GETTING ARTSEY

Arts Council’s 10th annual Arts Fair honors Sally Cutter

Sally and Glenn Cutter

Photo by Emmett Booher for Doña Ana Arts Council

Abel Garcia

Photo courtesy of Doña Ana Arts Council

Artist Abel Garcia's “Roadrunner”

Artist Abel Garcia with a piece of art and collector and retired Dallas Cowboy Emmit Smith

Fabric category: Cyndi Buck of Idledale, Colorado

Jewelry category: Laura Weber of Garland, Texas

Mixed media: Labelle Etondi of Tucker Georgia

Painting and drawing category: Todd Winters of Santa Fe

Porcelain, pottery and glass: Butch Young of Las Cruces

Prints and photography category: Tif Holmes of Lubbock, Texas

Recycled materials category: Melody Ballard of Phoenix, who won best in her category last year

Metal and sculpture category: Thomas Smiley of Las Cruces

Posted Tuesday, February 25, 2020 2:00 am

Arts Fair featured artist is Las Cruces native Abel Garcia

From the Doña Ana Arts Council

Dallas-based artist Abel Garcia (the 2020 Las Cruces Arts Fest’s featured artist) has been disrupting the art world for more than 10 years.

His urban style marries graffiti-inspired elements and traditional art concepts. He uses a unique layering technique on his large-scale paintings, murals and live artwork with mediums such as acrylic paint, graffiti markers and spray paint. His over-the-top energy and love of color comes through in each piece. In fact, he has coined the phrase, "Why sleep when you can paint?"

Garcia’s client list includes Dallas Cowboys Emmitt Smith and Jay Novacek, "Air Jordan" designer Justin Taylor, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, Jack Daniel’s and Las Cruces professional boxer Austin Trout.

As a favorite of several interior designers, Garcia's paintings and murals can be found from Las Cruces to New York City. He was named Austin's "Visual Artist of the Year" in 2013.

Garcia gives back to his Dallas community, his hometown of Las Cruces and several charities and nonprofits, including the Warren Center, the Birthday Party Project, Operation Rock the Troops, the John Paul Taylor Center, Jaŕdin de los Niños, Tortugas Pueblo and the Doña Ana Arts Council.

Garcia has recently expanded into clothing and shoe design and is well respected in the fashion industry. He loves to share his passion for art and life through his works.

Honoring Sally Cutter

The Doña Ana Art’s Council’s (DAAC) 10th annual Las Cruces Arts Festival will honor the memory and legacy of the late Sally Cutter.

“Sally Cutter was a friend,” said DAAC Executive Director Greg Smith. “When my dad died 40 years ago, Sally and (her husband) Glenn were among the first people out to the house making sure my mom was okay. Sally was great at setting up the gallery for artists' shows, she was a wonderful host and she was a genuinely caring human being. She and Glenn (her husband), with each iteration of their gallery and their home, raised the bar on how art could be appreciated in Las Cruces. They highlighted local artists and they brought in artists from across the country and around the world. Our goal at DAAC of making Las Cruces, Doña Ana County and our region a hub and a destination for the arts has been aided immensely by what this team has done here. We miss Sally, but her impact on our community continues in a powerful way.

“Sally Cutter was not only one of the original founders of the Las Cruces Arts Fair in 2010, but for the first five years of the event, she was the chair of the planning committee,” said DAAC’s Kathleen Albers. “She handled all of the details of organization, volunteers and marketing. She was a remarkable woman with a depth of experience and did everything with great kindness and grace.”

By Mike Cook

The Doña Ana Arts Council’s (DAAC) 10th annual Las Cruces Arts Fair (LCAF) will be held Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, at the Las Cruces Convention Center, 680 E. University Ave., and will include the works of more than 100 artists in a wide range of media. The 2020 LCAF will honor the late Sally Cutter, who was an Arts Fair founder.
DAAC is donating space for a student booth at LCAF, representing emerging artists from New Mexico State University. Participating students are challenged to learn to price and display their pieces and to discuss their art with the public.
LCAF will open with a blessing led by Tortugas Pueblo Cacique Patrick Narvaez, beginning at the east entrance of the convention center. After winding its way through the Arts Fair LCAF, the blessing ceremony will end at the southwest corner of the exhibit hall near the cantina. LCAF will continue until 8 p.m.
This year’s LCAF featured artist is Abel Garcia, a Las Cruces and Tortugas Pueblo native who is a 2001 graduate of Las Cruces High School. Garcia has bachelor’s of fine arts degrees in both art and art history, both from NMSU. He lives and works in Dallas and is recognized throughout the world for his unique and outstanding artwork, with a client list that includes professional athletes, celebrities and fashion designers.
Garcia will demonstrate his “performance art” technique on Friday evening, March 6, as part of the LCAF opening festivities. He will also participate in the Fair’s Quick Art contest 11 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 7.
The Quick Art contest, which DAAC started at LCAF four years ago, will include 25 artists creating art as the audience watches, with all pieces subsequently available for purchase by silent auction.
Tickets are $10 for adults and are good for all three days of the fair. Children ages 12 and younger can attend for free. Tickets are available at the door and at daarts.org.
LCAF hours are 5-8 p.m. Friday, March 6, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, March 7-8.
Schedule for 2020 Las Cruces Arts Fair:
Friday, March 6:
• 5 p.m.: Fair opens to the public with Tortugas Pueblo blessing
• 5:30-8 p.m.: Cantina and bar open; music by DJ Vyez, exhibit hall near cantina; silent auction, meeting rooms 1 and 2
• 6-8 p.m.: Live performance art by LCAF 2020 featured artist Abel Garcia, booths 354 and 359
Saturday, March 7:
• 10 a.m.: Arts fair opens
• 10 a.m.-4 p.m.: Cantina and bar open; music by DJ Vyez, exhibit hall near cantina; silent auction, meeting rooms 1 and 2
• 11 a.m.-noon: Quick Art contest, Ballroom 2
• 12:15-1:15 p.m.: Quick Art contest live auction with auctioneer Joe Bullock, ballroom 2
• 4-5 p.m.: Sponsor-appreciation reception, cantina
Sunday, March 8:
• 10 a.m.: Arts fair opens
• 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Silent auction – bids close at 2 p.m.
• Noon-4 p.m.: Cantina and bar open; music by DJ Vyez, exhibit hall near cantina
• 4 p.m.: Arts Fair closes

Keywords

Sally Cutter, Arts Fair, DAAC, Abel Garcia

Arts Council’s 10th annual Arts Fair honors Sally Cutter

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