glass glasslass - Santa Fe Lifestyle

October/November Vol. 40 No. 5 96 pages

Above: Spencer Nutima, May You All Play with a Happy Heart.Left: Spencer Nutima, female Hopi Shalako katsina figure (detail), painted cottonwood root. Courtesy Keshi: The Zuni Connection.

artopenings | reviews | people

More than five dozen top local artists made violins their canvases for the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus’s Painted Violins 2012, a gala and auction event that benefits the symphony’s musicians and its educational programs. On the following pages, get a look at these extraordinary creations. Discover how they came to be—and how you can come to own one—and see other works that define a handful of these artists’ signature styles.

53october/november 2012 santa fean

December 4 - 9, 2012 Miami Convention Center@ James L. Knight International Center

400 SE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33131www.miamiriverartfair.com | info@miamiriverartfair.com

International Contemporary

Art Fair 2012 Photo provided to mRAF by http://www.icampix.net/ | copyright asad gilani

M I A M I

alking through the stuccoed moon gate that greets you at the entrance to Mark Banham’s Tano Road

house, one gets the feeling of being pulled by an energy flow along the curved flagstone path toward the large wooden front doors. That flow, according to Banham, is real—a result of the feng shui design he implement-ed in his home and gardens.

“I wanted this to be a peaceful place and one that circulated good energy throughout,” says the realtor and avid gardener. The high-ceilinged open kitchen, painted a deep red and illuminated with large windows and skylights, is the centerpiece of the home; its design and decoration portend good health and prosper-ity according to feng shui principles. It’s no accident that, on one side, the kitchen leads seamlessly into a nearby sitting room and patio, while on another side it flows into a small din-ing area. A third side flows into a utility room, bedroom, and meditation room.

Banham recently decided to redesign his gar-dens to match the energy flow of the inside of his house. He first contracted DeBe Holland of DeBe Holland Associates, a Santa Fe–based landscape architect whose practice centers on feng shui, and he then had Lucid Landscapes handle the landscape/rock installation.

Twelve separate seating areas are strategically placed around the property, each with a differ-ent feel and view. “My intent,” Banham says, “is to surround myself with good friends and posi-tive energy.”

good vibrationsgoodvibrationsgood

by Zélie Pollon photographs by Clay Ellis

feng shui energizes a house and its gardens

40 santafean.com october/november 2012

Mark Banham

Turquoise jewelry is as ubiquiTous in New Mexico as green chile and clear skies. The blue-green stone, often inlaid into silver, cut into beads, or carved into animal forms, can be found in just about every high-scale jewelry store and five and dime across the state. a symbol of the southwest and of ancient Native american culture, it is offered as a talisman for good fortune, protection, and health. but finding high-quality turquoise is not easy, and knock offs—anything from poor quality gems to plastic—are prevalent. Knowing your stone, including what to look for and what questions to ask when buying it, will allow you to find the best pieces for your money.

Perhaps the most important thing to know is that only 3 percent of natural high-grade turquoise remains on the market in this country, while the remaining 97 percent consists of material altered or “stabilized” to make it saleable, says Cheryl ingram, owner of Canyon road’s Silver Sun (silversun-sf.com), which specializes in the high-grade variety. The process of stabilizing turquoise—a soft stone to begin with—isn’t necessarily a bad thing: it saved the market when mines began running out of natural turquoise around 1960; being able to harden the next-best grade allowed dealers to continue making jewelry, ingram notes. The downside is that it opened the door for imitations with excessive fillers and dyes. among imitations is howlite, a white stone that, when dyed, can easily pass as turquoise.

because it can be difficult to distinguish turquoise, to know where it came from, and if or how it’s been treated, the best advice is to only do

| S A N TA FAVO R I T E S |

know your stone buying turquoise in santa Fe

by Zél ie Pol lon photographs by Gabriel la Marks

Necklace by Rocki Gorman in Kingman mine turquoise, silver antiqued beads, and sterling silver. At Rocki Gorman.

Two-stone pendant by Calvin Martinez with natural turquoise from the Carico Lake mine in Nevada. Bracelets (left to right) by Kirk Smith, Emma Lincoln, and Derrick Gordon. All items are Native American handmade from sterling silver. At Silver Sun.

Necklace by Scott Diffrient in sterling silver and 22-karat gold, with 21 pixie turquoise tabs and hand-carved beads. At Packards on the Plaza.

know your stone buying turquoise in Santa Fe

business with an established store, says Kim Spiers, owner of Tom Taylor Company (tomtaylorbuckles.com), which sells turquoise-adorned belts, buckles, and accessories. “That way you can be confident in what you’re buying,” she adds. Jamie Way, director of Shiprock Santa Fe (shiprocksantafe.com), which sells vintage and contemporary Native American jewelry, agrees. “If you don’t trust the person you’re buying from then don’t buy it. You need to be buying from a quality, reputable, locally owned business.”

Given the rarity of natural turquoise, it may be significantly higher in price than other stones. “When someone is trying to sell non-treated turquoise and it’s only $200, you have to question what it is,” cautions Kendra Rohrer, principal and buyer at Packards on the Plaza (shoppackards.com), which offers exceptional pieces of natural American turquoise. Ingram suggests buyers always ask if the turquoise is natural, and if the seller can offer a certificate of authenticity with a description and signature. By law, the seller should be able to provide this. Also ask where the turquoise you’re interested in comes from, and “it better be in the U.S.,” Ingram adds.

Knowing who the artist is can also help the process. Jewelry at Packards, for example, is signed by the artist, except when pieces are pawn or vintage. It’s also useful to know which mine the piece comes from. “If your dealer says, ‘I don’t know, it’s in the ground, turquoise is turquoise,’ then run,” says Rocki Gorman (rockigorman.com), whose family has been in the business of selling turquoise for more than 50 years.

In the end, the look of turquoise can vary dramatically, encompassing a wide shade range of greens and blues, with and without mineral marks (often black or copper “veins” or stains). What people find appealing is entirely individual, and there is no right or wrong in purchasing natural or stabilized turquoise. Both can be exceptionally beautiful. The key is knowing what you’re getting, and paying the right price for it.

Necklace and ring by Derrick Gordon. Three-stone pendant by Etta Endito. All items are Native American handmade with Cerrillos mine turquoise. At Silver Sun.

Navajo cuff bracelet, ca. 1930s, with high-grade natural American turquoise cabochons. AtShiprock Santa Fe.

Necklace and pendant by Rocki Gorman in sterling silver and Kingman mine turquoise. At Rocki Gorman.

B. G. Mudd cufflinks in turquoise andblack jade. At Tom Taylor Company.

Although the AmericAn cAfé is a descendant of european coffeehouse culture, which centered on caffeine-fueled beverages, the cafés of today serve up a heck of a lot more than just a good cup of joe. Santa fe offers an eclectic bunch of eateries that include the word café in their name, from cozy neighborhood haunts like the tune-up café to temples of culinary acclaim such as cafe Pasqual’s and coyote cafe. Add two more spots that have the food world abuzz—the revamped café café and the brand new café fina—and it’s easy to see that our town is café crazy.

Café Café (cafecafesantafe.com), in the guadalupe district, might come with the tagline “So nice they named it twice.” opened five years ago by longtime hospitality partners Kirstin griffin and Donalee goodbrod, the couple moved east early last summer and sold their popular business to restaurant veteran Stu Dickson, who’s breathed new life into the pizza-italian grill concept with winning results. Dickson, who hails from naples, florida, entered the Santa fe business world as a gallery owner with Dominique Boisjoli fine Art on canyon road, a venture that highlights his wife’s vibrant paintings, which are also on

café society

Café Café’s calamartachokeappetizer is one-half calamariand one-half artichokes, served with three dipping sauces.

