Santa Fe’s summer season is starting to heat up. There are lots of things going on no matter when you plan to visit. Just come, we’re all waiting for you with open arms. There are a number of exciting events on Friday the 13th, which for Santa Fe will bring lots of luck and fun.
Folk Art Market:
The big news around town is the upcoming Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. This annual event officially begins with the gala preview event from 6:30 to 9pm on Milner Plaza on Museum Hill, where the Market takes place. Get your tickets to this coveted event early. If you wait to buy them at the gate, you may just find that your Friday the 13th IS unlucky. The event runs through the Sunday, July 15th.
Vanuatu boy with circumcision gifts, photo/Paul Ross and Judith Fein
On Saturday the 14th, there’s an evening event planned in conjunction with the Market. VANUATU: As Exotic As It Gets!, is a presentation on the South Pacific Island from travel journalists and local residents Judie Fein and Paul Ross. Wherever these two go, fun is sure to follow. The husband and wife team traveled to Vanuatu last year and they’re going to share their experience. The “travel Immersion” evening will include slides, videos and music. There’s also an authentic kava ceremony and tasting planned. Kava Kava, according to Ross, is a traditional indigenous drink found in the South Pacific that was originally used only by men in ceremony. Today everyone drinks it. Vanuatu native artist, Zilo Bong will join them. According to Ross, this “very remote and extremely colorful island nation,” is the first to represent the South Pacific at the Market. The event is at 7:30 at El Museo Cultural at 555 Camino De La Familia in the Railyard District. Admission is $15 and $12 for seniors. For information call (505) 955-0712.
While the official Santa Fe International Folk Art Market runs from Friday through Sunday, there’s a week of pre-events starting on July 6th, including a free concert on the 12th. There’s a complete schedule posted on their website.
More shopping news:
If you love that that wonderful striped canvas from France, you’ll love Bon Marche, a store specializing in these colorful fabrics that opened in The Railyard in March. Saturday, July 7th they’re celebrating that wonderful Basque-created footwear staple, the espadrille. La Fête de l’Espadrille is from 9am to 3pm. While there you can look at the collection of canvas on offer, from yard goods to home and fashion accessories and more. The fabric is woven by artisans from the Basque and Catalan regions of France, using looms that date from the late 19th century. Shop owners, husband and wife team Jean-Philippe Saldana and Amy Parrish, came here from Atlanta, Georgia where Saldana was an antique dealer and Parrish a business consultant and clothing designer. They started Bon Marche there and followed a dream to live in Santa Fe. The shop, open from Tuesday to Saturday, (hours vary) is at 1609 Alcaldesa Street across from the water tower.
Bon Marche has lots of great fabrics and other imported items, photo Steve Collins
Gallery and museum news:
Sometimes you just have to quote from the source. The NM History Museum sent this in a press release: “A photographer and a poet get into a car. No, it’s not the start of a joke. It’s the start of a remarkable collaboration between Teresa Neptune and Miriam Sagan. Together, the pair drove all over New Mexico, checking out places like the Very Large Array, Pie Town, the Valley of Fires, Tent Rocks, Ojo Caliente and more. One of them captured visual memories. The other wrote them down, elegantly, beautifully.“ You can meet the photographer (Neptune) and poet (Sagan) on Friday, July 13, at 6 pm in the auditorium of the New Mexico History Museum. Neptune’s photographs of the Upaya Zen Center are part of the museum’s current exhibition, Contemplative Landscape on view through December 30th. Admission to the downtown State Museums is free on Fridays from 5 to 8pm and the event is free. Neptune has a wonderful photography gallery (open by chance or appointment) at 728 Canyon Road (behind Geronimo). We discovered this gem on this year’s Historic Home Tour.
Horno and Buddha at Upaya Zen Center in Santa Fe, NM, October 2010. Photo/Teresa Neptune.
Speaking of photography, photoeye Gallery presents the 2nd evening in a three-part series on legal issues in the art world on Wednesday, July 11th from 6:30 to 8pm. Albuquerque patent attorney, Kameron W. Kramer, presents Understanding Copyright and Fair Use.
The talk will focus on copyright law highlighting some of the more pressing legal concerns for artists today. Some of the topics to be covered: the distinction between ideas and expression, the use of appropriated images and text as well as fair use with an emphasis on how these issues pertain to photography. Kramer’s specialty is intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
While we’re on photoeye, their new show, featuring photographer Julie Blackmon opens on Friday, July 13th with an artist’s reception from 4:30 to 7pm. The show, part of her ongoing series, Domestic Vacations, is her third at the gallery. The images featured are of her children and family members in their everyday domestic landscape. Also on display; photographs by John Chervinsky from his series Studio Physics. The show runs through the end of August.
