taos magazine march/april 2016

March/April 2016

LOOK INSIDE: Taos Shortz Film Fest, Newcaster Guitars, Hummingbirds and more

1TAOS MAGAZINE March / April 2016

2

CALENDAR

• MARCH •

NOW - MARCH 6 Millicent Rodgers Museum Annual Miniatures Show & Sale millicentrogers.org/index.php/visiting-the-museum

MARCH 3 - APRIL 24 Art Speaks - Works by Renowned Taos Pueblo Artists Taos Community Auditorium Encore GalleryContemporary art steeped in historyWhile Taos Pueblo closes for quiet time, between March 1 and mid-April, visitors can see Pueblo art at the Encore Gallery of TCA, right in the center of the Town of Taos.

MARCH 32-Star Taos Freeride Qualifying EventTaos Ski Valley9:00 AM - 4:00 PMIn conjunction with IFSA and The Freeride World Tour, athletes compete for a ‘wild-card’ spot in the big-mountain 4-Star Taos Freeride Championships.

MARCH 4- 54-Star Taos Freeride ChampionshipsTaos Ski ValleyNew Mexico’s largest and most prestigious ski and snowboard competition. Athletes from around the globe descend on TSV to test themselves against the resort’s famed steeps and chase the top podium spot.

MARCH 4 “To Feel is in Question” presented by Friends of Puppet and Object Theatreharwoodmuseum.org/events/index/date:2016-03, details upon registrationWith support form McCune Foundation

MARCH 9 - APRIL 6 Yoga in Agnes Martin Gallery on Wednesdays 8:30 - 10AMAgnes Martin GalleryThe Harwood Museum of Art presents a weekly meditative Jivamukti Yoga program with Jayne Schell. Open to all levels, yoga mats provided. Contact [email protected] for more information.

MARCH 12Cardboard Derby - Sipapu Ski ResortBuild your own creation of cardboard, duct tape, string, twine and paint and race it down the mountain for your chance to win! Thousands of dollars in giveaways, and the best prizes go to the most creative derbies.

MARCH 19 & MARCH 20 Taos Chamber Music Group presents “Into the Light” taoschambermusicgroup.org Taos Chamber Music Group presents “Into the Light” a multimedia collaboration with sound and light artist Sasha vom Dorp

EDITOR’S NOTESEverywhere I look, I see signs of spring! As much as we need the snow, it has been a long, hard winter. And I am very glad it is nearly over. One of the surest signs of spring is the yearly return of the hummingbirds to Taos. If you love these miniature creatures as much as I do, you will enjoy the article on their habits, diet, and how to feed them and attract them to your own yard.

Spring is also a good time to go for a drive. If you happen to drive west on Highway 64, you can’t help but notice a giant guitar rising out of the Mesa.

Actually, I didn’t notice it at fi rst, but then my partner from California, Rob, came to visit. He has been a musician for many years and insisted that we stop at what turned out to be the showroom of Norbert Ubechel, maker of Newcaster guitars. We are very happy to share the Newcaster story with you, written by Jean-Scott Benson. And Rob still hasn’t stopped talking about our afternoon last summer at Norbert’s showroom, trying out his wares.

One of the biggest events of spring here is the Taos Shortz Film Fest, now in its ninth year. To acknowledge this world-class festival, we present a trio of articles on the theater – both live and fi lm.

John Biscello shares his views on the fi lm festival itself, and Johanna DiBiase fi lls us in on the live theater in Taos, which is thriving. To complete the trio is a story from Peter Walker about making fi lms with his students – and getting them to put down their cell phones and tell stories around a “digital campfi re.”

We also want to share a bit of springtime exuberance with you by inviting you on a tour of the breweries of Taos County, with Mel A. James. Whatever your preference when it comes to the suds, you will fi nd it at one of our fi ne local establishments, from dark and strong to light and refreshing. So take a break and celebrate the season!

Starting with this issue we have a new feature – the Taos Magazine short story. The fi rst one is by Tres Piedras playwright Brenda Lovino. It is a slightly dark tale that will leave you wondering.

We also would like to welcome three new members to the Taos Magazine team. Carville Bourg is now our staff photographer. Jennifer Taphorn is joining us in layout and design, and as our new copy editor, Linda Thompson will be making sure all our stories are perfect in print. We welcome this infl ux of talent and look forward to bringing you the best magazine ever!


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inspires a program of music informed by light, including Ken Benshoof’s In Shadow Light for piccolo, violin, viola, cello, Andrew Norman’s Light Screens for fl ute, violin, viola and cello and Franz Schubert’s light-fi lled String Trio in Bb, D. 471. Vom Dorp’s innovative art work will be presented during the performances. taoschambermusicgroup.org.

MARCH 26Spring BrewmastersTaos Ski ValleySample beers from across the Southwest and delectables from Taos restaurants. 21 & over (no children or infants); 3:30-6:00 PM.

• APRIL •

APRIL 7 – 10Taos Shortz Film FestTaos Community TheaterTaos’ premier fi lm festival featuring world class cinema. Taosenos, visitors, guests and fi lm makers, local, national and international wait every year for this event. Don’t miss a chance to see some of the best of the best in short fi lms from an international forum that unites short fi lms and fi lmmakers with the community, with the belief that fi lms have the ability to change people’s lives. taosshortz.com/2016/

APRIL 16 - 17 Taos Chamber Music Group presents “Colores”taoschambermusicgroup.orgTaos Chamber Music Group presents “Colores!” A colorful program to welcome springtime features Daniel Dorff ’s “Perennials” for fl ute, clarinet, piano, Jennifer Higdon’s “Piano Trio (Pale Yellow and Fiery Red)”, Gary Schocker’s “Nightblooming from Green Places” for fl ute and piano, Marilyn Bliss’s “Blue Dawn” for Native American fl ute and cello, Joseph Schwantner’s “Black Anemones” for fl ute and piano, and Paul Hindemith’s “Quartet” for clarinet, violin, cello and piano. Nancy Laupheimer, fl ute, Keith Lemmons, clarinet, David Felberg, violin, Sally Guenther, cello, Debra Ayers, piano

APRIL 22 Taos Community Auditorium presentsGUERA 7:00 PM. A one-woman show written and performed by Lisandra Tena, Rebeca Mayorga, director. A SPROUTS International Ensemble Theater Production

APRIL 23 Nature Writing with Jim O’Donnell: Guided By Its LightSOMOS11 AM to 5 PM. somostaos.org

4 TAOS MAGAZINE March / April 2016

C H A R L E S C O L L I N S“ A T A O S M A S T E R ” _ M I L L I C E N T R O G E R S M U S E U M

CHARLES COLLINS GALLERYM O S T AWA R D E D A R T I S T I N T H E H I S T O RY O F TAO S FA L L A R T S F E S T I VA L

Timothy Bunn Distant Drum Beats photograph on canvas 20 by 24 Charles Collins King Fisher oil 24 by 20

da Vinci (left) The mastermind of the Renaissance-the artist, the scientist and the Mona Lisa. The mandala on the obverse of da Vinci shows the Vitruvian Man; Lincoln’s Union (right) The fi gures of Union and Confederate soldiers, and the woman who held the Flame of Hope for the nation make the face of Abraham Lincoln

Laurie Hill Phelps High Above the Rio Fernando watercolor 32 by 42 Gene Van Natta Summer Quiet acrylic 20 by 30

5

VOLUME XXXIII NUMBER 2

March/April 2016

A publication of The Ascher Group LLC

PO Box 2328 Taos NM 87571-2328

575-758-1800

ISSN 0895-6065

Editor and Publisher

Annabel Ascher

Production Director

Stephanie R. Waters

Editor Emeritus

John K. Whitney

Copy Editor

Linda Thompson

Contributing Writers

Annabel AscherMel A. JamesJohn Biscello

Johanna DebiasePeter Walker

Brenda LovinoJean-Scott Benson

Staff Photographer

Carville Bourg

Design/Production

Jennifer Taphorn

Advertising Sales Manager

Alan Wilkins

Distribution Manager

Dennis Wood

SUBSCRIPTIONS$45 annually. Mail check or

money order to: PO Box 2328, Taos, New Mexico 87571

Taos Magazine is published six times per year, in January, March, May, July, September and November, and is copyrighted by The Ascher Group LLC. All rights reserved.

see Pitch and Momentum, page 30

Julia Stege Magical Marketing magical-marketing.com

ON THE COVER

CONTENTS

2 Calendar Of Events

6 Advertiser Index

40 Dining Guide

WHERE TO FIND IT

8 What’s Brewing In Taos

Four Great Places to Wet Your Whistle

12 Projecting Diversity Taos Shortz Film Fest

18 Taos’s Thriving Theater Scene

Learn what the locals already know

24 The Return of the

Hummingbirds to Taos

A Sure Sign of Spring

26 I’ll Take My Adrenalin

Straight Up Short Story

30 Pitch and Momentum Handcrafted Guitars in the

High Desert

34 Storytelling Around a

Digital Campfi re Finding Community Through Film-making in the Age of the Smart Phone

38 Chef Erica Miller

A Culinary Star Comes Home to Taos

42 Beautiful Taos

NEED pics and callouts

see Th e Return of the Hummingbirds to Taos, page 24


JOIN US!______________________________________Name

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Payment enclosed

1 Year Subscription $35

Taos Magazine is published six times per year, in January, March, May, July, September and November, and is copyrighted by The Ascher Group LLC. All rights reserved.

