Taking place at the beautiful Santa Fe Community Convention Center in the heart of the city, Art Santa Fe welcomes its esteemed exhibitors and attendees to a beautiful gallery-style venue. Artists from around the world will be exhibiting at Redwood Art Group’s Art Santa Fe fair this July during Santa Fe Art Week.

Here are nine artists to watch during this year’s fair! Get to know the talented group below.

Shan Ogdemli

Stacy Nixon

Stacy’s award-winning work has been shown consistently in some of the region’s most noteworthy exhibitions and venues, has been recognized by multiple artists in residence programs throughout the country, and can be found in private collections and illustrated publications around the world.

She has a deep desire to illuminate the connections between the conscious mind and the unconscious landscape of possibility, with lots of beauty on the side. Connection to history, story, myth, and magic is always present, waiting to be discovered.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: I feel that to be successful in any business there needs to be a willingness to commit to all aspects of the vision. I would love to paint 90% of my time in the studio but that is often not the reality. Creative actions are always balanced by administrative actions. That being said when the Muse does visit- you listen!

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: I am currently inspired by Mimmo Palladino, his simplicity of form and color sense are timeless. Deloss McGraw is also a real inspiration, the looseness in his work and the naivety applied to deep subjects is so beautiful.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: The best advice I have received is “Ready, Shoot, Aim”, which at first seems mad. The idea is that you broadcast a wide net, see what makes a connection, and then narrow the focus.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: I am looking forward to exhibiting at Art Santa Fe because it is my home town! Santa Fe is such a special place to be an artist and I look forward to connecting with even more wonderful people in the arts and art patrons at our event.

The Nick Haus

“I create because it allows me to live fully, it affords me a way to address unarticulated feelings and ideas. For me, painting becomes an intimate conversation with the canvas, brush, and paint. I prefer to paint with Acrylics, using movement and color to express the emotion and content of the work. I use fast strokes, allowing the brush and the emerging feeling of the composition to guide my progress. I approach works without preconceptions of structure but with a sense of something needing to be expressed. I think of my style as abstract expressionism, and although I have many influences, I think I’m most influenced by Freida Kahlo, and Jackson Pollock-probably more in their energy, need to create, and to regulate emotion through art rather than a specific style. Art has always been a crucial part of my life and continues to act as my sanctuary to cope with the painful trauma and remarkable beauty of life.

I hope all this is what my art communicates to others, and I hope to accomplish a greater interconnection to myself and an emotional connection with others thru my works. It feels bigger than me, and this nurtures my sense of being and my identity as a person and an artist.”

Those who love Abstract Art and bold colors would be great admirers of the works of Nick Haus. After all, she’s an Abstract Expressionist who grew up in West Texas influenced by the Marfa art scene.

But Nick Haus is more than just an artist who specializes in the creation of vibrant abstract paintings. The Nick Haus has been an art educator for the last 23 years.

Previously, she taught at a residential treatment center for at-risk youth from 2000-2020. She is currently working at a Classical Academy where she teaches art to K-8 grade. She has extensive experience in art education and working with students of various ages.

For her education, The Nick Haus studied at Sul Ross State University where she earned a BFA, MA specializing in Art.

Inevitably, The Nick Haus began focusing more on launching her career as a professional Artist in 2019. This journey started with experimenting with various mediums and subject matter, this is where she found herself continuously returning to abstract art. The Nick Haus found that through her abstract works, she was able to convey unarticulated feelings and ideas through her lines, color, and movement.

Since she launched her Art career, she has continued to paint and has worked on private commissions, and continues to take part in group exhibitions.

