Reception
Friday, April 26
5:30 p.m., Lecture
6:00-7:00 p.m., Reception

Miranda Howe, Bone
Springs, 2011, stoneware,
courtesy of the artist.

Reception
Friday, June 7
5:30 p.m., Lecture
6:00-7:00 p.m., Reception

June 8 - July 28, 2013
Marshall and Winston Gallery

The work of ceramic artist Miranda Howe is rooted in a deep love for geologic elements,decorative ornamentation, and architectural components. She is captivated by the spirit of nature in counterpart with the structures of man and often uses one to bring attention to the other, pairing the organic with the calculated.

John Brandi, Evening Star, the Widow Takes a Seat FAcing the Empty Rocker, watercolor and Ink. Courtesy of New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors.

Reception
Friday, June 7
5:30 p.m

June 8 - September 15, 2013
Horgan and Graphics Galleries

Organized by the Palace of the Governors and the New Mexico History Museum, John Brandi: From a Distant Road features the work of noted northern New Mexico poet and painter John Brandi. This exhibition contains Brandi’s Haiga, or “Haiku Painting,” a spare, ink-brushed image combined with a calligraphic haiku, the world’s shortest poem of seventeen syllables or less. Brandi’s haiga are inspired by Japan’s 17th century wandering poetpainters, popularized by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), japan’s great haiku master. Like their haiga, Brandi’s are also influenced by journeys along distant roads.

Brandi’s haiga are mounted to specially marbled papers created by curator tom leech of the press of the palace of the governors. Leech used an 11th century Japanese technique called suminagashi, or “black ink floating.” Inherent in the art form, which is comprised of delicate, swirling patterns, is the implication of meandering water or wind-blown clouds. Coupled with the haiga and suminagashi are photographs from the palace of the governors photo archives that detail the much unchanged Japanese countryside and people two centuries after Matsuo Basho made his journeys.

John Brandi is no stranger to Roswell. He has been a resident poet with Sidney Gutierrez Middle School, New Mexico Military Institute, and the Roswell Museum and Art Center. With regard to the RMAC, he and museum staff developed a poetry anthology, Poems inside out, with students from Mesa Middle School, New Mexico Military Institute, Roswell High School, and University High School in 1999.

Brandi was introduced to Japanese poet-wanderer Nanao Sakaki by beat poet Gary Snyder. Since then, he has served as editor for the Unswept Path: Contemporary American haiku (with Dennis Maloney, 2005) and has published Seeding the Cosmos: new and selected haiku (2010) and Empty Moon: Belly Full, haiku from India and Nepal (2000), among numerous other publications. Novelist John Nichols, in his introduction to Brandi’s Book of Essays, Reflections in the Lizard’s Eye, wrote: “the way Brandi interprets the world is rich with the guts and gusto of oldfashioned magicians. His is a bittersweet, loving vision . . ..”

This program is sponsored by the RMAC Foundation.

Naomi Padilla, an Americorps intern through New Mexico Highlands University, recently completed a family guide called Biff’s Buddies for the exhibition West of Beyond: the Rogers and Mary Ellen Aston Collection of the American West. Biff is the beloved taxidermied beaver on display in the entrance case to the exhibition, and has been identified as an emissary and icon for the collection. Naomi created illustrations of Biff and his friends based on wild and domestic creatures found in the collection including a bison, long horn cow, black bear, elk, and horse.

The family guide is geared towards elementary school age children and their families but can also be used by younger children with the help of an adult. It is thematic to correspond with the gallery displays focusing on topics such as family and community and farming and ranching. Naomi worked with the staff to create this lovely resource so that visitors of all ages can more thoroughly enjoy the aston ¢ollection. A portion of Naomi’s salary has been underwritten by the RMAC Foundation.

Naomi has also been working to create diagrams and flipbooks for each of the cases in the Aston Gallery with the help of Museum Registrar, Kenna Arganbright. It is a project that began before the Gallery was reopened in 2006 but was not completed due to ongoing research. Naomi has been doing the design work while Kenna has been compiling years of research done by staff, interns, and volunteers to assist naomi in finishing the flipbooks by the end of spring. More fun, family-friendly interpretive ideas are in the wings for the Aston Collection in coming months—to be revealed in upcoming newsletters.