Mail check or money order to: PO Box 2328, Taos, New Mexico 87571

May/June 2015

November/December 2015

ADVERTISERS INDEX

IC Taos Shortz Film Fest

1 Micheal McCormick Gallery

3 Angie Coleman

3 Pat Woodall

4 Charles Collins Gallery

7 F1.8 Photography / Carville Bourg

7 Hive Salon

7 Taos Door & Hardware Company

11 Amore Gallery

11 Chimayo Trading Post

17 Country Home Furnishings

21 Charlotte Shroyer

21 Koala Colours Studio

21 Annabel Ascher

24 Boot Doctors

25 Andean Software

33 Copper Moon Gallery

33 Native Trees & Landscaping

40 Parcht Bottleshop + Bites

41 Gorge Bar and Grill

41 Chili Line Restaurant

44 JK Lamkin / Total Arts Gallery

IBC The Harwood Museum

BC Robert L. Parsons Fine Art Gallery


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Five Great Places to Wet Your Whistle

BY MEL A. JAMES

WHAT’S BREWING IN TAOS

If you’re a lover of craft beer (like me), then

you’ll agree that there isn’t anything much bet-

ter than sipping a fresh pint of a bitter IPA or

smooth amber straight from the source. This is

a golden time for craft beer – microbreweries of

all sizes and styles have been popping up ev-

erywhere at a rapid rate and the business shows

no signs of slowing. And that’s good news for

those of us who love nothing more than walking

into a brewery and smelling the toasted grains

in the air and sometimes seeing the gleaming

fermenters mere steps from the tap. It’s a feel-

ing that never gets old. If you’re in Taos, and

want to try some fresh-brewed beer, you’re in

luck – we’ve got fi ve different spots within a

30-mile radius of downtown.

Taos Mesa Brewing


ESKE’S BREWPUB AND EATERY

Th e fi rst place we’re going to visit is ESKE’S BREWPUB AND EATERY, which at this point is a Taos institution, having been open for nearly a quar-ter century. Situated right in the heart of the historical district, in a 100-year-old adobe home, Eske’s has been providing visitors and locals the entertainment trifec-ta for years: good beer, delicious food and live music. Th e atmosphere is cozy and intimate; aft er all, this was someone’s house at one point, and it retains that homey feel. Th ere is even a “front” porch, just right for kicking back and looking out over the tree-lined beer garden. Eske’s history is to its advantage: it’s a place folks have been coming to for years to enjoy the famous green chile stew or even the green chile beer, both of which will be sticking around, despite the recent change in ownership. “We’re the oldest newest brewpub in Taos,” says Blair Stoltzfus, the new co-owner and general manager. What he means is that while there will be some changes made, much of what has defi ned Eske’s in the fi rst place, including its character, will remain.

Stoltzfus, himself a home-brewer for many years, brought in recent improvements like new equipment, yeasts and recipes. He assures me that these changes are only to improve quality and consistency and are not intended to be a departure from what has always made Eske’s popular. Some of the recent improve-ments include a new wort chiller, fermentation tem-perature control and glycol beer lines to ensure a crisp temperature when the beer is served. By implement-ing these changes, Stoltzfus says, “We’re trying to el-evate the beer experience in Taos.” While Stoltzfus is a very amiable guy, it’s also clear that he takes beer very seriously. And for those of you who want to try your hand at brewing beer, you can order homebrew equipment and ingredients from Stoltzfus’s other business, LowBraü Homebrew, available through Eske’s. Need a little help fi guring out what you’re do-ing? Stoltzfus can advise you, as well, as he’s also the founder of the Taos Homebrew Club.

In addition to beer, Eske’s has a food menu that’s sure to satisfy a range of palates, including those that might be vegetarian or gluten-free. Be sure to keep an eye on their live music schedule – come the warmer months, the new owners plan to install an outdoor stage in the beer garden.

eskesbrewpub.com575-758-1517____________________________________________

TAOS MESA BREWING

Let’s go for a little drive, about 11 miles north of Taos, out by the airport. What popped up on the mesa here in 2012 is one of the hottest spots in the county, Taos Mesa Brewing. Th e site of the brewery, just outside of town, allows for great views of the mountain and ex-pansive sky – and the structures that sit on the fi ve-acre site are unique, eye-catching and artistic. Much of the main building (brewery and restaurant) is made from reclaimed materials, and the outdoor amphithe-ater was designed with the help of Earthship Biotec-ture. Th e expansive beer garden doubles as a sculpture garden, featuring the work of many local artists.

Although the brewery is young, it has grown rapidly, and the partners, a small group of beer-loving locals, realized they would have to upgrade their system to keep up with demand. Th ey recently built a whole new brew-house and expanded their system from 4 barrels to 10, adding 20-barrel fermentation tanks and a grain silo. Not only will this help them keep up with demand at the brewery and at their taproom in Taos Ski Valley; it will also provide fresh brews at their latest venture: a downtown taproom. Th is loca-

Taos Mesa Brewing

Eske’s Brewpub and Eatery


tion will be a little bit of a diff erent beer experience; the owners plan to experiment with barrel-aging and diff erent yeasts and sours, while the food at this loca-tion will focus mainly on gourmet pizza.

When asked about future plans for Taos Mesa Brew-ing, co-owner Dan Irion tells me that the scene out at the “mother-ship” (as they call it) is ever-evolving. In addition to booking bigger and better acts to play the impressive amphitheater, future expansion is always on the horizon; as he puts it, “We’re long on creativity – we have a hard time just sitting still.”

Taos Mesa Brewing really knows how to entertain: from musical and theatrical acts featured on any of three stages to pool tournaments, ping pong battles, open-mike nights, karaoke, and trivia, there’s always something happening.

taosmesabrewing.com 575-758-1900____________________________________________

THE BURGER STAND AT TAOS ALE HOUSE

Next up, let’s visit Th e Burger Stand at Taos Ale House, just a few blocks north of the town’s historical district. Th is brewery could most accurately be de-fi ned as a nanobrewery – their system produces only 1½ barrels. Th ey don’t brew on a regular basis – as a matter of fact, they only do it for fun, so while your chances of scoring a taste might be akin to the odds of a scratch-off lottery ticket, it can be fun to try. If you go in and see “Beerlab” on the menu, be sure to give it a taste – that’s the experimental brew that’s made in house. If that’s not on the menu, everything else on tap are beers from New Mexico breweries, so you’re sure to try something made elsewhere in the state, including Nuevo Cerveza, which is now the of-fi cial house beer of the Taos Ale House.

Th e food at Th e Burger Stand at Taos Ale House con-tinually scores high reviews on travel websites. Ad-ditional features of the restaurant include three large televisions for sports fans and occasional live music events.

taosburgersandbeer.com575-758-5522____________________________________________

BLUE HERON BREWING COMPANY

Let’s travel a bit further outside of Taos and explore some other great breweries, like Blue Heron Brewing Company down in Rinconada, just off Highway 68. You might have already seen it if you approached Taos from the south, but if you didn’t turn off there, you should have. While the scene might be a little quieter in winter, you’ll defi nitely see an uptick in patronage when the river recreation season starts. Due to its lo-cation, this brewery sees a lot of kayakers and raft ers stopping by the patio aft er a long day on the river. Here, where the actual brewery is located, you can enjoy beer and wine and some light snacks, but Blue Heron’s new taproom in Española, opened in 2014, features a full food menu in addition to beverages.

blueheronbrews.com505-579-9188____________________________________________

COMANCHE CREEK BREWING COMPANY

If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, consider visit-ing the Comanche Creek Brewing Company in Eagle Nest – an easy side trip if you’re driving the scenic Enchanted Circle. Th e brewery and taproom, which opened in 2010, lie two miles down a dirt road (signs along the way assure you that you’re almost there) in an historic log cabin, once utilized by the owner/brewer’s grandfather as a blacksmith shop. It’s an atmosphere unlike most breweries, with an open-air patio sur-rounded by breathtaking scenery. Hours are limited to Wednesday-Saturday, 12-6 P.M., weather permitting.

comanchecreekbrewingco.com575-377-2337____________________________________________

Most of these breweries also serve wine, either made in house or produced by local wineries. Visit their websites or give them a call for more information on their offerings and entertain-ment options. Cheers!

Taos Mesa Brewing


BY JOHN BISCELLO PHOTOS BY CARVILLE BOURG

PROJECTING DIVERSITY


In the fi lm “Th e Legend of 1900,” there is a scene in which the lead character, “1900,” played by Tim Roth, muses on the fi nite nature of the piano: how there are 88 keys, no matter how you spin it, and “they are not infi nite … you are infi nite … and on those keys the music you can make is infi nite.”

Th erein lies the dignity of paradox: through limita-tions we can discover a greater freedom. Parameters and restrictions inspire resourcefulness and ingenu-ity, or as the saying goes, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”

“For Sale: Baby Shoes, Never Worn.” Th is legendary and cryptic six-word story by Ernest Hemingway, demonstrates how much can be expressed in very few words. In the literary world, fl ash-fi ction or micro-fi ction has converted economy into a popular prac-tice, whereas in the world of cinema, “shorts” have done the same, both in craft and in budget. Outside the Hollywood stratosphere of colossal budgets and studio-tested formulas, independent fi lmmaking is enjoying a democratic renaissance on a global scale. Much of its creative growth is a direct off shoot of 21st-century technology, which has enabled a new wave of accessibility and interconnectedness. Enter the Taos Shortz Film Fest (TSFF), the cutting-edge upstart with global fl air and a high desert zip code.

