Let it flow
Sep. 1—It's a town of fewer than 10,000 inhabitants framed by the Caballo Mountains and famed for its hot mineral springs. And in terms of an art scene, it punches above its weight. Truth or Consequences has long been one of the most tourist-friendly small towns in New Mexico, and if you visit, you'll find a downtown full of art galleries and studios with something for every appetite.
------
ARTS AND CONSEQUENCES
Truth or Consequences is located 212 miles southwest of Santa Fe. The town offers an array of arts-centric attractions and events, including an Old-Time Fiddlers Dance every Saturday, a Second Saturday Art Hop (the next one is September 9), several galleries, and, of course, the opportunity to soak in the numerous hot springs. Find more information at sierracountyarts.org or torcnm.org.
It's the unofficial focal point of downtown: a brightly colored fountain in Las Palomas Plaza reminiscent of Gaudi's creations in Barcelona's Park Güell in Spain. The main difference? There is no water running from it.
Embudo-based ceramic artist Shel Nymark came to Truth or Consequences 20 years ago after winning a bid to create a public art project — his fountain was meant to highlight the natural hot springs running through town.
The fountain has rarely worked, an issue that may be about to change. Truth or Consequence's Sierra County Arts Council recently notified the artist that it has secured funding to dig a well for the fountain, which means the artist's vision of showcasing the springs in town may soon be a reality.
"The point is interaction," Nymark says. "I built the benches so you could take off your shoes and put your feet in the hot water. ... The fact that hot water hasn't been running through it for 20 years, it's like it hasn't really fulfilled its purpose. To have it be restored is great."
The timetable for the restoration is still pending, and Cary "Jagger" Gustin, president of the arts council, says a new well is needed, and it's not an easy feat.
"You can't just go out there and drill a hot mineral well. You have to have a permit from the state engineer's office; that takes some time," Gustin says. "And then there's private property there too."
Eventually, though, the refurbishment will give the fountain new life.
Nymark says that when he built the fountain, it replaced a gazebo where residents and visitors could commune with the hot springs. Not everybody was happy about the change.
"They called it Disneyland on the Rio Grande," he says. "They said, 'There's too many colors for T or C.' And of course, it's not even as bright as the local Denny's sign."
The artist has also built fountains in Albuquerque and Artesia — the Albuquerque fountain has also had maintenance issues, but the Artesia one functions perfectly. The minerals leave stains on the tiles, he says, and they have to be regularly cleaned or replaced.
Nymark spent six months in Truth or Consequences during the construction of the fountain and came to love the town's vibrant mix of people and personalities. People often came by the fountain while he was building and installing it, and he says they weren't shy about sharing opinions.
"It was a huge controversy, but it was totally fun," he says of building the fountain. "One guy came in when we were installing and said, 'Where's the artist?' I said, 'That's me.' He said, 'I'm going to shoot you.' Someone else came in and said, 'There's too many colors.' So I said, 'There's so many colors, there's got to be one you like.' I remember some old guy with an oxygen tank and a sour look on his face came right in the middle when we were installing and said, 'This thing ... this thing is going to be in every design magazine in the country.' The guy looked like he had never cracked a design magazine in his life."
Gustin, a longtime resident of Truth or Consequences, says that one thing is certain: Even if the water isn't flowing, the fountain has served its purpose as a focal point.
"It did what we knew it was going to do," Gustin says. "There's not a day goes by that people don't stop there and take a picture, look around, and go explore our restaurants."
Wild world
John Johanek, the founder of Zia Gallery, will tell you he's technically retired. But he's operated his downtown gallery for about five years, and it just keeps growing. Many of the art works in the gallery represent wildlife and the natural world — Johanek and his wife, Durrae, both worked for a birdwatching magazine earlier in their careers.
At first, he says, he intended to show only his work and that of Durrae, who's a fiber artist. But he kept meeting artists, and now his gallery represents a dozen.
"It's become more of a community operation than an individual operation. And we like it that way," he says. "The local art community is surprisingly expansive. Sculptors, painters, a whole variety of artists. Musicians and muralists. For the size of it, it's incredibly large. And talented."
Johanek and his wife spend part of the year in Montana and then bring more work down to their Truth or Consequences gallery every fall. The arts business runs from about September to May, Johanek says, and then it takes a brief siesta in the summer.
"People come to soak and take in the town, the restaurants, and galleries," he says. "In the summer, they get a lot of people at the lake, but the lake people don't come into Truth or Consequences. They're having a good time at the lake. The winter is our peak season."
Hours vary, depending on the season, so call ahead. 415 N. Broadway. 406-539-7017; ziagallerynm.com.