Vicki Todd

Hailing from Happy, Texas (the Town Without a Frown), Vicki Todd is a largely self-taught artist. Her fascination with art began in her Grandmother’s china shop and painting classes taught in her home attic. Todd’s Grandmother encouraged her to sit in during the classes and paint china pieces along with the adult students. At the age of 6, Todd announced that she wanted to be an artist during the question-and-answer portion of the Little Miss Happy beauty contest, which she participated in and won – a  memory she recalls through her mother’s telling of the story. However, art became a part-time hobby pushed to life’s back burner.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: I call myself a memoir artist because whatever is happening in my life makes its way into my art. This practice began when I transitioned from a nonworking wife in a failing marriage, who lost a baby I knew I was not meant to conceive, into a university professor, after going back to school to earn a doctorate degree to teach public relations. During this tumultuous time, I began painting expressive female portraits to convey my feelings of anxiety, fear, hope, and determination. After teaching for 17 years, the call to pursue my love of art prompted me to resign from my tenured professor position at the age of 50 and focus on creating art full-time. This leap allowed me to write and perform a one-woman show called Shine Happy Shine!, for which I created 30 body print paintings and seven paper mache fairytale masks. I used the play format as an evolving art exhibit that urges viewers to follow their heart’s whispers, rather than society’s shouts of what is expected. In 2018, I took the plunge into clay and began sculpting female figures that include flowering vine motifs, which symbolize evolution, self-growth, and transformation. My hope is that my artwork in all its forms gives others joy, strength, and resilience, and inspires them to probe their own dreams.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: I took a class from Kristine Poole, a sculptor in Santa Fe, who transformed my practice as an emerging artist/sculptor. She taught the class how to build a female nude at 60 to 75 percent life-sized. Learning to sculpt larger figures has prompted me to not only increase the size of my work but also explore more challenging body postures and expressive hand and foot gestures. Seeing her uber-realistic nude figures in striking poses has helped me to think more expansively when crafting my own sculptures.

I recently viewed an exhibit by another Santa Fe sculptor, Clea Carlsen. The extreme detail that she hand-builds into her sculptures’ coiled hair and sometimes deconstructed body parts inspires me to push the limits of what flourishes can be successfully added to a sculpture.

I love the bold colors, magnitude, and immersive quality of Niki de Saint Phalle’s sculptures and installations, which is a possibility I would like to explore in the future.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Two separate mentors told me: “Onward and upward!” and “Don’t look at the mountain. Focus on one rock at a time.” These sayings help me when preparing for a large exhibit, such as Art Santa Fe, but also on a daily basis when I might feel a little stuck and need to keep my art flowing forward.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: After teaching public relations at the university level for 17 years, I evolved through the novice-proficient-expert scale. Upon quitting my tenured professor position, I once again became a floundering beginner trying to find my footing as an artist. Being accepted to exhibit at Art Santa Fe as an emerging artist in the SOLO Pavilion gives me a sense of validation that I am on the right track once again. I look forward to connecting with galleries and collectors and welcoming new open doors of opportunity through this dynamic art experience.

Victoria Veedell

“Places have a memory, a history, a feeling that we connect with. These memories, like faint echoes, are revealed as light moves across the landscape, transforming the color and texture of a place. It is these moments and experiences that I capture in my atmospheric landscape paintings.

My fascination with the landscape stems more from an interest in exploring our primal connection to the land rather than a focus purely on the aesthetics of a place. My paintings trace the effect light has on a location, how it leaves its mark on the landscape, and how it illuminates the essence of nature–creating different moods, transforming a scene, drawing us in, focusing our gaze, changing the temperature physically and emotionally, and capturing movement. Combined, these elements relay the feeling and memories of a place. My paintings are a snapshot of a particular moment in time. Recording these moments is an act of resistance documenting places that are threatened by increased urbanization and catastrophic climate change. They are a call to preserve these places and a reminder of the important symbiotic relationship that we have with nature.”

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: I have a very strong work ethic and take my practice seriously. I am a full time painter and keep regular 10-5 studio hours. This helps me stay focused and create the paintings I want to make. Travel is an important component in my work. I attend artist residencies regularly so that I can explore a place for an extended amount of time while being able to paint and record my experiences straight away. I am a prolific painter and feel like there always more to learn in painting. Nature supplies endless inspiration.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Wolf Kahn, Joan Mitchell, and Richard Mayhew.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Show up to your studio every day and make the work.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: I’m looking forward to making new connections and nurturing new relationships. I want to share my paintings with a new audience of collectors, artists and art lovers.

