Artists of Picacho Hills display work at Arts Council exhibit

The Artists of Picacho Hills (APH) will display their artwork in the Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC) main gallery, 250 W. Amador Ave., during the month of September.

The group was founded in 2008 by artists living in the Picacho Hills community with a shared interest in promoting the arts. Its mission is to provide members support and networking opportunities in the local community. The artisans in the group work in many different mediums, including painting, sculpture, jewelry, photography, woodworking, textile, quilting and multimedia.

The group conducts Art in the Garden every May, showcasing artwork and landscaping in the western corner of Las Cruces. The organization also puts together a fall show titled Holly Day House that raises money for charity.

Among their members exhibiting work in the DAAC show are some well-known regional artists as well as several newcomers.

• Barbara Bush, a plein air painter, has shown her work for more than 12 years with the Art Group in Fredericksburg, Texas, the Fredericksburg Art Guild, the Kerrville Arts and Cultural Center and the Plein Air Painters of New Mexico, along with the Lincoln County Art Loop in Ruidoso. Patrons can see her work in the Old Lincoln Gallery in Lincoln, New Mexico, and DJ’s Jewelry in Ruidoso.
• Paul Maxwell also paints outdoors. He has shown his work in several El Paso galleries; Art Ruidoso Gallery in Ruidoso; Ardovino's Desert Crossing in Sunland Park; and DAAC, Picacho Hills Country Club, Café de Mesilla and Memorial Medical Cancer Center Las Cruces in Las Cruces and Mesilla.
• Marie Siegrist, a New Mexico Watercolor Society member, paints dramatic skies, landscapes, nature studies and unique doors and windows. She has studied with many nationally known watercolor artists and taken workshops at the University of Wisconsin Extension. She taught watercolor in the Madison (Wisconsin) Area Technical College System for many years and conducted workshops and classes. She continues to teach art in Las Cruces.

Additional painters in the show include Jeffie Mackey, an emerging artist inspired by Henri Matisse; and Rosemary McKeown, a long-time APH member who paints and works in jewelry; Jan Minow, who creates acrylic paintings, often in warm pastel hues with a hint of abstraction; and Karen Conley, who often focuses on pears (and wrote this article).

The group’s newest member, Becki Thomas, works in watercolor to create vibrant and whimsical florals.

Additional members will be showcasing 3D work to include quilts, jewelry, ceramics, woodworking, folk art, weaving and fiber work.

Jan Severson, a fiber artist, will be showing several pieces along with Susan Pauley, who spins art yarn.  Abby Osborne and Sharon Cunningham will display quilts and Sherwood Hoffman's wooden bowls will also be shown.

Folk artist Sally Kohl, inspired by the colors and shapes of native and Mexican cultures of the desert Southwest, will have painted churches and other New Mexico-themed pieces on display. Linda Lee and Lisa Carlson have jewelry in the show, and Larry Felhauer and Deborah Moore, both ceramists, will display work in what promises to be a show with something for everyone.

“At the Doña Ana Arts Council, we are working on engaging a broad spectrum of our community in a wide range of the arts,” said DAAC Executive Director Greg Smith. “With this many artists working in so many arts media, it helps us make that happen.”

DAAC is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. the second Saturday of every month.  Call 575-523-6403. Visit www.daarts.org.