In 1920, Will Shuster was diagnosed with tuberculosis and given a year to live. He decided to move to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to live out the remainder of his life—which ended up being another 49 years.
Will Shuster (1893-1969), Sermon at Cross of the Martyrs, 1934, oil on canvas 48 x 35¾”. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Donated in memory of Helen H. Shuster by her family, 1972 (2964.23P). Photo by Cameron Gay.
A Fiery Light: Will Shuster’s New Mexico at the New Mexico Museum of Art celebrates the artist’s contributions to Santa Fe’s then-emerging art scene and is on view through July 25. “He was in large part responsible for getting Los Cinco Pintores together,” says Christian Waguespack, the museum’s curator of 20th century art. “They didn’t have a unified aesthetic, but they did have a unified vision of art being something for the people. They wanted to bring art to places like work houses, schools and prisons.”
John Sloan (1871-1951), Music in the Plaza (Plaza, Evening, Santa Fe), 1920, oil on canvas. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art.
Gift of Mrs. Cyrus McCormick, 1952 (326.23P). Photo by Blair Clark.
One of Shuster’s most lasting contributions to Santa Fe was the creation Zozobra. In 1924, Shuster built a marionette, invited his friends to write down their troubles, and symbolically burned it all to banish away their gloom and sorrows. It became an annual community event, and Zozobra is still burned every year during Fiestas de Santa Fe.
Will Shuster (1893-1969), The Santo Domingo - Corn Dance, 1929, oil on canvas, 293⁄8 x 395⁄8”. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Gift of Will Shuster, 1934 (361.23P).
Shuster’s 1964 mural depicting the tradition will be on view at the exhibition and demonstrates the artist’s recurring theme of fire. “The main subject of the piece is the light and the power of the fire,” Waguespack says. “Everything is on fire. We’ve got the row of fire at the bottom, the fireworks going off everywhere, the fire dancer in the front. Ironically, the only thing that’s not on fire is Zozobra.”
Jozef G. Bakos (1891-1977), The Springtime Rainbow, 1923, oil on canvas, 29½ x 35½”. Collection of the New Mexico Museum of Art. Gift of Jozef G. Bakos in honor of Teresa Bakos, 1974 (3098.23P). Photo by Blair Clark.
The exhibition will also feature work from Shuster’s artist friends, including Music in the Plaza by his mentor John Sloan. “It’s a very lively view of the city at the time,” Waguespack explains. “It’s a contemporary look at the city, not depicting Santa Fe as a historicized, Western place. There are women in flapper clothes and a beautiful band playing.”
A Fiery Light: Will Shuster’s New Mexico
Through July 25, 2021
New Mexico Museum of Art ,
107 W. Palace Avenue, Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 476-5072, nmartmuseum.org
Powered by Froala Editor
