See Artworks’ Video Report from Art Santa Fe here.

Artistically speaking, Santa Fe, New Mexico, is always a hopping place, but in mid-July even more so. 75 galleries gathered in the high desert for Art Santa Fe to show off established and emerging contemporary artists. The event was surrounded and supported by a community that embraces art of all types. ARTWORKS was proud to be Art Santa Fe’s media partner. We spent four days handing out more than 2,000 copies of our magazine. We met so many incredible people along the way and were honored to share space with such a great art event.

DAY 1:

The light here is simply amazing… an attraction in itself. Just before the gorgeous sunset painted the sky an undescribable purple – the clouds rolled in and the rain poured down heavier than a Creedence Clearwater Revival song. The rain drops were big and the artists on the walls inside were even bigger. We’ve been blessed to tell the story about several of them in previous issues of Artworks, including Ed Ruscha, Ed Moses, Brian Taylor, and Carol Benson. Inside the tents, 75 exhibitors from around the world filled the place with art for walls with diverse tastes. And one thing was for sure tonight, the patrons of Art Santa Fe truly look beautiful with an Artworks Magazine under their arm.

Art is everywhere here. The banks hang it behind their tellers. Galleries that run out of space hang $10,000 pieces in the bathrooms. The people here are fluent in the language of brushstroke. Today, we had the pleasure of interviewing two artists for upcoming issues of the magazine. One of them was straight up comedy – a sweaty guy who says his body was purging itself of last night’s beer. He questions whether or not Britany Spears’ genetalia should be considered contemporary art and admits much of his own artistic material comes from sappy notes written on beer coasters left behind by flirtatious couples at his favorite bar. The other artist is a Santa Fe icon who says painting with your head will screw up any canvas. He paints from his heart and it’s as big as the mountains in the distance that swallow the giant yellow sun this evening. It was a beautiful day!

DAY 2:
Friday is a weird day at the art fair – the first full day after the opening night excitement, but it’s still a work day for most people, so the crowds are smaller. That’s the downside, the upside is those who are coming through are serious about their art and serious about checking out new talent. For really the first time since arriving in Santa Fe, we get a chance to scope out the show and chat it up with the woman who is the driving force behind it. Gallery owner Charlotte Jackson has been a fixture on the Santa Fe art scene for almost two decades and she is passionately committed to contemporary art. Making the decision to make the show an annual event instead of every two years was difficult and a little scary. Charlotte says exhibitors convinced her it as the right move. “They kept telling me they would make great contacts with collectors but when they came back two years later, no one would remember them!”

The show itself has a real international flair – galleries from all over the world are represented. Carrie Klyne, who represents artists from China, says art fairs keep her in touch with what other galleries are doing. Artist and exhibitor Alis Goodman says coming to Santa Fe connects her with potential collectors that she wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise. Traffic definitely picks up later in the day.

Day 3:
Another powerful thunderstorm rumbled through Santa Fe last night, adding a little more drama to this already theatrical town. The art here is no accident – the city embraces all kinds of different art and makes artists feel welcome. In recent years there has been a deliberate effort to encourage contemporary art. Site Santa Fe offers a stage to cutting edge conceptual artists, and by the year 2010, Site Santa Fe and ART Santa Fe will run concurrently, giving out of town art lovers one more reason to choose Santa Fe as a vacation destination.

The place is a bit intoxicating, especially for artists, even dedicated city slickers.

Ricardo Mazel is one of them. Mexican by birth, New Yorker by choice, this amazing abstract painter finds himself in Santa Fe and he loves it. He works in a large warehouse space and it’s a good thing because his canvases are huge. Soft spoken but always quick with a good story – he kept us laughing for close to three hours. His paintings come with textured back stories that make the already impressive images even more emotional. As we are wrapping up our interview two collectors show up – we recognize them from the art show the day before. They loved the show and seem ready to buy at Ricardo’s studio. But just before turning his attention to them Ricardo makes us promise to come back soon and share some fine Mexican tequila. One more great reason to return to Santa Fe soon.

DAY 4:

Last day of the art show and it’s busy. By now, everyone knows the ropes – where the exhibitors lounge is located, where to get a good cup of coffee and where to find a fan. It’s a little toasty on our side of the building, but the fan helps a lot. Red dots are showing up next to many works of art, and that’s a good thing because the success of any show depends on sales. A lot of people here are worried about the economy, but Santa Fe is a real art town that seems to be weathering the storm. The show ended at 6:00 tonight. We handed out our final magazine around 5:00 – in total we gave away 2,000 copies.

We also had the privilege of interviewing two more artists today (a total of 5 in 3 days – look for features on Santa Fe artists in the next few issues of Artworks Magazine). One of the interviews took us about 20 miles outside of Santa Fe. It was a beautiful trip through the rolling desert mountains where again the light danced off the monochromatic landscape. It truly captivated us and gave us a completely different view of New Mexico. You can see why artists are drawn here. On her website, this artist advertises fine art and cattle for sale. She’s a part-time farmer and full-time painter who is about as down to earth as they come. And that’s what we found more than anything about Santa Fe – the place is friendly and funky, diverse and dynamic, and artistic without the angst. If you love art – Santa Fe is a must visit!