Above, left: Waiters are ready to serve at Café Café. Above, right: Paintings by owner Stu Dickson's wife, Dominique Boisjoli, line the dining room walls. Below: Menu items include arugula and almond-crusted goat cheese salad.

display in the restaurant. With the gallery off and running, it was time for Dickson to reenter the restaurant world where he’s worked for most of his adult life.

café café’s cozy dining room has been brightened up with a dramatic paprika-colored wall that underscores the large paintings, but it’s Dickson’s colorful personality and enthusiasm that give café café its charm. Dickson is an old-fashioned master host who makes you feel like family as he works the room—every time i dine here he charms my guests, waxing lyrical about the menu while eyeing details of the table service, removing plates, and filling wine glasses without missing a word. A real pro.

the original menu has been left largely intact—a smart move considering the place had amassed a strong following. Slowly Dickson is introducing new dishes, with ones featuring a touch of the Southwest planned for the future. i can never pass up the tasty calamartachoke, with its lightly breaded, crisp-fried thistle, tangle of calamari, and three sauces for dipping (a garlicky bagna cauda, zesty marinara, and herbaceous aioli). Vegetarians will love the stuffed eggplant rolls: thin slices of grilled eggplant wrapped around a sauté of spaghetti squash. the clever mex-ital rosemary polenta fries with green-chile alfredo sauce are delicious to share.

fans of café café’s Paramount Pizza will be happy to know that the same crust and sauces are still at play here. the spinach, red onion, Kalamata, and goat cheese pie is a tasty variation on a theme, and pastas are also offered in innovative and classic versions.

there’s a concise bottled beer list and a 50-plus wine list, which is largely italian but features notable u.S. vineyards and a smattering from other countries. our pinot grigio and verduzzo, masi “masianco,” was

houseby Kathleen McCloud photographs by Amadeus Leitner

ofhouseofhouse glassPrior to learning about glass, my idea of collecting art was a $20 poster that you framed for $400 in a color that matched the couch,’’ says Betsy Ehrenberg. In the last 14 years—since she and her husband, Richard, vis-ited the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle and wound up purchasing seven sculptures—art has grown to play a central role in their lives, from Betsy’s founding of Glass Alliance–New Mexico, a non-profit dedicated to edu-cating the public about glass art and creating more opportunities for glass artists, to the design of their home, called Casa de Vidrio, which translates to House of Glass. Set on a 14-acre hilltop with 360-degree views near the Santa Fe Opera, the Ehrenberg home is the result of collaboration between the owners, an architect, a curator, craftsmen, and others who share an understanding of and appreciation for art, history, and precision. A swirling collection of curving walls and concentric circles, Casa de Vidrio pays homage to the Anasazi cul-

living among a world-class art collection

ture, which frequently incorporated circles into its designs, and is a nod on architect Aaron Bohrer’s part to the style of Pueblo Bonita specifically, which the Anasazi built centuries ago in Chaco Canyon. A red stuc-co wall interjects through the home’s radi-ating circles and delineates the north-south solar axis—the center being an Arizona stone wall built by seven craftsmen who cut and laid the stone without mortar just like their predecessors did in Chaco Canyon. In addition to having historical refer-ences, Casa de Vidrio is a showcase for the Ehrenbergs’ world-class art collection. After

glassliving among a world-class art collection

This page and opposite: The north view from Casa de Vidrio includes the Santa Fe Opera. Above, right: A Japanese maple tree outside the home's casita sits near Glass Pumpkins by David Leight. Right: A glass bridge and river with landscape design by LOLA's principal landscape architect, Edith Katz; a large red stucco wall designed by architect Aaron Bohrer; Mimbres by Tammy Garcia on a black pedestal and Ranas by Charlie Miner on a gray pedestal. Below, right: Ashore by Bobby Bowes.

glassPrior to learning about glass, my idea of collecting art was a $20 poster that you framed for $400 in a color that matched the couch,’’ says Betsy Ehrenberg. In the last 14 years—since she and her husband, Richard, vis-ited the Pilchuck Glass School in Seattle and wound up purchasing seven sculptures—art has grown to play a central role in their lives, from Betsy’s founding of Glass Alliance–New Mexico, a non-profit dedicated to edu-cating the public about glass art and creating more opportunities for glass artists, to the design of their home, called Casa de Vidrio, which translates to House of Glass. Set on a 14-acre hilltop with 360-degree views near the Santa Fe Opera, the Ehrenberg home is the result of collaboration between the owners, an architect, a curator, craftsmen, and others who share an understanding of and appreciation for art, history, and precision. A swirling collection of curving walls and concentric circles, Casa de Vidrio pays homage to the Anasazi cul-

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modern marvels, family farmhouses, artful adobesmodern marvels, family farmhouses, artful adobeshome issue

thehome issue

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Feng Shu i Gardens • Fa l l Ar t Prev iews • Turquo ise TreasuresFeng Shu i Gardens • Fa l l Ar t Prev iews • Turquo ise Treasures

October/November 2012October/November 2012

August/September Vol. 40 No. 4 216 pages

Mark Banham

June/July Vol. 40 No. 3 128 pages

OPEN TUESDAY—SATURDAY 9 AM—5 PM · MONDAY BY APPOINTMENT · 505.983.9988 215 N GUADALUPE · SANTA FE, NM 87501 · CONSTELLATIONSANTAFE.COM

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departmentsDavid Bradley, Coyote Moon, acrylic on panel, 40 x 30"

The Railyard district has become the heart of Santa Fe’s contemporary art scene

Brad Wilson, Mountain Lion #4, archival digital pigment print, dimensions variable

Ted Larsen, Referee, salvage steel and rivets, 46 x 32 x 32"

june / july 2012

the art issue

46 Making TracksA close-up look at the Railyard district,

where contemporary art reigns

54 Local Landscape Southwestern art remains a big draw—and big business—in Santa Fe

62 The Art of It AllThe local scene is bursting with talent, from painters and

potters to sculptors and photographers

features

30 Publisher’s Note

34 City DifferentSummer art and music festivals, a new book on spooky New Mexico legends40 Santa FavoritesBeautiful, functional ceramic ware42 AdventureFly-fishing in Taos with guide Taylor Streit44 Q+AFrédéric Chaslin, chief conductor of the Santa Fe Opera81 ArtSOFA West; artists David Bottini, Ben Steele, and more; gallery previews

109 LivingContemporary-art maven Linda Durham’s house of wonder 114 On the MarketPottery House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright 117 DiningAlfresco dining in Santa Fe and Taos, honoring local talent at Encantado Resort and Spa126 EventsJune and July happenings128 Day TripAbiquiú Lake

68 santafean.com june/july 2012 Matthew Higginbotham, Even Song, oil on panel, 24 x 20"

Mark Banham

Research reveals that collaboration can be a key to creativity—which might be the reason Meow Wolf continues to produce such imaginative, groundbreaking work. Founded in 2008 as an alternative arts-and-music collaborative, Meow Wolf provides an opportunity for an extremely diverse set of individuals (most of them under 35) to come together and produce great things.

More than 100 artists took part in The Due Return, a multimedia installation—featuring a time-traveling, 75-foot-long ship—that opened at CCA’s Munoz Waxman Gallery in May 2011. Incorporating video, live performance, and interactive elements such as lighting manipulation, the project reflected the energy of Santa Fe’s “fringe art culture,” says Meow Wolf co-founder Vince Kadlubek. It also marked a new stage of achievement for Meow Wolf. Over the years, he says, “we’ve gained a level of confidence, and the group understands and respects the values of organizational structure, which allows us to produce more ambitious work.”

