Taos Art Museum at Fechin House.
Christy Schoedinger Coleman
Executive Director
Taos Art Museum at Fechin House , Taos, NM
(575) 758-2690
www.taosartmuseum.org
What event (gallery show, museum exhibit, etc.) in the next few months are you looking forward to, and why?
I’m excited about our upcoming exhibition Sun Patterns, Dark Canyon: The Paintings and Aquatints of Doel Reed (1894-1985), organized by Oklahoma State University Museum of Art and curated by Dr. Rebecca Parker Brienen. The light and shadows that New Mexico’s landscape are so famous for greatly inspired Reed’s work and is exemplified in his beautifully moody aquatints and paintings. The exhibition covers the entirety of his career and examines how he influenced, and was also influenced by, a number of notable art movements.
What are you reading?
I’m reading two books at the moment: Exhibitionist: Earl Stendahl, Art Dealer as Impresario, by April Dammann. Stendahl was instrumental in exposing Nicolai Fechin’s work to the West Coast. I’m enjoying learning more about the dynamics of their art dealer/artist relationship and Stendahl’s influence on modern and pre-Columbian art. The other book is To Shake the Sleeping Self: A 10,000-mile Journey from Oregon to Patagonia by Jedediah Jenkins. His writing is both entertaining and reflective, and vividly captures his year-and-a-half life-changing adventure on a bicycle.
Interesting exhibit, gallery opening or work of art you’ve seen recently?
Exposure: Native Art and Political Ecology at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Art in Santa Fe. I wasn’t aware of the extent of the impact of nuclear energy and uranium mining on Native peoples and the environment until I saw the exhibition. The seriousness of what has been happening, voiced through thought-provoking artwork created by contemporary Indigenous artists from around the world was eye-opening.
What are you researching at the moment?
All things Nicolai Fechin! A silver lining of being shut down during the pandemic is that I was afforded more time to do research, which felt like a luxury. As a result, I’ve been researching archives of other artists and people who knew Fechin, enabling me to develop a more comprehensive and accurate view of his life and work.
What is your dream exhibit to curate? Or see someone else curate?
I’m interested in how living through social upheaval, civil wars, famine and creative restrictions shaped Nicolai Fechin as an artist. That story is very much relevant today as we see what is happening around the world. As a result, I’d like to do a show reflecting on Fechin’s history and examining how similar current events are influencing contemporary art. —
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