Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery features artists Ray Baird, Michael Nail

The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery, 2470-A Calle de Guadalupe, on the historic plaza in Mesilla across from the Fountain Theatre, is featuring the works of local artists Ray Baird and Michael Nail in April, and continues to feature art by Linda Hagen and Philip Krumholz in March.

Baird, an oil painter, grew up in the Midwest and has a BFA in drawing and painting from the University of Kansas. He has lived in Las Cruces since the 1990s. Baird’s work, lightly described as impressionistic expressionism, uses translucent complementary colors that represent his feelings, rather than a true representational image, the gallery said in a news release.

Nail is a lifelong New Mexico resident and has lived in Las Cruces from an early. Until his recent retirement from the City of Las Cruces where he served as a senior construction inspector, Nail did not have time to pursue his passion for art full time, the gallery said. Nail works primarily in pencil, charcoal and ink, finding western, Native American and wildlife themes the subjects he is most “drawn” to.

Hagen moved to Las Cruces from Ohio in 2004. She paints in oils in the studio as well as in plein air. Her love of nature and animals is reflected in her work, but she holds a special regard for horses.

Krumholz was born in Peoria, Illinois and moved to Las Cruces with his wife, Jeanie, in 2017. He began metalsmithing, learning the arts of blacksmithing, metal casting and fabrication. Krumholz uses no patterns or dies for his pieces, which are made from scratch, one at a time.

First American Bank, 1553 Avenida de Mesilla, is well represented by gallery members who rotate their artwork monthly at the bank.

MVFAG features the work of 30 artists in various media, including oil, acrylics, pastels, watercolor, fused glass art jewelry, woodturnings, stained glass, photography, ceramics, mixed media, decorated gourds, handmade textile weavings, art tile, fiber art, natural gemstone jewelry, colored pencil, basket weavings, charcoal, pen and ink, prints, cards and miniature paintings.

MVFAG is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily with limited access because of public health orders.

Call 575-522-2933. Visit www.mesillavalleyfinearts.com.