Inner Sanctuaries: Exploring Domestic Spaces
Juried Exhibition
April 23 - May 10, 2024
Reception: April 26, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents the Juried Exhibition “Inner Sanctuaries: Exploring Domestic Spaces,” juried by Stephanie J. Woods. “Inner Sanctuaries” will be on view from April 23rd through May 10th, with a reception on April 26th from 5 to 7 p.m.

"Inner Sanctuaries: Exploring Domestic Space" invites contemplation on themes of grief, joy, sacredness, gender constructs, femininity, loneliness, memory, animal kinship, and the delicate interplay of existence. Through a diverse array of disciplines, including paintings, sculpture, photography, textiles, collages, drawings, and works on paper, this exhibition unfolds as a gentle ode to the sanctuaries we call home.

Selected with care, each artist offers a unique perspective, urging viewers to ponder the complexities of domesticity with both tenderness and introspection. Joni P. Gordon's poignant photography piece, Untitled (Beyond Expectation II Series), captures the experiences of a Jamaican immigrant navigating the realm of domestic service, prompting reflection on assumed roles and untold narratives. In moments of quiet reflection, Justin Carney's photography series, With Family Photos and Our Shadow, guide us through the labyrinth of loss juxtaposed against the joys of being alive. Meanwhile, Hugo Ximello-Salido's visionary work, The Radiance of Gender Fluidity, invites contemplation on the fluidity of time and our perception of gender.

These 32 featured artworks serve as whispers of cultural memory, prompting us to question the boundaries between the private and the public, the seen and the unseen. From the use of breast milk as a material language to the intimate embrace of self-swaddling and the use of everyday objects, this exhibition becomes an invitation to explore the essence of home and the sanctity of the human experience.

Strata Gallery is open from 11am - 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday. For more information about Strata, the current exhibit, and the future schedule of events, please visit the Strata Gallery website, Instagram, or Facebook.

Prize Winners:
Best in Show: $200 Justin Carney, With Family Photos or Our Shadow
Honorable Mention: $100 Hugo Ximello-Salido, The Radiance of Gender Fluidity
Honorable Mention: $100 Ali Hval, Mirror, Mirror

Exhibiting Artists:
Aileen Bahmanipour, Ali Hval, Briena Harmening, Caitlin Carcerano, Carolyn Berry, Charis Fleshner, Delaney McRitchie, Elaine Hullihen, Eleanor Oakes, Elisabeth Williams, Ellan Luna, Emily Grace McCoy, Hannah Altman, Heather Merckle, Hedda Neelsen, Hugo Ximello-Salido, Jeanette Hammerstein, Joni P. Gordon, Justin Carney, Karly Jean Kainz, Katria Foster, Lauren Allen, Mariah Cameron Scee, Rebecca Cohen, Robert King, Roxanne Darling, Ruiqi Xu, Sam Bennett, Stacy Isenbarger, Veronica Ceci, William Lukas

Selected Images:

Gathering Between
Carla Caletti
April 2 - April 19, 2024
Reception: April 5, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents a solo exhibition, "Gathering Between" featuring abstract figurative paintings and sculpture by New Mexico-based artist, Carla Caletti. The exhibition opens April 2nd with a reception for the artist on April 5th from 5:00 to 7:00pm. An artist talk will follow on April 6th from 3:00-4:00pm.

Working from an inner landscape and worlds real and imagined, Caletti's abstracted figures are conceived as a cross between superheroes and totemic beings that bridge between the seen and unseen. They surface as a ballast for the chaotic and destructive aspects in the world and offer an infusion and protection, care, and hope. She is drawn to practices of mending and repair, gathering disparate parts and fragments into a new whole. The use of wax and paper with acrylic paint adds layers and depth to her surfaces. The process of adding and removing materials creates a sense of time and speaks to the impermanence of the physical realm and the richness of liminal space. 

Fellow Santa Fe Artist Trent Gerard Edwards comments, "An ancient warmth resonates from these paintings; a thoughtful pulse from the heart. The simple yet adorned figures occupying Carla's work are the vowels of her artistic language and a beautiful art form providing space for our contemplation."

As a self-taught artist working since her first painting 23 years ago when pregnant with her daughter, Caletti has forged her own path in how she makes her work and what materials are involved. She has shown in galleries and art fairs including SomARTS Gallery in San Francisco and Van Der Plas Gallery and Art Expo both in New York City, created pop-ups, street art and curated group shows. Born and raised in the Bay Area, Caletti is now based in Northern New Mexico. She is an Established Artist Member of Strata Gallery.

Strata Gallery is open from 11am - 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday. For more information about Strata, the current exhibit, and the future schedule of events, please visit the Strata Gallery website, Instagram, or Facebook. 

Intersecting Lifetimes
Keanu Jones
March 19 - March 29, 2024
Reception: Friday, March 22, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents "Intersecting Lifetimes" by Albuquerque-based Emerging Artist Member Keanu Jones (Diné). This exhibition is on view March 19 through March 29, with a special reception on March 22nd from 5:00 - 7:00pm.