Michele Thompson

Michele was born and raised in a rural canyon community in Orange County, CA, where she recognized her symbiotic relationship with the natural world and developed a fondness for artfully capturing her interactions with it. She demonstrated an interest in drawing and painting from a young age, developing her skills gradually. Although she was accepted into the fine arts degree program at Laguna College of Art and Design in California, and eventually attended Colorado Mountain College and Alaska Pacific University in Outdoor Recreation and Wilderness Therapy degree paths, she never attained a degree. Instead, when she wasn’t attempting to piece together an education, she was coping with the slow loss of her mother and eventually her father. Having spent her 20s experiencing the time-consuming tribulations of grief and attempting to find a purpose in the world, Michele is now devoted to her art practice as she seeks to use painting to deepen her understanding of life and death and demonstrate the commonalities of these collective experiences. She has participated in three international artist residencies which have allowed her to expand her understanding of the cultural and spiritual leverages between humanity and nature. Having lived in many U.S. states thus far, she currently resides in Arizona with her husband.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: In the last couple of years, I’ve let go of the pressures involving ‘my place in the world’ and have begun freely carving my own path. My philosophy is simply to be authentic. In remembering where I come from and holding on to the most important things in my life, I become more inspired to create. All of it has evolved into this beautiful cycle of inspiration, research, and creative production. I have found that the more inspired I am during a painting, the more enthusiastic buyers and other artists are about it. Genuine enthusiasm for my work is one of the greatest achievements I can attain. It validates my work and my life – And there is virtually no separation between the two.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: I’m foundationally inspired by French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, which brings many artists to mind, such as Berthe Morisot and Vincent Van Gogh. Art Nouveau and early 20th-century American Illustrations also interest me. Artists like J.C. Leyendecker who have styles involving intricate and specific mark-making, and painters like Monet and Renoir who mastered the art of capturing light in a scene, are currently influencing my work in significant ways. The historical contexts behind the art of the late 1800s – early 1900s are also plainly fascinating to me, as the Western world was exploding into modernity. The deeply evocative works of Kathe Kollwitz are an eternal source of inspiration as well.

I’m constantly learning about contemporary artists whose works and processes motivate me and provide stimulating insight. Some off the top of my head include Erika b Hess, Angela Chin, Mark Maggiori, and Pat de Groot.

The writers who have recently influenced my work include Mikhail Bulgakov, H.G. Wells, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Gustav Flaubert, W.B. Yeats, Edgar Allan Poe, and Ernest Becker – Male writers providing a variety of perspectives on femininity and romance, sociopolitical criticisms and solutions, and historical and cultural insights.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “Use more paint.” This changed my life. After I dropped out of art school, I clung to my rigid realist approach. This meant I was afraid to make changes to a painting after making a certain amount of progress on it. Many painters can probably relate to this: being early in my career, I didn’t have enough experience making mistakes, so I didn’t know how to fix them. Not being in school prevented me from receiving that much-needed third-party influence to teach me how to overcome this. I would preemptively apply less paint out of fear so that I could wipe it off and still have a clean surface for another try. During an artist residency in 2014, a mentor and friend told me to use more paint and began periodically painting on my canvases, which I found off-putting at the time, but I now realize how much that helped me. It messed with my palette, my ego, and my sense of what art even is. Now, I’m an Impasto painter and find so much enrichment in spreading around copious amounts of paint! Experimenting with texture and movement is essential to my process now.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: It feels like I’ve been promoted. To present my work to industry professionals and collectors in this setting will be an incredibly valuable experience. The opportunity to have enriching discussions about art, not just about my own but about any art at the fair and about the industry in general, will be constructive no matter the outcome. Being around other artists stimulates my creativity and motivates me to learn. The feedback I receive will ultimately fuel my deep desire to be the best painter that I can be. I’m honored to have the opportunity!

Olayinka Kasali

Brianna Timourian

Brianna Timourian was born and raised in Austin, Texas. From a young age, she always had a passion for storytelling and this led her to make short films and keep a spiral of poems in order to express her highly imaginative thoughts and feelings. Today, Brianna believes her creative muse can be spread through her paintings of abstract women and abstract expressionist art. She studied Studio Art and Kinesiology at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas. Brianna then decided to pursue art and become an art teacher. She taught for 4 years at Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock, Texas. Currently, she teaches Art 2 and Art 3 at Benold Middle School in Georgetown, Texas. Brianna enjoys spreading her love of art with others and helping students find their own creative voice to express themselves. She loves color and is inspired by bright Pop art. Brianna had her own art exhibition titled: Eclectic Synergy in January of 2023 at the Georgetown Public Library. Brianna is keenly interested in nature and the outdoors and she spends time hiking, kayaking, practicing yoga and playing tennis.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “There can be 100 people in a room and 99 of them don’t believe in you, but all it takes is one and it just changes your whole life.” -Lady Gaga

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: It means the world to me. I am so happy to be recognized as an artist. I am so excited to have this opportunity to showcase my artwork amongst so many great artists! I can’t wait, and I will soak up every minute of it!