Th e TSFF, twice voted “one of the top 50 fi lm festi-vals worth the price of admission” by “MovieMaker” magazine, was founded in 2007 by Anna Cosentine, who detailed its mission: “TSFF was created … as a means of bringing the cinematic arts back to Taos … and putting Taos back on the map as a cinematic destination. Taos has a history of supporting the vi-sual and performing arts. Everybody who has been here awhile remembers Taos Talking Pictures. Th at folded in 2003 and there was not really a substitute

(Taos Mountain Film Fest was great, but catered to a sports-related audience). In 2007, we started with 28 short fi lms.”

Th e 9th annual TSFF, which will take place April 7-10 at the Taos Community Auditorium, will screen over 150 fi lms from over 33 countries, spanning the follow-ing genres: Documentary, Drama, Animation, Com-edy, and Out of the Ordinary (OOTO). Films are pre-sented in two-hour blocks, with 10-12 fi lms in each program.

“Th is ‘art’ of programming is unique to our festival,”

“TSFF WAS CREATED … AS A MEANS OF BRINGING

THE CINEMATIC ARTS BACKTO TAOS … AND PUTTING

TAOS BACK ON THE MAP ASA CINEMATIC DESTINATION.

Left and above: Anna Constantine, Executive Director and Duprelon “tizzz” Tizdale, Programming Director of the TCA

“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.” – Orson Welles


Anna explained, “and takes the audience on a journey through times, cultures and belief systems. Each year our programming grows organically. I say ‘organically‘ because we will have a general outline of the four days. As we email, reach out and connect with participants, some ideas get trashed and some take on a life of their own. We go with that fl ow.” Anna is especially excited about this year’s Iranian Program. “We feel it is impor-tant at this time to expose our audience to this coun-try and culture. Th ey are not so diff erent from us, or maybe they are. We hope to have an interactive Skype call during the festival with some of these fi lmmakers.”

Iranian-born fi lmmaker Zohreh Soleimani, whose powerful and thought-provoking Afghan fi lm “To Kill a Sparrow” won TSFF’s 2015 award for Best Doc-umentary, said: “Th e award for “To Kill a Sparrow” means recognition for Soheila and all Afghan wom-en who are suff ering from inhuman laws and ancient traditions, even though we now live in the 21st cen-tury. Th is was not an easy fi lm to do, and each time it’s shown somewhere, I feel that the diffi cult eff ort was not for nothing. I hope that the festival will con-tinue to recognize fi lmmakers who work hard to tell stories that are diffi cult but important.” Sharon Tiller, executive producer of “To Kill a Sparrow,” attended last year’s festival and accepted the award on behalf of Zohreh and the rest of the team. “Receiving the rec-ognition of ‘best doc’ for ‘To Kill a Sparrow’ … was particularly gratifying because of the high quality of all the fi lms selected for the program,” she says. “With the turmoil and suff ering of people in the Middle East aff ecting the whole world, TSFF leads the way in representing these global issues to an American audi-ence through fi lm. We were truly honored to be in-cluded in the 2015 festival and applaud the decision to feature Iranian fi lms in 2016.”

Th is, in a nutshell, exemplifi es the spirit of TSFF. A cinematic bridging of cultures, an exchange of values, a catalyst for dialogue. “TSFF is a forum that unites short fi lms and fi lmmakers with the community with the belief that fi lms have the ability to change people’s lives,” Anna said. “TSFF prides itself on being a ‘hands-on’ festival experience. Visiting fi lmmakers, distribu-tors and media mix and mingle with the audiences to explore ideas, make connections and instigate creativ-ity. Th e festival is essential in connecting the public

with the vanguard of global indie fi lmmakers.”

Th is year’s keynote speaker will be Luke Matheny, who won an Oscar in 2010 for his short fi lm “God of Love” and went on to direct a feature fi lm, “Lovesick” (2013). Matheny will discuss his transitional leap from shorts to feature fi lm, or in Anna’s words, “He serves to inspire options on where to go aft er making short fi lms.”

The Native American Showcase, which was in-troduced in 2015, will once again be part of the festi-val. Th e program will feature an introduction by Chris Eyre, the director of the 1998 fi lm “Smoke Signals,” based on a short story by Sherman Alexie, and will be partly curated by James Lujan, fi lmmaker, playwright and chair of the Cinematic Arts & Technology program at the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA). Lujan, a Taos Pueblo native, who is a passionate advocate of the Native voice and vision in contemporary cinema, said, “I was around when the Taos Talking Pictures Festival was in its full glory, and when it went away, it left a void, not just locally, but in the fi lm festival world as a whole. Th ankfully, TSFF stepped in and took a leadership role in restoring the community’s commit-ment to celebrating the achievements of fi lmmakers, both homegrown and international. I am particularly pleased that Taos Shortz has taken the initiative to rec-ognize the emerging voices of a new generation of Na-tive fi lmmakers. Th e growth of IAIA’s Cinematic Arts and Technology program over the past few years dem-onstrates that more and more young American Indian men and women across the nation are feeling the ur-gency and passion to share their stories on fi lm. Th e program of student work I’ve curated for Taos Shortz refl ects the hopes, dreams, fears, anxieties and values

“TSFF IS A FORUM THAT UNITES SHORT FILMS AND

FILMMAKERS WITH THE COMMUNITY WITH THE

BELIEF THAT FILMS HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE

PEOPLE’S LIVES,”

ANNA SAID.


Above: Peter Halter, Projectionist and Film Programmer and Damon Klassen, Th eater Manager of TCA


the most compelling, technically accomplished batch of fi lms yet produced at IAIA.”

While TSFF sports the markings of a globetrotting cinephile, it does not neglect its local talent. The New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase spotlights the work of N.M. fi lmmakers in a two-hour program. Last year’s ZIA Award winner (Best New Mexican Film) was “Void,” a tragic valentine of a space drama directed by Justin Golightly. When I asked Justin what drew him to submit to TSFF, he said, “Well, I became interested in TSFF aft er I fi nished my short fi lm that I submitted: “Void.” Th e fi lm is about an astronaut who gets stranded in deep space and uses the memories of his wife to get back home. I wanted to get it out to as many festivals as I could aff ord. Since I’m born and based in Albuquerque, that strategy gave preference to New Mexico-based festivals. While I had known about TSFF for a while, I had also heard good word-of-mouth from other fi lmmakers. I also enjoyed that it was a short fi lm festival. Sometimes at other fi lm festi-vals with features, the short fi lms can get overlooked … since they were grouped with others into blocks. Here I felt all the fi lms were on more equal footing, and au-diences were more eager and ready to experience the short format.” (It is worth noting that TSFF is the only exclusively short fi lm festival in the Southwest.)

“My experience with the festival was phenomenal,” Justin said. “Th e variety of fi lms was excellent and the activities were great. I especially enjoyed some of the events with the opportunity to meet and talk with other fi lmmakers. Th e one thing that the fes-tival did that very much stood out was pay for the lodging for the fi lmmakers who were selected .... Of course, the best part of the fi lm festival was when we won the ZIA Award. Winning the award was great, but the real recognition came in including the fi lm in the ’Best Of ‘ screening aft er the ceremony. Th ere “Void” got to play with fi lms from all over the world. For me, it felt like the fi lm I had worked so hard on was not just a fi lm that came from New Mexico, but connected to the mass of cinema as a whole.”

Shannon Michael Terry’s “All Seasons Become One,” a meditative rhapsody on the creative process, received a 2015 OOTO Honorable Mention, and the Malibu-based director and composer was invigorated by his

experience with the festival. “TSFF is a shining light in a generally disappointing fi lm festival circuit,” he said. “As a fi lmmaker interested in nonlinear, avant-garde and nontraditional storytelling, I was excited to learn that Taos Shortz created a category called ‘Out of the Ordinary.’ Creating space for a category like this encourages fi lmmakers to create fi lms that are outside the norm, where thought-provoking art is born. For that alone my hat is tipped to TSFF.”

Other facets of the festival include: the High School Program (a block of fi lms from four diff erent high schools); Taos Locals Night (a two-hour program de-voted to Taos-based fi lmmakers); and the Drone Pro-gram and Workshop, in which the latest techniques in aerial cinematography and state-of-the-art equip-ment will be discussed, with drone fl ights on display at Kit Carson Park.

In its nine-year history, TSFF has exponentially evolved and expanded. When Anna was asked what she imagined for the festival’s future, she said, “We hope to continue to serve the community by chal-lenging them to see the world through diff erent cul-tures and situations. We do not know what the future of TSFF will bring. Each year this festival’s energy leads us to new avenues and directions to follow. Financially, we need more support to continue, that is certain. I look at festivals in other cities and states. Th ey are very well-funded and supported fi nancially by local and state government. It is here, fi nancial-ly, that TSFF is limited .… On the up-side, many of TSFF’s activities are funded by the generous dona-tions of more than 30 local businesses and individu-als. Using a sponsorship package, TSFF raised over $40,000 in-kind sponsorship last year. Local Taos businesses contributed lodging, venue space, awards production, transportation and other production materials. Our staff , judges and panelists contributed in-kind labor for the festival.”

TSFF’s award-winning fi lms from 2015 can be viewed on its Vimeo channel: vimeo.com/channels/taoss-hortz2015.

Tickets and passes on sale through April 10th. Many programs sell out, so buy early!Visit www.taosshortz.com for more info.


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Historically, Taos has been known as an

art colony and for its legacy of literary

big shots, but many outsiders might be

surprised to learn what the locals already

know: Taos has a thriving theater scene

consisting of a variety of theater troupes with

talented actors, directors and playwrights.