Emerging Artist Keanu Jones examines the intersectionalities of lifetimes through his exploration of photographs, textures, and time in his digital collages. Through his artwork, Jones aims to display the collisions from past moments to the present. Jones' art practice is a form of healing, expressing pain, beauty and the complexities of life. 

Keanu Jones stated, "I'm honored to have my first solo show as an Emerging Artist Member. My work explores the intersections of lifetimes through all forms of media. Through my diverse body of work, I aim to provide an experience that allows viewers to have a new understanding of contemporary identity."

Keanu Jones (Diné/Navajo) is Mexican People Clan born for Big Water Clan and is originally from Grand Falls, Arizona. He graduated from Navajo Technical University with a BFA in Creative Writing and New Media. He is currently based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This is his first solo show in New Mexico.

Strata Gallery is open from 11am - 5pm, Tuesday – Saturday. For more information about Strata, the current exhibit, and the future schedule of events, please visit the Strata Gallery website, Instagram, or Facebook. 

People Like You
Millian Giang Pham
February 27 - March 15, 2024
Reception: March 1, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents People Like You, a solo exhibition by Alabama-based artist and educator Millian Giang Pham. The exhibition opens February 27th, with a special reception on Friday, March 1st from 5-7pm.

Millian Pham’s art practice focuses on structures and barriers that oppress the body through visual abstraction and textual obfuscation. She uses visual art strategies to flip this on the viewer by creating visual puzzles through small embroideries and needlework. Since the answer to each composition is provided in the title of each work, Pham’s works exist as a demonstration of perspectival shift rather than a challenge to solve; however, the opportunity to solve each puzzle is still available by not looking up the answer.

Millian Pham stated, “This will be a wonderful return to Santa Fe. It’s been three great years with Strata Gallery, during which I had many wonderful mentorship meetings with emerging artists and saw a myriad of different works by established artists. I’m so happy to be back with a collection of new works to share with the Santa Fe community.”

Millian Giang Pham received her BFA in Painting and Printmaking from the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma and her MFA in Sculpture from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She is currently an Assistant Professor of Studio Art – Foundations at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. Her works have been exhibited throughout the United States and in Canada, Korea, and Pakistan.

Imprint
Jandey Shackelford
February 13 - February 23, 2024
Reception: February 16, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents an Emerging Member solo exhibition, Imprint by Arizona-based artist Jandey Shackelford. Imprint is on view February 13 through February 23, with a special reception on Friday, February 16th from 5-7pm. 

Jandey Shackelford’s interdisciplinary art practice is centered on the persistent stereotypes, gender roles, and forms of oppression that persist in today’s society, specifically in a home or house setting. Shackelford uses footprints from herself and others to serve as tangible evidence, presence, and memory of the impact that this space can have on those who occupy it. Visitors will experience an immersive experience at Strata Gallery during Shackelford’s exhibition.

Jandey Shackelford stated, “As an emerging member of Strata Gallery, it’s been exciting to plan for a solo exhibition on the heels of graduating with my MFA. I am very excited to exhibit in Santa Fe because of the supportive community surrounding the gallery. My work employs bodies, space, interaction and physical manipulation of materials. The act of creating these drawings represents an effort to transcend the space of sadness from which they were born.”

Jandey Shackelford received her MFA from the University of Arizona in May of 2023. Her work has been exhibited both in the United States and internationally. This is her first solo exhibition in New Mexico.

Strata Gallery is open from 11am to 5pm Tuesday – Saturday. For more information about Strata Gallery, the current exhibit, and the future schedule of events, please visit us our website, Instagram, and Facebook.

We are between exhibitions. Please join us next week when we reopen with a new and exciting exhibition!

Dwelling With
Rebecca Padilla Pipkin
January 23 - February 2, 2024
Reception: January 26, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery is pleased to present Dwelling With, a solo exhibition by Arizona based artist Rebecca Padilla-Pipkin. The exhibition opens January 23rd, with a special reception on January 26th from 5-7pm.

Rebecca Padilla-Pipkin is an interdisciplinary visual artist and educator living and working in Phoenix, Arizona. Her work explores ecologies of place through a wide variety of site-specific materials and processes that index moments of interaction between the human and more-than-human. Ultimately, she strives to make work that deepens the care and attention we give to the places in which we dwell.

Rebecca Padilla-Pipkin stated, “Being a part of Strata Gallery has been an incredible experience. The connections I have made with other artists through Strata have been so generative for my practice. In my work, I consider and expand on practices of attunement within the landscapes that hold us, particularly the desert. I am honored to be expanding the reach of my work throughout the Southwest and with the Santa Fe community.”

Rebecca Padilla-Pipkin received her BFA from the University of Oklahoma, and her MFA from Arizona State University. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States, and has been generously supported through various grants such as the Phoenix Artist To Work program.

Selfhood
Juried Exhibition
January 2 - January 19
Reception: January 5, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents Selfhood, a juried exhibition by Rosemary Meza-DesPlas. This juried exhibition will be on view from January 2 through January 19, with a special reception on January 5th from 5-7pm.