Taking place at the beautiful Santa Fe Community Convention Center in the heart of the city, Art Santa Fe welcomes its esteemed exhibitors and attendees to a beautiful gallery-style venue. Artists from around the world will be exhibiting at Redwood Art Group’s Art Santa Fe fair this July during Santa Fe Art Week.

Here are nine artists to watch during this year’s fair! Get to know the talented group below.

Jim Baker

Jim Baker is a New Mexican mixed-media artist working on the creation of three-dimensional devotional art. Jim’s work is strongly influenced by his years as a pastor and by his love for the Bible and sacred writings. His art uses antique religious artifacts, repurposed Bibles, reliquary altars, crosses, and spiritual symbols to illuminate Biblical passages, metaphors, and stories. Jim’s prayer is that his art will inspire devotion and worship of God, provoke spiritual conversations, and help to uncover the often hidden meaning in Holy Scripture.

Joanna Forbes

While she may be new to the art world, Joanna’s ability to inspire and communicate through her artwork is not underestimated. Her passion and uniquely creative mind drive her. Joanna invites her audience to experience the wonderment of creative painting and design through her work, inspiring them to connect with her art personally.

“As an artist, I am constantly drawn to the power of color to evoke emotion and shape the mood of a piece. Color is not just an accessory but an essential element of her work. Each hue is carefully chosen to convey a feeling or create a particular atmosphere, whether bold, vibrant, soft, or serene.

Exhibiting my work in Art Santa Fe in 2023 means I have made a step forward in my career and life goals. My preferred painting style is abstract and surreal, allowing me to explore the depths of my imagination and tap into the mysteries of the human psyche. The abstract form can speak to the soul in a way that words cannot, leaving room for interpretation and inviting the viewer to find their meaning within the piece.

In my work, I strive to capture the essence of wonderment, the feeling of being in awe of something beyond the known. Through color and abstract shapes, I aim to transport the viewer to a place of curiosity and contemplation, where they can explore the unknown and encounter the unexpected.”

Muse Gallery

Muse Gallery, now known as Muse Art Services, has been in operation for over 25 years. Caren Petersen opened Muse Gallery in Columbus, Ohio in 1998, which operated in a stand-alone building until 2012. During this time, Caren often traveled to New Mexico to select and visit various artists to show at Muse Gallery, and eventually bought land on which to build a house and (someday) a gallery, in Taos, NM. In 2007, she opened Muse Gallery Taos (NM) and moved there, while her oldest daughter, Hali, ran the Columbus gallery.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: Muse Gallery has always tried to present art that tells a story and provokes a conversation. I believe that’s my personal mission, to have people engage and embrace art that they will look at every day, engage with, have a conversation with, and allow into their subconscious. It may sound dramatic, but I’ve seen (and sometimes owned) pieces of art that have made me cry.  Art can present such a powerful message. I’ve never chosen an artist or art simply because I thought it would sell. That said, it’s important that all the artwork passing through the gallery was well-crafted and beautifully executed, and that the artists understood and conveyed their message effectively.

Of course, there is a difference between people who are buying for themselves and designers buying for a corporation.  I love large dramatic pieces that look great in office buildings, but if I’ve sold them, they are probably subliminally narrative or textural or somehow more than just decorative.  I want collectors, whether for their personal spaces or for an office space to love looking at that piece of art now, 10 years from now, etc.  In that vein, Muse allows trade-ups of artwork.  So if, for example, a collector purchased a small piece and years later wanted to get something more substantial by that same artist, I would allow them to trade up, applying what you paid for the piece as a credit toward a new piece.  If a collector moves and can’t use a large piece they have, I’ll take that piece back on consignment to try to sell it for them.  I want my collectors to be life-long friends and clients, to know that they are “investing” in art, not just buying something.  There is a level of assurance I provide that the artwork has value long after you first purchased it.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Not “buy what you love”, although buying what you love is important. The statement itself is just too simplistic, and the word “love” is so overused. People “love” what they’re used to many times, what they feel comfortable with. I believe in pushing boundaries, stepping outside your comfort zone, and supporting art that is important and meaningful. So, if you love passionately, if you’re willing to financially support artists who are broaching difficult subjects or techniques, then yes, “buy what you love”. Otherwise, find an expert you enjoy working with and trust, set a budget, and then dive in, and collect fearlessly.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: Collectors or people who want to understand and collect art are everywhere, but Santa Fe has always been known as an art mecca.  It’s a place people go specifically to buy art.  Participating in Art SF is a great way to connect with people who have made a commitment to look at art, and because Art SF is a curated show, they are making an educated decision to look at the best art from the best galleries.

