SUSAN KLEBANOFF: Fiber Art Weaver is Guest Speaker in April

  (collection: British Petroleum Corporation)

Susan Klebanoff, weaver, will be our speaker at the next meeting of the Rio Rancho Art Association. She will speak to us about the process of acquiring placement for art in corporate buildings. Ms. Klebanoff will include a showing of her latest DVD of her many beautiful sculptures throughout the world.
A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, she has exhibited extensively worldwide in many public collections and exhibitions. Her art has graced the lobbies of some of the largest corporations and government buildings.
The meeting will be held at Destiny Center, 4401 Northern Blvd. NE, Rio Rancho, NM, on Monday, April 11th at 6:30pm. There will be a short business meeting with Ms. Klebanoff's presentation immediately following. The public is encouraged to attend and join us for refreshments afterward...come enjoy the friendly chat with the artists!
Be sure to click on the links provided in this post to find out more about ms. Weaver and to see more of her art in corporate buildings.

Mike Mahon Rio Rancho March 17-19 Workshop

Rio Rancho, NM, Painting Workshop

March 17-19, 2011

There is still room in Mike's March 17-19 Rio Rancho, NM,
Painting workshop.

Our focus will be on the step-by step painting process from concept to final stroke. You will learn how to maintain control of your painting and at the same time increase spontaneity. The workshop will take place in a convenient facility on HWY 528. All mediums are welcome but demonstrations will be in pastel and oil.

The workshop fee is $325 for the 3 days. Members of RRAA will receive a $50 discount.

Click here for detailed information about the Rio Rancho workshop.

Click here for information on Mike's other workshops for 2011.

Ricardo Chavez-Mendez will demo for us at the March meeting

Our March program will be a demonstration of the wonderful technique known as "Curvismo", created by New Mexico artist Ricardo Chavez-Mendez...also known as the Dali of the Desert. He is a prolific artist who decided at the age of 14 to dedicate his entire life to a career in art. Ricardo has worked tenaciously toward the goal for the last 40 years, developing into the Master of Curvismo and one of the finest artists in his genre.
Ricardo is truly an extraordinary artist. He is not only the master artist of the style he introduced to New Mexico known as "Curvisimo" or curvism but of technique, color and composition, leaving a trail of awe inspiring art for the art lover, collector and critic alike. The range of mediums is just as impressive, working in acrylics, oils, alkyds, color pencil, watercolor, pastel, fiber art and mixed media, including clay sculpture. He is co-owner of ORO Fine Art GAllery, the hidden treasure of Albuquerque, New Mexico where he teaches privately as well as group instruction.
Ricardo will be demonstrating for us after our business meeting on Monday, March 14th at Destiny Center, 4401 Northern Blvd in Rio Rancho. Please join us for refreshments afterwards. Business meeting will start at 6:30pm.

18 Days A Fine Arts Exhibition & Performing Arts Event

One of my images, Previously Pedaled, has been accepted into the 18 Days show at the Center for Contemporary Arts, Muñoz Waxman Gallery in Santa Fe.  This show, open only to full time female residents of New Mexico had over 400 arts competing for space in the event.


The opening reception is Friday night, February 11, 2011 at the gallery -- 1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe. The museum is located just down the hill behind the Children's Museum and the Armory for the arts. More information can be found at http://www.ccasantafe.org/.

Please join me at the opening event which is a fund raiser for this non-profit. The exhibit will be open Friday- Sunday for the next six weeks and all art work, created by only full time female artists in New Mexico is for sale!

I hope you can join me at this great exhibit. Linda Laitner

Februay Meeting

Expand Your Palette!

Cool and Effective things ARTists
can do using Internet and Social Media Tools

Monday, February 7
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Rio Rancho Art Association meeting

UNM West, 2600 College Blvd, Rio Rancho (click for map)

The world of opportunites available through the Internet for artists and artisans is growing each day! There are infinite opportunities for artists to market and sell their products and services online. It's easy when you focus on your target market, have help sorting through all the hype, and learn to select and use the right tools.

You are invited to join Kristine Maltrud and Carla Rachkowski from The Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship and Fast Foward New Mexico for a presentation that could help you grow your business.

Come see this demonstration on the cool and effective things different artists and artisans are doing using Internet and social media tools and find out how you can learn to do these things, too! Both members and non-members of the Rio Rancho Art Association are invited.

Fast Forward New Mexico is a grant-funded program that will be offering free hands-on Internet training classes at the Loma Colorado Main Library in Rio Rancho in March and April.
The Small Business Success class series is designed for people starting or growing small businesses, particularly in the arts and cultural markets.
Taught by Kristine Maltrud and other instructors with extensive expertise in business, marketing, and the arts, this free training offers four eight-hour Internet business development courses that will teach artists, artisans, and other small business owners to use tools like email, e-commerce, e-marketing and online social media to promote their work.
For more information on these free classes go to www.FastForwardCommunity.org .

Delma's Work On Exhibit

Up until a few months ago, one could see Delma's work over at Joe's Pasta House-although there are still a few of her pieces on display there, it made me sad to think that there was no where else in Rio Rancho where you could see her  work. So, I asked her husband, Robert Petrullo if I could exhibit some of her work over at the Inn at Rio Rancho for the month of January. He graciously agreed and together along with Jackie Duran's help, we hung her work. It be will up throughout the month of January-you can stop by to see it any time since the Inn is open 24/7.

About the Artist

Delma M. Petrullo was not only a City Councilor for District 3 here in Rio Rancho, she was an activist for the visual arts in the city of Rio Rancho. She was the founder and past president for the Rio Rancho Art Association. Delma passed away on June 3rd, 2009 after loosing a 15 month battle with cancer.

She had been a professional artist since 1975; a multi-award winning oil painter originally from New York where she sold and exhibited in galleries and shows throughout the metropolitan area. Delma had considered her artistic style to be representational or a “transcendent realistic” style. She was an exceptional colorist and used a unique conceptual approach to her work that captured the inner essence of the subject matter.

Delma wanted to capture what she saw and sensed in nature in such a way that viewers of her art would want to become participants, having found a place in time where they would like to linger. By remaining true to the scene or subject before her, she created an overall design of connecting shapes and colors that evoke a feeling of grace and power. The vistas she depicted evoke nature’s drama and caprice. She hoped that those who would view her work could observe and appreciate nature, using her interpretations as a guide, but most of all, simply derive enjoyment from her work.

This collection of paintings span a good part of her painting career-from earlier works done while still living in New York, to work completed within a year of her passing away.

Juried Show Deadlines

The Fuller Lodge Art Center has a call for artists for the "Outside In" show.  Deadline is 1/28/11.  http://fullerlodgeartcenter.com/Call-for-Artists.shtml

18 Days is a show for women artists in NM.  Deadline is 1/9. http://www.ccasantafe.org/18days/18daysprospectus.html

Good luck! 

Linda Laitner