Kadlubek promises that Meow Wolf has big plans for the next few years, but he remains tight-lipped about specifics. “We have a show this summer that people will have to stumble upon to find out about, as well as plans for a major outdoor art experience at the end of the season,” he says. “Plus, we’re envision-ing a theater piece for 2013 that will completely alter the way we experience theater.”—Samantha Schwirck

the cat’s meow

In 2011, Meow Wolf’s multimedia installation, The Due Return, told the interactive story of a spaceship that traverses space and time.

Gigi MillsOil painter Gigi Mills uses a muted color palette and simplified forms to cre-ate fanciful snapshots of life. Her minimal figures are filled with large swashes of paint, creating imagery that is both anonymous and charming. “There is a meaningful significance in the ordinary that we are not always able to deduce in its natural form,” Mills says. “When it is distilled down, we are able to appreciate not only its visual elegance, but also the emotional content that may be present.”

Mills first landed in the City Different to study performing arts at the College of Santa Fe, a seemingly natural choice for one who literally hails from a circus family. She left Santa Fe after graduation, however, only to return a few years later to paint and rediscover the art form she had felt pulled to early on. Today her work can be seen locally at Selby Fleetwood Gallery on Canyon Road.—SGSelby Fleetwood Gallery, selbyfleetwoodgallery.com

Gigi Mills, Seaside Cliff, oil on panel, 24 x 30"

Matthew HigginbothamMatthew Higginbotham’s expressive, richly hued landscapes reflect the Colorado-born artist’s passion for the diverse terrain and ever-changing skies of his adopted home. It was the sky and cloud vistas, in fact, that cinched the deal in 2002 when Higginbotham—for whom cloudscapes have long been a favorite subject—decided to purchase his Eldorado home. That was after having lived in various parts of Northern New Mexico since 1995, which was just after having let go of a successful career as a ceramic artist in the Northwest and finding his true aesthetic voice in the landscape of the Southwest. “Whether encompassing a vast space of land or small section of brush,” he explains, “I try to portray in my paintings a sense of deep spiritual connection to something greater than myself, something profoundly comforting and powerful.”

Higginbotham is represented locally by Waxlander Art Gallery, where from August 28 through September 10 his work will be featured in a solo exhibition called Land As Spirit.—GF Waxlander Art Gallery & Sculpture Garden, waxlander.comMatthew Higginbotham, Even Song, oil on panel, 24 x 20"

With Santa Fe’S mountain vistas, sun-drenched days, and starry nights, restaurants that offer terrace, balcony, or patio seating give diners an extra reason to drop in. Check out these eateries with open-air options and treat yourself not just to the fresh air but also to the talents of some of the region’s finest chefs.

the mid-april opening of the Coyote Rooftop Cantina (coyotecafe.com) signals the start of downtown’s summer party season. in spring, a sprinkling of revelers nibble and swig fancy cocktails while huddled under glowing heaters, but once summer hits, the Cantina’s packed and going full throttle. the scene’s fueled by a younger, hipper version of the crowd you’ll find at the swankier Coyote Café (down one flight), but the gentler prices are a terrific draw for tourists as well. nosh on “Maybe or Maybe not hot” stuffed jalapeño shooters and fat Vidalia onion rings; wash them down with a tart pomegranate margarita.

two blocks north, chef Joseph Wrede (formerly of Joseph’s table in taos) commands the stoves at the relaunched Palace Restaurant (palacesantafe.com). though the atmospheric bar still lures the serious libations set, i’ll be seeking the sunny two-level back patio this summer. Wrede impresses with dishes like the pristinely fresh Chilean sea bass ceviche and voluptuous, tarragon-scented lobster salad. Don’t miss the French fries (cooked in duck fat) and, for dessert, try Deconstructed Rocky Road, a stacked affair with plump house-made marshmallows, nutella gelato, and powdered peanuts.

Cozy front and back patios are options at Tanti Luce 221 (tantiluce221.com), a new restaurant in the space previously occupied by amavi. Chef tom Kerpon (formerly of the Rio Chama Steakhouse and the inn of the anasazi) knows fine dining; his menu features italian/european cuisine, with a caprese salad that’s the perfect coming together of garden-ripe ingredients. the whimsical bar

get out!

al fresco dining i s a summertime treat

Above: The seafood summer sampler at La Casa Sena includes

grissini oysters with cucumber salsa. Below: Caprese salad at

Tanti Luce 221.

118 santafean.com june/july 2012

La Casa Sena’s veggie summer sampler includes avocado, piñon hummus, and grilled pita, as well as calabacitas flautas and roasted corn on the cob with scallion lime butter.

119june/july 2012 santa fean

Abiquiú LakeAbiquiú Lake| DAY T R I P |

photograph by Sergio Salvador

Cool off this summer at Abiquiú Lake. Getting to the sparkling, 5,200-acre reservoir, formed where the Abiquiú Dam breaks the flow of the Rio Chama, is a pleasure in itself—from Santa Fe, it’s a one-hour drive through the sandstone cliffs of Georgia O’Keeffe Country.

Get Out On the Water: Swim, canoe, sail, kite surf, or water ski; you can even fish for bass and walleye. Most equipment outfitters are located in Santa Fe and Taos, but Bode’s General Store, near the lake on Highway 84, is convenient for gas, fishing licenses, picnic supplies, boat safety products, and live bait.

Legendary Surroundings: South of Abiquiú Lake, you’ll see Cerro Pedernal, a flat-topped mountain made famous by a number of Georgia O’Keeffe paintings. O’Keeffe’s Abiquiú home (where she spent her winters) and Ghost Ranch property (where she spent her summers, on the grounds of Ghost Ranch Education & Retreat Center) are close by and offer regular tours.

Getting There: From Santa Fe, travel north on Highway 84/285. After 32 miles, continue on Highway 84 West for 14 miles. Pass Bode’s and turn left on NM 96. The lake will be on your right.

For More Information: Visit the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Albuquerque website, spa.usace.army.mil, or call their Abiquiú Lake Office (505-685-4371).

K imo Minton

“INTERPLAY”

July 27 - August 23, 2012

Opening Reception with the Artist

5 pm, Friday, July 27th

G A U G Y G A L L E R Y418 Canyon Road • Santa Fe, NM • gaug ygaller y.com • 505-984-2800

Sculptor

Large-scale sculptures dominate the entryways to LewAllen Galleries (top) and William Siegal Gallery. Opposite: Woody Shepherd, Honey Blue, oil andacrylic on panel, 84 x 71", at LewAllen.

kinds of different exteriors, stucco that isn’t brown.” Having opened her own gallery on Marcy Street in 1989, Charlotte Jackson, of Charlotte

Jackson Fine Art, relocated to the Railyard about a year and a half ago. “We’ve seen more and more contemporary galleries come into this area,” she says, “and SITE Santa Fe has been great for validating that.” Jackson, whose 2012 summer roster includes a show by local painter Joan Watts, notes that contemporary art in Santa Fe has evolved tremendously over the last 20 years, and that the city is “very much on the radar of collectors who come here to see contem-porary art.”

Although it’s certainly not new to Santa Fe, contemporary art has, like so many other things, taken on its own character here. Trailblazers like Linda Durham, who exited the gallery world in 2011 after 33 years representing artists, laid some of the groundwork for what contemporary art in Santa Fe has become. Yet the town’s tricultural history also plays a part in shaping the Railyard scene. “Up until the 1980s, the ethnographic market was larger; historic art was very dominant,” says Steve Halvorsen, collections manager of TAI Gallery, which carries contem-porary Japanese bamboo arts and photography. (Owner Robert Coffland is recognized inter-nationally as an expert in the former.) A handful of the Railyard galleries display ethnographic work alongside contemporary ones, recontextualizing both in the process.