Ofer Samra – O&S Fine Art

Inspired by human nature and the natural world, Ofer Samra’s current work explores themes of the environment, animal extinction and human expression. Using a variety of media, including water-based paints, resin varnish, and collage, Samra creates a vibrant visual and emotional experience through color and movement.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: Most of my work is intrigued by ideas that concern our world. Subjects such as “Animal extinction”, “Saving the Planet”, “Israel Leaders”, “Natives” and “Human communication” have been created to increase awareness.

A conversation, old photographs, news, or something I feel strongly about, can spark the engine.

I’m an advocate of the “Creating a Problem and fixing it” process during the work, it keeps me alive.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: I am inspired by Charles Arnoldi. An Artist who had reinvented himself for decades. He is so passionate about the work. Charles has an individual style that changed the contemporary art scene.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “There’s no mistake in Art, it’s a part of the process.”

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: A year ago, I visited Santa Fe for the first time. I was inspired by the art, history, culture and people. I cant wait to be a part of it. Thank you to Redwood Art Group for selecting me to be a part of the show, I’m looking forward to meeting everyone.

Ouida Touchon

More than a printmaker, or painter, I think of myself as an image maker. I enjoy working in the studio on various media including printmaking and painting as well as collage.  I am drawn to historic female characters, ancient manuscripts, and vintage or antique maps. How to tell a visually remarkable story is the challenge.

My studio practice includes a focus on socially conscious narratives about strong women of the American West, and what garments I imagine such women would wear.

I also enjoy making images of botanicals that are familiar to the West, such as red chiles, blue columbines, and aspen that permeate the Rockies. My work is based on observation and research but tends toward abstraction and pattern.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: My work philosophy is straightforward. I create, I do not quantify or measure time, I work until the artwork speaks to me and tells me it is complete. It’s a joyful calling and I do not suffer with it. I know that my audience is the world’s smallest and that I am not destined for a mass-market appeal. I would find that kind of work insufferable, and rather rote. I listen to my imagination and I try to stay on a flow that avoids tributaries and tangents. What do I ask myself each time I come to near completion of an artwork is: is this piece remarkable? That’s how I measure.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: I am inspired by many of the modernists, especially the Santa Fe and Taos modernists of the early 20^th Also, I love to look at ancient manuscripts and illuminations for pattern, and composition. The Ukiyo-e Japanese woodcut print artists are always a delight to look at and I am drawn to contemporary public-art artists such as Shepard Fairey and emerging black artists such as Delita Martin and Bisa Butler.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: The best advice I’ve received is from a professor in my Master’s program who told me to see more and paint less. On a more business-of-art direction, I listen to Seth Godin, Akimbo podcast and find value in his philosophy about the world’s smallest audience and being authentic and remarkable with my work.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: Exhibiting at Art Santa Fe means a lot to me in that it is an opportunity to show with a company that has the experience and a track record of putting on well-marketed and well-designed shows of high-caliber artists. I am hoping to find a small audience of galleries and collectors who are interested in purchasing and representing my artwork.

Reto Messmer

“I describe my sculptures as surrealistic in the original sense: “The practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects by means of unnatural or irrational juxtaposition and combinations.” In my case: the juxtaposition of the materials rusty steel and skulls are being used to create fantastical new objects or beings that seem to have a life of their own or the juxtaposition of seeming purpose and result: the purpose of a particular piece seems to be for it to be able to fly but for very obvious reasons it will never be able to do so. These juxtapositions are used to evoke a reaction in the viewer, I want my sculptures to be alive in a sense. Having been trained in classical painting and sculpture, I always apply the same principles of proper composition, balance, etc to my sculptures as well.”

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: I have originally been trained in classical painting and sculpture, the guidelines of which I adhere to in my work, be it sculpture or painting. Temporary fads or gimmicks are of no artistic value or interest to me.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Other than many of the classic masters every once in a while I encounter modern artists, some of which might inspire me, first and foremost Jean Tinguely, a Swiss metal sculptor, “the father of kinetic sculpture “, also Bernhard Luginbuehl from the same group of artists in the sixties, as well as Jean Michel Basquiat and Andy Goldsworthy to name a few.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: If the voice inside tells you that the piece you’re working on isn’t good yet, keep working, but then know when it’s time to stop.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: I’m looking forward to showing my work in this city full of art, in the company of other artists.