Rosemary Meza-DesPlas selected 30 artists from locations across the United States including Colorado, Kansas, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington for this exhibition. Selected artworks are centered upon the concept of selfhood; the works consider how selfhood is constructed, altered, and reimagined. Artists investigate the multiplicitous nature of selfhood: gender, sexual orientation, race, class, age, ethnicity, and so forth. Selfhood, as a dichotomy, can reflect cultural norms and be a source of resistance to them. Navigating selfhood during disruptive times can lead to crossroads of crisis; therefore, some featured artists present visualizations of selfhood that explore the process of self-discovery, self-definition, and self-direction.

Two artists, Renee Couture and Suzanne Faris, explore the impact of gender upon selfhood. Renee Couture contemplates the nuances and complications of motherhood via photography and hand-painted ink. In her artwork titled The Ordinary Work of Women, Faris considers the endless nature of the women’s movement wherein the fight for equality is never finished. 

From a stance of self-discovery and self-definition, artists examine the role of race and ethnicity within selfhood. What does it mean to be American? How does one traverse life as an immigrant, first-generation American or second-generation American? Two artists investigate these questions through traditional art historical genres: portraiture and still life. Yashoda Latkar suggests otherness in her digital image Everything at once by referencing food and religion. Introspective, arranged objects allude to familial roots in Jennifer Seo’s three-dimensional artworks.

Realist painters, Jason John and Marshall Sharpe, anchor selfhood within a space: exterior and interior. Literally, the characters in their paintings are placed in environments; however, the seated male figures divulge internal narratives of identity.

The artists featured in Selfhood approach the topic from innovative perspectives and create with an assortment of materials. Some artworks approach the concept of selfhood in a symbolic manner. For example, Laura Nugent’s paintings, Changing Bodies No. 36: Subtext and Changing Bodies No. 47: Subtext, hint at the passage of time and the development of psyche through the years. Perhaps selfhood is not a case of resolution but a daily existence of progression. Nika Feldman’s artwork Catch of the Day employs a variety of materials: recycled t-shirt, vintage buttons, thread, and 300 needles. This fiber artwork dangles like femininity turned upside down. The built-up encrusted materials read as the evidentiary fingerprints of selfhood.

In this juried exhibition, Selfhood, visual artists address the fluidity and facets of identity within an intersectional discourse. 

Prize Winners:

Best in Show: $200 Suzanne Faris, The Ordinary Work of Women

Honorable Mention: $100 Jennifer Seo, Honbab 

Honorable Mention: $100 Rica Maestas, Father's Day performance with yucca flowers

Exhibiting Artists:
Ajean Ryan, Allyson McDuffie, Anastasia King, Brenda Stumpf, Caitlin Carcerano, Claire Christine Sargenti, Craig Cully, Daniel Brothers, Isabel Winson-Sagan, Jason John, Jennifer Seo, Katie Sieker, Katrina Shafor, Laura Nugent, Lois Harbaugh, Maggie Day, Marianne Hall, Marshall Sharpe, Nandi Egber, Nathan Garcia, Nika Feldman, Oli Boyer, Paulina Arango Mora, R. Melinda Hoffman, Renee Couture, Rica Maestas, Sang Lee, Shirin Melatgohar, Suzanne Faris, Yashoda Latkar.

About the Juror
Rosemary Meza-DesPlas is a 2022 Latinx Artist Fellowship recipient. A multidisciplinary artist, her studio practice incorporates fiber art, drawing, installation, painting, performance art, and video. Meza-DesPlas’ visual artwork is thematically linked to her academic writing and poetry. She presents at academic conferences including College Art Association, International Conference of the Image, and Feminist Art Conference. Her artwork has been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally. 

Selected Images:

We are closed for the holiday to spend time with our families. Thank you for your understanding.
See you back in the gallery in 2024!

Pandemic Paintings and Political Protest
Margi Weir
November 28 - December 15
Reception: December 1, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents its last Established Member solo exhibition of the year, Pandemic Paintings and Political Protest by New Mexico based artist, Margi Weir. The exhibition opens November 28th, with a special reception on December 1st from 5-7pm. The exhibition runs through December 15th. 

Margi Weir’s paintings, drawings and installation work are centered around her response to the world around her, whether that world is the digital world, as during the pandemic, or the physical world. Weir relies on the juxtaposition of imagery to create meaning with the hope that the viewer will take away a continued questioning of the current events and situations that have been affecting all of us. 

Margi Weir stated, “After the years of isolation during the Pandemic, when the interaction with friends, family, and students was mediated by a screen of some sort or other, it is wonderful to be having a solo show, in person, at Strata Gallery. I look forward to sharing the work I did during that period of isolation and to demonstrating how that work relates to my more political work of the past.” 

Margi Weir, a recently retired Associate Professor of Painting and Drawing at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, earned her MFA in painting from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA); her MA in painting from New Mexico State University; her BFA in painting from San Francisco Art Institute; and her BA in art history from Wheaton College, Massachusetts. This is Weir’s first solo show in Santa Fe. 

