Artist returning to his Gallup roots

Gallup Performing Arts Center Gallery Director Michele Pracy adjusts the lighting on some of the paintings by local painter Michael W. Lewis on Friday afternoon. "Michael W. Lewis — New Works" is the first exhibit for the Gallup Performing Arts Center and it will open tonight and run until Nov. 4. [Photo by Matt Hinshaw/Independent]

By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff Writer

GALLUP — One of the most talented artists to grow up in Gallup is returning home this weekend.

Michael Lewis, now a resident of Grants, N.M., is debuting a show of 22 plein air paintings, "Michael W. Lewis New Works," in a reception tonight. The reception, which will be 6-8 p.m., will also mark the debut of the Contemporary Art Gallery in the Gallup Performing Arts Center, 1500 S. 2nd St.

In an interview on Friday, gallery director Michele Ellis Pracy said most of the oil on linen paintings were created in the last year and none have been exhibited before in Gallup. The show features landscapes painted in locations around the Southwest, including nearby locations such as Mount Taylor, Ramah, and the Zuni Mountains. And although plein air paintings tend to be smaller because they are painted outdoors, Pracy said the show does include several large pieces.

Pracy said she chose Lewis to be the opening artist for the new gallery because of his stature as a local and regional artist with national recognition.

"He's a master painter in that he understands light," she said. "He's really coming into a high point, I believe, in his career," she added.

"It gives people a sense of the beauty of our area," she said of Lewis' art. "I wanted to make the first show to be enjoyable by anybody."

In addition to his paintings, Lewis has worked with ceramic tile to create murals. Two of his tile murals have been installed as public art in Gallup. One is in the Downtown Walkway, located between Coal and Aztec Avenues, and the other is in the lobby of the Rehoboth McKinley Christian Hospital. Two of his paintings also hang in the Red Rock Clinic and the Gallup City Council Chambers as works of public art.

Lewis' show will be on exhibit for six weeks, through Saturday, Nov. 4. "I'm going to do a second reception midway through the show," Pracy said, adding that Lewis will give a gallery talk about his work during that second event.

According to Pracy, the gallery is already booked through September 2007, with each art show slated to run for six weeks. Although Pracy said she will have the gallery open during Arts Crawl evenings, she said she will not schedule her opening receptions to coincide with the monthly downtown event.

With 60 running feet of wall space, Pracy is looking to eventually make some changes in the space. She would like to install carpeting and add some comfortable furniture. She also would like to cover the walls with a special carpeting to eliminate the constant need to patch and paint over the damage caused by hanging shows.

"I want this space to be museum quality," she said. "I want Gallup to have that kind of space."

Pracy said her next show will be an open call holiday art exhibition and sale that will run from Saturday, Nov. 11 through Thursday, Dec. 23. She is looking to fill the gallery with two- dimensional artwork, matted within 8 x 10 inch frames.

"It's the perfect size for Christmas presents," she said of the format. Artists interested in exhibiting and selling their work in the show should contact Pracy.

The Contemporary Art Gallery in the Gallup Performing Arts Center is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, and for special appointments. Contact Michele Pracy for further information: (505) 722-2258 or michele@gpac.info.