Rokoko

Rokoko was established in 1984 as a means to unify the artistic collaboration and creations of A.me and Mitch Alamag. The name “Rokoko” comes from “Kokoro” a Japanese word that means “of the heart” and from “Rococo” a period of art during the mid-18th century. They are both graduates of The Rhode Island School of Design 1984, where they met started their business collaboration, and later married in 1988. A.me has a BFA in Painting and Mitch has a BA in Architecture.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Do what you love. Work for yourself. Be present.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: It is a great opportunity to share what we do with the art community in Santa Fe and to be inspired by others. We hope to connect with new people who connect with our work.

Scout Dunbar

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Keep going and you’ll make it. No one takes you seriously as an artist in your twenties, so work hard for your thirties and forties and you’ll be great!

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: I’m excited to return to one of my favorite places to exhibit an entirely new collection of art to people who have probably never encountered my work before. It means a lot to exhibit in the Santa Fe community as I felt deeply connected to it when I lived there four years ago.

Taking place at the beautiful Santa Fe Community Convention Center in the heart of the city, Art Santa Fe welcomes its esteemed exhibitors and attendees to a beautiful gallery-style venue. Artists from around the world will be exhibiting at Redwood Art Group’s Art Santa Fe fair this July during Santa Fe Art Week.

Here are nine artists to watch during this year’s fair! Get to know the talented group below.

Anita Lewis

“Most artists of the day are known for their repertoire of paintings that look very similar to one another. Having come from diverse backgrounds and philosophies, having lived in many places in this world, I see different worlds. At a very early age I was taught to just paint what I see.”

Lauren Deyo

Lauren’s first creative expression occurred when she was left in her in her uncle’s hands. He fell asleep and she finger-painted all the porcelain in the bathroom. Since retiring as a teacher her focus is on art, her “new career”. She has been prompted to take oriental brush painting classes, mixed media workshops and studio work with Janet Bothne at Studio J in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Contemporary painting in acrylic and mixed media is her love along with collage. Recently she has added encaustic to her mixed media menu which is a perfect marriage with her collages.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: The work philosophy that I follow is simple, get in the studio and work every day on something creative that adds value to my art. This practice is more like an attitude. It keeps me exploring and experimenting with new materials, using different tools, and adding shapes and marks to my work. This process opens me up no matter the results.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Current artists who’s work I admire Peter Vahlefeld for his bold mixed media art with graphics I love. His work is contemporary with a dash of “street art” feel.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: There is lots of advise for artists out there. The best: work every day, believe you will improve and the work will evolve. Also, don’t rely on other’s opinions of your work.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: This is a first for me, exhibiting at Art Santa Fe. My goal is to find additional gallery representation. I work quickly. My inventory grows and needs to be shared with others in galleries seeking a passionate, energetic artist.

Barbara McCullouch

“I was born on the edge of a Montana prairie that was silent except for the song of the meadowlark carried on the wind. Looking under wet stones taught me about life. Then it happened – I picked up a stick and drew marks in the mud.

I dreamed of being an artist someday. But I didn’t understand creativity and I set that mystery aside for a successful life working in art. First as a technical illustrator, then a potter, then teaching and painting landscapes around Glacier Park. I really loved bringing people joy with my paintings, but I knew there were creative depths I needed to explore.”

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: Although I approach my work to make art, I have long since realized is that creative time spent focused on my own personal artistic growth and creativity permits the act of artistic creation to etch deeper meaning into my work. Simply, I like to say that “while artists may be making art, art is actually making the artist”. We artists as humans, beyond our work, become more observant, sensitive, curious, and intuitive.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: My work begins with time immersed in nature, quietly allowing my senses to absorb the experience as fully as possible. These are moments of sublime transcendence and also moments that surprise me with a powerful jolt of awareness of beauty and connectedness. I allow these moments in time and place to rest inside me until I feel my hands needing to express my heart with field notes of collected colors and movement of natural lines. The inspiration that I receive from life, whether fauna or flora, is the awareness that all life is intrinsically connected. This feeling of awe runs through me and into my painting, regardless of materials or technique, and is usually expressed as interpretive abstraction. Modulated color applied with a lyrical brush becomes my favorite way to express my appreciation for the beauty of nature.

