Giving Thanks

It's upon us! The holiday season is about to begin... Billy & Buddy are spreading the news with details for several gift bazaars and decorating parties. Listen to KRTN radio, 93.9 starting at 8:00 a.m. for all the local goings on.

Christmas, Chanukah, Muharram, Winter Solstice, Kwanzaa, New Years' Eve and Epiphany all fall during the winter months. It points out how connected we all are. The season guides us into reflection, celebration and an honoring of sacrifices made in the quest to realize the great dream of peace and good will on earth. Someday our struggles for peace and liberty for all will be realized; these holidays are part of our journey towards a loving and compassionate world.

I love Thanksgiving. Soon plenty of us will celebrate the blessings that our forefathers' and mothers' had in landing on this continent and finding the people here gracious and helpful. Remembering this, we gather together with good food and love in our hearts to express our gratefullness and gratitude for all of our bounty.

Studio C is celebrating it's third annual Show of Gratitude this year. It is amazing to me that life allows me to live my dream and has brought so many talented people together to celebrate the arts and creativity. Thank you for sharing in this wonderful way.

I am putting together our next show: Miracles, Milagrow & Wunder~ Small Works and Local Flavors. Call for information: 575-278-3517.

Coming up in the area:

* Friday November 13 - 15, at The Luna Theatre in Clayton, New Mexico:

Where the Wild Things Are 7:00 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

* Monday at The Schuler Theatre in Raton, New Mexico:

Juan Carmona Grupa

* Tuesday November 17th, 5:45 p.m. at Old Pass Gallery:

Raton Arts & Humanities Council's Humanities & Education Committee meeting: ~Bring your dinner, your planner & your ideas. If you are interested in promoting the arts through the humanities and education then you are welcome to join us.

Rain ~ Dancing ~ Answering Prayers ~ Prayers Answered!

It is a lovely rainy sky day, thunder rolling in the distance, gray skies getting closer, and coffee freshly brewed keeping me happy. The rains have just begun falling and we are dancing with gratitude for the much needed moisture and the forecast for more!

Yvonne O'Brien's fine art photography graces the gallery now. We are getting ready for you to join us to see this new show. I'd love for you to come to the artist's reception to meet Yvonne Friday May 22nd from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Coffee will be flowing as well as iced mint tea, along with other goodies we've got to share. I hope you will make time to come celebrate with us. Purchase one of Yvonne's framed prints this weekend, May 22 - 24, and you'll receive a 10% discount.

I'm feeling really good about the way the energy is flowing in the gallery and want to thank Sasha for helping me with displays and other painterly tasks. I'm open, to remind you, Thursdays - Saturdays 10:00 am until 6:00 and Sundays noon - 4:00 pm. 

In the community news: A Community Yard Sale happens on Saturday May 23rd from 7:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. at the corner of Clayton Hwy 87 & Folsom Hwy 325 in Des Moines. It's a great opportunity to buy, sell or trade your trash, treasures & goods. Call Jalane Osborn @ 575-278-3402 for more information. There will be a concession stand with BBQ, hot dogs, drinks & snacks so you can come out, show your wares, buy others wares and get to know your neighbors. Vital Roads is a sponsor of this event which will happen annually from now on.

The other thing you can do this Saturday is to take the Dry Cimarron Scenic Byways Tour. Sponsored by the Folsom Museum in association with the New Mexico Heritage Preservation Month. You'll meet at the Folsom Museum at 8:00 am. Bring water, good walking shoes, a light jacket, sunscreen and a hat. (Do I sound motherly?) The tour will take all day so make sure your car has a full tank of gas. Lunch will be BBQ at the Cross L Ranch.... donations are always appreciated. Call 575-278-2122 for more information.

Live @ Studio C! is next Saturday May 30th. We start at 5:30 with the open mike which now has three people signed up. Karen Anderson will be here to play her Celtic harp which leads nicely into Russ Ballew's original songs. Get out your creativity and take up this challenge: write. Write about anything... or if you prefer... draw, dance, sing, or play your instrument. If you can't think of anything to inspire your creation I have a suggestion: Share your experience with compassion. Then sign up for open mike and share it on the 30th with our audience here in Des Moines New Mexico.

So, there it is!

May the Rains fall gently and generously all across our parched lands.

Christina

First Spring Rain

We had our first rain today... the weather forecast had 0 chance of precipitation even as it first rained and then snowed. Just goes to prove that your own eyes are better than any weather prediction.

Coffee lovers come on by. I just received a new order of coffee which was roasted the morning it shipped to Studio C.

I've been out in the world searching for items to outfit the gallery and am thrilled to have found the glass display case of my dreams. Finally I can bring in wonderful things to fill the case. I'll be working on this in the coming months so be sure to stop in and see what is new. I also brought in some wonderful vintage and antique treasures... this business adventure is expanding even as I work to contain certain aspects of it.

I'm so excited about Live @ Studio C!

March 28th is our first show of 2009. Kathryn Engel shines in the spotlight and Dino Cornay is the featured act, bringing his band Colfax Reunion - Unplugged to entertain us for the evening. We start each evening off with our open mike so be sure to sign up and share your inspiration with us! Thrive in creativity, sharing and discovery.

I've booked harpist Karen Anderson to feature for our November Show of Gratitude and as a spotlight act for the upcoming May show.

