Gwaii Edenshaw

by Bruce Bernstein, PhD

Gwaai Edenshaw visited the Coe on the Monday following Indian Market, where he received a first-place ribbon. Gwaai, a carver and historian, is from Masset on Haida Gwaii, a descendant of a prestigious Haida carving family. Gwaai and brother Jaalen recently studied and duplicated a large masterpiece mid-19th century carved box at the Pitt Rivers Museum at Oxford. The new Great Box then went home to the Haida Gwaii and was used in high school art classes, public discussions and a Haida Gwaii Museum exhibit. Community members said, we can see it in books, but to actually come up and see it and feel it and examine it – it can only benefit our community and our people.

 

Gwaai and I joyfully walked around the Coe, taking in one great Haida object after another. This was one of our founder Ted’s favorite regions and art forms. A small carved face stopped Gwaai; he picked it up and turned it over and over in his hands, feeling its presence and age as well as its identity.

 

“This is an insert mask from a carved box,” he shared. “There is some box out there with a blank inset space that the mask was removed from…carving a separate mask gave the box greater depth and presence…The eyes and brow line make the piece Haida.” (Ted purchased the small carving in 1996, thinking it to be a Tlingit maskette perhaps from a Shaman’s kit.) Gwaii's comments and shared expertise are now part of our record.

 

(You can see this wonderful mask, along with many other unique objects, on the First Friday of every month or by scheduling a private tour.)

The Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts is a private operating 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Contributions are tax deductible to the extent of the Internal Revenue Code. You can donate online or checks can be mailed to the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts 1590 B Pacheco Street, Santa Fe, NM 87505. We thank you very much for your support.