In true Taos style, community productions are

performed in a diversity of unconventional spac-

es, including a converted warehouse, small black

box theater, large proscenium stage, high school

auditorium, yoga studio and brewery, just to name

a few. While local theater struggles with limited

funding and resources, it seems no obstacle is too

big to keep artists from the work they are com-

pelled to do. After all, the show must go on.

Th e oldest of our theaters, the Taos Community Auditorium (TCA), started in the 1950s as an out-door community theater, and fund-raising eventu-ally created the current TCA in the 1970s. Today, the TCA continues to thrive and host theatrical produc-tions, not just from Taos, but from around the world. Unfortunately, most local theaters are not as well funded as the TCA.

During the recession that began in 2008, a handful of small theaters went under. One that managed to sur-vive the economic downturn was Metta Theatre, which began in 1996 with weekly acting workshops as Metta Projects Th eatre. Eventually, Metta grew enough to construct its current space in El Prado. Most recently, a small thrift store was opened to help with fundraising.

At Metta’s inception, founder Bruce McIntosh was also a volunteer at Taos High School; he quickly real-ized that he wanted to provide young people them with a drug-free, alcohol-free creative space. Th is in-spiration became the Metta Young Artists program,

BY JOHANNA DEBIASE

TAOS’S THRIVING THEATER SCENE

Photo: Carville Bourg


which provides young actors, musicians, painters, photographers, dancers, poets, fi lm makers, writers, etc., with the resources and mentorship to see their ideas transformed into community productions. All of Metta’s youth workshops are off ered at no charge.

McIntosh said of the program, “I think safe, positive spaces for Taos residents of all ages to come together and work creatively are valuable. To develop friend-ship, greater understanding of one another, and share high quality performances with audiences contrib-utes to richer lives for everyone living here.”

Janelle Cordova has been involved with Metta Young Artists for 10 years, going back to her high school days. She learned about the program when McIntosh worked with her high school drama production. “I think that what’s beautiful about theater,” Cordova said, “is that you can just turn a switch on and be some-one else. I think at diff erent parts of our lives it’s good to do that, to take on something outside of ourselves. I always fi nd that it teaches me compassion, to be in someone else’s shoes. Bruce’s class is great because it’s not just acting, it’s social skills, it’s letting go of what the day brought and just being with others. I’ve seen young people come to Metta without the ability to in-teract well with others, and leave smiling and talking, which is huge for a lot of youth. It’s a safe haven.”

High school student Sabina Jones began acting when she was 11 years old in the Taos Children’s Th eatre’s production of “Th e Twelft h Night.” She said she fell instantly in love. “Until then I hadn’t found where I belonged … I loved working with a group of people to create something truly beautiful, exhilarating, and that told a story. I was being a character but also able to be myself in a way that I wasn’t able to be in real life.” Th is winter she performed as Ginny in “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls,” a short play by Christopher Durang, and in the production “ LOL!” with Taos On-Stage. Jones advises young people to fi nd their passion and let it lead them: “Th at is what I did when I was 11, I let my passions lead me. Acting has led me to a pretty beautiful place, here, with the Taos Onstage family.”

Taos OnStage, a local theater troupe established in 2013, seeks to involve more young people in the-ater by off ering a “high school night” for their pro-

ductions. Th is development lets students attend a theater production at a reduced rate, so they can try out something new with less fi nancial risk. Charlotte Keefe, President of Taos OnStage, said, “Young people oft en are surprised at how much they enjoyed it and surprised at how diff erent it is than going to a movie. We want to develop a young audience base and hope-fully they will enjoy theater throughout their lives.” Keefe acknowledges that theater ticket prices are ex-pensive and hopes that the public realizes the many costs involved in producing a show.

Ron Usherwood, Artistic Director of Working Class Theatre, understands the fi nancial struggles of maintaining a community theater group. “We feel that crunch every day,” he said. “Funding is always a struggle and while we are very good at ‘friend-rais-ing,’ fundraising is not the forte of a group of crazy artists. Ticket sales are not enough to keep us going, so we are constantly holding fundraisers and solicit-

Top: Katy Palmier and Rita O’Connell in “Th e Importance of Being Earnest”

Bottom: David Garver and Damon Klassen in “Red”

Working Class Th eater Photos: Dancer Dearing


day and age in a First World economy to have to hold a bake sale for the arts.”

Working Class Th eatre has been producing plays as a company since 2007. Th ey began as a group of like-minded, professionally trained, theater folk who chose to live in Taos instead of a major city. Usher-wood said, “We came from New York, Chicago, L.A., Seattle and other various and sundry places, but we all had a couple things in common. We were tired of the backbiting and backstabbing of the professional theater world, but were still dedicated to creating our art in the best way possible.”

Dedication and passion seem to be the underlining drive that allows Taos’s community theater scene to succeed. “Th eater is something I am compelled to do, and essentially that is the essence of my life,” Jim Hatch, founder and Artistic Director of OdenBear Theatre, said in an interview. OdenBear Th eatre is the newest theater company in Taos, but Hatch has no doubt that there is plenty of room for more. “Th ere can never be enough theater,” he said. “Th e media world is not as satisfying, and much of our television and fi lms have become so predictable they are boring. Th ese things are dead, and we are looking at fl ickering images that are not real. In live theater, we are participating in real human interaction. Th e actors on stage are three-dimensional living beings that are the embodiment of the characters they are playing. Th e give-and-take of energy from the audi-ence to the stage is at times explosive and involves all of us, performers as well as a live audience. Th ere is simply nothing like it in the media world.”

Each theater company has its own unique vision of what community theater should look like. Th e plays chosen, whether they are by well-known playwrights or local playwrights, how actors rehearse, how many productions can be mounted in a 12-month period (whether one or fi ve); all of these factor into what makes a troupe distinctive. And yet, the companies have at least one thing in common: “All of us in Taos face many of the same challenges,” Hatch said. “My vision is to create a theater collective where the the-aters can freely exchange participants and equipment and of course advertising … I do not look on other theaters as competition, but as colleagues and am

happy to share what I can.”

Local author, actor and playwright John Biscello is known for his surrealist, cabaret-style theater produc-tions. Th ough he wears many hats, they all resemble a black fedora. Having had the opportunity to work in several theater settings around town, Biscello off ered this insight: “It’s great that there are diff erent groups putting the time and energy into keeping theater vi-tal. Communing in the name of a ritual experience, especially in a tech-centric world, is a beautiful and important thing. What I most enjoy about theater in Taos, especially in staging a production, is the gener-osity of spirit that is channeled through the commu-nity. In my experience, it takes a village to raise a play (or any production for that matter), and in that re-gard, from actors to tech to audience to patron saints to barter-buddies, they’re all part of the ‘family.’”

Usherwood added, “In the arts, I do believe that a rising tide lifts all boats. Support local theater in all its forms, and your community has a better chance to thrive.”

...IN LIVE THEATER, WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN REAL HUMAN INTERACTION.

JIM HATCH, ODENBEAR THEATRE

WEBSITES FOR THE THEATERS:mettataos.dreamhosters.comworkingclasstheatrenm.orgtcataos.orgodenbeartheatre.comtaosonstage.com


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HUMMINGBIRD MIGRATION

Th e hummingbirds of Taos winter in Mexico. Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, with red throats and irides-cent green backs (at least the males), are fi rst, arriving in early April. Soon aft er comes the Black-chinned Hummingbird. Th ese males are also green backed, but less fl ashy in the throat, bearing only a thin ring of iridescent purple.

By July, Rufous Hummingbirds will pass through on their way to the far north. Th e Rufous are noisier and fi ercer than the other two species and are a reddish color. With several waves of migration, the birds will be with us until mid-fall.

Th e Calliope also passes through northern New Mexico. It is the smallest bird in North America, and the smallest long-distance migrator in the world. Th e males have a burst of magenta on their breasts and a green head and back.

HUMMINGBIRDS AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Hummers are important pollinators, especially of wild fl owers. Th ey have a relationship with a type of

fl ower that is generally a big nectar producer with a tubular shape, open by day. Th ese fl owers are brightly colored to attract the birds, which have strong senses of sight and hearing, but not much sense of smell. Th ey thrust their long slender bills deep into the fl owers, fl ying off with faces dusted in pollen; when they go to the next fl ower the pollen is spread.

Hummingbirds are struggling with global conditions just like many other species. Loss of habitat is a big problem for them. Luckily, Taos has a low population density, but around these parts, lack of water can be a threat. During drought and times of water scarcity, it is especially important to give hummers sugar water.

HUMMINGBIRD COURTSHIP

If you are watching, you will see the signs: a domi-nant male allows the plain, dun-colored females into his feeding grounds, followed by acrobatics that dem-onstrate his strength – all meant to impress the girl.

Male hummingbirds are known for dramatic courtship dives. Th ey can go as high as 100 feet in the air, then drop straight down, stopping several feet above the ground. Th is maneuver is accompanied by a chirping

A Sure Sign of Spring

BY ANNABEL ASCHER

THE RETURN OF THE HUMMINGBIRDS TO TAOS

Every year around this time you can almost

hear the beat of thousands of tiny wings as

hummingbirds return to Taos County.

Photo: Paul Duboff


sound that actually comes from the wings rubbing. Sit-ting outside on a nice day, you won’t be able to miss it.

It is the female who chooses the male, although the unfaithful males fl y off to another conquest very quickly. It is the female that builds the two-inch nest, a nest you will never fi nd. Nor will many predators. Th e female lays two eggs, about one half inch in size, and raises the babies on her own.

