A SEA in the Desert Gallery: October 2016

October 23, 2016

The summer Season in Santa Fe is over, the Fall is beautiful (more sun and warmth than is usual for this area...just moved some pepper and tomato plants back outside, on this late October day! Never happened before.

We've been back from Europe for just over 3 weeks. We spent a week as usual in Berlin, still discovering new areas.   I also took the train to Usedom where I will have a show of my (especially anti-war)  paintings in the Summer of '17, staying overnight in Zinnowitz, a resort we had lived in for some months after the bombing of Peenemuende. Unfortunately for me and the seagulls, all of the beaches in that section of the island had high wireless, and the seagulls were nowhere to be seen.   I swam twice anyway in the Baltic on that short trip. In Basil I looked for the gallery I has originally found Friedrich Geier's work in (Brigitta Leupin); it had moved across town to the Muensterplatz. She was happy to see me, and suggested we might do a collaboration.
   Stone Heng and Avebury were memorable Highlights; unlike most viewers we do not own a 'smartphone' and   enjoyed the experience by just being as totally present as possible.   We hope to return there again. My husband, Dan kept pointing out that no billboards marred the English country side.   Santa Fe's City Council however, wants to place interactive electronic billboards all over Santa Fe. I hope the public comes in numbers to the Nov. 9th meeting to show their displeasure at this further Disneyland-izing   of our historical, art and culture fostering city.

We had a wonderful celebration of my 75th Birthday (10/19) last night     with several artist friends like Eli Levin, Jerry West, Sandra Place and Siegfried Halus among them.   The raffle to which I donated 8 works was fun and humorous.

THE next event for A SEA Gallery will be my show of NEW work, including Berkeley and Das Niebelungenlied, as well as Diamond Sky (from/with Bob Dylan)   The Sky in Eden. November 12, 3 -6 pm

About our Gallery

A Sea Gallery has gone through several stages over a 10 year period. A Sea stands for "Association of Socially Engaged Artists" which began about 2002 with meetings of artist discussing the state of art in Santa Fe as well as politics of the United States and the world at this time. Most of the artists either were or had been political activists, against war, corporate exploitation, empire, etc. and committed to honoring the earth. Over the years since that time I have thought a lot about the artists roll as mirror to a society, addressing social ills and aspirations. It seemed the Santa Fe ‘art scene’ had become increasingly commercial: ‘successful artists’ making a recognizable product for wealthy private collectors or corporations. Much of the art shown was about prestige and investment. The art I was drawn to in major art centers in the USA and in Europe was deeper and more challenging than that. While Santa Fe may have more art galleries than the current economy can support I felt there is room for one more: a gallery of challenging work supported by the artists themselves- a Collective (rather than a cooperative) as the structure is evolving. It’s aesthetic philosophy: Art is shown because of its merit rather than salability. It has an owner (Monika Steinhoff) but no profits are taken out of the gallery. Artists participate in paying expenses, gallery sitting and decisions about running the gallery. Proceeds from sales are between 50 and 70% to the artist, depending on artist involvement. The gallery is small and can have up to 10 members. It has existed at its present location in the Railyard since July 1st 2011.