William Siegal Gallery’s collection, for example, gracefully bridges the two worlds. “The ancient material we show is minimal, not fussy—it has a direct relationship to what we show in the contemporary category,” says Director of Contemporary Art Ylise Kessler. To illustrate her point, she gestures to a striped Incan textile, dated from 1400 to 1532, which could easily be mistaken for a Jasper Johns. In June, the gallery is exhibiting work by New Mexico–based sculptor Tom Waldron, who, in Kessler’s words, creates “elegant, simple, meticulously crafted sculptures.”

Similarly, Jay Etkin Gallery displays a mix of contemporary and African tribal art, as well as some Native and Latin American work. “I like to bring those thoughts together,” Etkin says, adding that to juxtapose different styles automatically creates a relationship between them. About a third of the artists he shows are from Santa Fe, and Etkin finds his Railyard location to be ideal. “The energy of the look and the proximity to other galleries attracts people,” he says.

Nonetheless, contemporary art represents a small sliver of the art market in general. EfrA

49june/july 2012 santa fean

April/May Vol. 40 No. 2 112 pages

How did a Harvard-educated fashionista from the Pacific Northwest end up in the high desert, surrounded by produce and pigs? “It kind of just called me,” says organic farmer and restaurateur Erin Wade, who owns Santa Fe’s downtown salad bistro Vinaigrette. After moving to Santa Fe from Boston in 2003, Wade ditched a career in fashion design to focus on rehabilitating 10 acres of “magical and dilapidated” land in Nambé. “I’d maxed out on big cities,” she says. “I wanted to get my hands in the dirt and do something substantial.” Once Wade started grow-ing things, sharing her bounty with the community was a logical next step. So she opened Vinaigrette in 2008, and today 50 to 70 percent of the food on its menu comes straight from her farm. With a sec-ond Vinaigrette location to open in down-town Albuquerque late this summer, Wade has a lot on her plate. “I’m not trying to grow an insidious chain,” she says. “We’re trying to make healthy eating delicious and fun because I really believe there’s not enough of that out there.” —Samantha Schwirck

Erin Wadelet it grow

living thedreamsanta feans we love

32 santafean.com april/may 2012

26 santafean.com april/may 2012

in residenceBy Amy Hegarty

Photographs by Gabriella MarksStyling by Cynthia Whitney-Ward

artistsDouglas Magnus and Dana Waldon live their creative dreams

Mark Banham

in residenceartists

aving made their way to Santa Fe via dif-ferent coasts and during different decades, jewelry-maker Douglas Magnus and pho-tographer Dana Waldon have carved out careers and lives for themselves—together

and separately—that speak to all the wonders the City Different has to offer.

A native of California, Magnus arrived here in the 1960s as a 21-year-old freshly discharged from the Army in El Paso. A photographer at the time, he was encouraged by friends who said he “needed to go to Santa Fe, and they were so right,” Magnus recalls. “I got here and it was like, Bingo!” After enjoying a successful photography career for a number of years, “the bottom eventually fell out,” Magnus says, and he found himself in the business of trading jewelry. (“Wheeling and dealing, flea-market style,” he notes.) It was during that time that he had what he calls a true epiphany: “I realized that I could make my own stuff, even though I had no background whatsoever and absolutely no money. I cre-ated some tools and did some rudimentary experimentation. My first pieces were actually in copper.”

Early in his jewelry-making career, Magnus created Indian-style pieces and used turquoise from mines in Cerrillos that a friend had told him about. Years later, in the mid-1980s, the owners of those mines asked Magnus to purchase them—which he did, despite that fact that, by that time, he was no longer heavily involved with turquoise (the gem does feature in many of his current pieces, however). “I’d moved into the Western category and developed a line of buckles, which formed the basis of my current business,” Magnus says. “But those mines are truly ancient and have a phenomenal heritage. They were used by the Mayans, Aztecs, and

HJewelry-maker Douglas Magnus (below, far right) bought the late-19th-century adobe he shares with photographer Dana Waldon (below, left) in 1995, and, during a two-year renovation project, worked to keep it as authentic as possible. Since arriving in Santa Fe in 2004, Waldon has decorated the home with “only things that I love,” she says, “be it European, New Mexican, or Mexican. I find that if you only buy what you love, it somehow all goes together.” Among Waldon’s favorite “things” in the house, she notes, are her dogs Scout (below, far left) and Guapo (below, right) and cat Lettuce (not pictured).

Douglas Magnus and Dana Waldon live their creative dreams

Glass is not generally considered an experimental medium—working with it requires too much time, money, and machin-ery. But artist Stacey Neff is out to change all that. In April 2011 she formed the nonprofit, volunteer-run New Mexico Experimental Glass Workshop to generate new sustainable applications for recycled glass. As a result of making glass accessible and affordable, Neff says, “We’re really seeing this medium take off.” It’s not just artists, architects, and design-ers she has coming through her studio; it’s also kids. (“They’re amazing, focused, so together!”) Youth Advocate Programs, Inc., has arranged for their participants to fulfill community service at the studios, and the Workshop has developed a for-credit program for IAIA students. As for her own education, Neff is in the process of earning an MBA from Washington State University to supplement her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She’s also planning community out-reach events to help people make a more personal connection between recycling and the products that result from it. “It’s not just some stuff,” she says, “it’s your stuff.”—ET

Stacey Neffbreaking a glass ceiling

living thedreamsanta feans we love

Katharine Kagel patron saint of Pasqual’sTo survive in the grueling hospitality industry, certain attributes help—an endless supply of energy, for example, not to mention resilience. Katharine Kagel, owner of Santa Fe’s Café Pasqual’s, has these qualities plus incredible talent and creativity, a combination that’s made her a culinary legend in this city for more than three decades. In March, Kagel’s beloved establish-ment celebrated its 33rd year, and the award-winning chef, entrepreneur, artist, writer, and gallery owner remains exceedingly enthusiastic; a lesser professional would be exhausted. “I stay inspired by constant role-refreshment, changing up the roles I play in my life,” says Kagel. “I cook, I paint, I write.” What never changes is her commitment to using fresh, seasonal, organic foods whenever possible, at home and at Pasqual’s. “I yearn for food to rejuvenate us,” she says. “Organic and safe foods are important to me.” While fans appreciate her philosophy, it’s the flavors they crave. Among her latest menu additions: the Hippy Dippy Green Drink, a swirl of whole lemons, apple, cilantro, and ginger, served in an iced beer mug. Kagel’s written two acclaimed cookbooks, and now she’s flirting with the idea of a memoir. “My mother always said the book I should be writing is the real story of Café Pasqual’s,” she says.—John Vollertsen

go with the flow add a soothing water feature to your landscape

by Samantha Schwirck

AS Spring ApproAcheS and you begin to search for creative ways to personalize your outdoor space, consider adding a water feature—a decorative structure that holds or circulates water, such as a fountain or a pond. it can be as small or large as your space and budget allow, and you can select a style that blends perfectly with the natural landscape or stands out like a polished work of art.

Water features are popular because they create “a soothing oasis in the desert,” says Kendall Mccumber, who owns Mccumber Fine gardens in Santa Fe. people are innately drawn to water and calmed by its sight and sound, especially in areas like northern new Mexico, where its presence is rare.

“Just the sound of trickling water can make a hot courtyard feel cooler and relax the tension caused by heat and wind,” says catherine clemens, whose company clemens & Associates specializes in landscape architecture, contracting, and fine stonework.

