'New Mexican Stories' project draws to close

STAFF WRITER

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Kathy Durand Gore participated with her son, Sam, in the “New Mexican Stories” community art project that was held in April. The art projects are on display in the Runnels Gallery at the Eastern New Mexico University Golden Library until August 28.

A special art project is allowing Portales citizens an opportunity to create based on what New Mexico means to them.

The community event, “New Mexican Stories,” kicked off April 25 in the Eastern New Mexico Art and Anthropology building and was open to anyone in the area who wanted to participate. The results are on display through August.

Bryan Hahn, secretary for art at ENMU, said participants were asked to create artwork on top of New Mexico USGS topographic maps, which were donated from the anthropology department.

“We wanted them to make something that was a visual narrative to their story about being a New Mexican, living in New Mexico, or something inspired by New Mexico,” Hahn said. “We allowed them to create any kind of 2D art.”

Hahn said the participants worked with various art supplies, including colored pencils, soft pastels, markers and paint.

Tatyana Scott, an art major who helped set up the event, painted with ink to create one of her projects, which featured her hometown, Tularosa.

Hahn said some people also did digital work.

“They designed their images on the computer,” he said. “We ran the map through a large format printer, and it printed the image on top of the map.”

Dustin Brady, a graphic design student, used this method to make his project, which was about nuclear testing in White Sands.

“I wanted to convey that New Mexico has a very historical aspect with World War II,” he said.

Brady also created a roadrunner using pastels.

“I created that project because it is our state bird, and I just wanted to have fun with it,” he said.

For Kathy Durand Gore, professor in anthropology, the project provided an opportunity for a personal tribute to her deceased husband.

“My husband, Stephen, was a professor at ENMU for 18 years, so it’s likely that a lot of the maps came from his work,” Gore said. “I found a map that was from an area where he and I had spent time and looked at the ruins.”

Gore said she based her project on that experience and incorporated images that had meaning to her for that part of her life.

“I had a lot of fun making it,” she said. “I’m not an artist, but it was a great opportunity to have access to the nice art equipment and be able to create with it.”

Hahn said the project exceeded his expectations in both turnout and what was created.

“I believe we had a little over 40 participants, and there were so many pieces created that we couldn’t fit everything in the gallery,” he said.

“Everything that was made was beautiful because it came from a genuine place of desire to create and share.”

The projects are currently on display in the Runnels Gallery in the ENMU Golden Library. They will remain there until Aug. 28, when the department has their public closing reception from 5-6 p.m.