It’s Lit
Nothing’s blooming, no fruit is forming, no leaves are sprouting. Very little is happening to the plants at the Santa Fe Botanical Garden right now, in fact. Wintertime isn’t exactly synonymous with plant-watching. Especially not at night. But we still suggest you take some time in the coming weeks to get there anyway. Yes, in the dark. Things are happening up on Museum Hill.
Starting Friday Dec. 15 and running nearly every night through New Year’s Eve, the garden is open from 5 to 8 pm for the fifth year of the Botanical Garden’s GLOW holiday lights display. Bundle up for what could be an intergenerational night of togetherness, a great date night, or a pre- or post-game for some other holiday outing.
Stroll through the illuminated landscape and pause to rotate for a few seconds before one of the open fires. Trees and bushes, cacti and grasses take on a festive air. The whole effect is more fun when there’s snow on the ground to reflect the colored lights and there’s live music just about every night. Add this to your powder day bucket list.
Or, better yet, put on your dance-like-no-one’s-watching shoes and make for the garden for this Saturday night’s laser dance party inside a heated temporary pavilion—no matter the weather. Groove to sounds from The Gruve, the local keyboard and drum duo of Ron Crowder and Steve O’Neill, and stay a couple hours later than you can during the rest of the season.
Sarah Spearman, publicist for the garden, promises fun in the form of bubbles and fog, along with adult beverages, hot cocoa, cider and pizza. “Our event changes every year,” she tells SFR, “and this year the theme is ‘bridging time,’ so we are trying to look at Santa Fe through time for our lighting exhibitions.”
There’s a bit of each of the three ghosts that visit Scrooge—not only farolitos (for the past) but also “spirit poles” by artist Victoria Rabinowe (for the present) and laser light exhibits designed by Christopher Short (the future!). And, speaking of the future: If you miss the dance party, or that’s just too late for you, the garden’s New Year’s Eve celebration includes a countdown to “midnight” at 7 pm.
(Julie Ann Grimm)
GLOW
8 pm Saturday Dec. 16. $8- $10; kids under 12 free.
Regular Events:
5-8 pm Friday-Tuesday, Dec. 15-19. Through Dec. 31 (closed Dec. 24 and 25). $8- $10; kids under 12 free.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden,
715 Camino Lejo,
471-9103,
Hold Onto Your Butts
Oh, Greg Butera, how we love your style. You've fiddled with fiddles, added a pedal steel guitar so sweet we almost couldn't believe it, and welcomed fantastic local hired guns like Karina Wilson into the mix. Dude, you're nailing it. It's why we named your full-length Tell Me Now one of the albums of the year in our 2016 Music Issue, and why we're telling people they should fully be at your Tiny's show this week. You've kinda got a Hank Williams croon going on, but you're still doing your own thing, and given stints with the likes of Albuquerque's pop goddess Heather Trost, we're betting you've expanded your style as well. Fingers crossed, Greg. We're counting on you. (Alex De Vore)
8 pm Thursday Dec. 14. Free.
Tiny's Restaurant and Lounge,
1005 S St. Francis Drive,
983-9817.
Great Apes!
While we wouldn't usually Pick-ify a film we also reviewed in the same issue, we feel it's important to let people know about Jane, the new documentary from filmmaker Brett Morgen. See, this doc has it all—love, conflict, apes—and speaks volumes not only about the power of knowledge and science, but the triumph of the human spirit in the face of nearly insurmountable odds. Even better, a 5 pm event and screening on Friday Dec. 15 boasts a Skype chat with the director and an in-person appearance from the sound designer; the Saturday Dec. 16 1:30 pm screening comes with an appearance from the Goodall Institute's Shawn Sweeney; and at 12:30 pm on Sunday Dec. 17 is a reception and benefit for Defenders of Wildlife. Huge! Oh—and don't miss our review too. (ADV)
5 pm Friday Dec. 15; 1:30 pm Saturday Dec. 16; and 12:30 pm Sunday Dec. 17. $8.50-$15.
Center for Contemporary Arts,
1050 Old Pecos Trail,
982-1338; more showtimes at ccasantafe.org.
What a Guy
Guy Cross, former editor for THE Magazine, comes out swinging with a brand-new graphic novel (or was it photo-graphic?) called Holy Misery, published by the fine folks at Axle Contemporary mobile art gallery and released this weekend at Phil Space. Think of it like a scattered look into the many facets of Cross' life, from writer and editor to artist, photographer and all-around weirdo. We won't lie—some of the images found in this thing are straight-up disturbing, and you probably shouldn't buy it for your kids, but there's something about it that begs one's attention; maybe akin to a car wreck, if a car wreck exploded with subversive and controversial imagery that might be uncomfortable, but certainly pushes some seriously bizarre counter-culture buttons. (ADV)
Guy Cross: Holy Misery Release Party:
2 pm Saturday Dec. 16. Free.
Phil Space,
1410 Second St.,
983-7945.