Adding a water feature to your yard can also create a microclimate that encourages plant growth and welcomes

Above: Rainwater fills a quiet backyard stream, designed and installed by McCumber Fine Gardens. Below: Designed and installed by EcoScapes Landscaping, a pond and its rock surroundings blend easily with the home’s natural setting. Inset: A stone fountain, built by Range West stone artist Joshua Gannon and installed by Santa Fe Permaculture, adds graphic interest to a garden in bloom.

living

SANTA FE AREA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATIONA driving force for quality building in Santa Fe.1409 Luisa Street, Santa Fe • 505.982.1774

The Remodelers Showcase & ExpoCome to the Shellaberger Tennis Center at the Santa Fe University of Art & Design

and get great ideas for your new home or remodel project.

April 28 & 29, 2012ADM I S S I O N F R E E

Talk to builders, trades, and suppliers of products including green products for your home.You can also review the portfolios of remodelers and designers who have submitted their projects

in the Showcase and find out who was recognized for Excellence in Remodeling.The official magazine will be available for free at the Expo and sponsor locations.

SantaFean-Expo-2012ad:Layout 1 2/22/12 4:28 PM Page 1

97april/may 2012 santa fean

Cowboy boots. they’ve got funCtion and fashion, history and heritage. they vary in height, heel, and toe-box shape. their leather, which can be dyed any color imaginable, ranges from the basic (goat, pigskin) to the exotic (alligator and rattlesnake) to the far-out (giraffe! hippo!). then there are the decorative aspects: inlay, overlay, hand-painting, hand-tooling, filigree tooling, stitching, embroidery . . . and the list goes on.

before engaging in the mix-and-match bonanza that is boot shopping, it’s worth considering context. this is, after all, an investment that could last from 20 to 30 years. will you wear your boots while mucking stalls? strutting at the buckaroo ball? Crunching numbers at a bank? Ann thomas, who manages Lucchese Boot Company’s santa fe store (the other one is in san Antonio), says that a big part of her job is helping new clients “incorporate a boot into a suit-and-tie world.” “we have a lot of east Coast clientele,” she says. “i keep them in neutral leathers: blacks, browns, cognacs.”

At the funkier end of the spectrum are Back at the Ranch’s wild west handmade couture boots, which show up on brides, in music videos, and in the pages of Town & Country. seven years ago, store owner wendy henry purchased a boot factory in el Paso so she could have more design input and faster turnaround time on orders. now, in just four to six weeks clients can slip into boots that incorporate their own design elements, from brands to logos and even portraits of their pets.

fit is all-important, and shoe size should serve as a rough guide rather than a true north. Different boot makers size differently, and comfort always trumps numbers. Mindy Adler of Desert Son of Santa Fe says the first thing she asks clients is if they have any problems with fit. the majority of issues can be solved by customization, but regardless of whether a boot is new, used, or custom, the criteria for accommodating the foot’s 28 bones remain the same. when a boot fits right, says Adler, the foot’s arch lines up with the arch of the boot, and there is “movement up and down in the heel—the foot is not pushed to the back of the heel; the toes move freely.”

Most vendors agree that a boot should fit well from the get-go. “if they

cowboy up the wel l-heeled shopper ’s guide to buying boots in santa fe

by eve tolpa photography by gabriel la Marks

Lucchese Boot Company

Roy M. Flynn, owner of Boots & Boogie Back at the Ranch22

cowboy up the wel l-heeled shopper ’s guide to buying boots in Santa Fe

by Eve Tolpa photography by Gabriel la Marks

Santa Fe boot shops, pictured here and on the opposite page, provide endless options, whether you’re an experienced cowboy boot collector or a novice searching for your very first pair. Choose boots that are new, used, or custom-ordered—in a material, design, and color that suits you—and make sure they fit correctly, right from the start.

pinch or hurt anywhere, you’ve probably got trouble,” says Roy M. Flynn, custom designer and owner of Boots & Boogie, which sells between 35 and 50 pairs of boots a month. And don’t expect a boot’s fit to change significantly over time. “If it has never been comfortable, odds are it will never become comfortable,” he says. Flynn guarantees fit 100 percent, as will many higher-end shops.

Not surprisingly, comfort is also the key when you’re fitting a used boot. So says Kowboyz owner Suzy Grais, who moved her shop to Santa Fe’s Railyard area from Los Angeles four years ago. Kowboyz stocks roughly 5,000 pairs, of which about 10 percent are new (usually factory-made) and 90 percent are used (including handmade vintage). “They’ll fit the same way as a new boot, but softer,” Grais says. “You can walk out of here and start dancing the two-step.”

Back at the Ranch209 E Marcy

backattheranch.com

Boots & Boogie102 E Water

santafebootsandboogie.com

Desert Son of Santa Fe725 Canyon

desertsonofsantafe.com

Double Take321 S Guadalupe

santafedoubletake.com

Kowboyz345 W Manhattan

kowboyz.com

Lucchese Boot Company 57 Old Santa Fe Trail

lucchese.com

Santa Fe Boot Co.60 E San Francisco santafebootco.com

Kowboyz Boots & Boogie

Desert Son of Santa Fe

Back at the Ranch

23april/may 2012 santa fean

February/March Vol. 40 No. 1 64 pages

JANE SAUER6 5 2 C a n y o n R o a dSanta Fe, NM 875015 0 5 - 9 9 5 - 8 5 1 3j saue rga l l e r y. cominfo@jsauergallery.comG A L L E R Y

Tim Tate

February 24 - March 14

“JUST DESSERTS” ~ Glass ~ 18" x 8" x 8"

Santa fean Tim Tate Jan 2012.pdf 1/5/2012 12:05:48 PM

departmentsSanta Fe Studios opens for businesson 65 acres southwest of town.

Iconic rock-and-roll photographerBaron Wolman talks about his new book,The Rolling Stone Years.

Amadeus Leitner, Galisteo Sunrise, archival pigment print, 20 x 34"

february / march 2012

The Photography/History Issue

24 Close to the FlameAs the gateway to Los Alamos, Santa Fe played a role in the top-secret

Manhattan Project.

26 Stealing Fire Portraits of Los Alamos scientists by David Robin

32 There’s Something About the Light

Santa Fe photographers interpret the Northern New Mexico landscape.

24 Close to the FlameAs the gateway to Los Alamos, Santa Fe played a role in the top-secret

Manhattan Project.

26 Stealing Fire Portraits of Los Alamos scientists by David Robin

32 There’s Something About the Light

Santa Fe photographers interpret the Northern New Mexico landscape.

features

10 Publisher’s Note14 City DifferentIndulge your senses at ArtFeast; Santa Fe Studios, ready for action; the women of Taos 16 Mind+BodyRejuvenating massages for a mid-winter pick-me-up 18 Santa Fe InstitutionsThe Black Hole 20 Q+APhotographer Baron Wolman 39 ArtGoing behind the lens at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops + gallery previews

49 LivingFiber artist MargueriteWilson’s vaastu-inspired home 55 DiningWhoo’s Donuts, the reinventedPalace + romantic restaurants for you and your Valentine 62 History The 150th anniversary of theBattle of Glorieta Pass 64 Day Trip Red River

10 Publisher’s Note14 City DifferentIndulge your senses at ArtFeast; Santa Fe Studios, ready for action; the women of Taos 16 Mind+BodyRejuvenating massages for a mid-winter pick-me-up 18 Santa Fe InstitutionsThe Black Hole 20 Q+APhotographer Baron Wolman 39 ArtGoing behind the lens at the Santa Fe Photographic Workshops + gallery previews

49 LivingFiber artist MargueriteWilson’s vaastu-inspired home 55 DiningWhoo’s Donuts, the reinventedPalace + romantic restaurants for you and your Valentine 62 History The 150th anniversary of theBattle of Glorieta Pass 64 Day Trip Red River

8 santafean.com february/march 2012

JANE SAUER6 5 2 C a n y o n R o a dSanta Fe, NM 875015 0 5 - 9 9 5 - 8 5 1 3j saue rga l l e r y. cominfo@jsauergallery.comG A L L E R Y