We are closed for the holiday to spend time with our families. Thank you for your understanding.
See you back in the gallery in 2023!

Imago
Mehrdad Mirzaie
November 7 - November 17
Reception: November 17, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents its first Emerging Member solo exhibition,"Imago," by Phoenix-based artist Mehrdad Mirzaie. The exhibition opens on November 7th, with a special closing reception on November 17th from 5-7 pm.

Mehrdad Mirzaie's artistic journey is deeply intertwined with the convergence of culture, history, and politics. It is fueled by his curiosity about the past and a fervent desire to understand how historical images influence our perceptions of history. Archives, in particular, occupy a central position in his artistic vision, serving as a gateway to explore the intricate layers of human experiences and the passage of time.

Mehrdad Mirzaie states, “My body of work is characterized by a steadfast dedication to working with a diverse array of images of the past, whether through the curation of new archives or the reinterpretation of existing ones. I firmly believe in the transformative power of historical imagery to inform our present and shape our future. By scrutinizing historical images and the mental images they evoke, my goal is to think about conventional interpretations of the past and investigate how various contexts and audiences, each with their unique backgrounds, can influence our understanding of historical truths. I deeply believe that we cannot claim to fully understand and narrate the truth of what happened in the past. Instead, we can only remember the past through honest narration (with the awareness that it is a personal experience).”

Mehrdad Mirzaie is an Image-Based artist originating from Iran, currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree with a specialization in photography at Arizona State University. He received his BFA in Photography from Art University in Tehran. This is his first solo show in New Mexico.

Allowing Goodness Its Own Speech
Beverly Todd
October 17 - November 3
Reception: October 20, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery presents Established Artist solo exhibition Allowing Goodness Its Own Speech by New Mexico artist Beverly Todd. The exhibition opens October 17 with a reception Friday, October 20, 5-7 PM. 

“This collection relays a personal conversation about the value of moral beauty – a dimension of awe. The work is poetic and descriptive, reflective of the power of witnessing others’ courage, kindness, strength, and overcoming. Everyday encounters with moral beauty can, in turn, move us to goodness,” says Todd.

“My goal is to start an internal dialogue within one person, or an external dialogue within a greater community. Providing enough visual inspiration to point in a direction, then to let the viewer veer off course for their own discovery of every human’s goodness.”

Beverly’s large-scale abstract expressionist paintings playfully dance with color and movement. Her painting process is physical, using hardware-store brushes, broken sticks, rags, and hands to drip, scrape, wipe and pull paint across surfaces. 

Beverly began painting in Santa Fe in 2018. To give others that experience, she opened Santa Fe Artist Getaway in 2019 moving her art practice and arts-based teaching from Omaha, NE, to Santa Fe, NM. 

She is currently serving as an Established Artist with Strata Gallery. Her art is in collections including the University of Nebraska, Albrecht-Kemper Museum, and Wilson Performing Arts Center. She has shown with Jen Tough Gallery, Art Santa Fe, Strata Gallery, Gallery 1516, Visionary Arts Collective, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art, Kansas City Artist Coalition, Norfolk Arts Center, and the Nebraska Governor’s Residence.

Small Works
Juried Exhibition
September 26 - October 13
Reception: September 29, 5-7pm

Strata Gallery is happy to present our upcoming juried exhibition, “Small Works,” which will be on view from September 26 through October 13, 2023, with a special reception on September 29th from 5-7pm. Strata Gallery co-founders, Jennifer Van, Stephanie Jacinto, and David Olivant have selected the works of 48 artists from eight states, Berlin and Fakenham. A total of sixty-four artworks in various media were selected for inclusion - photography, painting, fiber, ceramic, collage, intaglio, drawing, lithography, wood, caster paper, recycled cans and stainless steel. 

Small works are often underappreciated in a contemporary climate where artists feel they must make an increasingly bigger splash, where intimacy, delicacy and precision get the short curatorial straw. The quality of works in this exhibit belies that trend and makes a case for close inspection, private worlds and the thrill of discovering a gem. 

Minimalism fares well in this environment and the intricate works of Eleanor Wood bear this out - exquisitely nuanced surfaces, finely calibrated proportions, and an unerring sense of composure. At the other end of the spectrum Deirdre Brown evokes cosmic rays through evocative microscopic textural shifts – a universe contained in a square foot of canvas!  This is a scale that lends itself to the intricacy of woven materials and Al Canner employs knotted cords of cotton, hemp, rayon and glass beads to generate a lively hexapod. 

On a different spectrum, Jack Crouch’s collage “After the Faculty Meeting” puns on the smallness of the painting with the depiction of a tantrum-possessed toddler who symbolizes just how heated intellectuals can get, over the triviality of administrative disagreements! Daniel Esquivia-Zapata revels in the delicacy that graphite is capable of with a beautifully nuanced portrait of Cecilia. Susanne Kessler from Berlin reminds us that small can also be monumental with her “Book Moth” weighing in at 15 x 15 inches. With a parallel ambition the small archival inkjet prints of Mehrdad Mirzaie open a window to deep, occluded histories and the suffering of a nation. To end on a happier note, Katie Sandridge gives us a two by four-inch ceramic stoneware reminding us of the preciousness of our arid environment.

