An ART-Rageous Success!

Well, maybe not in sales exactly, but we had a great time!! In spite of reduced set-up time the artists were able to erect and beautify their booths in record time.

The reception was well-attended and the food ran out (boohoo), but the music by Tony Russell was good and the Raffle for St. Felix Pantry was a big winner. We raised $305 for them and had 14 entries.

We had the Kinkaids and Bear Martinez playing for us on Saturday and Tony Russell came and closed the show on Sunday afternoon.


This was the biggest thing I have ever been involved with and it took magnanimous amounts of praying to get me through. However, the team was fantastic! Kudos to our chief, Carol Sanna, who kept us on target and so much thanks goes to Naomi Hanauer who was our graphic artist designing the brochure, postcards, and signs. Wendell Unzicker did a splendid job with the advertising and Bob Crowley worked and worked to get the room and artists synchronized so we all fit. The effect was amazing!

The volunteers who sat the RRAA booth were both entertaining and knowledgeable about RRAA. They all encouraged the visitors to buy raffle tickets and point them to specific artists that they wanted to see.

Thank You's go to the Greengards who provided the sweet grapes from their vines for all to enjoy!

Carol Sanna brought her really cool camera to show customers and I have to say I was really impressed with how it works. Naomi Hanauer set up her paints and worked on a piece that she has going and Cristina Diaz-Arntzen did a punch-quilt and finished it over the course of the show.

Customers who came through were surprised at the quality of art in Rio Rancho. Few of them even heard of us unless they were friends of the artists. So we had a whole lot of exposure and even picked up about 5 new members.

We loved Sister Claire and Marge who kept the St Felix booth for us. It was great to meet people from the Pantry where we love to donate both food and money. Annette Kornbrekke, our beloved president, organized the raffle for us and she did a wonderful job and took a huge burden off our shoulders. She came back to us just in time to go to work!!!

Carmen Taylor did a great job on compiling the exit surveys. It sounds like the artists had a great time too!

Sue Hanauer

Marilyn Meuret to speak about framing at next meeting on Oct. 1st at 6:30pm

Marilyn Meuret will speak about framing pictures at our next membership meeting on Monday, Oct. 1st at 6:30pm. She has 25 yrs experience in framing. She will address assembling wood and metal frames, applying paper and different hardware available. There will be a time for answering questions from the audience.
The public is welcomed to attend the meeting. Refreshments will be served afterwards during the venue sign up.

New Arts Commissions Sought

This is a wonderful opportunity to inspire and direct art in Rio Rancho:

Applications Sought for Rio Rancho Arts Commission


RIO RANCHO, N.M. - The city of Rio Rancho is seeking applications to fill a vacancy on the citys Arts Commission.

Those interested must be a resident of either City Council district 2, 3, 5, or 6. Each applicant must have knowledge and experience in an art-related discipline.

Those interested in serving on the commission must submit an application and résumé to the Office of the City Clerk by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, 2010.

Applications can be obtained from the clerks office located at Rio Rancho City Hall, or by visiting the city online, http://www.ci.rio-rancho.nm.us/artscommission .

The Arts Commission serves in an advisory capacity to the Rio Rancho Governing Body, and works to enhance and promote the arts within the city.

For more information, please contact the clerks office at (505) 891-5004. Rio Rancho City Hall is located at 3200 Civic Center Circle NE.

Linda Laitner

John Curran Hand Woven Rugs on Exhibit at Ghost Ranch and Piedra de Lumbre in Abiquiu

John Curran (aka JD) is a pretty humble man. And, hardworking. Not only that, but his weavings are in demand; particularly in Northern New Mexico which is known internationally for the community of weavers there.

Pictured here are a couple of hand woven table runners from JD's exhibits at Ghost Ranch and Piedra de Lumbre in Abiquiu. These runners are done in the Old Colonial Overshot Style. This is done in South Western colors with wool hand dyed in New Mexico by a friend of the Currans who lives in Santa Fe.

Pictured above are a couple of the new rugs woven on the new Collingwood Loom purchased during Convergence 2010 show held in Albuquerque. These looms are famous and much sought after by weavers. They are manufactured here in the USA by Harrisville Looms and are an amazing piece of ingenuity and engineering. They are unique in that they enable the weaver to keep the tension even throughout weaving and can change the designs also by using the same warp. The warp is linen and the weft pure New Zealand wool. The design  in blue and white is an original and new design by John. The blue and white design is also reversible; in other words, the underside of the rug is a complete design so that the rug can be used/displayed on either side.

Pictured below, you see a masterpiece in progress.

The wool is hand dyed by a fellow weaver in Santa Fe. What you see here is a work in progress on John's new Loom. The colors are spectacular. Very South Western. Looking forward to seeing the finished product!

Relay for Life Rio Rancho 2010

The 2010 Relay for Life held in Rio Rancho was dedicated to the memory of Delma M. Petrullo who was a city councilor to District 3 and the founder of the Rio Rancho Art Association (aka RRAA).



RRAA members, Sharon Patrick and Paula Scott participated in the Relay for Life. Many thanks to those who donated to the team for this fund raiser.

What is the Relay for Life?

Here it is straight from their website:

The American Cancer Society Relay For Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. At Relay, teams of people camp out at a local high school, park, or fairground and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Because cancer never sleeps, Relays are overnight events up to 24 hours in length.

Relay began in 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt, a colorectal surgeon in Tacoma, Washington, ran and walked around a track for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. Since then, Relay has grown from a single man’s passion to fight cancer into the world’s largest movement to end the disease. Each year, more than 3.5 million people in 5,000 communities in the United States, along with additional communities in 20 other countries, gather to take part in this global phenomenon and raise much-needed funds and awareness to save lives from cancer.

We can only hope that you will join us next year in 2011 in some way in this remarkable event!