Tim Tate

February 24 - March 14

“JUST DESSERTS” ~ Glass ~ 18" x 8" x 8"

Santa fean Tim Tate Jan 2012.pdf 1/5/2012 12:05:48 PM

Santa Fe Studios opens for businesson 65 acres southwest of town.14

Craig Varjabedian Rio Chama from the Overlook, Late Afternoon Light,near Abiquiú, New Mexico, 1997, gelatin silver print, edition of 200, 14 x 19", Gerald Peters Gallery, gpgallery.com

Since the early 20th century, when Ansel Adams and Edward Weston carried their cameras to Northern New Mexico, the region has inspired fine-art photographers with its dramatic landscapes,impossibly blue skies, and warm, golden, almost magical light. Today’s photographers use new equipment and techniques, but, as seen on the following pages, they’re still striving to capture the spirit of the area.

there's something about

the light

32 santafean.com

Mark Banham

Philip Metcalf Sky Chasm, 2009, infrared digital image, 13 x 19", philipmetcalf.com

Ernst Haas The Sea of Cars Means that the

Proprietor of La Fonda Is Having Success with His Establishment at the

End of the Old Santa Fe Trail, 1952, vintage gelatin silver print, 12 x 9",

Monroe Gallery of Photography,monroegallery.com

"The illumination of the golden autumn trees, the curve of the meandering river, the dramatic

shadows cast across the landscape—all combine to reveal a scene that is both momentous

and powerful."—Craig Varjabedian

Cody BrothersGolondrinas, NM–Buffalo, chromogenic print,

2010, edition of five, 20 x 74",Beals & Abbate Fine Art,

bealsandabbate.com

Teresa NeptuneGalisteo, October 2007, ultrachrome print, 12 x 18", Teresa Neptune Studio/Gallery, teresaneptune.com

the light

"I am drawn to the rainy season with its amazing patterns of light and cloud forms evolving, moving, changing. The dynamics of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains

create a theatrical continuum of incredible dimension."—David H. Gibson

Don KirbyStorm Cloud Over Black Mesa, 2004, gelatin silver print,edition of 10, 32 x 40", Verve Gallery of Photography, vervegallery.com

Gregg Albracht Free Spirits, 2008,

digital image on archival paper,18 x 26", Manitou Galleries, manitougalleries.com

David H. Gibson Storm Light Patterns, Rio Hondo Mesa, New Mexico, 1995,gelatin silver print, edition of 48, 9 x 23", Photo-Eye Gallery, photoeye.com

the light

37february/march 2012 santa fean

Eliot Porter Horse Skull, Georgia O’Keeffe’s House, Abiquiú,

New Mexico, 1952, gelatin silver print, 10 x 8", Scheinbaum & Russek Ltd., photographydealers.com

Janet Russek Bench in Snow Below Kitchen Mesa, Ghost Ranch, 1990, gelatin silver print, 10 x 13", Scheinbaum & Russek Ltd., photographydealers.com

Julien McRoberts Winter Blues, 2011, digital image, dimensions variable,julienmcroberts.com

Will McPhersonMesa Yoga, 2011, digital image, dimensions variable, willmacdesigns.com

james bradbury, Ph.d. age: 76Physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratories 1976–1993; now working on nuclear nonproliferation. Bradbury grew up in Los Alamos, where his father, Norris Bradbury, succeeded J. Robert Oppenheimer as scientific director at the labs.On growing up in Los alamos, among some of the greatest scientific minds in the world: “even as a kid, it led me into thinking about the beauty of science—and how science depends upon trans-boundary com-munication and the freedom to criticize and object and realize different perspectives. In some ways, the scientific paradigm would be very great if we could put it into governance or politics, but it doesn’t happen that way. They’re very different disciplines.”

stealing f irea portrait ga l le r y

by David Robin

introduction by Mar y Anne Redding

Since moving to Santa Fe from New York four years ago, award-winning commercial and fine-art photographer David Robin has developed an interest in Los Alamos

National Laboratories and the men and women who have worked there. On these pages he presents black-and-white

portraits of five Santa Fe–based scientists who spent important parts of their careers “on the hill.” The quotes that accompany each image were collected by Robin and Mary

Anne Redding, chair of the photography department at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, who interviewed

the scientists about their time living and working at Los Alamos and how the experience shaped their lives.

In 1943, an isolated site on the Pajarito Plateau was selected for the Manhattan Project, in which components of the atomic bomb were developed and tested in extreme secrecy. For the Pueblo people who lived in the remote landscape some 30 miles from Santa Fe, the mesas, mountains, and canyons they had inhabited for thousands of years were sacred. This land was respected as a fire site—a place of change where the energies of life that emerged from mother earth were visible in the volcanic undulations of the landscape.

Newly arrived in an environment they did not fully understand, the scientists and U.S. Army personnel brought their own desires for unleashing unseen energies of the cosmos, superimposing their own rituals for controlling the secrets of nature on the landscape. Everyone was intent on stealing fire from the skies. —Mary Anne Redding

DARRAGH NAGLE, Ph.D.Age: 92Physicist at Los Alamos National Laboratories 1942–1945 and 1956–1998; worked closely with Enrico Fermi at Columbia University, the University of Chicago, and Los Alamos.On his early days in Los Alamos and stopping at the popular teahouse, run by Edith Warner, on the road between Santa Fe and Los Alamos: “For fun we went skiing and we went hiking and occasionally we would go down to Santa Fe. But somehow I never got a bite of Edith’s chocolate cake.”

December/January Vol. 39 No. 6 72 pages

s t u d i o s art

where it all happensthree local a r t i sts show us how they work

by Samantha Schwirck photography by Wil l McPherson

“It’s kind of like an ocean-going ship turned upside down, sailing toward the

Galisteo Basin,” painter Michael Scott says of his 2,000-square-foot studio in Lamy. Scott worked with local sculptor and builder Mike Sharber to construct the space in 2001, and now Scott—accompanied by his dogs Shadow, a border collie, and Bullet, a German wirehaired pointer—paints here nearly every day. He listens to music (classical, blues, electronic) as he creates his painterly, highly stylized visions, which most recently have incorporated rescue dogs. “I’m a narrative storyteller, so a narrative painter,” he says. Scott is represented by Gerald Peters Gallery in Santa Fe. His latest project, a collection of paintings he calls The Doggie Diaries, can be seen at Gerald Peters Gallery in New York in January and February, just in time for the Westminster Dog Show.

40 santafean.com december 2011/january 2012

Leather jacket by Parajumpers, $1,555, at Alpine Sports

Shearling-lined leather boots by Johnston & Murphy, $176,

at Goler Fine Imported Shoes

G-Money sunglasses by Chrome Hearts, $1,100, at Optical

Shop of Aspen

Kiehl’s Facial Fuel skincare products

for men, $9–$38, at Wink

Leather Head football, $145, at Rippel and Company

Sterling silver and 14-karat gold buckle with ostrich belt, $1,880,

at James Reid, Ltd.

New, used, and audiophile record albums, from $5,

at The Guy in the Groove at Constellation Home Electronics

Baby alpaca scarves, from $39, at Peruvian Connection

HIm For

Mark Banham

Ibiza sport coat ($405) over a striped shirt by Equilibrio ($175) with

Alberto jeans ($249), at Corsini

Bolo tie in sterling silver, turquoise, and leather by

Arland Ben, $3,750, at Packards on the Plaza

Sterling silver and stone-inlay buckle with hornback alligator

belt, $1,875, at Tom Taylor Company

West Slope hat in chocolate with hand-tooled leather band

by Brad Martin, $1,525, at O’Farrell Hat Company

Hooded bathrobe by Missoni, $295,

at Pandora’s

Vintage seven-piece bar set, $65, at Rippel and Company

Mahogany table cigar cutter, $59, at

The Cigar Shop

Alligator wallet by John Allen Woodward, $600,

at Rippel and Company

25 santa fean

collectors’choice

market report

collectors’market report

collectors’by Eve Tolpa photography by Douglas Merriam

Lawrence Matthews sPenDs hIs DaYs surrounded by works by world-renowned masters like Miró, chagall, Modigliani, and toulouse-Lautrec. and he doesn’t live in new York or Paris; he’s right here in santa Fe.

