Opening: T.I.M.E., Temporary Installations Made for the Environment September 11, 2009

New Mexico Arts – a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, the City of Las Cruces Museums, and the Doña Ana Arts Council present “T.I.M.E., Temporary Installations Made for the Environment,” in Las Cruces, starting September 11. Six regional artists created unique and interactive artworks based on this year’s theme, Regeneration. These artworks are exhibited at the Cutter Gallery at Hadley Center and in downtown Las Cruces at the Las Cruces Railroad Museum, Branigan Cultural Center, Las Cruces Museum of Art, Rio Grande Theatre, and the future location of the Museum of Nature and Science. This year’s participating artists are Susannah Mira, Glenn Schwaiger, Joe Barrington, Tasha Cooper, Mary Lucking and Pete Goldlust, and James Wissing. The exhibition runs from September 11 thru October 4, with the grand opening on Friday, September 11, held in conjunction with ArtsHop.

The T.I.M.E. project was inspired by the emerging public art trend to engage artists interested in creating more spontaneous and immediate artworks with short life spans. At the end of the exhibition, the work will be disassembled and removed, leaving no trace of ever having existed. Now in its fifth year as an annual event in New Mexico, 2009 marks the first appearance of the T.I.M.E project in the city of Las Cruces.

Featured Work:

1. All in Knots – Susannah Mira
Built from discarded textiles and tubing, “All in Knots” is a playful monument to recycling and re-use. Even the materials in the piece will be re-used for subsequent artworks. The knot is a symbol of community, interconnected actions, and the West. Mira has created environmentally friendly artworks across the globe, including recent projects in Germany, Finland, and Sweden.

Located at The Cutter Gallery – Hadley Center, 2640 El Paseo Road

2. Meltdown – Glenn Schwaiger
This unique artwork consists of a pyramid of solid ice surrounded by an earthen damn. As the ice melts it will fill the moat, reminding us of the perils of global warming, such as our rising oceans. With a resume full of public art commissions, Schwaiger currently teaches at Dona Ana Community College.

Located at The Las Cruces Railroad Museum, 351 N. Mesilla Street

3. Ouroboros (or Tail Eater) – Joe Barrington
The Ouroboros is an ancient image, found in many cultures, of a serpent in a circle eating its own tail. This sculpture, which rotates like the earth on an axis, is made of discarded tires and salvaged steel. Joe Barrington’s sculptures, often monumental, are part of public art collections throughout Texas and the Southwest.

Located at The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 North Main Street

4. Symbiotic – Tasha Cooper
This kinetic sculpture, with the use of a wind turbine, generates the electricity required to light an integrated fluorescent lamp. The blades of the turbine are shaped like human hands and the sculpture also incorporates parts from motor vehicles. Currently a resident of Silver City, Cooper is a graduate of Western New Mexico University.

Located at The Las Cruces Museum of Art, 491 N. Main Street

5. Rag Riparian - Mary Lucking and Pete Goldlust
“Rag Riparian” is an architectural installation composed of colorful, soft-sculptures, woven together from worn-out clothing. Together the garments take on new, whimsical lives in plant, animal, and human forms. Lucking and Goldlust recently created “Blues Garden,” a sculptural garden, made from old blue jeans, for the Glendale Gibson Jazz and Blues Festival in Arizona.

Located at The Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Downtown Mall

6. Growth – James Wissing
James Wissing’s artwork embraces the idea of transformation – in this case, a large hand sculpture with small branches sprouting from each fingertip, which will continue to grow while on display. The sculpture is self-watering and made with recycled and recyclable materials. Wissing is a recent recipient of a BFA in Studio Art from the University of New Mexico.

Located at the future site of the Museum of Nature and Science, 411 N. Main Street