Geoffrey Gorman and I were on the Mayor's radio and television show this week. The discussion centered on the economic impact of the financial crisis on the arts in Santa Fe. The Mayor was very knowledgeable about the importance of the arts to this community and is open to creative ideas but he obviously can't change the world from here. Geoffrey is full of creative ideas like having a graffiti park or converting an empty building into studio and demonstration spaces for artists. We were heard and I am very impressed by the long view the mayor takes and the number of fronts that challenge him daily.
Geoffrey has created another figure since the show opened..."BLUE MAN". In my mind it is a comment on the fact that the New Mexico domestic partnership law failed to pass yesterday. The legislators surrounding Santa Fe voted "yes" but out of state were influenced by the New Mexico Catholic Bishop who publicly encouraged a No" vote.
Tickets went on sale today for a new opera "The Language of Birds". Geoffrey Gorman designed the sets. The opera will be performed Friday March 27 & 28 th at the Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe.

ARTfeast was a marvelous event as it always is. We had many new faces in the gallery and the New Orleans Cuisine was quite a hit. WHOLE FOODS, our partner, can make anything!

We have just completed ARTfeast, a wonderful Santa Fe yearly event, that raises money for art in the public schools. Currently enough money is raised to provides art supplies to all of the public schools. Thirty galleries coupled with 30 restaurants or other kinds of food service and it was a big progressive dinner. Our theme was Mardi Gras and WHOLE FOODS our partner. They did an amazing job with various New Orleans delights from King Cake to Muffaletta sandwiches.

The best part was the joyous feelings of those attending. It was a warm evening with no snow or bitter winds and Canyon Road was filled with happy folks supporting their community. We all needed to feel that camaraderie.

I am very excited to have a marvelous upbeat show installed in the gallery. Geoffrey Gorman is an adventurous, inventive, and brilliant artist to work with. I never know exactly what to expect from him and even when I say" I don't think that sounds too good", the art turns out great. Sometimes artists are thinking far ahead of their dealers and they truly should follow their own paths. Dealers don't know everything. This body of work is right for the times, not created from precious costly materials, and Geoffrey has kept his prices within the reach of many of his admirers. There are great portraits of folks he met while in China for only $49.00 each and he shows how they can be framed handsomely with a frame from Hobby Lobby. The more complex pieces aren't more than $4,400. We shouldn't be thinking of art in terms of $$$ but if you are considering an acquisiton, it might be absolutely the deciding factor. Galleries are not immune to the financial crunch we are in right now and we are welcoming no-interest extended time payments.

Enough about money and more about the art. It is full of fantasy and reality, the animals look very real in posture and expression and yet you are aware that they are constructed from sticks, metal and cloth. Many of the pieces have a ritual and spiritual presence but at the same time make you chuckle at their expression. There are no animals like these. They make excellent pets, never disappoint you, you never have to run out and buy special food, don't have to walk them on sub-zero nights, and they never need the vet. How much better does it get than that!

Please come buy and see the show or check it out on our web site : http://www.jsauergallery.com/sagemoon/artistPages/GGorman.html ....and by the way, there was a picture of one of the monkeys in the calendar section of the New Mexican and a 2 page spread in the Albuquerque Journal.

Geoffrey Gorman Show

I am getting ready for the first show of 2009, Geoffrey Gorman : "ANIMAL INSTINCTS", opening next Friday, Feb. 13. I am thinking about just how to install the show and who should be sitting next to who. Each of these guys has a personality and needs to be placed with friends. Yes, they do come to life if you are around them for any length of time. How else could you want to take home a baboon to live with you! I will post a couple of my favorities, which changes everyday.

Come back to the world of materials and enjoy these with us. Note I am not saying "materialism" but am referring to the joy of experiencing texture, color, form and creativity. It is stunning to think that someone can take the most mundane discarded pieces of daily life and create these lively creatures. How, in Gorman's hands, does junk become endearing?

Stay tuned because there are more images and thoughts to come.