Wassily Kandinsky, 1866-1904, became my hero for his passion to be independent of the traditional salon painters, devoting himself to exploring the inner depth of abstract art. Reading Concerning the Spiritual in Art gave me an awareness of the power of abstract art to be a transcendent vehicle in my own spiritual life. Kandinsky’s comparisons between art and music remain with me as I choose interpretive colors for my own compositions. He wrote: ”Colour is the keyboard, the eyes are the hammers, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand which plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul”.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “It’s not all about you.” When I remember that my work is a conduit between my inspiring experience and my viewer’s curiosity, it humbles me into taking responsibility to offer the deepest expression of that moment possible. Practically speaking, that advice helps me let go and work with joyful passion and separate the process from the results of the viewers’ opinion.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: I am thrilled to offer my series “Southwest Visions” for exposure to regional as well as national and international galleries. In addition to showcasing my paintings, I will be delighted to sign my new ‘award-winning’ art workbook, The Unstoppable Artist.

Bette Yozell

Bette Yozell grew up on the north shore of Boston. She attended the Tyler School of Art in Rome, Italy, the Boston Museum School and has a BS in art education from Tufts University. While in Boston in the early 1970’s, Ms. Yozell maintained a stained glass, painting and printmaking studio. In 1976, she moved to Copenhagen, Denmark where she established a similar studio. She exhibited extensively in Europe during her seven years there.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: Each of us has a unique way of interpreting our visual experiences. For me, noticing and recording  the world around me, has always been imperative.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Moe Brooker, Rembrandt (especially his etchings), Klimt, Mucha.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “Kill the artist before he kills the painting”

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: I am pleased to have this venue for showing my most recent work to a larger audience.

Carol Tippit Woolworth

Carol is a mid-century Southern California Girl, growing up on the beaches of Santa Barbara, while developing a love for the sand, the surf, and the sun. She spent her art school days at UCSB, before leaving for New York City in 1984. There she continued to study painting at various East Coast schools—creating a design business along the way—before diving back into art in the early 2000s. After a move to Delaware, her graphic design career continued, as she added a stint at DCAD (Delaware College of Art and Design) as an instructor of both graphic design and painting to her accomplishments. In Delaware, Carol acquired a bevy of private art students, and developed—and lead—art workshops to the South of France, before moving here, to Santa Fe, in 2016.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: Making art is hard work. It takes dedication, a rich imagination, and an obsessive personality. This trio of elements has serviced me well over the course of the 40+ years I’ve spent painting and creating 3D sculptures. What has also been of service is the realization that none of it comes easily. Each piece is a battle of self and skill, continuously fought through to an end, in order to achieve something profound, beautiful; something which taps into my inner most being and spits out a work worthy of spectators, of collectors, of myself. The struggle is the appeal, it’s something deeply sensed within each piece, playing with ones emotions and ones understanding of the world and how it works.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: My go-to artists are the Bay Area Abstract Figurative painters: Diebenkorn, David Park, Elmore Bishoff. Lately, I’ve been branching out as I seek to find a way through portraiture, so Marlene Dumas and Alice Neel have joined the gang, and their books are opened up in my studio for inspiration. The freshness of these artists, and the spontaneous way they capture people, landscapes, and city scenes has remained an important resource to my education as a painter, as has their honing away at detail and opulent use of color. Their boldness in painting is my journey.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Paint for myself and don’t edit.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: 2022 was the first year I exhibited here at Art Santa Fe. It pushed me into another realm of showcasing my work in a beautiful, well organized setting, where I can be in control of mywork. Being at ASF I became part of a wonderful world of talented artists from across the country and beyond, along with the art patrons who roamed the exhibition space throughout the weekend, enjoying the endless variety of work represented. I look forward to a repeat this year!

Conrad Bobiwash

Conrad Bobiwash is innovative and brings new insights to creativity. He holds degrees in Science and Education. Trained and observed some of the most important Indigenous colorists, he drew inspiration from Bruce King and Earl Biss. It was these experiences plus his background in Graphic Design that brought him to the forefront of Indigenous art in the Americas and abroad.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: My thinking on Art is that there is an endless well of inspiration in the natural environment. My creativity arises from the shapes and forms in nature and when joined with the practice of the elements of design, creates a unique universality of feelings, colors, lines, and shapes that invoke emotional responses or remembrances of the past or present.

