Art & Appreciation
Multitude of events slated for Saturday

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

Gallup artist Rossi Bright will be opening her new show, "MindSpa," on Saturday at the Primal Image Gallery for the June Arts Crawl. "MindSpa," a solo exhibition of new gouache paintings, will be on exhibit through June 29. The above image is "Erratic Yet Ecstatic." [Courtesy Photo]

GALLUP — Saturday is packed with many entertainment possibilities because of the combined events scheduled for Native American Appreciation Day and the June Arts Crawl.

With the exception of the 5K and One Mile Fun Run/Walk, all the Native American Appreciation Day events will take place at the Gallup Sports Complex. The race and fun run/walk will start at Nizhoni and Highway 602 at 8 a.m., with registration beginning at 7 a.m.

Morning events at the Sports Complex include a traditional Navajo song and dance competition and Tiny Miss and Little Miss competitions. Afternoon events include live entertainment, free Bar-B-Q, kids' rodeo, and flour sack and watermelon races. Evening events include entertainment by Navajo comedian and singer/songwriter Vincent Craig and a fireworks display.

Arts Crawl events will begin at 5 p.m. in downtown Gallup. Those events include live music at Gallery 213, a dance performance at the El Morro Theater, and a half-dozen receptions for new art shows.

Muralist Be Sargent will kick off the June Arts Crawl with her monthly "Art and High Tea at Be's" from 5-7 p.m. at 113 E. Logan. The public is welcome to this Arts Crawl social event.

Also at 5 p.m., the Foundations of Freedom Dance Studio will be presenting "Dance for Peace," the studio's annual spring dance recital, at the El Morro Theater, 207 W. Coal. The show, which will be repeated at 2 p.m. on Sunday, celebrates the freedom of dance and the magnificence of art in a chaotic world. "Dance for Peace" will include tap, jazz, ballet, hip-hop, break dancing, and modern dance. The admission is $6.

The downtown Arts Crawl receptions will begin at 7 p.m.

Crashing Thunder Gallery, 228 W. Coal, will be featuring the show, "Third Eye," archetypal images by Dr. R. Currier.

Gallery 213, located at 213 W. Coal, will feature mixed media artwork by Joel Jasperse and sculptures by Ken Van Brott. The gallery will also feature live music by Tim Hankins and Jeremy Shreve.

The Machina Gallery, located in the Lexington Hotel, 408 W. Historic Route 66, will present "Tom on a Pedestal," a performance installation by artist Scott Snaden.

Primal Image Gallery, 233 W. Coal, will be showing "MindSpa," a solo exhibition of new gouache paintings by Gallup artist Rossi Bright. The reception will run from 7-10 p.m.

The Red Mesa Center, 105 W. Hill, will be exhibiting photographs from a recent photography contest sponsored by the Plateau Sciences Society. The organization recently sponsored the contest, which solicited images of the Colorado Plateau region and the Pyramid Rock Trail east of Gallup.

Vital Connections, located in The Frame Shop, 222 W. Coal, will feature work by a number of local artists including Mary Jane Milz, David Montelongo, Darryl Henderson, and Mike Lewis. The show will also include the work of Adis Seriano and Gerard Terrien from Guadalajara, Mexico.

Downtown businesses that will be open for the June Arts Crawl include Dominic's Downtown Restaurant at 303 W. Coal, Primal Image T-shirts at 231 W. Coal, and Yazzie's Indian Art at 236 W. Historic Route 66.

Outside of Gallup, the Old School Gallery, located on Highway 53 east of Ramah, N.M., will host an art show reception at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 5. The gallery will be opening a new show, "In the Heat of the Night," and admission is free. Also on Sunday afternoon, the gallery will be hosting a benefit brunch featuring food samples from the gallery's new recipe book. Admission to the brunch is $7. For more information about the Sunday Old School Gallery events, call (505) 783-4710.