This has been to follow very few of the myriad possible threads that weave their stylistic and thematic journey through these minuscule moments of integrity, resilience, mischief making and modesty. We feel sure that viewers will uncover their own surprises and perhaps lose themselves in miniature but monumental, microcosmic magic.

Small Works aims to celebrate the power of small artworks that invites viewers to explore the intricacies of minute details.

Exhibiting Artists:
Al Canner, Anna Bush Crews, Anthony Pessler, Chris Wubbena, Claire Moore, Daniel Esquivia Zapata, David Larson, David Linn, Deirdre Brown, Dominick Porras, Donna Fleetwood, Drew Gaines, Eleanor Wood, Falon Mihalic, Francesca Yorke, Gordon Senior, Hannah Freeman, Hannah Ramage, Heidi Cost, Jacey Coca, Jack Crouch, Jacqueline Mallegni, John Decker, Juan Granados, Judy Stevens, Katie Sandridge, Kenneth FitzGerald, Linda Barlow, Lita Kenyon, Lori Colt, Marie Birkedal, Marisa Brown, Megan Morgan, Mehrdad Mirzaie, Mikki Ulaszewski, Myra Colbert, Nandi Makala, Robert Hoerlein, Robin Hesse, Sihan Zhu, Simon Levy, Simone Schiffmacher, Snow Pond Ceramics, Susan Lefkowich, Susanne Kessler, Theodora Varnay Jones, Vanessa Gonzalez, Yeon Choi

Prizes:

• $100 - President’s Choice (1)
  Robert Hoerlein, the body gives itself for nothing #9, oil and acrylic on stretched canvas, panel, bones, 14 x 16 x 4.5 in, 2023

• $100 - Director’s Choice (1) 
   Jacqueline Mallegni, Blue & White, handmade paper, indigo, silk thread, rattan, 8 x 9 x 9 in, 2023

• $100 - Assistant Director's Choice (1)
  Jacey Coca, Splitting Cells (Untitled No. 2), beads and thread, 4 x 5 x 0.25 in, 2023
   

Peter Chapin
Unexpected Findings
September 5 – September 22
Reception: September 8, 5-7 pm

Strata Gallery is pleased to present new works on paper and acrylic paintings by Santa Fe artist, Peter Chapin, in our new downtown location on Lincoln Avenue. The exhibition will run from September 5 through September 22, with a reception on September 8th from 5:00-7:00pm.

Chapin states, “Visual art is a way of finding meaning, ‘finding our way in this world of variety’ as Paul Klee put it. We think with our senses, come to our senses, and more specifically we think with the tools and materials at hand. Drypoint printmaking and other materials on paper, and acrylic on panels, lead to unexpected findings.”

Having lived and worked in Santa Fe for 36 years, Peter is delighted to be part of a gallery that values education, relationships with the other arts, and the “examined life”. He is particularly pleased to share his explorations with his hometown community.

Peter graduated with high honors in Art History from Yale, earned an MFA from Columbia University, studying with John Heliker and Philip Guston among others, and went on to teach at Drew University where he chaired the Art Department and Directed the New York Art Semester. He then joined 4 other artists to found the Printmaking Center of New Jersey. He and his wife, Honey, moved to Santa Fe to direct Skylight Conversations, weeklong sessions for museum groups based on talking with area artists in their studios. Peter has involved himself fully in this place as President of Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity, Chair of the Board of Cornerstones Community Partnerships and of Santa Fe New Music. Far from distracting Peter from his artwork, he is grateful for these involvements which have enriched his life and work.

Strata Gallery is located at 125 Lincoln Avenue, Suite 105, in Downtown Santa Fe, and is open from 11:00am to 5:00pm from Tuesday through Saturday.

STRATA GALLERY WELCOMES NEW EMERGING ARTIST COHORT

Strata Gallery is thrilled to unveil the talented artists selected for its "Emerging Artist Program." This esteemed initiative aims to nurture and elevate emerging talents within the art world, providing them with mentorship, exposure, and a platform to engage with the artistic community. After a rigorous selection process, five exceptional artists have been chosen for the 2023-2024 cohort.

Selected through a careful review process, the new artists of the "Emerging Artist Program" are Mehrdad Mirzaie, Keanu Jones, Rebecca Padilla-Pipkin, Emma Ressel, and Jandey Shackelford.

Mehrdad Mirzaie, an Iranian-born multidisciplinary artist, delves into the meaning of art, not only as a form of expression, but also as a way of bridging the gaps between different cultures and historical moments. Keanu Jones, a Diné/Navajo artist, draws inspiration from his upbringing on the Navajo Nation, reflecting his cultural identity in his videos and photography.

