Courtesy 7 Arts Gallery
For All You Ladies Out There
"This is the first time I've shown in a gallery in Santa Fe," artist Steven Snyder says, though she's previously shown in her hometown of Denver and during Miami's Art Basel. "I moved to Santa Fe full time in November 2015," she continues, "and, when I moved down, I was going through this big triple life change: I went from being married to single after 30 years, moved to a new city and, at the same time, changed gender." And though Snyder says she's excited to have found a supportive community in Santa Fe, her paintings don't focus on the idea of gender politics so much as they examine and celebrate women through faces. This is the premise for Snyder's upcoming 7Arts Gallery opening, About Face: The Journey to Female. "I've been doing a lot of faces; the way I broke into this transgender life was painting my own face, because women wear makeup, that's how we change the way we look," she says. "A lot of times [the work] comes strictly out of my head." Snyder creates with "every kind of paint you can ever conceive of, except for oils," opting for sporadic pieces on canvas, but focusing mostly on plywood panels or found wood, surfaces she admires for their imperfections. "Some of the work is very dark and deals with the dark parts of change, because there are men who are predatory and women have to carry this throughout their lives," she explains, "but I have other pieces that are more humorous or that are just fun pieces that deal with being female; in my view, it's way more fun to be female than male." This is shown through vast and wild use of color and, Snyder says, rarely starting with a plan in favor of allowing the work to come to her during the process. Pieces are, thus, often celebratory and usually quite vivid. "I am so grateful to women, particularly the women of Santa Fe," Snyder adds. "I am so grateful for the love I've experienced and the women who've brought me into the fold—this is for women everywhere, but also especially for the women of Santa Fe."
(Alex De Vore)
About Face: The Journey to Female:
5 pm Friday Jan. 5. Free.
7 Arts Gallery,
125 Lincoln Ave.,
437-1107.
Savor the Flavor
It's been a while since SFR featured the smooth Cuban street music of Santa Fe's Savor, but somewhere in the back of our minds we just knew Victor Alvarez and company were out there, sexy as all hell, getting people to dance as if the choice were no longer theirs. Savor is a testament to Alvarez' musical upbringing in Cuba and his time spent learning from bembes—informal musical gatherings in the streets—and his mother, a talented musician herself. This lends authenticity to the tunes and probably says something or other about dedication. Either way, we just think the band is fun and a perfect choice for people in search of Latin flavor. (ADV)
8 pm Saturday Jan 6. Free.
La Fiesta Lounge at Hotel La Fonda,
100 E San Francisco St.,
982-5511.
The Song Remains the Same
If there's one thing we love, it's School of Rock situations wherein young folks learn the rock ropes and show up to concerts with the passion and gumption of a thousand suns! Enter Albuquerque's School of Rock ABQ, a group of high-schoolers who fully love Led Zeppelin and aim to prove it with a little help from younger students. Zeppelin is no joke when it comes to complexity so these kids are probably not slouching when it comes to theory. And in a town that's proven time and time again that it loves songs like "Black Dog" and "Ramble On," we can only imagine this will entice the masses. Check 'em out. (ADV)
School of Rock ABQ Presents Led Zeppelin:
7 pm Sunday Jan 7. $15.
Meow Wolf,
1352 Rufina Circle,
395-6369.
Public Domain
Bach ‘n’ Roll
"This is the first time I've ever touched on JS Bach," composer and outgoing artistic director for Performance Santa Fe, Joe Illick says of his upcoming lecture, Notes on Music: Bach. Illick's hybrid talks/mini-concerts have indeed proved valuable slices of music history, but, he says, there's something universal about Bach that makes this one special. "People from all different walks of life love Bach and sometimes don't know it," he says. "It's his reach of emotion, records sold, the millions of people around the world who hear him every day." Illick recently took on a position at the Fort Worth Opera in Texas, but remains a Santa Fe citizen, but more importantly—how many lectures come from a man sitting at a piano? (ADV)
7 pm Tuesday Jan. 9. $15-$30.
United Church of Santa Fe,
1804 Arroyo Chamiso,
988-3295
