By Amy Kuhre, SFR Intern

Just in time for the weekend, Santa Fe galleries are giving you tons of reasons to leave the toasty comfort of your abode to check out what’s new in the realm of visual art. From the earth-friendly offerings of Matilda Essig to the classic cartoons of Roz Chast, Santa Fe’s best have something for everyone.

A Group Exhibition From Three Gallery Artists:
Matilda Essig, Don Kirby, Stephen Strom

Reception
5-7 pm Friday, Nov.13
2-4 pm Saturday, Nov. 14

Free

Verve Gallery of Photography
219 E. Marcy Street
982-9111

A landscape of deep browns and burnt oranges full of  hills speckled with tarnished greens barely begins to conjure the images of these three artist’s collective works. The three-artist exhibition features Matilda Essig, Don Kirby and Stephen Strom, and each has a perspective of similar proportions with their visual documentation of the West’s fertile and barren plains.

Santa Fean photographer Don Kirby immortalizes the resilience of earth’s most precious edible ecosystem in his new book, Grasslands. A four-year project, Grasslands is an homage to the land that spans the Great Plains of Nebraska to the hillsides in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. Kirby lives and works in New Mexico and uses his latest photo project not only as a chance to capture the scenic brilliance of the West but also, map the remnants of cultures that called the wide expanses home.

More than a man of pictures, Stephen Strom’s  notoriety stems in part from  his work as an astronomer although his work with photography spans more than thirty years. However, this cosmic background lends richness in depth to many of his desert depictions. Furthermore, his attention to detail captures the integral relationship between water and topography and how the course cut by rains renders the smooth surfaces of desert scenery. Strom presents his book, Earth Forms, a compilation of his photographic work across US deserts.

Fine artist Matilda Essig brings the  details of native grasslands into sharp focus. Trained in art and agriculture, Essig combines the two for an in-depth study of the balance between humanity and its natural world. After years of working with paint and watercolor, the plight of the current environmental shift struck a chord with Essig and inspired her to make nature the center of attention reinforcing the message that animal and plant life are more than accessories to a landscape.

Essig presents a lecture to coincide with her part of the exhibition on Friday Nov. 13, from 4-5 pm. On Saturday, Nov. 14, Don Kirby and Stephen Strom will both be on hand to sign copies of their books and present their photos from 2-4 pm.

Roz Chast

Reception
5-7 pm
Friday, Nov. 13

Gerald Peters Gallery
1011 Paseo de Peralta
954-5714

Diverse Propositions: The Best of Zane Bennett

Reception
3-5 pm
Saturday, Nov. 14

Free

Zane Bennett Contemporary Art
435 S. Guadalupe St.
982-8111

The Brookover Gallery Grand Opening

Reception
5-8 pm
Saturday, Nov. 14

Free

The Brookover Gallery
725 Canyon Road
988-8913

As evidenced by his other gallery in Jackson Hole, David Brookover is quite an accomplished photographer. His work ranges from veiled depictions of deserted terrain in the West, to the technicolor dreamworlds of Japan. A traveler by heart, most often his best work comes from unassuming moments like when the skies above the Rockies shift their cloud formations creating the framework for an exceptional panorama. But whatever the subject matter may be, Brookover has amassed quite a collection of prints and finds a haven for his hard work right off our beloved Canyon Road.

Highlights from his work include pieces from his platinum/palladium collection, which is Brookover’s rendition of the classic technique used since 1873. The artist also features photographs taken in Japan when he was overseas studying acupuncture. Brookover  went back behind the lens after finding great inspiration through his travels in the East. After his many successes thus far, it’s safe to say David Brookover’s photography will be an exciting and unique edition to the arts on Canyon Road.

Myths

Through Feb. 28, 2010

Embudo Station Gallery and Coffee House
1101 Hwy. 68, Embudo
505-852-4707

Santa Fe’s favorite singer shows her artistic side with a collection of paintings, Myths. Margarita Cordero—better known as Nacha Mendez—creates paintings as vibrant as her voice. An accomplished painter, sculptor and performer, Cordero lives and works in Galisteo, drawing inspiration from her travels. Be sure to catch her latest exhibition, Myths and see the other side of one of Northern New Mexico’s exceptional talents.