Rebecca Padilla-Pipkin, a Puerto Rican interdisciplinary visual artist based in Phoenix, explores the interaction between the human and more-than-human through her work grounded in ecological relationships. Emma Ressel, a photographer, skillfully captures beauty and decay through her large-format images that challenge perceptions of preservation and consumption. Jandey Shackelford, an interdisciplinary artist, blends craft and construction materials to navigate the gender binary and traditional gender roles in a chaotic world. 

"The selection process for our Emerging Artist Program cohort was both exciting and challenging, given the abundance of talent," notes Jennifer Van, Gallery Director at Strata Gallery. "We are excited to offer these artists the mentorship and exposure they deserve as they embark on their professional artistic journey."

The Emerging Artist Program will feature solo exhibitions for each emerging artist, creative workshops, and inclusion in the gallery's annual group member show. By fostering a supportive community and providing opportunities for growth, the program aims to propel emerging artists toward successful artistic careers.

Strata Gallery's commitment to promoting emerging talents is evident in its pioneering initiative. The gallery looks forward to welcoming art enthusiasts and the community at large to experience the unique perspectives of these emerging artists.

David Olivant
Whether or Not Something Bad Has Happened
August 4 - September 1, 2023
Reception: Friday, August 4, 5-8pm

Strata Gallery presents “David Olivant: Whether or Not Something Bad Has Happened”.  The exhibition opens August 4th with a special reception on August 4th from 5:00pm - 8:00pm. This inaugrual exhibition will take place at Strata Gallery’s NEW location, in the historic plaza district at 125 Lincoln Ave, Suite 105.

Those seeking comfort, reassurance, escape, or the products of any current curatorial agendas are advised to avoid this exhibition of Olivant’s Retroglyphs. As the Bay area critic, Mark Van Proyen suggested in a recent catalog essay on the artist’s works - “They invite their viewers to adopt the mindset of the archeologist who sifts through diverse iconographic clues to recover a forgotten and possibly repressed narrative pertaining to the loss of hope and a fall from grace. Each and all seem like fragmentary scenes salvaged and reconstructed from the remnants of bygone circumstances…presented in compressed layers of pictorial activity that are provisionally sutured together to recreate something resembling a crime scene. We are left unsure as to whether or not something bad has happened, or is about to happen, but either way, a human dilemma is revealed.”

These mixed media paintings appropriated and digitally derived from the artist’s earlier assemblages (Heteroglyphs), insidiously undermine any sense of certainty and for the patient, undaunted viewer, open up a universe in which the human psyche is reduced to an existential parody of itself and all emotional and behavioral norms are up for grabs. Olivant maintains that escapism is a quick, illusory fix. Ultimately any crisis demands an answerable, unflinching, and creative response, retrieved from the depths of human anguish.

Titles include Waiting for the Conversion, Dupuytren’s and the Demise of Patrimony, Prosthetic Aesthetic, No Improvement Until the Cows Come Home, Caught in the Cross Hairs, Hope for the Wrong Trousers, Those Feet, and Reading to a Dying Horse. Van Proyen ends with these words -“They live in a Sartrean hell of programmatic indifference, impassively seeking salvation from a runaway complexity that changes guises while moving in rhetorical circles. Nonetheless, it is their hell, and the fact that it is portrayed as a familiar one makes it seem something like home.”

Strata Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday. For more information about Strata, the current exhibit, and the future schedule of events, please visit the Strata Gallery website and Instagram.

Third Annual Group Exhibition 
July 11th – July 28th 
Reception: July 14th, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Strata Gallery presents Third Annual Group Exhibition, an exhibition of all current Established Members. The exhibition opens July 11th with a special reception on July 14th from 5-8pm. 

The Third Annual Group Exhibition is the last exhibition in Strata’s current location in the Design Center before its relocation to 125 Lincoln Avenue - the same building as Allen Hauser Gallery and Niman Fine Art. 

Since its founding as a 501c3 non-profit in August 2021 and two-year occupancy of the Design Center space, Strata has gained a name for bringing a different vision and sense of diversity to Santa Fe. It is one of a handful of contemporary galleries who have the courage to display artwork entirely on its merits, regardless of salability. All artists seeking to join are peer reviewed by existing members and the majority of those occupy professorships at college art departments across the country. Also central to Strata’s mission and something entirely unique, is the selection by established members five emerging artists annually who each receive mentorship and a solo show in the gallery.

The eighteen artists on display in this exhibition include:

Adrian Aguirre (TX), Tulu Bayar (PA), Carla Caletti (NM), Carlos Canul (TX), Peter Chapin (NM), Joomi Chung (OH), Millian Giang Pham (AL), Ira Greenberg (TX), Lin Medlin (TX), David Olivant (NM), Shelby Shadwell (WY), Jane Shoenfeld (NM), Anne-Katrin Spiess (NY), Susan Stephenson (CA), Nishiki Sugawara-Beda (TX), Beverly Todd (NM), Margi Weir (MI), and Mirabel Wigon (CA).