ATTRACTING AND FEEDING HUMMINGBIRDS

One way to attract hummers is with a brightly col-ored garden. I once had a big pot of basil that began to fl ower and the hummers loved it. I ended up letting it go to seed instead of harvesting it because they loved it so much. And those fl owers weren’t even bright.

Th e best fl owers for a hummingbird garden are brightly colored, particularly the red tubular ones described above. If you can grow native plants in your garden, all the better. Hummingbirds evolved alongside plants native to their habitat. To learn more about native plants, ask at your nursery.

But the surest way to attract hummers is by feeding them sugar water. Although their natural diet is a combination of small insects and fl ower nectar, if you really want to attract a lot of these birds, put out a feed-er or two. In fact, due to the territorial nature of some species, two feeders are better, maybe even three.

Many kinds of feeders are available, online or at hard-ware stores and nurseries. I like a big one if there is lots of activity. It is amazing how fast these tiny birds can suck down sugar! If the feeder runs dry they will communicate displeasure with little chirps and by buzzing you if you sit outside.

Th ey may hover at the feeders, their little wings beat-ing at 250 beats per minute, or they may perch for a second or two. Th ey are almost always in motion; a hummingbird’s metabolism is so fast that it must go into a state of torpor when it sleeps. Because hum-mers have to eat many times their weight every day just to survive, the feeders you put out are very im-portant to them.

It is not necessary to add red dye. If it is not good for us, it is even worse for a bird that weighs less than an ounce. Th e recipe is very easy – a simple syrup, two parts water to one part regular cane sugar. Put the sugar and water in a pan intended for stove-top cooking and bring it to a simmer. Turn the pan off , remove it from the heat and cool the syrup to room temperature before fi lling the feeder. Don’t worry that the syrup is clear instead of red. Th e humming-birds will fi nd it.

Th ough it looks like the hummers are using their beaks as straws, they are really lapping up the nec-tar (or sugar water) with tiny little tongues. Th ey are built to suck nectar anywhere they can fi nd it.

When the feeder is empty, clean it before fi lling again. Th e syrup can get moldy, which is bad for the birds, so choose one that is easy to take apart and clean. Wash it, rinse it in hot water, and let it dry before refi lling.

All of this takes a bit of work, but whether you have been a hummingbird fan for years or just discovered them this spring, it is worth it for a chance to see that fl ash of iridescent color, hear those little chirps, and admire this amazing species up close.

Top Photo: Derek HartBottom Photo: Bill Gordon


Sidney suddenly found herself yelling at the young child about to cross the street having left the safe pe-rimeter of her mother’s side. She tried to get to her in time but realized her voice would carry her message faster. Th e child’s mother stopped texting and saw her baby had stepped off the sidewalk and was heading across the street against the light. Th e young mother quickly went to her and grabbed her by the arm; the young child now seemed scared and started crying. Th e mother scooped her up to comfort her while tell-ing her to never cross the street without holding on to her hand.

Sidney had by now caught up to them, not stopping as she crossed the street and said,

“You’re welcome, idiot.”

Th e woman holding the child looked up, confused as to why this stranger was speaking in such a tone to her and shrugged it off as another person in the city with a screw loose.

“You’re an idiot for being more interested in your damn phone and texting than in the whereabouts of your own

child.” Sidney said and continued to walk on.

“How?”

Holding her child tighter, she became more concerned and quickly walked in the opposite direction of this obviously loony tune of a person. Sidney smiled, some-times it was too easy to mess with someone’s head. She continued to walk to her destination, Off Track Bet-ting. God how she loved the city.

She entered the parlor, heads turned her way. Sidney was not the usual type one would fi nd in a place like this. She enjoyed these stares. Wearing her usual at-tire, tight jeans, t-shirt and leather jacket, she smiled as she looked around looking to see who she could use today. A couple of the men licked their lips at her as she passed them.

“Not in this life time.” She said to one man who couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Th is startled him but then he just smiled. He knew he was looking at her in a most desirous way undressing her in his mind and she knew it too.

“STOP!”

BY BRENDA LOVINOI’LL TAKE MYADRENALINSTRAIGHT UP!


“You never know sweetheart.”

“Ass-hole.” Sidney said and walked further in to the room.

She nodded to a couple of familiar faces as she walked into the OTB off 43rd and Broadway. Th is was her fa-vorite betting joint. She loved the crowds both on the streets and in the parlor. Liked it much better since the ban on smoking. Crossing over to the TV screens, she walked around, looking for her pasty. Well he didn’t know he was her pasty but he was. She spotted him at the counter leaning in to talk with some of the regulars. Carlo, a man of considerable size and not in a good way, spotted her and gave a slight nod. She did the same. She unzipped her leather jacket, walked over to him and leaned on the counter.

“Carlo, how’s it going for you?”

“Sidney, I haven’t seen you for a couple of weeks. I thought maybe you gave this up.”

“Not likely.”

Sidney did a rotation of three OTB parlors as to not bring too much suspicion in her direction. Sidney’s winning streak would then only be known to her. She didn’t want to stick out and be noticed or robbed or worse, questioned as to how she did it.

“I’ve been out of town, visiting family.”

A blatant lie, Sidney had no family, but a good cover story non-the-less. Carlo had become protective of her being he was in his sixties but he also had other thoughts that were not very grandfatherly. Sidney had always kept their interaction strictly here in the parlor even though he would repeatedly invite her to his apartment for dinner.

“You’re like my daughter, what’s wrong with dinner?”

Sidney never needed to fi nd out, since she knew what or who would be the desert.

Carlo said one thing but thought another. But she never needed to off end him, since just saying her boy-friend was expecting her always got her off the hook. Eventually Carlo stopped with the invites. Th ere was no boyfriend.

Carlo had the inside track on a few trainers that had become indebted to him and not necessarily in a good way. Money was one thing but their debt to Carlo was much deeper and deadly if they refused to continue to give him tips on winners. With their families’ safety al-ways on their minds, they continued to feed Carlo at least one winner a day. Too many and there would be too much suspicion. Besides, Carlo fancied himself an expert when it came to picking the horses but he was not one to leave without one sure bet.

“ARE YOU FEELING LUCKY TODAY, LITTLE LADY?” She just wanted to punch him when he talked to her in this fashion.

“Kind of. Who do you like?”

Sidney knew when he was going to lie to her and feed her the horse that was not the sure thing. But she needed to keep him happy, to a point.

“Come on Carlo, help me out.” Carlo loved it when she played to his hero side.

Carlo looked at her, put his arm on her shoulder and whispered to her.

“I LIKE WHISKEY LADY IN THE FIFTH.”

“REALLY?” She could sense he was lying and watched his face. His fi ngers were tapping the racing form and she saw that he had circled another horse. She read him like a school primer. He was so easy, even if he hadn’t tapped the racing form.

“Th anks Carlo.”

She leaned in and kissed him on the check. Th is was always a sure thing. Better keep up the adoring ap-pearances.

“I’ll go now and place my bet.”

“You do that.” He grinned from ear to ear.


Sidney walked up to the betting cage.

“$500 on Mr. Jackpot in the fi ft h.”

Th e guy recognized her and nodded.

“YOU FEELING LUCKY TODAY MISS?” “Absolutely.”

Th irty minutes later Sidney walked out with her earnings. A twelve to one shot. She earned enough to take that beach house for a month on Fire Island she wanted. When Sidney placed her bets, she never re-turned to Carlo’s space again. He thought she had lost and was hurt, and so he never thought much about her leaving without saying goodbye. Sometimes he actually did give her the winning horse. But he liked to mess with her head. It made him feel empowered in some sick way. He knew he would see her again, maybe a couple weeks later, but she would be back.

Out on the street, Sidney felt secure knowing she had her rent for a month or two as well as the beach house. Actually she always made her rent, drinking money and extra for her other hobbies. Lately she had been taking Krav Maga and loving it. Being of light frame, she felt she needed to have some more advantage, more than she all ready had, given if the situation turned ugly, as it had done recently. She wasn’t sure why this was happening but trouble had a way of fi nding her more of late.

She was looking forward to a month on Fire Island with mostly only the sounds of the ocean to bleed into her head. It took all of her will power not to let the steady stream of thoughts of those around her, into her head. She had leaned early on how to fi lter them. At seven, in the relentless fl ow of foster homes, that were always overcrowded, she had to block out their thoughts or she believed she would go crazy. When she was twelve, she had mastered this art but it was certainly easier with drugs, in the beginning. She became a runner for one of the local dealers. No one suspected her. She knew when the cops were nearby and ran so fast even then that no one gave chase. She always got away while the other kids would occasionally get caught. Th ey never listened to her, being a girl, the only girl in this crew.

But the drugs soon got to be a problem and at twenty, she cleaned up her act. She turned to booze instead.

It didn’t aff ect her nearly as much. Her accelerated healing powers helped with the damage her drink-ing was certainly doing to her liver. Guys were always dumbfounded as to how much she could put away. She rarely was asked out on a second date, too ex-pensive. Besides, guys don’t like being shown up. Th e booze helped numb the reality she lived with. Th e lightness of her head aft er several drinks made her situation seem not so bad. A situation she still had not come to terms with. She was twenty-seven and still baffl ed. But lately the blocking of the sounds and voices had become harder. She didn’t know why. But she did notice her strength had increased. Th e Krav Maga was to help her so that she could avoid some of the hits she had been taking recently. Strength was one thing but it would be nice to be able to avoid the blows before they struck their target, her head.