Being raised on the land really helped develop the spirit of movement and color, the land is my anchor and I will return to the land one day.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Artists that inspired me are Monet for color patterns and Lloyd Kiva New for creativity. Finally, Chagall for his spirit to create.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: Work every day, doing drawing and sketching, these are the sources of everything we develop.

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: The exposure to new creativity in materials and images as well as meeting with some great artists.

The hosts of Art Santa Fe are professional and exact in the look of the show. Meeting like-minded people is the reward for my attendance. Visitors and collectors are on a mission and collect images that are significant to their being as people. Art inspires and awakens their spirit. This is a great show for new collectors and seasoned treasure hunters.

Elaine Duncan

“As an art student in New York City and after several trips to Africa and Asia, I was fascinated with peeling paint, sidewalks, and adobe walls. I revisit this today by throwing sand and mixed media into my work. I want to allow the textures and colors to resonate with one another without my interference as well. The irony and contradiction that I discovered in this process are deeply gratifying. I started painting in 2015 after a decades-long hiatus focused on family and careers as a book cover designer, gallery assistant, and art teacher. I have now returned full circle to my fascination with the creative expression of painting and dance.

Painting is like a dance for me. I feel that I am a partner with the paint and the canvas. It is a physical act of rhythm, texture, surface, and subsurface, always moving, always in flux. I am deeply influenced by the spontaneous creativity of moving through space with my body. Essentially, I want the paint itself to direct the work with as little interference from my cognitive, rational self as possible. This act of spontaneous “selflessness” is deeply gratifying and always a revelation. My process lately is to distill the action on the canvas to as few brushstrokes as possible. This intention is to capture the moment, the movement, the flow.

My influences include Helen Frankenthaler, Franz Kline, Robert Motherwell, Howard Hodgkin, and Cy Twombly to name just a few.

At the age of 60, I felt the need to embark on a new chapter in my life and that is when I started painting and dancing. I have been blessed with a life of experience, both tragic, beautiful and uplifting. I have seen the world and it’s challenges, mainly in Africa and at home, and my desire is to remain active for the decades I have left. I am enormously grateful for my good health and this amazing life I have led. It doesn’t stop here. The doors are flung wide open to new possibilities.”

Jillian Gamble

Jillian Gamble has been creating art since she was a small child. Her father was a wood craftsman that would make beautifully detailed jewelry boxes and scenes carved out of wood. Growing up around this inspired her to pursue her own interests in art. Her passion for art is rooted in her obsession with color and nature.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: To create as much as you can because I have found that the more I can produce the more my work grows and develops. Plus, I am going to get good pieces and terrible pieces, so the more I can make, the more likely I am to create work I like.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Abstract expressionist and impressionist artists, mostly. Claude Monet for his thick brushy marks to interpret nature. Helen Frankenthaluer for pushing the boundaries of abstract expressionism and not letting the men in the field overshadow her. Betty Franks for her vibrant interpretations of nature.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “Make the art that truly expresses you, and no what you think people will want from you. Believe me, you will know because suddenly people will see the work and all the joy you put into it will come pouring out and they too will be connected with the work.” – College professor

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: It means exposure, connections with artists and art lovers, and being a part of something I have hoped for my whole life.

Jewell Edward Cundiff

“My Art…is a voluntary effort to satisfy an involuntary urge. Whether two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or ethereal the desired intent of the artistic expression is to disconnect the observer from the reality arrived with…to capture to entertain to supersede one’s conscious presence with new information in a total departure from one’s accustomed rhythms to provide an escape from the overwhelming, totally encompassing now into a free-falling state of uninhibited, limitless experience where artistic expression induces calculated, spontaneous excursions beyond memorable experience without the burden of consequence.”

Q: WHAT IS YOUR WORK PHILOSOPHY AND HOW DOES THAT IMPACT YOUR WORK?

A: I am on the edge of creation. It is a voluntary effort in response to an involuntary urge to create.

Q: WHAT ARTISTS INSPIRE YOU?

A: Franz Kline, Mark Rothko, Jeff Beck, Jackson Pollock, Jewell Cundiff, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE RECEIVED?

A: “Go to your Studio every day.” – Douglass Freed

Q: WHAT DOES EXHIBITING AT ART SANTA FE 23 MEAN TO YOU?

A: Standing tall beside and engaging with talented artists, art lovers, critics, collectors, and works of art.

For tickets to Art Santa Fe 2023 click here.