The works on display address in innovative and diverse ways a spectrum of the pressing concerns and discoveries that animate and haunt human society at the front end of this new, often daunting, millennium. These include information and sensory overload, desensitization, hybridity and fragmentation, cultural identity, the nature of consciousness, artificial intelligence, myth, ritual and archetypes, answerability, climate and ecosystem degradation, landscape nostalgia and sense of place, tradition, identity, materiality, decay and the manner in which formal and aesthetic principles adapt to meet these imperatives.

VISCERAL
June 20 - July 8, 2023
Reception: Friday, June 23, 5-7pm / Artist Talk: 6:00pm

Strata Gallery presents an Established Member’s first solo exhibition, VISCERAL, by Wyoming based artist Shelby Shadwell. The exhibition opens June 20, with a special reception on Friday, June 23, 5:00 – 7:00 pm and an Artist Talk at 6:00 pm.

Shelby Shadwell’s work consists of large-scale charcoal and pastel drawings of non-traditional imagery such as gut piles left over from big game hunts and space blankets used in emergency situations to stay warm. The drawings may illicit feelings of disgust or revulsion and awe or ecstasy simultaneously due to the contrast between the vulgarity or ephemerality of the imagery juxtaposed with its meticulous, hyper-realistic, rendering. Shelby’s work allows viewers space to ask questions about low and high status in artistic subject matter and romantic tropes in contemporary western art.

Shelby is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Visual Arts at the University of Wyoming. From Springfield, MO, Shelby received his BFA in 2003 from Washington University in St. Louis and his MFA in 2006 from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. His work has been exhibited throughout the nation at venues including the Portland Art Museum, OR, William Havu Gallery in Denver, CO, and Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, OH. For more information on Shelby and his work, please visit his website at www.shelbyshadwell.com or Instagram @shelbyshadwell.

Visit Shelby Shadwell’s webpage here.

Undisclosed Locations
May 30 - June 17, 2023
Reception: Friday, June 2nd, 5-7pm. 

Strata Gallery presents Undisclosed Locations, by California based artist Grant Johnson. The exhibition opens May 30th, with a special reception on June 2nd from 5-7pm.

Undisclosed Locations is a show of photographs of very unique environments. Because of the fragile nature of these Locations and the wide reach of the internet and social media, the artist has chosen not to disclose their locations. These undisclosed locations all lie in the Western United States. Many are extreme examples of the erosive forces of wind and water, unusual combinations of minerals and layering that result in spectacular color variations or unique circumstances resulting from volcanism. Three of the locations are near, or in, hydrocarbon and mineral exploration and extraction sites. One is a training facility for Mars exploration and habitation. Some images were made during ground truthing expeditions after discovering the locations from the air. A few are satellite mosaics of hundreds of satellite paths and rows composited to produce a single high-resolution landscape image.

Grant Johnson graduated from the University of Arizona in 1972 and from the Rhode Island School of Design in 1975. He has been photographing the western United States since that time. Johnson worked for The Nature Conservancy for twenty years covering California and Hawaii. During that time, he has witnessed the advent of social media and the destructive effect of increased sightseeing that has resulted from GPS coordinates of nearly everything being posted, providing unfettered access to all even those bent on destruction and vandalism.

Our natural world is now changing rapidly. Fires and extreme weather events are altering familiar terrains, transforming forests, flooding lowlands and accelerating erosion that otherwise would have taken centuries. Johnson feels very grateful to have been privileged to visit and photograph these unique locations.

Postbiological Ponderings
May 16 - May 27, 2023
Reception: Friday, May 19, 5-7pm (Artist talk @ 6 pm)

Strata Gallery presents Postbiological Ponderings; the work of Emerging Member, American artist Tristyn Bustamante. The exhibition opens May 16, with a special reception on May 19th from 5-7pm.

Bustamante’s unusual work is built by traditional hand-building and throwing methods in the medium of clay. While her work is primarily ceramic, many pieces incorporate other fabricated and found objects.

Bustamante’s process of “informed intuitive ideation” involves both research and instinct. Each piece is begun from an individual idea developed through research. Forms are intuitively designed then carefully planned out. Bustamante’s early work exhibited expressive systematic qualities while conveying a sense of ambiguity of function. More recently, her efforts have focused on exploring recent or emerging technologies and human / animal perception while continuing to define forms outwardly indefinite of purpose.   

Bustamante stated, “I’m grateful for the staff and leadership at Strata Gallery, their efforts have great impact on the lives and work of emerging and established artists.” In anticipation of the exhibition, Bustamante states, “The intent of the work in Postbiological Ponderings, was to produce sculptures with both a heedful and playful quality, which are ideologically deep yet approachable. Viewers are invited to look through the futuristic lens from which the pieces are imagined.”

Bustamante’s artwork has been shown in solo and curated group exhibitions across the United States. She has received multiple grants and awards from sponsors such as the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Her work is part of a few private collections including the Lenny and Anne Dowhie ceramic art collection. She has received funding for and participated in residency programs such as The Armory Art Center, New Harmony Clay Project, and Clayarch Gimhae Museum in South Korea. As a community and education advocate, she has pursued teaching and involvement in local communities whenever and wherever she can.

