What: Questa Studio Art Tour

Where: Questa, NM

Whan: August 14-15, 10-5 daily

Cost: Free

Website: northernnewmexicoartists.com

Contact: Peggy Trigg [email protected] or [email protected]

Hosting 45 skilled and creative local artists, the Questa Studio Art Tour is ripe to set the trend for the fall season of northern New Mexico art tours. This tour will feature 15 locations, with 13 multi-artist hubs. Spanning 20 miles, the route starts at the south end of Questa and runs east to the edge of the national forest and north through Sunshine Valley. New hubs have developed and new artists have joined, and there will be plenty of new works created by our past tours’ favor-ites. It will be an exciting event!

The first stop is located along NM Hwy 522, at the furniture restoration studio of Evelyn Coggins, at  Cosas Hermosas. Evelyn takes old, worn furniture and turns it into new treasures. Next, on the opposite side of Hwy 522, is ArtQuesta Gallery. This long-time Questa gal-lery will show work from not only potter Sandra and painter Roger Harrington, but also from painter and collage artist Monique Belitz, leather-worker Torre Strong, and weav-er Hillary Heyl.

Up the road in his private studio, Nick Ortega, a Questa treasure, will be showing his stained glass. Near the Questa traffic light on 522 you’ll find Rael’s Market, housing many artists, including Armando Vigil, woodworker; Clarence LaCome, folk artist; Ruth Archuleta, quilter; Cynthia Rael-Vigil, quilter; Marcus Herrera, carving and drawings; and Patsy Archuleta with jewelry.

Around the corner to the east of the light is NM Hwy 38. On the left you will find the Questa Visitors Center, which will offer QSAT information and brochures. Behind the Visitors Center is the historic St Anthony’s Church, which houses many examples of beautiful crafts produced by local artists in the form of handmade light sconces, reta-blos, carved beams, stained glass windows, and the beautiful altar screen.

Across from the Visitors Center in Jay’s Unique Thrift Store which will show the as-semblage art of Paul Flores, and more unique items! Down Hwy 38 a bit and to the left, on North Kiowa, is Mike and Peggy’s place. Here you will find pottery by Mike and paintings and fiber arts by Peggy. This stop will also host Diane DeFremery’s mixed media pieces, Joan Norris’s pastels, and Nina Anthony’s mixed media. Julienne Had-field will also have her beautiful jewelry displayed.

Back on Hwy 522, heading further north is the new expansion of the Questa Public Li-brary. This stop will focus on five artists, including the Questa Quilters Guild, pastel art-ist Scotty Mitchel, candle-maker Robyn O’Boyle, photographer Nancy DeHerrera-Crochet, Bonita Currey-Brown, and folk oil painter BJ Konior.

Eight miles north of Questa off of 522 is the El Rito/Latir area. The beautiful location nestled against the Sangre de Cristo mountains is packed full of artists in five unique hubs. Up El Rito Road is the studio of Bill Brown and his late wife Nancy. Here you will find an assortment of abstract and contemporary works by the famed east coast artist, the late Nancy Brown. Jewelry and paintings will also be on display, made by Bill Brown. Around the corner and down North Star Road is the open studio of surrealist painter Ola Sun and Ruby Sofrae (Rae).

Further east, to Quintana Road you will find the Oasis of Lorien, with six artists. Maria Mikhailas will show her spiritual awareness paintings, Betsy Irwin will show her beauti-ful gourd art, Cami Thompson’s luminous paintings will be available, along with prints by Besty Peirce, and jewelry and stuffed animals by Audrey Kunkel. Next you will come to Barrie Andrews’ studio, featuring fused glass, printmaking, and encaustic works.

On the north end of the El Rito/Litar area, at the Takoja Institute, you will find painter, illustrator and quilter Winter Ross, sculpture by Allison Wonderland, and mixed media by Martha Shepp.

Finally, on to Sunshine Valley Road we will have two hubs. The first is Virsylvia Farms. This local farm store will offer homemade local products, textiles, textile demonstra-tions, and a petting zoo for the kids. Their guest artist will be a new artist to the area, spiritual painter Teresa Stout.

Finally, the northern anchor of the tour is Ute A.I.R., with the beautiful murals by Lynette Haozous, silversmith work by Jill Kamas, pottery by Kathy Morsell, and watercolors by Claire Cote.

Wow! What a line-up! If that’s not enough for you, the Questa Weekend Markets, both Saturday and Sunday, will also be going on adjacent to the Visitors’ Center from 10 am to 2 pm. Come and experience the traditional and modern arts of the Questa area.

This tour is a project of the Questa Creative Council. This project is funded and sup-ported in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and by the National Endowment for the Arts. Further support comes from the Questa Eco-nomic Development Fund, the Taos Foundation, and The Los Alamos Foundation, and New Mexico Arts. We offer our gratitude and thanks to our funders.