In development
Andrew Williams' former photo studio in Oakland, California, was only 10 feet wide by 20 feet long — and he paid $1,000 per month in rent.
At his studio in Truth or Consequences — Fuzzy Logic — he has a lot more room to spread out.
"This is six times that size," he says. "For less."
Williams came to Truth or Consequences about 10 years ago when he was doing a photographic project on drought. He was shooting a reservoir and can remember watching the remarkable way that the landscape changed after a sudden storm.
"The sun went down, and it was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he says.
Williams kept coming back and served an artist's residency in Santa Fe in 2016 and another one in Truth or Consequences in 2018. Last year, Williams went through a breakup in Oakland and then decided he may as well move his life and business to New Mexico permanently.
He rented his space at first but recently purchased his studio, which he's still developing. Williams jokes that he's getting his master's from "YouTube University" in plumbing, electric work, and construction, and only the front part of his gallery is open to the public. Eventually, he'd like to run workshops and photo classes and also muses about creating a membership darkroom where people can develop their own negatives.
"One of the reasons I moved here is because it's quiet," he says. "If you go to any part of the lake, it's just silent. And there are so many colors. It's just a special place."
Studio open by appointment. 404 N. Broadway. 510-603-9444; awilliamsmedia.com.
A new skin
Reed Griffin Rische has had a hand in a number of galleries in Truth or Consequences. But this is his first time running his own spot. Rische, the founder of Snakestone Studios, says all galleries in town should open up for the Art Hop, which takes place the second Saturday of every month.
"That's when you get the most traffic," he says. "But you never know; it can be a random Tuesday. A lot of art collectors come around just to see what's new in T or C."
Rische did not plan on living in Truth or Consequences when he arrived from Chicago a decade ago. He came to visit his sister, who lived in a nearby canyon, and he had nothing more than his guitar, his art supplies, and the clothes on his back.
"I ran out of money getting here," he says. "My plan was to go farm-hopping. But I ended up doing a work-trade thing at Starry Night Artist Retreat [an artist residency program in Truth or Consequences]. I did that for a couple of years. I was working part-time in restaurants, and during that time, I took a leap of faith and decided to be an artist and a musician and a carpenter. I just kept getting really cool projects."
Rische says he's found part-time work in film industry art departments, where he paints signs and builds sets. Some of those signs are on display at Snakestone Studios, as are his abstract expressionist works and paintings by his peers Stacy Brown and June Jewell.
"This is my first business," Rische says of running the gallery. "I'm jumping through all the hoops, setting up a Facebook page and an Instagram. It sounds silly, but even the simplest things can be a lot to put together. Now we're open; I've got to advertise. I've got to get people in the door. But this is all stuff I've been doing for myself as an artist anyway."
Call ahead for hours. 324 N. Broadway. 575-740-7198
Artist mood
No visit to Truth or Consequences is complete without a visit to see the work of Delmas Howe, perhaps the most well-known artist in town.
Howe grew up here, and his painting The Three Graces is on permanent display at the Albuquerque Museum. Howe still operates a studio, and his work is on display at the Rio Bravo Fine Art Gallery in town.
"I was thrilled to become an artist," says Howe, 87. "I think I had probably been an artist in a past life."
Howe says he learned to draw and paint in New York City following his service in the military, and in the early years, he didn't know how to choose his own style. He'd go to one gallery and be inspired, he says, and then he'd go to another one and find new inspiration. A colleague advised him to go back to his roots, and his roots were New Mexico, through and through.
In the 1960s and '70s, Howe found his niche creating scenes of cowboys in their natural elements. He found a certain aspect of life that hadn't really been documented before: He painted gay cowboys decades before the film Brokeback Mountain.
"When I realized I was gay — and that happened to me in the military — I chose to paint for the gay community before it was legal to be gay," he says. "I've had patrons all along the way."
Howe came back to Truth or Consequences decades ago to take care of family and has done a lot of his work in a studio not far from the center of town. One wall of the studio is embellished with an unfinished mural illustrating his family and people important to him. Howe says he doesn't see well enough to paint anymore, but he still stays creative by doing abstract "mood drawings," which can be purchased at Rio Bravo.
Howe says the changing times have changed the reactions to his work — what used to be seen as provocative is now seen in a different light.
"I've had paintings be destroyed or stolen," he says. "But that hasn't affected me. I've mostly had people who support me. Religious people don't support me. And some people who are bigoted do not support me, but I have enough friends who are supportive."
Rio Bravo Fine Art, 110 N. Broadway. 575-894-0572; riobravofineartgallery.com.