Matthews is the owner and director of Matthews Gallery, one of a growing number of establishments in santa Fe that deals in what some might all “higher end” art —pieces valued at $50,000 and above. Matthews estimates that 15 to 20 percent of the art sold in town falls into that price range. santa Fe, he says, is “not only thought of by collectors as a place where they can see work by regional artists, but [as a place where] they are able to see museum-quality work by really significant artists.”

David eichholtz of David richard contemporary, a downtown gallery specializing in post-war american abstraction, agrees. “It’s not just historic, regional art that’s selling here,” he says. “we have fine art galleries that sell works by nationally and internationally known artists to national and international clients . . . santa Fe has a vibrant fine art scene.”

Santa Fe’s fine-art offerings continue to dazzle at galleries old and new

Lawrence Matthews, of Matthews Gallery on Canyon Road, is one of many Santa Fe gallerists who deals in works by internationally recognized masters.

31december 2011/january 2012 santa fean

“Santa Fe has a vibrant fine-art scene,” says David Eichholtz

of David Richard Contemporary. “We have galleries that sell works by nationally and internationally

known artists.”

Top, left to right: Amedeo Modigliani, Portrait de Sola (ca. 1918/1919), graphite, 17 x 10", at Matthews Gallery; Mark di Suvero, Titanium Landscape (2002), stainless steel, steel, and titanium,19 x 37 x 32", at Zane Bennett Contemporary Art; bottom, left and right: Matthews Gallery on Canyon Road exudes Santa Fe charm inside and out.

s t u d i o sart

hough graphite is usually a drawing material, Susan York uses it for sculpting as well. “We sculptors kind of go back and forth between three-dimensional things that we’ve made and placing them within a two dimensional framework,” says the Albuquerque native, who shows at James Kelly

Contemporary. York moved to her current studio—a 1,500-square-foot warehouse in Santa Fe—in 2009. She built a wall to divide it into two spaces, one for drawing, and a larger one for her minimalistic three-dimensional pieces. Not suprisingly, given the obvious focus and precision in her work, York prefers creating in her studio without distractions. “Not too many people work in silence,” she says. “There are a couple of bands that practice next door to me, so if they’re practicing, I wear headphones to drown it out.”

Santa Fean’s

Sty l ing by Katherine Maxwel lPhotography by Wendy McEahern

IFTGUIDE

A few of our favorite things, just

in time for the holidays

Freshwater pearl necklace with sterling silver and copper pendant

by Jhane Myers-NoiseCat (Comanche/Blackfeet), $400,

at Case Trading Post at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

Bronze vessels with gold oxidized finish by Michael

Aram, $85–$199, at Packards on the Plaza

Metal sea urchin bowl with glass insert, $36,

at Poem

Antique sterling silver bead necklace ($815) and multi-stone sterling silver pendant ($750),

at Rocki Gorman

Necklace of pink rose-cut sapphires and 22-karat gold,

$14,700, at Golden Eye

Necklace and rings with interchangeable components

in gold, stainless steel, ceramic, diamonds, and citrine,

$410–$6,955, at Charlotte

Bangle bracelets in 23-karat gold, $13,800–$4,200,

at Golden Eye

Aquamarine and 18- and 22-karat gold

necklace by Hal Hiestand, $4,850, at Packards

on the Plaza

Carousel ring with star quartz and champagne diamonds,

$5,840, at Golden Eye

23december 2011/january 2012 santa fean

Santa Fe lensman Jack Par-sons pays homage to his adoptive home state in Dark Beauty: Photographs of New Mexico (Hudson Hills Press, $60). The book’s 100 color images were taken over the past 35 years and range from stunning mountain landscapes to scenes of rural communities well past their heydays. Not every picture is pretty, but all are provocative.

The Wildlife Center in Española—New Mexico’s only wildlife hospital—turns 25 this year. Founded by veterinarian Kathleen Ramsay in 1986 as a raptor rehabilitation facility, today the center treats all the state’s endemic species, from hawks and owls to cou-gars and black bears. In a typical year, more than 1,000 animals are brought into the center’s ICU, for ailments ranging from domestic cat bites to gunshot wounds.

While the center has an impressive success rate of releasing animals back into the wild, its ultimate goal is to promote an ethic of wildlife stewardship. “People protect what they value, and they value what they have an engagement with,” says executive director Katherine Eagleson. Encouraging site visits to the center is one way the nonprofit—staffed by eight full- and part-time employees and assisted by more than 75 volunteers—facilitates a connection to wildlife on a personal level. Visitors can take self-guided tours along the center’s “Wild Walk” and learn about resident species (such as the golden eagle, foxes, and bobcats) that cannot be released back into the wild due to injuries or having become imprinted on humans. Literature at the center provides information about where the 30-plus animals on view were found and how they were harmed, and skilled handlers, who are available for questions, can be seen feeding and tending to the animals in various ways.

Educational programs, both on- and off-site, pres-ent the biggest opportunity for the center to foster an appreciation among New Mexicans for the importance of preserving habitats and therefore safeguarding indig-enous animals. One of the most popular annual events takes place at Abiquiú Lake during the first weekend in January, when the public can assist the center and the Army Corps of Engineers in counting migratory bald eagles. The center knows that it is outreach initiatives like this that will impact the survival of the state’s wild-life the most. “We’re not going to save any species by fixing broken wings,” Eagleson notes. “We are only going to save species by educating people to protect habitats.”For more information, visit thewildlifecenter.org. —Steven Horak

Walk on the Wild SideW I L D L I F E

Documentaries by two Santa Fe–based filmmakers are wowing audiences at film festivals across the country this fall. Wild Horses & Renegades, by director/cinematographer James Kleinert, looks at the plight of wild horses on our deteriorating public lands. Run to the East, written by journalist Joe Spring and based on a story he originally published in the New York Times, follows three Native American students who run for college scholarships and to overcome obstacles they face on their reservations. For screening schedules and more infor-mation, visit theamericanwildhorse.com and runtotheeast.com.

Man with a Vision

Southwest Vérité

the buzz a round town

right: The book’s cover features an image by Jack parsons titled View of Pedernal. Abiquiú, 1989; below: parsons’s Rio Grande, Socorro, 1974.

Bond (above) draws images in her sketchbook, then cuts them out and tapes them onto a large sheet of paper (above, right); her art collection features folk and tribal art (above, left) that “is related to nurturing and protection,” she says.

“What I look for in all art is authenticity,” says Felicia Bond.