She got to the studio where she was taking the class. Th is was her second month and she found herself looking forward to her Wednesday aft ernoon classes. Her teacher was ex-Israeli military and in his forties. He had been impressed with her strength. She had held back, she had to. She liked him, as well as any-one. Paul had taken her aside and asked her how she felt about the class a couple of weeks ago. Her only thought, aft er hearing this, was to tell him that this was for protection since she was assaulted once. He never asked again even though she knew he didn’t be-lieve her. He wanted to protect her. Not needed, but she couldn’t very well tell him this or why this was so. She realized she would have to quit the class soon since she didn’t want him taking any more interest in her, well meaning as it was. She had basically learned all she needed to. Paul was beginning to ask too many questions that she was not prepared to answer.

People didn’t want to hear about, for lack of a better word, gift ed people. Th ey had no understanding of it. It scared them. Someone whose physical or mental attributes did not line up with the mass population. When someone saw her move or pick up something ten times her size, they just said, “Oh her adrenalin kicked in.” Th is was a safe way for them to compart-mentalize the situation.

“YEAH, RIGHT. THAT GOOD OLD ADRENALIN THAT IS ALWAYS THERE FOR ME.”


She had gone to a doctor once, not by choice, when she was nineteen and she had OD’d. She was in an alley, of course. Right out of the Marvel comics and some teen-ager had wondered towards her. Probably wanting to steal whatever he could fi nd on her. She had come too just enough to take his hand from under her jacket. She was not conscious enough to know just how hard she grabbed this little hoodlum until he screamed in pain. She let go. A crowd formed and some concerned person called the police and an ambulance. She used all her strength on the little thug and fell into a stupor. When she woke up she was in the emergency room, on a stretcher with two IVs running some kind of fl uid into her body. She had no idea what this might do to her but she had no strength to do anything about it, even if she had been in some kind of danger.

Th e next morning the doctor came in with a face that said, ‘you need help.’ He then had a psych consult come in but as much as she tried to get Sidney to talk, it was not happening.

“Can you tell me how long you have been using?” Silence.

“IS THERE SOMEONE WE CAN NOTIFY?” MORE SILENCE. Th ese concerned questions went on and on with no response from Sidney. Finally aft er about an hour, this good-natured doctor said she would return to-morrow and was hoping that Sidney would feel more like talking then. Sidney knew this decent virtuous doctor would not give up. She knew the type, seen them in foster care at times. Not too oft en but oc-casionally there would be a person who actually gave a damn. Sidney left during the night, by climbing down the fi re escape and jumping across to the next building’s roof. Yeah, jumping was also a thing she could do. Sidney had wondered many times if she was alone with these abilities. What a cruel joke the Almighty had played on her. Leaving her with some-thing that many would love to exploit, especially the government.

She packed for her month at Fire Island. She was able to rent the exact same house she did the previous year. With it being right on the beach, she had only thirty yards to walk from the porch and in the ocean she would be. Th e bike that she used last year was still there with its yellow basket. Not exactly her color, she

preferred dark colors, black mostly, but the basket came in handy when she rode to the market for food. Th e sun was bright today and a slight breeze blew her hair. She didn’t mind and closed her eyes with her head tilted back, letting her dark brunette shiny hair go with the wind. She suddenly had to swerve to miss an elderly woman crossing the street, against the light. Sidney held her tongue, seeing that she used a cane to keep her balance.

Once at the store, she heard a commotion coming from the back. She did not want to get involved. Th is was her month to relax and be in seclusion. Th e bell on the front door jingled, signaling another customer coming in. Th e sounds in the back were getting loud-er. Sidney looked towards the door. A man of a sturdy build looked at her and half smiled. He also heard the uproar coming from the back and it was getting loud-er. “Good, let him take care of it for me,” she thought.

Sidney noticed that this stranger was getting upset. She became aware of his hands making a fi st. “Did he know the people involved in the ruckus?” She watched him as he slowly headed in the direction of the voices, to the back of the store. Sidney couldn’t help herself, being too curious and she followed, creeping as to not to be noticed. When she reached the area where the fi ght was, her eyes weren’t sure if they were focusing correctly. She saw this stranger take a steel rod from the hands of a would-be robber and bend it. Th e thug looked in a daze, not sure if he saw it for real and ran out the back door. Th e owner, lying prostrate on the fl oor, did not see this. He had been knocked down and was shielding his face with his hands from any blows that might be coming his way. Th e stranger turned and noticed Sidney. With-out missing a beat he said.

“Adrenalin kicked in I guess.” He walked out the back of the store in a slow pace with not a care in the world as to what had just happened.

“Yeah sure, that must be it.”

Sidney smiled and went to the man on the fl oor and helped him up.

“Do you have any cashew nuts?”

Check out Brenda’s Blog at dreamartsproductions.com


One day, Siddhartha (the Buddha) heard an old mu-sician on a passing boat say to his student, “If the string is too tight it will snap, and if you leave it too slack, it will not play.” When Siddhartha heard this, he knew what he had been missing.

Our valley is full of enterprising hopes and fears of scarcity. Here we have the thrill of discovery and the dull ache of disappointment. Th e millennia-long line of human progress has been so tightly strung that in times past, it snapped. Th e history of Taos is defi ned by civil uprisings, unlikely victories, dark passages and the occasional epiphany.

Here is an epiphany for you: on the East Mesa, stand-

ing bolt upright against the horizon is a giant guitar. Clearly, it is a sign. If divined correctly, the positive message will be clear to everyone, not just guitar afi -cionados. In seasons past, the string may have been too slack to play, but now a well-rounded form is be-ing craft ed into solid reality.

Th is single enterprise appears to be the culmination of every entrepreneur’s aspirations.

One Taoseno’s progress encompasses everyone’s de-sire to see a dream grow into something of signifi -cance. Norbert Ubechel of the Newcaster Guitar Company is both an individual artisan and a cor-nerstone of our culture. His craft , education and the other random conditions of his generation have conspired to create an enterprise of perfect pitch and momentum.

Audiences tend to applaud at the confl uence of ambi-tion, ability and charisma. Under the right circum-stances, a performer can move the entire audience

Handcrafted Guitars in the High Desert

BY JEAN-SCOTT BENSONPHOTOS BY CARVILLE BOURG

PITCH AND MOMENTUM

This region is a variegated fi eld of human ex-

perience. The dynamic tension of colliding tec-

tonic plates, diverse ethnicities and an emerg-

ing new economy has Taos humming – literally.

Norbert Ubechel in his showroom and workshop off Highway 64


steadily upward and onward. Could all of these ex-pectations also apply to a vintage style guitar-maker?

I daresay they do. What are the real diff erences be-tween a handcraft ed guitar and a factory-manufac-tured one?

INTENTION. Factories make products that are good enough to sell to mass markets. Norbert, on the other hand, makes instruments that are good enough for successful musicians. Moreover, even the fi nest hand-made guitars must be judged and appreciated by very diff erent standards than the solid-body cus-tom guitars designed in Newcaster workshops.

RELATIONSHIPS. Whatever relationship you can have with a customer service representative on the phone is what you get from a manufacturer. People who purchase mass-produced guitars most likely will never know the name of the maker. With Newcaster guitars, Norbert is personally engaged, and he alone is responsible for all the work involved. Some owners have had a relationship with Norbert that has lasted for years and, in the case of a fortunate few, have de-veloped a personal friendship with him.

CHOICE. A guitar created by Norbert is unique in many ways, just as distinctive as each individual player. Naturally, no two artists are the same; musical styles, technical virtuosity and taste vary hugely. Nor-bert’s instruments are therefore uniquely designed, with varying scale lengths, contours, fret sizes, tonali-ties, electronics, neck widths and body shapes. Such variability makes the design process quite complex indeed. Th e choice of woods, sizes, tonalities, lacquers and fi nishes are all important factors in the 200 hours that he conscientiously devotes to each stylized guitar.

QUALITY. From a factory perspective, quality means the replicability of components and the effi -ciency of assembly. But from Norbert’s point of view, playability and sound are key to an instrument’s qual-ity. Norbert creates works of art that are more than desirable – “coveted” may be a more fi tting descrip-tive. So next time you pass that giant guitar standing upright along Highway 64, give a silent salute to the amazing quality of craft smanship that can exist right here on our mesa.

...AND HE ALONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL

THE WORK INVOLVED


MY GUITAR IS APIECE OF ART! “My guitar is a piece of art! Craft ed by Nor-bert and made just for me. Amazing tone and never goes out of tune. It’s means more to me than my truck!”

David GarverThe Bones of RomeoLocal Taos Band

MY DREAM OF MAKING GUITARS HAD NEVER SUBSIDED. “When I showed up in America in 1980, the fi rst person I met was Michael Th ames who was a classical guitar maker, and he was my fi rst friend. We decided to move to New Mexico and build guitars, but he canceled the day before we were to leave. I went anyhow, and had to make a living in here. So I started SouthwestSpiral Designs, which made archi-tectural elements. When I sold that business 19 years later my dream of making guitars had never subsided. Meanwhile, Michael Th ames had come out from San Francisco and shared a shop with me. I learned enough looking over his shoulder for several years to be able to start Newcaster Guitars.”

Norbert Ubechel

EACH IS HAND BUILT AND UNIQUE“What makes my guitars special? First of all, each guitar is one of a kind. I use select tone woods such as African Lacewood, ebony and other precious woods. Most are semi hol-low body which gives a bit more air for the sound. Th e hardware is mostly stainless steel hardware including pick guards, which gives a brighter tone. But most important, each is hand built and unique.”

