Fall is a time of transition for the Carlsbad Museum.
Fall brings to mind palettes of colors in yellows, reds, and browns, but at the local museum and gallery, the season feels a bit more like spring. It is a time of change and regeneration which conjures images of green. Before the museum began its hectic season of change, Focus caught up with its Director, Dave Morgan, for the inside scoop on all things happening for the remainder of the year. The summer exhibit ended September 3rd, and the winter exhibit will open November 5th from 4 – 7pm with an artist reception for Gary Niblett catered by HX Chuck Wagon and music by Rhone Prather, a troubadour cowboy singer.
Gary Niblett: His Life and Art is a new exhibit that differs significantly from those in the summer. The differences in exhibits are what keep Carlsbad Museum a bountiful space of ideas and inspiration. From aliens, meso-American lore, and re-purposed materials to western landscapes from one of Carlsbad’s very own, the museum works hard to stay fresh for its patrons.
Galactic Warriors: Rituals of Mesoamerica
The summer exhibits at Carlsbad Museum were green in a number of ways. Andy A. Villareal installed his larger-than-life panels entitled Galactic Warriors: Rituals of Mesoamerica in the gallery space. Villareal gravitated to the subject of aliens in Mesoamerican lore and history. Precisely cut snakes, jaguars, ancient warriors, aliens, and UFOs all appeared in the 3–8-foot panels around the gallery. The impact of the large shapes and vibrant colors thrilled and inspired folks of all ages. While the panels used an entire palette of vibrant colors, the dominant color of the exhibit was alien green.
Tierra Sagrada-Sacred Lands
In the adjacent gallery space, Jesus Toro Martinez displayed his pieces entitled Tierra Sagrada-Sacred Lands. The scale of the pieces of Tierra Sagrada kept pace with the neighboring Galactic Warriors but offered a subtle color scheme as opposed to the vibrant one. While the colors were muted in comparison, the texture of each piece made a resounding statement. Martinez shredded then melted roadside refuse into miniscule pieces to combine with paint to create landscape scenes. The foreground of each piece features flowers, stones, and banks with tantalizing textures added to petals, lichen, and exposed earth. The color green did not dominate Martinez’s works, but the nod to recycling in the reuse of collected materials demonstrates creativity on this edition’s Focus of “going green.”
Gary Niblett: His life & Art
As the museum prepares for the exciting winter exhibit, here’s a bit about Gary Niblett, a Carlsbad native living in Santa Fe, who went on to a career as an artist that made him internationally known. Niblett sketched backgrounds for Hanna Barbera animation studios in which he created scenes for animated films such as Charlotte’s Web and The Flintstones. During this time, he practiced his painting skills and learned from his teachers. It was during this time that Niblett also met his wife Monika.
After several years at the animation studio, he decided to strike out on his own to become an independent artist. His success began almost immediately and endures today. Niblett is renowned as one of the premier painters in the Western Art genre. He paints in both watercolor and oil. Throughout his career, he has expanded his repertoire to include scenes of people and places encountered during his trips to Europe and Mexico. Niblett paints with gusto and energy and en plein air, meaning he sets his easel and canvas up at each location he paints. In painting the western theme, he has amassed a collection of Native American and cowboy objects which are often used as models in his paintings. The exhibit in Carlsbad will feature part of this collection. The main attraction, though, will include some 35-40 pieces of Niblett’s art showcasing some of his earliest pieces as well as some of his newest. The exhibit promises to be an amazing tribute to one of Carlsbad’s own. It is being produced by Carlsbad Museum with generous help from Mr. Niblett.
If you have not experienced Carlsbad Museum, you are missing a community gem. The world-class art collection and historic artifacts from the early days of Carlsbad are sure to engage your interest and spark your creativity. Check out the fabulous location at 418 West Fox Street right next to Halagueno Arts Park, and remember to add the exhibit opening and artist reception for Gary Niblett on November 5th from 4 – 7 pm to your calendars!