Mark Banham

| H I S TO RY |

the eason house historic l iv ing in the heart of downtown

by Kate McGraw photography by Douglas Merriam

In 1790, RhoDe IslanD was becoming the 13th of the fledgling United states of america, the new country’s first president, George Washington, was delivering his inaugural address, and in santa Fe (the nearly 200-year-old pro-vincial capital of nuevo Mexico), Doña Juliana olguin was supervising meals for her husband, three children, and two servants in the farmhouse she’d lived in since her marriage to Don Manuel Trujillo 40 years earlier. Doña Juliana had inherited the property, historians believe, from her father, Tomas olguin, a grandson of original spanish settlers. sometime in the next 50 years, Doña Juliana would give the property to two relatives, Jesus lopez and his brother, Yginio Martinez. In 1846, Martinez and lopez sold the land to Ramon Marti-nez, another relative, having obtained one of the first deeds of record from the new american government of what would soon be the Territory of new Mexico.

an 1866 map that’s now in the British Museum shows that the house was built on Tracts 19–21 of the steep foothill area above the acequia para Recadio, along a hillside lane that was a public thoroughfare. a century and a half later, that lane is called hillside avenue, which meets Martinez street in a T-junction. What is now recognized in the national Register of historic Places as The Mar-tinez hacienda rambles east-west along hillside, above Martinez lane (a little

| H I S TO RY |

private drive off Martinez Street). The 7,300-square-foot lot it sits on extends from Hillside to Martinez Lane, with gar-dens on a series of terraces. It belongs to Joe and Barbara Eason, a retired Houston, Texas, couple (Joe was a commercial in-surance broker and Barbara was a teacher) who bought the property in 1998 from Bob and Priscilla Bunker and now live there part of the year. “We quickly fell in love with the house and the garden,” says Barbara.

As a labor of love, real estate attorney Carl G. Mueller, Jr., an old friend of the Easons, wrote a private, unpublished text, which his wife, Joanne, also helped with, describing all the historic references to the home Mueller could find. (Another Eason acquaintance, Mary Louise Kuhl-mann of Dallas, illustrated the text.) Old abstracts are “vague and inexplicit,” Muel-ler notes, but, he speculates, the house

itself, which is about 5,400 square feet, probably began as a one- or two-room adobe between 1650 and 1700 to serve the farm that went to the river.

Like many such houses, this one grew over the years; when it was sold in 1846 it was described, somewhat grandly, as an “83-viga” property. Twenty four of those

vigas, which spread over three rooms, were split off into a separate apartment in the 1920s and sold to three sisters from California. Joe Eason repurchased that in-house apartment on a separate deed in 2000 and currently rents out the space.

The old abstracts have a great many Spanish surnames on them, principally Olguin, Trujillo, Duran, and Martinez (lots of Martinezes). Anglo names began

appearing in 1881 and dominate the titles to this day. Bits and pieces of the property were sold over the years, and neighboring residences were built.

When the Easons bought the house, they were determined to keep it much the way they found it. “Their goal has been that any work done on The Marti-

nez Hacienda would honor their desire to maintain the historic and cultural integ-rity of an important and integral part of Old Santa

Fe,” Mueller writes. The couple did some nominal sprucing up in the bathrooms and kitchen, but the home definitely re-tains its eccentricities. The threshold into one bedroom has a step up that includes decorative tiles and a wooden sill, and, finally, a large piece of stone. The step out of the sala, or living room, has two crosses painted on it—one on the door and one on the doorsill as part of an apparently

The Easons did some nominal sprucing up, but their historic home definitely retains its eccentricities.

Opposite page: Joe and Barbara Eason (far left) fill their historic, double-adobe home built into the side of a cliff with Western and Indian art and some pieces of furniture they salvaged from places like La Posada.

M I C H A e l H A M p t o n D e s I g nw w w . m i c h a e l h a m p t o n d e s i g n . c o m

t i m e l e s s t a i l o r e d M o d e r n

s a n t a F e W a s h i n g t o n D . C .

livinglivingl ifestyle | design | home

Wildly successful children’s-book illustrator and author Felicia Bond has lived in Santa Fe for almost two decades. Over the years she’s built a home that’s as cozy and covetous as her career. Here she offers a look at the space that both inspires and nurtures her creativity—a place where her imagination (not to mention her numerous cats) can run free.

l ifestyle | design | homelifestyle | design | home

fter years of running all over the world, including in Sydney, Australia, where he competed in the 2000 Olympics, Ryan Bolton has found a home in Santa Fe. Bolton retired from the World Cup racing circuit in 2004 and set his sights on implementing a training program for

elite runners. It was in Santa Fe that he found the ballast for his kinetic lifestyle: ―varied terrain for running and a cultural land-scape engaging enough to call home.

“I love the contrast of worlds available here,” says Bolton from the patio of his East Palace Avenue home, located up a narrow driveway and tucked behind the more sprawling street-facing houses. “And place is very important to me,” he adds. “When I bought my home, I knew that I wanted to be walking distance from everything. The house had to have character and be just what I needed based on my lifestyle. I hate wasted space. I use every room equally.”

For a runner who grew up in wide-open Wyoming, a 1,200- square-foot adobe nudged into a rambling enclave might feel constrained. Not so for Bolton, whose internalized sense of aerodynamics brings a lightness of being to the place. “This is an amazing house—―no walls are straight. All of the imperfections

make the place magical,” he notes while admiring the slight tilt of a window.

Before buying the house, Bolton contacted the Santa Fe design firm Violante & Rochford Interiors, which is owned by Michael Violante and Paul Rochford. (Rochford and Bolton are friends from the racing world.) The designers agreed that Bolton had found a treasure, given the home’s high ceilings, three kiva fire-places, abundant natural light, and carriage-house garage that compensates for the absence of interior closets.

Violante & Rochford was key to manifesting Bolton’s vision of blending historic and contemporary elements, much of which was achieved through a selective use of textiles. The design team addressed a few challenges as well. As with many older adobe houses, each room connects directly to another, which, while not wasting space, can be problematic in terms of function. First, the designers had to decide which of the two patio doors would become the main entry. Ultimately, they chose the one that opened onto the brick-floored kitchen, where coat hooks and shoes look right at home. “It’s like living in Europe. So many people want views, but I like this more,” Bolton says, pointing out the narrow, concrete stairway just below the kitchen-patio’s wall—between his house and the plastered walls, patios, and coy-ote fences of his neighbors—that leads down to Palace Avenue.

“We treated the space like a gallery and picked out some fun, warm colors and ran with them. Taupe, in various shades, is the common denominator,” says Michael Violante, of Violante & Rochford Interiors. The collaboration between the designers and their client required integrating Bolton’s eclectic furniture, like his antique Chinese physicians desk, with a global-contemporary interior. A nearly audible conversation takes place between the antique implements, such as the colorful sap buckets from the Northeast and the terra-cotta beakers from Paris, as well as the subtle wear-patterns of the 19th-century silk Javanese textiles in the dining room and the traffic-pattern grooves in the floorboards. One of Violante & Rochford’s most striking designs is a desk chair upholstered in a Castel-manufactured bold, oval, print fabric that recalls timeless graphic motifs of Asian and African resist-dyed textiles.

“When I bought the house, the walls were very colorful,” Bolton continues, reflecting on the adobe’s interior. “I wanted to see the contours and shapes, the mass of the house, rather than color, so we painted all the walls white.” The walls contrast with the dark, stained-pine floors to create a vessel for showcasing the historic bones of the house as well as highlighting the talisman-like objects, many of which were found by Violante & Rochford. The placement of these evoca-tive objects adds a mercurial quality to the earthiness of the structure.

Originally, the home’s bedroom was in the center of the residence, which made it a pass-through on the way to the small living room. The designers turned that bedroom into an expanded living area with an adjoining sitting room, while the “catch-all” room at the back of the house became the current, cozy bedroom.

Flanking the bedroom door are freestanding custom steel closets, which were powder-coated white and built by Mike Schrieber, one of the local artists Violante & Rochford works with. “The closets were designed in two units so they wouldn’t block this doorway,’’ says Bolton, admiring the sloping lintel covered in peeling paint. His pri-orities are evident, and the closets, which are minimalist upgrades of lockers, reflect the vision of one who appreciates simplicity yet always makes room to welcome the world.

“This is an amazing house—no walls are straight. All of the imperfections make the place magical,” says Ryan Bolton.

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