Norbert Ubechel


NATIVE TREES & LANDSCAPING

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40YEARS

LANDSCAPING IN THE TAOS AREA


When I was growing up in Arroyo Hondo, our family phone was the beacon to the outside world. When it rang, we answered it. Th ere was no answering ma-chine. Making a call took some eff ort as each number had to be pulled on the rotary dial, making a funny noise at it returned for the next number. Every call, in or out, was precious. We may have talked on the phone once or twice a week at the most; the rest of the time was spent running around outside, splashing in the creek, chasing each other with cactus spears, riding bikes, battling red ant piles and running home with various wounds to mend.

My dad built our house on top of an old adobe with the Rio Hondo in our front yard and the wild moun-tains behind us. He and my mom courageously raised horses, kids, chickens, cats, dogs and goats. We were the fi rst ones in my neighborhood with a television

set, so my best friend would oft en spend the night, and we’d wake at the crack of dawn to catch the morn-ing cartoons. My mom forbade us to watch Tom and Jerry, claiming it was too violent. On school days we walked half a mile to catch the school bus to the old elementary school in lower Hondo, and on the week-ends we were building forts, riding bikes, or in the case of my sister, riding horses. Th e icing on the cake was the special treat of piling into my dad’s truck with my friends on a Saturday night to go see “Star Wars” or “Blade Runner” at the drive-up movie theater. Yep, the Walmart lot used to be the outdoor theater, and the plaza theater (which hasn’t been open for de-cades) was the “old school” cineplex.

Flash forward from Taos of the 1970s to Taos High School in 2016, where I currently teach UNM Taos Media Arts classes. Recently, a student said to me,

Finding Community

Through Film-making

in the Age of the Smart Phone

BY PETER WALKERSTORYTELLING AROUND A DIGITAL CAMPFIRE

Peter Walker growing up in the great New Mexico outdoors.


“Mr., I’m mad at you.” “Why?” “Because you let your second period class use their phones and you’re al-ways cracking down on us!” I was surprised to hear this because I thought I had a pretty consistent “no phones in class” policy. Turns out I was wrong. Th is student provided hard evidence to the contrary. She said, “Look, here you are on their Snapchat photo from second period.” And these days, you know what happens with juicy media ... it gets shared. Not in a linear fashion but more like an instant spider web that gets big faster than you can reach out and grab it. We are long gone from the nostalgic days of rotary phones and fi lm cameras!

I am accepting that this generation is, indeed, glued to their smartphones. And obviously, not only the kids – we all are! However, it seems to me that these high school students are the fi rst generation to grow up sleeping with their phones under their pillows. Th eir brains, hearts and minds have become fully at-tached to the magic and power of their devices. Th ere seems to be no turning back. As one student told me, “Mr., I can’t listen without my phone.” Take it away from her and she will freeze and become incredibly confused.

One of my recent questions for the daily writing as-signment was, “How are your brains and lives diff er-ent from your grandparents’ now that you are living in the smart phone age?” Here are a few juicy re-sponses...

“My grandparents grew up with televi-sions barely coming out. Cars were out, but that was before the Mustang. All the kids born between 1997 and the present have grown up with big screen TVs, computers, smartphones, Ipads and Kindles, plus video games. TVs were still in black and white until the ’70s or ’80s”

PEYTON (AGE 16)

“Nowadays no one really pays atten-tion. We use our phones for everything. Back then you couldn’t. Back then was better and their style of make-up and clothes was cool.”

DIANA (AGE 16)

“My pineal gland is less active due to the large amount of artifi cial light I’m exposed to. This interference with dreaming and even perceptions of color leads to sleeping problems. So basically, smartphones turn you into a zombie. Luckily my grandparents’ lives and brains were much more healthy than this generation.”

SANTIAGO (AGE 14)

“WHY DO I NEED A COMPUTER WHEN I HAVE MY PHONE?”

Students video editing on phones and on computers


I wanted to do an experiment to fi nd out how far I could push the video production part of my class us-ing smartphones. If I could never win the battle over attention, at least I could attempt to harness their incredible HD capabilities and supreme ease of use! During fall semester, students shot two short fi lm projects. Out of 50 students, only two requested to check out traditional, hand-held cameras.

One group of young ladies went to the gym to fi lm their acrobatics and the choreography of their cheer team. When they returned, they said, “Mr! Want to see what we shot?” Expecting to see lots of rough footage, I was fl abbergasted at what I saw. Six of us crowded around one student’s small screen to see a

dazzling video edited in sync with music, featuring slow motions, fast-forwards and funny special eff ects. Th is particular student had edited it while walking back to class from the gym in the hall! “How did you do that?” I asked. So much musical sync with move-ment would have taken me hours to edit. “Oh,” she replied, “Just on an app I downloaded.”

I went to work with another group, and when I looked across the room at the cheer team, I saw them on their individual phones; no group work, no collaboration,

just individuals and their screens. I couldn’t tell who was working on a video and who was texting, Snap-chatting or just playing games. And to make the situ-ation more surreal, everyone was sitting in front of a giant screen connected to an amazingly powerful Mac computer, completely unused! Five students iso-lated on fi ve small screens, each representing a mini-universe.

To the girl who did the app editing, I said “I need to see your movie rough-draft edits on the computer.” “Why?” she said, staring at me like I was from Mars. “Because this is a computer with powerful editing

soft ware and a big screen!” I thought it was obvious. “Why do I need a computer when I have my phone?” Honest question. I was caught off guard, at a loss about what to say. She was right in many ways. Fortu-nately, I was saved by the bell, and the students went rushing out of class, phones in hand.

I had a few days to think through this new dilemma. I had opened a can of worms. Yes, I was happy to have them all able to fi lm on their smartphones, saving me the logistical trouble of bringing in cameras and all

“SMARTPHONES GIVE US ACCESS TO ALL OF

HUMAN KNOWLEDGE.”

“Digital Campfi re” presentation.


the accessories. However, now the phones are always on, and students always have the excuse that they are editing. Yeah, right!

So I came up with an idea. Th ey must take whatever they shoot and edit on their phones and put it onto the computer so I can do a draft review with them. Grumbling and moaning at the new task, they asked, “How do we get it from our phone onto the comput-er?” “Figure it out,” I said. “Use your cable, blue-tooth it, email it, upload it to YouTube, download it. What-ever it takes. Just get it there!”

On the big screen, all fl aws are apparent, and I can provide editing tips and ways to improve each proj-ect. It is another battle to teach them that the fi rst draft does not mean fi nished. It takes multiple rounds of hawk eyes and bat ears to polish a strong video.

For our spring semester project, I wanted to incorpo-rate the oral storytelling tradition as exemplifi ed in “Arabian Nights,” calling upon our very own northern New Mexico cultures. So my lead-in began with, “Tell a story that you heard from your grandparents ... ”

I am trying to somehow counteract the effects, or at least harness the positive aspects, of our smartphone age so well exemplifi ed by this statement by anoth-er student: “When your grandmother is telling you a long story and you listen for fi ve minutes then you get a text message and you pull it out and then can’t pay attention.”

BRENDA (AGE 15)

When it was time for the oral stories to be told, one student said, “Hey Mr.! You should put a campfi re on the computer!” Brilliant idea! Within seconds I Googled “campfi re video HD,” and connected it to the massive Apple TV built into the front wall of my classroom. Th e surround-sound speakers are built into the ceiling, so each student got to stand in front of a huge roaring fi re, with its crackling sounds per-meating down to their pineal glands as they told their stories! Some typical student responses:

“Storytelling has evolved because in ancient times, before the Chinese in-vented printing presses, stories were an oral tradition that evolved into written experiences in books and letters. But as we moved through time, we came to a virtual world where we use our phones, TV shows and movies to tell stories.”

AIDAN (AGE 16)

“Well my grandpa would always be working on the farm and grandma would be cleaning and making food. But now it’s like really different. We don’t have to work at an early age like they did. Now, all we do is live in our own little world in our phones.”

EVA (AGE 16)

“Smartphones give us access to all of human knowledge. Smartphones also let us speak with anyone in the world. This is something our grandparents couldn’t even imagine.”

MARCELINO (AGE 16)

So for all of you reading this, please stay tuned as we remember generationally-told oral stories and mix them through our media-editing lab. I’m confi dent some excellent stories will come out the other end. In my dream, we would build a giant bonfi re (a real one) and project the movies (shot mostly on phones, of course) onto a huge outdoor screen, inviting the entire Taos community to come share the tradition of Taos storytelling, which is alive and well but with a digital twist and a much shorter attention span.

Students brainstorming on storyteller ideas

Peter Walker is a Media Instructor at UNM-Taos and Taos Academy, a freelance fi lmmaker, and Media Director of Swashbuckler Media.


Very few people in the Taos food scene have as

brilliant a story as Erica Miller. Originally from

New York, Miller came to live in Taos as a child.

But she always had big dreams, and has seen

those dreams come true to an extent rarely

experienced.

I asked Miller how she set her sights on being a chef and she told me a story. “When I was very young, my parents split up, and my mother left New York to live in a commune in Colorado. Th e commune was off -grid, and we were very poor. One day, my cousin and I were going over some piles of old magazines and I saw an article in a cooking magazine with lots of pictures. I told my cousin I was going to be a famous chef in New York City.”

Aft er the stint at the Colorado commune, the fam-ily was invited to move to Taos. Miller’s stepfather, Glenn Sanger, had a brother in Taos. Scott Sanger had just purchased the Taos Inn with several part-ners. Could they move to Taos, Scott wondered, so that Glenn could help him with the restaurant?