“Leather Legacy: Aaron Lopez” at Shiprock Gallery, photo/courtesy Shiprock Gallery
Shiprock Gallery, known for their fine collection of Native American art has an opening on Thursday, July 12th from 5 to 7pm. LEATHER LEGACY: AARON LOPEZ features the one-of-a-kind braided leather jewelry from the Mixtec artisan. Lopez, who hails from Mexico, now calls Santa Fe home. His unique work, according to the gallery, “is worn by celebrities and locals alike.” Earlier that day, they are part of Santa Fe Art’s Gallery Trail Event. SPIDERWOMAN’S SONG, a Navajo weaving demonstration takes place from 12:30 to 1:15pm. (See the link to Folk Art Market’s schedule above for more information on this event.)
Dining news:
One of Santa Fe’s most unique dining spots, Epazote, featuring the “inspired New World Cuisine” of Chef Fernando Olea, is taking a hiatus. They will be closed for various repairs including updating the air-conditioning/heating system. They hope to be back open in two weeks. Stay tuned to Tidbits for updates.
There are a few new arrivals on the Santa Fe restaurant scene:
5 Star Burger, a small chain started in Taos in 2008 opened a Santa Fe branch on Monday, July 2nd . They are in Java Joes former location, a free-standing building on the East side of DeVargas Center. The chain which uses Harris Ranch natural beef for their burgers has a branch in Albuquerque (with another one on the way) and outposts in Colorado and Missouri. The menu offers a variety of burgers (beef, turkey, lamb, veggie plus other They’ll be open daily. Hours are Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10pm.
Café Fina is opening in the space on Old Las Vegas Highway formerly home to Real Food Nation. They plan to open for breakfast and lunch starting on July 4th. We’ll have more about them in the future.
Chef Rich Freedman of The Italian Table with guests at a recent dinner, photo/Steve Collins
Santa Fe has a new culinary treasure, a “secret dining club.” The Italian Table, a labor of love for former businessman turned chef, Rich Friedman, made its debut on Friday, June 29th. We were there with 16 other people who all seemed delighted with the experience. We know our table of eight was; we all got to know each other. There were two parties of three and a twosome at our communal table. In small Santa Fe, we all discovered connections of one kind or another. It’s that one degree of separation frequently found here.
Friedman, who recently spent four months studying cooking in Italy, is passionate about the food and cooking there. He is importing much of what he serves from there and quality is a big factor for him. He plans to do both Friday and Saturday night dinners every other weekend for now. Reserve early; these dinners are sure to fill up quickly as word gets out. He plans to keep the number of guests to 20 so that diners experience an intimate evening. We dined on a romantically lit Canyon Road patio visible from the street if you looked over the wall. Passersby stopped to gaze down at us with what looked like envy on their faces. All the information you need to join the fun is on the website.
Music in the air:
The prestigious Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival begins their 40th season on Sunday, July 15th and runs through August 20th. There are concerts scheduled in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque. There’s a full schedule on their website.
Desert Chorale begins their 30th season on Friday, July 20th. Their Summer Festival 2012 runs through August 18th. They also have concerts planned for both Santa Fe and Albuquerque. The schedule is up on their website.
Santa Fe Concert Association begins their 2012 through 2013 season (their 76th!!!) on Sunday, July 22nd (a very auspicious day as it’s my birthday, though I’m not quite as old). According to their Marketing Director, Sandy Heydt, they are the oldest “presenting performance organization” in The City Different. Some of the highlights of the eclectic season: the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China, Ballet Folklorico de Mexico, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble, the Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the North American touring company production of the ever-popular Fiddler on the Roof.
Odds and ends:
The 37th annual Pancakes on the Plaza held on July 4th every year on the historic Santa Fe Plaza is tomorrow. Breakfast is served from 7am until noon. In addition to breakfast, there’s a vintage car show, a craft show and sale, entertainment and more. Come out and join the fun.
Saturday, July 7, Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison will be signing their book, Tasting New Mexico, at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market in the Railyard from 9am to noon. They’ll be set up under the water tower. If you love New Mexican food and want great recipes along with history and interesting anecdotes about the local cuisine, you’ll love the latest book from the James Beard Award winning team.
Reminder: The 7th annual NM Jazz Festival runs July 13th through the 29th at venues in both Santa Fe and Albuquerque.
Jazz singer Dianne Reeves will be at the New Mexico Jazz Festival, photo/courtesy New Mexico Jazz Festival
Hope that’s enough to keep you busy until next week’s Tidbits. As always, if you have any Santa Fe Tidbits to share, contact us.
As former hotel concierges, owners of a travel concierge and trip-planning business and in Santa Fe, the writers may have at some time been guests of business or services mentioned in this post or may be guests in the future. These experiences do not influence this post in any way.
As always, great job of keeping locals and travelers alike up to speed on Santa Fe events. The Vanuatu exhibit and presentation sounds interesting.
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