West with Destination

ROCKWELL MUSEUM OF WESTERN ART GOES WEST WITH DESTINATION: SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

January 20, 2004

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art displays The Best of the West in the East, but this summer it will present a unique glimpse of the Best of the West in the West. The museum has reinvigorated its travel program and selected Santa Fe for its inaugural trip. The result is Destination: Santa Fe, New Mexico, an event-filled private tour of that enchanting southwestern city, designed especially for the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. The tour is replete with behind-the-scenes visits to galleries, studios of exciting Western artists, and homes of local art collectors. The tour also includes sumptuous meals with opportunities to sample creative southwestern cuisine, an introduction to Santa Fe's rich architectural history, and an evening at the spectacular Santa Fe Opera. It is the consummate insider's tour.

All this unfolds over a four-day weekend, Thursday, July 29 through Sunday, August 1, 2004. The cost is $1,150 per person, and includes three nights lodging at a four star hotel, all meals, opera tickets, and transportation around Santa Fe. Extended hotel stays can be arranged at a discounted rate. Airfare is not included.

Destination: Santa Fe, New Mexico is open to museum members at the Copper Level ($250) and above. Detailed itineraries of the trip are available upon request. New members are welcome. A $250 non-refundable deposit by March 1, 2004, will secure a reservation. Space is limited, and reservations are first come, first served. For information on how to become a member, to request an itinerary, to upgrade a membership, or to make reservations, call (607) 974-2333.

"The Rockwell Museum of Western Art has a fine tradition of offering members exciting travel opportunities to enrich their understanding of Western culture, and that are just plain fun" says Museum Director Kristin Swain. "I am delighted that we will be reviving that tradition with Destination: Santa Fe."

The museum staff has selected Nancy Halliwell, a Southwestern art broker and former gallery owner, to organize and lead Destination: Santa Fe, New Mexico. "Nancy has worked in the field of Southwestern and Western art for 27 years, many of them in Santa Fe," says Swain. "We are fortunate to have the benefit of her insider's knowledge of the city's art scene."

Indeed, many of the events planned for the weekend are exclusive visits with collectors, artists and gallery owners that are not available to the average tourist or tour operator. Sculptor Gelnna Goodacre, best known for her design of the Sacagawea Golden Dollar and the Vietnam Women's Memorial in Washington, D.C., has agreed to open her studio for a rare visit. Collector Roddy Burdine and gallery owner Nedra Matteucci will offer private tours of their elegant homes and gardens. Artist Dan Ostermiller, President of the National Sculpture Society, will give a pre-opening gallery talk about his work during the tour's opening reception at the Nedra Matteucci Gallery. And a backstage tour and private buffet dinner at the Santa Fe Opera are yet another highlight of the weekend.

Tour organizer Nancy Halliwell has drawn upon the knowledge and contacts she amassed over many years spent in the Santa Fe art world to create a one of a kind weekend for the Rockwell Museum of Western Art. "I've worked hard to make sure that this tour is truly representative of southwestern art, from the historical to the modern and contemporary," says Halliwell. "Santa Fe is a mix of cultures - Hispanic, Native American, and European. Our tour will explore all of these influences."

"This is also a very personal project," she continues. "Many of the artists and collectors are my friends, and they have been gracious and enthusiastic about opening their private homes and studios to our group," says Halliwell.

To prepare members to take full advantage of all Santa Fe has to offer, the Rockwell Museum of Western Art will present a special Santa Fe series of three programs this spring. Cindy Weakland, Director of Public Programs for the museum, said "This Santa Fe series is a wonderful opportunity for the Rockwell Museum of Western Art to bring a unique Western city into focus. Through our presentations on the arts and the culture, our members will be immersed in the city's rich heritage - whether or not they take advantage of the marvelous trip we've planned." The Santa Fe program series at the Rockwell Museum of Western Art is open to the public with admission to the museum.

Halliwell will present the first program, Where Cultures Meet: The History and Art of Santa Fe and New Mexico. "It will be an armchair tour, incorporating images of the city over time," says Halliwell. The emphasis will be on the varied cultural influences in the region, beginning with the ancient Anasazi civilization, moving on to colonization by Spanish conquistadores, and finishing with the arrival of the railroad and settlers from the East, and the advent of tourism. The program runs from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 11, 2004, in the Remington and Russell Lodge. The program is free to members. The cost for not-yet-members is $6.50 for adults and $5.50 for seniors. Light refreshments and a cash bar will be available.

On March 2, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., John O'Hern, Executive Director and Curator of the Arnot Art Museum, will present The Other Santa Fe. 0'Hern's interest in contemporary representational art led to a series of bold exhibitions called Re-presenting Representation which he curated. Among these was a collaboration with the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, focusing on representational art of the American West, and including many Santa Fe artists.

In May, the museum will offer a program on the traditional artists of Santa Fe.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art owns one of the largest and finest collections of Western American art in the United States and provides the public with a chance to see the Best of the West in the East. All of the Rockwell Museum's exhibits and services - galleries, events, art packs, Trading Post gift shop, Kids' West play area, and the adjacent Cantina - reflect the people, places, and ideas of the West, immersing visitors in an authentic Western experience.

The museum's galleries are organized by themes: Wilderness, Buffalo, Horse, Indian, and Cowboy. Here, myths are exploded and new ways of thinking about art encouraged. In addition, three or four special exhibits per year bring focus to other subjects. The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is entirely different from the museum visitors found prior to 2000. The building's interior was completely redesigned to convey the feel of the West, and colorful new galleries present the collection in an outstanding, dramatic setting.

The Rockwell Museum of Western Art is located at Cedar Street and Denison Parkway, just one block from historic Market Street. Visitors are welcome seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Further information is available by contacting the Museum at 607-937-5386.