So off they went to work for Uncle Scott. And Miller has called Taos home ever since. Scott Sanger still lives in Taos, though he no longer owns the Taos Inn. Miller says he is a great cook and makes the best souffl é pancakes.

Lots of young people dream of being a chef, but very few actually achieve that dream. Miller is one of those few. Aft er spending her formative years in Taos, far

A Culinary Star Comes Home to Taos

BY ANNABEL ASCHERPHOTOS BY CARVILLE BOURG

CHEF ERICA MILLER


from the city of her birth, she went on to achieve great fame and fortune: she owned two restaurants in Manhattan, Sesso and Kloe. (Sesso means “sex” in Italian, and Kloe was her grandmother’s perfume.)

Aft er she opened Sesso, she became one of the hottest young chefs in the city, and this attracted the Food Network TV show. She became a Food Network star, eventually doing over 200 episodes. She was the original host of Calling All Cooks, and also appeared on Door Knock Dinners. Th is show was centered on knocking on people’s doors and then creating a won-derful meal from whatever they had on hand. Th is commitment to sharing the art of cooking with regu-lar people is a theme that runs through Miller’s story.

Her second restaurant, Kloe, which opened just be-fore our national tragedy on September 11, 2001, never reached its full potential. It was located just blocks from the wreckage of the World Trade Cen-ter, and smart Manhattanites were not inclined to ex-plore that neighborhood during those days.

Miller tells me that looking at her move with the wis-dom of hindsight, she would have done it diff erently. Several people suggested a simpler menu – burg-ers maybe – but she wanted to stick with her more complex and expensive menu, a decision that proved wrong for the times.

Aft er Kloe closed, she remained in New York for sev-eral more years working at various high-end New York restaurants as a consultant. But by 2005, she was tired of the fast pace of being in high demand in one of the world’s greatest cities. In spite of her success, Miller never stopped being a Taoseña at heart. Th is is where she grew up aft er all. It was time to come home.

Once back in Taos, she worked as executive chef at Old Martina’s Hall and Gutiz before going into busi-ness for herself as a personal chef. She now has her sights set on a food truck with the goal of bringing simple healthy and very tasty food to more people. Food trucks are wildly popular in many major cit-ies, such as Portland and San Francisco, but there are only a couple of them in Taos.

Miller is obviously passionate about a lot of things, with food being the tip of the iceberg. Not just food,

but wonderful local food, well prepared and acces-sible to regular people, not only the very rich.

One of her projects was called the pantry fl ip. “We would go into people’s cupboards and refrigerators and replace unhealthy processed foods with healthy aff ordable alternatives. It is a very satisfying thing to show people how they can eat better every day, even if they are busy and strapped for cash …”

Miller has a daughter that she co-parents with her ex-husband, who has remained a good friend. Her commitment to recovery and a healthy lifestyle per-meates everything she does. She likes to give back to the community by volunteering her high-level culi-nary talents to work with nonprofi ts, especially those that help displaced women, such as the Community Against Violence (CAV).

Taos may not have a long growing season, but it has an outstanding culinary tradition that goes back hundreds, maybe thousands of years. In the hands of a Taoseña chef such as Erica Miller, the cooking of our simple foods becomes pure magic.

[email protected]


THE GORGE BAR AND GRILLMain Entrance to Taos Plaza 575-758-8866 This popular restaurant overlooks historic Taos Plaza. Guests nestle fi reside while enjoying plaza lights and the fi nest home-made, hand-shaken, premium tequila margaritas in Taos. They also have a mean Green Chile Cheeseburger! Kiva Room is open for special occasions. Open daily - 11:00 AM thegorgebarandgrill.com

DOC MARTIN’S RESTAURANTAt the Historic Taos Inn, 125 Paseo Del Pueblo Norte 575-758-1977 Casual fi ne dining in the heart of the historic district. New world cuisine features innovative Southwest-ern dishes. Recipient of Wine Spectator’s “Best Of” wine list award since 1982. Creative desserts prepared daily. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and Saturday and Sunday brunch. Reservations recommended. taosinn.com

MICHAEL’S KITCHEN AND BAKERY304-C Paseo del Pueblo Norte 575-758-4178 Mi-chael’s Kitchen has been in business since 1974, and some original staff members remain. At Michael’s Kitchen everything is prepared from scratch. Michael’s Kitchen Res-taurant & Bakery is a legendary Taos icon with a traditional history of authentic northern New Mexico cuisine. It’s the place of choice for locals and tourists alike. They also have a bakery with fresh from the oven treats. michaelskitchen.com

KYOTE CLUB—A CULINARY BAR330A Paseo del Pueblo Sur 575-751-3302 The creation of Culinary Institute of America trained chef Ky Quintanilla, this family owned restaurant offers fresh (local when possible) in-novative food, creative cocktails, unique nightlife, and enter-tainment. Featuring an extensive starter menu and a friendly staff, it is one of Taos’s premier dining experiences yet pre-sented in an inviting casual atmosphere. 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM kyoteclub.com

LAMBERTS OF TAOS123 Bent Street 575-758-1009 Known as the fi nest din-ing in Taos since 1985, Lamberts is the place to enjoy the culinary creations of chef James Crowther III while sip-ping wine from an excellent wine list. And leave room for the sumptuous desserts created by pastry chef, Michelle, who also bakes their bread fresh every morning. The at-mosphere is refi ned and the ambiance is lovely at this Taos classic. Open for Lunch and Dinner daily 11:30-2:30 and 5:30 – close for dinner. Brunch on Saturday and Sunday lambertsoftaos.com

MARTYR’S STEAKHOUSE146 Paseo del Pueblo Norte 575-751-3020 A glimpse of the 1920s greets guests at this distinguished restaurant where an attentive staff oversees an incomparable fi ne dining experience. Steaks and chops highlight a menu featuring a variety of tantalizing entrees, a superb wine list, select beers, and freshly infused cocktails. Open daily for lunch and dinner. martyrs-steakhouse.com

TAOS MESA BREWING #20 ABC Mesa Road. El Prado NM 575-758-1900 You may think that Mesa Brewing is all about the beers, and they do have some fi ne brews, but they also have a brand new menu featuring light and tasty pub food. Grab a plate of Tacos or basket of sweet fries while watching checking out a local (or touring) band, or just people watching. Open noon on daily taosmesabrewing.com

TRADING POST4179 NM-68, Ranchos De Taos 575-758-5089 If you love Italian food and are planning to dine in Taos, look no further. Right up the hill from the famous Saint Francis de Assisi Church in Ranchos de Taos is the Historic Trading Post building now housing the Trading Post Café, a defi nite local favorite. From the Fettuccine Alla Carbonara to the Piccata Milanese come enjoy the wonderful cuisine of chef Rene. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. tradingpostcafe.com

GUIDE TO TAOS DINING


Farm to Table

We raise our own beef, pork, eggs,

and vegetables on our ranch

and in our greenhouse.

We offer lodging with a comfortable,

rustic bunkroom which sleeps

groups of up to twelve.

Chili Line Depot

1 Block North of Tres Piedras Intersection · 38429 Hwy 285, Tres Piedras NM · 575-758-1701

R E S TAU R A N T C O F F E E B A R L O D G I NG


Beautiful TAOS

Taos from Parents House JAM MONTOYA

John Dunn Bridge LIZ MCCABE


BEAUTIFUL TAOS

Beautiful TAOS

Sunset Over the Pueblo CHRIS LUHAN

Out the Window ANNABEL ASHER

New Mexican Thistle in Winter LIZ MCCABEJust Waiting BILL GORDON


TOTAL ARTS GALLERYI N C O R P O R A T E D

122 -A Kit Carson RoadTaos, New Mexico 87571

(575) 758-4667 email: [email protected]

JK LA M K I N

Kara 36 by 24 inches


Exhibition Opens May 22, 2016

Harwood Museum of Art Taos, New Mexico

May 22, 2016 – September 11, 2016

Albuquerque MuseumNew Mexico

October 29, 2016 – January 22, 2017

Burchfield Penney Art CenterBuffalo, New York

March 10, 2017 – May 28, 2017

Nicolai Fechin, Mabel Dodge Luhan, 1927. Oil on canvas. Courtesy of American Museum

for Western Art. The Anschutz Collection, Denver, CO. Photograph by William J. O’Connor

238 Ledoux Street Taos, New Mexico 87571

www.harwoodmuseum.org

Stephanie Bennett-Smith& Orin R. Smith

THE HEALY FOUNDATAA ION

OPENING WEEKEND

MAY 20 & 21, 2016Director’s Circle and Member OpeningsBecome a member now!

SYMPOSIUM WEEKEND

JUNE 17, 2016Passions of Mabel Dodge Luhan,a one woman play by Leslie Dillen

JUNE 18, 2016 Mabel Dodge Luhan & Co. Symposiumwith MaLin Wilson-Powell and Lois Rudnick,Wanda Corn, Carmella Padilla, and Bill Anthes

JUNE 19, 2016 Community Dialogue with Sylvia Rodriquezand Carmela Quinto

Enjoy a tour of the Mabel Dodge Luhan House and D.H. Lawrence Ranch as part of a full weekend of events.

Visit www.mabeldodgeluhan.org for schedule of events, lodging packages, and more. g


BERT G. PHILLIPS (1868-1956)

“The Lost Trail” oil on board 8" x 10"

ROBERT L. PARSONSFine Art

Early Southwest PaintingsAntique Navajo Blankets

131 Bent Street, Taos, NM 87571575.751.0159

w w w. p a r s o n s a r t . com

taos magazine march/april 2016

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