Creation Migration Artists on the Move

Betsie Miller-Kusz has returned to San Francisco to resume restoration work on the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts mural project, La Puerta en el Puente del Tiempo, also known as the Puente Project (see post from spring trip: http://creationmigrationstories.blogspot.com/2016/06/).

Betsie is hard at work on the scaffolding. She is working with a minimal crew and much of the time she works on a section alone. Yes, that's her up top!!

Without a doubt the mural will be stunning when it is completed, hopefully in a few weeks or months time.

Meanwhile, Donna Caulton has gone into Betsie's home stomping grounds, Jemez Springs, NM. She had two pieces selected to be in the Earth Day exhibit, What Goes Round at Jemez Fine Arts Gallery.  What indeed, as every possible iteration of the circle/round was appropriate for this exhibition, as long as some recycled material/materials were used tin the making.Donna's pieces are shown below.
(2 views of assemblage piece, Incubator).

Mitochondrial Matrix, acrylic with collage

We're thinking about "Shields" for our next exhibition. Stay tuned!!

"Descansos Along the Ancestral Road" now open in Albuquerque

On November 4th, 2016, Descansos Along the Ancestral Road opened at FreeStyle Gallery in Albuquerque. In spite of rain and street repairs, an appreciative crowd came to participate. Each artist in the exhibit developed his or her work with care and attention to honoring meaningful moments of their ancestral or present day life stories. Love and nostalgia is evident in each heartfelt piece. Of all the exhibits in the Creation/Migration series, this latest seems most personal and close to the hearts of the creators of the work. The viewers, therefore, were curious and personally touched by the meanings within the artworks.

Equally touching and poignant was the poetry reading by Max Early. The ancestral voices and stories of Max's Laguna Pueblo family and culture resonated through the gift of his words.

Here are some photos from the exhibit.

Jaymes Dudding, "Fire Fighters' Memorial Flag"

Kai Harper, "We're on our way to no where"

Jean Nichols, "Altar de Amor"

Betsie Miller-Kusz, "Cruz del Tiempo". Donna Caulton, "Journey Between Two Worlds"

Donna Lea, "Valles Caldera Descanso" and "Altar"

Max Early, "Carry Your Canteen on Your Journey Home"

Ralph Greene, "Artifacts"

Krystofer Meadows, "Alabama Now and Then.....ancestral memories"

Poetry Reading, Max and Betsie

Set-up Preview: "Descansos Along the Ancestral Road".

The Creation/Migration Group, as it approaches the end of its 4^th year, presents an exciting new exhibit honoring the pathways of their ancient, mythical and modern day forefathers and mothers. Returning to Freestyle Gallery, site of their first exhibition in 2012, founding members of the group, Betsie Miller-Kusz and Donna Caulton, have selected the title theme, Descansos Along the Ancestral Road.

This installation of personal altars and descansos explores the stories and journeys of honored ancestors, loved ones and children who have crossed from and to other worlds, over the rough seas and harsh lands of emergence and migration. Since the Descanso is a specific roadside marker for those who have died in transit, it has formed the starting point for the visual representation of these journeys.

The northern New Mexico artists presenting work in this exhibit are Donna Lea (fabric), Jaymes Dudding (mixed media), Kai Harper (mixed media), Jean Nichols (assemblage), Max Early (clay), Ralph Greene (painting), Krystofer Meadows (collage), Betsie Miller-Kusz (mixed media) and Donna Caulton (mixed media). The artists come from diverse heritages, which will be richly reflected in their work.

At the time of this posting, the show has not been completely installed, the lighting is not set, and all hands (and artwork) are not yet on deck. But please enjoy a couple of sneak peeks of some of the works that will be seen. Hopefully these will stimulate your curiosity enough to realize this thought provoking exhibit it not to be missed. 

Ralph Greene has only begun his installation as seen on the left. He is incorporating many meaningful ancestral artifacts with his own personal imagery. We are all waiting to see what is yet to unfold.

Fabric artist, Donna Lea, has incorporated her two pieces, Valles Caldera Descanso, and Altar, along with other fabrics and symbolic additions (see below) into a stunningly luminescent altar.

Sitting within her Altar de Amor is artist Jean Nichols. This is exactly what she would like the viewing audience to do. The piece is interactive and there is more than one way to "be" within its surround. Listen to its voice and yours.

Cruz del Tiempo by Betsie Miller-Kusz honors the sacred interaction of earth and air and memory. 

There will be a public reception for the exhibition on Friday, November 4 from 5-8 PM with refreshments celebrating the Day of the Dead festivities in Albuquerque. At 7:30, during the reception, there will be a poetry reading by Laguna Pueblo artist and poet, Max Early, whose poetry so eloquently expresses his respect for his ancestral ways.

Betsie's Return Sojourn: Back to San Francisco

Just a few days remain to see the two exhibits,  now in San Francisco, of art by Creation Migration curator Betsie Miller-Kusz, Before moving to the Jemez Valley, Betsie's longest sojourn had been in the bay area where she honed her painting skills and shared her curatorial and installation talents for many years. Two exhibits that honor her work have been on display there for the past six weeks. Preparation for them has been long and meaningful.

In order to transport all the work for two exhibits from Jemez Valley to the Bay area, Betsie traveled by car with her son and her work on a monumental journey.  Take a look!!  By taking her paintings off the stretcher bars, she was able to fit everything in her car.

Over 30 years ago, Betsie worked with Latino artists Carlos Loarca and Manuel Villamor to paint the murals on the outside walls of the Mission Cultural Center for Latino Arts in San Francisco's Mission district. Now, with the murals badly in need of repair, the cultural center has launched a campaign to raise funds to have Carlos and Betsie do this much needed work. In support of this campaign, a selection of retrospective works by these two artists has graced the walls of the cultural center's gallery since May 20.

The following November article from the Jemez Daily Post tells more about Betsie's involvement in the Puente Project. http://www.jemezdailypost.com/content/betsie-miller-kusz-and-puentes-project-san-francisco. The exhibit it called La Puerta en el Puente del Tiempo. Below are some photos from the exhibition.

Running at the same time is a solo retrospective exhibit of Betsie's work at Think Round Fine Arts at 2040 Bush Street in San Francisco. Here you can view artwork on spacious walls in a relaxed home-like atmosphere where you can sit back and take in the nuances of the paintings. The exhibit, titled High Tides and Far Paseos is filled with luminous works of Betsie's Guardian figure crossing between worlds, sometimes by water, sometimes by air, sometimes by fire.

Below is a close-up of the exhibits's cover image. The exhibit closes end of day June 27.