August 4, 2023 | Parsons Gallery of the West | Taos, NM

Continuing Tradition

Parsons Gallery of the West hosts their annual summer show featuring over 100 artworks.

For Parsons Gallery of the West, the annual Big Summer Show is the perfect opportunity to not only showcase superb, Western-inspired works, but to engage with the Taos community in which the gallery resides. The 2023 show brings together 20 nationally recognized artists contributing more than 100 artworks in a variety of subject matter and mediums, with a focus or connection to the Taos region.

“Continuing our tradition…the gallery will host a summer celebration featuring new works from many of Taos’ most notable artists, many of whom will be in attendance and presenting some of their finest pieces,” says Anne Delling, assistant director at the gallery. “This year we will also be showcasing several works by the late Julian Robles (1933-2023). These pieces have never been on the market before. This event is much anticipated by many of our collectors, [with] some guests traveling from as far away as New England to attend.”

Dan Stovall, Sundown Shadows, oil, 18 x 24"

Examples in the show include the work of artist Dan Stovall, with paintings like Sundown Shadows, a scene depicting two cowboys with their horses, exuding warmth and calm. “I tried to have warmth even in the shadows of this piece, and bright red, orange and yellow tones reflecting from horse hair, leather and sky,” the artist explains. “I invite the viewer to step closer to the painting with small details and detailed facial expressions.”

Drew Macias, Every Curse has a Blessing, oil, 12 x 9"

Stovall continues, “I was originally inspired by a line from Walt Whitman’s Song of Myself where he is describing various aspects of the American West. He says it is ‘where the sun-down shadows lengthen over the limitless and lonesome prairie.’ The two cowboys in the image have just dismounted and are about to unpack for the evening, and I hope I’ve captured the moment and look we all share anytime a beautiful sunset appears in front of us.”

Drew Macias presents works that honor his Western portraits in a “messy and loose” style. “I love looking at a painting from across the room but as you get close it falls apart in a series of paint strokes,” he shares. “My goal is to try and paint something that I like to look at, and if I do that, I feel like it will be a strong piece.”

Spike Ress, Monsoon Season, oil, 30 x 24"

Macias explains that one of his show pieces, Every Curse Has a Blessing, earned its title “because of what it took to paint it,” he says. “I had originally painted something else on this canvas and I wasn’t happy with it so I wiped it away. It was just one of those paintings that fought with me the whole time, but with patience and persistence a cool little painting appeared. I’m glad I stuck with it and it named itself.”

While many of the artists in the show are inspired by the Taos region, some, if not all, are also influenced by the Taos founders. “[They] are an inspiration to me because they captured the crisp clean light and the incredible humanity they found in Taos—especially the Taos Pueblo people,” says the renowned Roseta Santiago. “I feel those descendents as well as many models of the Native American culture carry a deep and present beauty I wish to capture in my work.”

Nathanael Volckening, Opening, oil, 20 x 16"

In her show piece On Taos Mountain, featuring three robed Native American figures, she says, “I am inspired to be in the summer show at Parsons and wanted to share the feeling of the people and place as I see it; moving historically with grace and on their beloved land. [This piece] has all the alluring elements that inspired and anchored some of the most famous artists in history.”

Roseta Santiago, On Taos Mountain, oil, 36 x 30"

Last but certainly not least, we also see works that deviate from formal landscape painting conventions, as noted by artist Nathanael Volckening. “[My piece] Opening, was created specifically for the show,” he says. “It draws inspiration from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, in particular Taos Mountain, and the unique quality of light found in the high desert region of Northern New Mexico. The title…holds multiple meanings for me…In the painting itself, it refers to the small opening formed by the clouds, revealing the summer sky. Symbolically, Opening also represents a gateway to a fresh experience, embodying the transformative power that comes with embracing new beginnings and elevated perspectives.”