Zane's World pegs the top local arts and culture events of 2005 and the steps necessary to make next year even better:
Arts and culture concerns were at the top of the heap as far as economic development.
Based on an in-depth analysis of Santa Fe's economy by UNM's Bureau of Business and Economic Research (the same organization that measured the effects of the Living Wage), we now have evidence that art is not just the soul of the city but its financial lifeblood as well. As a result, Santa Fe's Economic Development Division supported the creation of a community box office (
) and an Internet culture portal (
). Next year, the keepers of these virtual domains need to prove that both Web sites are useful and user-friendly. In order to do that, they'll have to respond to input and criticism from local and Internet communities without getting their panties in a bunch.
The city's economic development plan isn't just about art-there are real possibilities for support (and maybe even funding) for good ideas that will help Santa Fe retain and attract young creative people and generate higher paying jobs, thus improving the entire cultural landscape. Design, renewable energy technology, fashion, new media and publishing are all industries the city wants to encourage entrepreneurial activity in. What needs to happen is that dynamic young folks have to get involved. To make it work, we all need to be a little more like Alia Munn. Munn is the co-owner of a local small business that supports artists and designers, Azulito Boutique, but she also sits on the Economic Development Review Committee, is raising a child in her spare time and was a key founder of the annual Second Street Festival. Alia, my New Year's resolution is to follow your lead.
Speaking of which, the Second Street Festival rocked!
I'm not saying the giant fashion show featured both copious fireballs and bare breasts, but the cops weren't cruising by so slowly just because they were concerned about the beer vendor. Next year, the fest needs a little more energy, cohesive organization and more antics for everyone in the neighborhood, in addition to visiting hipsters. If the next mayor is wise, he or she will choose the festival as the venue to detail bold new plans for affordable housing and mixed-use urban planning.
Of equal importance-less to the mainstream and more to the underground-was
the vibrancy of the High Mayhem Festival
. Visual and auditory art, a five-CD box set release, plentiful madness-in 2006 do it bigger, please.
The Folk Art Festival, in only its second year, proved its viability as a major international event.
Regional artists side by side with artists from around the world, accompanied by crazy food and music-it's a hell of a good time. Next year it needs to come down from Museum Hill a little more and stretch it's tendrils into the community. How about the Farmer's Market and La Montanita joining forces to host an international food and spice bazaar? How about an auxiliary event at Genoveva
Chavez with additional kids' activities and weird contests of strength and endurance from the far corners of the earth? Caber toss de Santa Fe?
SITE Santa Fe hired Laura Heon as director and curator.
It wouldn't be appropriate to say the last director was a cranky old prick, so I'll confine my comments to saying it's about time our hip, international artspace had someone at the helm who fits the image. Heon is 1) young, 2) a woman and 3) a smartypants. Cheers to the SITE Santa Fe board of directors. Next year, SITE needs to let Heon run wild and Santa Feans need to take advantage of free Fridays. Free!
Relatively new chief curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Tim Rodgers, got to really stretch his legs.
Having Rodgers at the MFA is a breath of fresh air, bringing dynamism and a renewed sense of intellectual rigor to our flagship modern and contemporary museum. In the future, hopefully Rodgers will continue to challenge himself and bring the public along for the ride. Let's have fewer lukewarm, half-assed Degas sculptures and more exhibitions like Rodgers' grouping of Florence Pierce, Maria Martinez and Agnes Martin or the
Strokes of Genius
exhibition that's on view now (and only until Jan. 8).
Junior membership, that curious scenario where established organizations attempt to appeal to younger members with a special group, tried hard to find its place in Santa Fe.
The Museum of New Mexico has Avant-Garde, the Opera's group is called Intermezzo and SITE Santa Fe's is dubbed Studio SITE. All of them throw great parties (Studio will be throwing one for New Year's in association with SFR, see SFR Picks, page 41) and have stepped into the limelight this year by increasing collaboration and working with, among others, SFR, blu 102 and the young professionals networking group, NextOp. Next year, collaboration has to increase. Why can't I have a sample membership to everything for one low, introductory cost?
One membership that should be included in such a package is the Center for Contemporary Arts. Under the helm of Steve Buck and Cyndi Conn,
in 2005 CCA came back to the ass-kicking ways of yesteryear
. It's out from under the threat of the National Guard, its long term lease on the property is secured and the programming is excellent. Still, CCA's got to remember there's a reason it doesn't have a special membership tier for people between 21 and 45-it already has that audience. Don't forget that we need CCA to be a bit edgy and just a touch reckless.
We saw the introduction of several new venues
, from the College of Santa Fe-which upped the ante with excellent shows by outside curators, such as Mass ReProduction by Joslin Van Arsdale and Tim Jag-to moveable feasts like the temporary venues of Bloc-Busta, BANG! and, now, Skeleton Art's reincarnation as Feral Gallery.
Next year? More of the same, bubba, with a special holiday wish that rumors about BANG!'s new permanent space at a mystery location will turn out to be true.