Chimera
April 25 - May 13, 2023
Reception: Friday, April 28, 5-7pm (Artist talk @ 6 pm)

Strata Gallery presents Chimera; the work of Established Member, Turkish-born American artist Tulu Bayar. The exhibition opens April 25, with a special reception on April 28th from 5-7pm.

Bayar’s work encompasses various techniques and mediums including photography, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, installation and video. Being a recent immigrant, her world exists between her native and adopted homes, a reality shared by many who leave one country to settle in another. In her work, the physical characteristics of subjects are often masked or hidden, ornate with depicted patterns, resulting in an open-ended narrative. She uses historical and contemporary imagery and stories culled from references that include manuscripts, magazines, artifacts, motifs and symbols found in both her old and the new worlds.

Tulu Bayar stated, “It’s great to be involved with Strata Gallery and the Santa Fe Community. Chimera both celebrates and subverts my inherited identity. The work embraces playfulness while positioning fluidity and rootedness as complementary rather than opposing forces in the building of selfhood and culture.”

Bayar’s artwork has been shown in curated solo and group exhibitions across the United States, Turkey, Germany, UK, Denmark, France, China and Colombia. A Fulbright Scholar, she has also received funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Ténot Foundation, artist-in residency grants from Camac Centre d'Art in France and the Center for Photography at Woodstock funded by the Andy Warhol Foundation as well as William Sackett Fellowship through Virginia Center for Creative Arts.

Ephemerality
April 4 – April 21, 2023
Reception: Friday, April 21, 5-7pm.

Strata Gallery presents the Juried Exhibition, Ephemerality, juried by Jennifer Van. There is a special reception on April 21 from 5-7 pm. Jennifer Van, Director of Strata Gallery, selected the work of 40 artists from Arizona, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Canada for inclusion in this exhibition.

This juried exhibition features artwork that speak to the ephemeral—the fleeting moments in life that are attempted to be captured in art. In the 19th century, both Romanticism and Impressionism created a shift to form a new sense of beauty in nature and impressions of the moment. Futurism in the 20th century, also presented the ephemeral in an attempt to embody movement. Expressionism attempted to capture emotions in art. Further Surrealism explored dreams and memories in artwork. In this digital age, ephemerality is present in our day to day lives. Ephemerality speaks to the difficulty of capturing the world around us, as well as a desire to preserve it or to enact change. 

Jessica Clark’s, Lumbee Family Values No. 10, oil painting shows the everyday life of the Lumbee people and preserves this moment in Clark’s painting. Gerald Habarth’s, Voyager Birdman, creates an ephemeral dreamlike state through animation of line drawings and video clips. K.J.Herb’s, Prologue: Home is a Feeling Not a Place of Residence, photograph captures those fleeting moments in life that appear as quickly as they disappear. Fiona Howarth’s, Glacial Retreat, photograph shows the impermanence of the landscape.

Sarah Sanford’s, Pedestal no.1, serigraph explores the interconnectedness and impermanence of the passage of time, while speaking to the fragmentation of ourselves. Noah S. Thompson’s, Grasping for a memory, lumen print creates a dreamlike and intimate moment in addition to the image itself that changes over time due to the material itself. Nicholas Valdés’, me in you in me, photographic college creates a new reality from past memories and moments. These works are just to name a few – there are so many more to explore in this exhibition. This juried exhibition features digital animation, painting, photography, projection, sculpture, serigraph, and mixed media artworks.

• Best of Show
  Jo Cosme, Estado perpetuo de incertidumbre/ Perpetual State of Grasping in the Dark, Digital Photography, 22 x 26 x 2 in, 2020

• Assistant Director’s Choice
  Sarah Knight, Mica Book, Melted Stone, Mica, Kanthal Wire, Resin, 6.5 x 5 x 5 in, 2022

• Honorable Mention
  Mehrdad Mirzaie, The Last Moment, Collage and Inkjet Print, 44 x 44 in, 2022

Exhibiting Artists: Abbey Hepner, Allen Morris, Bernice Ficek-Swenson, Beverly Todd, Brianna Tadeo, Caity Salamanca, Chris Wubbena, Elaine Duncan, Faith Purvey, Fiona Howarth, Gary Duehr, Gerald Habarth, Jacey Coca, Jacqueline Mallegni, Jennifer Tepper, Jessica Clark, Jessica Lanham, Jessie Rebik, Jill Christian, Jo Cosme, John Scott, Jose Santos P. Ardivilla, Joseph Farbrook, Jp Gibson, Julia Paul, KJ Herb, Lauris Phillips, Lucien V. Sebastian, Luke Graham, Mark Reynolds, Matt Gallien, Megan Jacobs, Mehrdad Mirzaie, Michae—l Donnelly, Nicholas Valdés, Noah S. Thompson, Sarah Knight, Sarah Sanford, Savannah Jane Walton, Shaelyn Moody

About the Juror: Jennifer Van is the Director and co-founder of Strata Gallery. She currently works and lives in Los Angeles, California. Her work has been featured in solo exhibitions in California, New Mexico, and New York City.