2009 GALLERY SCHEDULE ~This is a work in progress so check back for updates

MAY - JUNE
Sunday May 5th: 3rd Annual CreativiTea!
May 21 - June 21: Featured in the gallery: Cimarron photographer Yvonne O'Brien.
Artist reception for Ms. O'Brien will be Friday May 22, 2:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

JULY - AUGUST
Farmer's Market begins in July
June 25 - August 30: Featured in the gallery: Local artist Nathanial Franklin.
Artist reception for Nathanial Franklin TBA

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER
September 26th: September Fall Harvest Arts Street Fair:
Saturday 9:00 - 4:00 *sponsored by Vital Roads
October 8 - November 8: Student Artists' Show featuring the work of students in
Summer Art!, Places of Wonder & Des Moines Schools
Artists' reception will be Sunday October 11, 1:00p.m. to 4:00p.m.

NOVEMBER - DECEMBER
November 27 - December 27: Holiday Show: Miracles ~ Small Works/Local Flavors
Reception for the artists will be Friday November 27, 1:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.

I'm working on the Summer Art! and Places of Wonder schedules and will be posting them soon. Thanks for keeping in touch and sending me email. I love to hear from you and am looking forward to visiting with you soon.

Blessings!

Christina

Happy New Year!

Quite the holiday... Tim & I went home to Mom's where we patiently waited til New Year's day to open gifts when all could be present. We all ended up loving it. Something about opening gifts on New Year's day seemed like we'd discovered ourselves in a new paradigm. We even got a little whacky while Tim took some family portrait shots.

Today I opened Studio C by appointment for my friend Sunny Hill so she could buy some of Tim's photo art cards and Sharon Niederman's book Return to Abo.

Tomorrow I'll be at my studio to work on some art! I have been looking for time to commit to making my art. Mondays will start my weeks off on a satisfying note. Tomorrow I'll be opening the gallery to sell coffee to a neighbor who called this evening. I love to open the gallery and will be happy to do so for you too. Send me an email and we can schedule an appointment.

Here's hoping you are enjoying a wonderful start to your new year too!

Cheers!

Christina

Happy Halloween!

Coffee is up! Come on by and enjoy a cup for free while you visit, then buy a cup to go or a pound or two or three of our delicious organic fair trade whole beans home so you can wake up to a freshly ground cup of gourmet coffee in the comfort of your home. After all, what is life for if not to enjoy the bounty that we humans are all blessed with… especially if no humans, animal or nature have been abused in the process of getting the bounty to you!

Step into the gallery this weekend to see our current gallery show: The Upper Right Corner ~ Photography by Tim Keller. All images are archival prints framed under museum preservation glass with white mats and a simple black wood frame. Last week’s opening reception was a wonderful success! Thanks to everyone who came to share in our excitement. The show will be up through November 24th and we are looking forward to having you stop in to see the work.

Today is the day for all the little goblins to run around in costume and collect candy or smart snacks, depending on the givers’ inclinations. Personally I’m opting to hand out toothbrushes. Not really. But next year that's what I plan to do!

Speaking of toothbrushes, being an ArtSpace out in “the middle of nowhere”, I have decided to add some practical items to our shelves. Toothbrushes and sturdy leather work gloves, and some fancy show gloves are coming in the future. I am here to serve travelers and our community and I’ve been listening when friends make suggestions. You can’t read your poetry well if your teeth are fuzzy, and a great pair of gloves makes all the difference in bending wire, barbed or not, as well as those fancy nights out on the town. Support our local economy, our local and regional artists and organic, fair trade products that help our planet by supporting humane economic growth and environmental stewardship. I appreciate your support and look forward to growing the business into a destination gallery here in Des Moines. Shop at Studio C and you will help make that dream a thriving reality.

Date change: my report to the Union County Community Development Corporation will be Wednesday, November 19th at 6:00 p.m. That is a week later than I stated in my update last week, which I will be updating with the correct date. Please update your planners and let us know you are coming.

Speaking of changes, I am thrilled to be adding a solar radiant heat system to the gallery. Nate Green and his brother in law Kyle are pouring cement thermal mass blocks with flexible pipe running in them. They’ll be installed against the inside cinder block wall in our two galleries and the studio/classroom. A solar panel will go up on the roof. Water will be heated by the sun through the solar panel then circulated through the cement panels. Once the system is up and running we expect the building to be kept much warmer than it was last winter. This is phase one of my plan to have Studio C retrofit to be able to produce all the energy that it needs to function. You may find us in a bit of a mess when you stop in but don’t let that stop you! Nate and Kyle predict the system will be completed and turned up by late next week. I’ll keep you posted!

Mary Ann Louden will be giving two workshops on making tin can lids into “StarFlowers”. Saturday November 8th and Saturday November 15th. Each workshop will be from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Studio C in the studio/classroom.

Mark your calendars for our November Live Poetry! The date is Saturday November 22nd. Sharon Niederman is our featured artist and will be reading new poetry and also from her books. We have added her books, A Quilt of Words, Return to Abo, and The Santa Fe and Taos Book from the series Great Destinations to our shelves and she will be signing that night too. My sister Karyna Cragin will be in the spotlight. She is an amazing musician and vocalist and is working on an act with a friend. I am not yet sure if she is bringing her friend or doing a solo. This will be the second annual Show of Gratitude and will again be a potluck event with no cover charge. Studio C will provide the turkey and all the trimmings so bring what ever you love to have with the traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Last year’s event was just wonderful and I am so pleased to be able to build on such a lovely beginning. This is my way to extend my thanks for the support that everyone has given Studio C over the year.

With that note let me sign off by quoting Lynne Twist, “ When you are in the house of sufficiency you live in a state of perfect ecstatic gratitude.”

In Creativity,

Christina