Questa Art Studio Tour
THERE’S A ROAD TRIP
on your calendar this weekend, one that promises to acquaint you with a part of Northern New Mexico you’ve probably passed through time and again without exploring its side roads. If your only experience with Questa is the traffic light, then prepare for an awesome visit, abundant with traditional and contemporary art set against a backdrop of the historical and cultural charm that imbues the region.
After a pandemic-induced hiatus Trigg said. The project director of the last year the Questa Studio Art Tour is tour and a Questa artist, herself – who, being held on Saturday and Sunday along with her husband, potter Mike (Aug. 14-15) from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Now Ridder, will be opening their studios to in its sixth year and bigger than ever, the public – Trigg emphasized that the the tour will have you meandering area is rich with a creative diversity that along side roads, ducking into historical truly sets this festival apart. venues and strolling the inviting, ArtQuesta Studios & Gallery has most newly-designated Questa History Trail. likely caught your attention on State
It’s the first in our season of art festivals, Road 522, with its grand covered porch with 45 artists and craftspersons and historical sense of place. This across 15 locations – 13 of them featuring weekend the venue will introduce you multiple artists. Light refreshment to the four diverse artists it hosts, as will be offered at the tour hubs and will the generations-old Rael’s Store. there are other food options available The two hubs afford you a chance to you, such as Saturday’s Farmers to stop and explore a part of Questa Market and food truck vendors. Several that has surely piqued your interest as local eateries will also be open, all of you’ve driven by. which are noted on a convenient QSAT Other hubs will take you to private map that you can pick up at the Questa homes and studios such as that of artist Visitor’s Center or any of the hubs. Nick Ortega, who has been fabricating
“The tour begins at the south end of glorious stained glass for decades Questa, heads north through the Sunshine and whose family works in traditional Valley and then east to the edge fiber crafts, including painted dish of the Carson National Forest,” Peggy towels, dish scrubbies, and hot-pan holders. Ortega is, according to QSAT’s website, “a true Questa treasure.”
Further north on the tour, Ute A.I.R. was built to honor the beauty of the Questa valley and is unique in its mission to provide a yearly artist-in-residence opportunity. The owner, silversmith Jill Kamas, displays the artwork of previous years’ resident artists along with her own jewelry creations.
And at Virsylvia Farm, the addition of fiber animals has allowed the owners to enter the world of wool, having their mohair and wool spun into yarn at a local mill and relying on friends and neighbors who are skilled with wheels and spindles. The owners then dye and use the yarns in weavings, knits, crochets and other art projects. For this
special weekend they will also be offering a petting zoo and weaving demonstrations.
Other intriguing stops include Jay’s Unique Treasures, featuring the fanciful art of Paul Flores; the Takoja Institute, a former spiritual retreat center; and the new Questa Youth Center and library addition. Barrie Andrews’ studio makes its premier on the tour, showcasing her printmaking, glass fusion and encaustic art.
There’s so much more: installation art along the way and, of course, many treasures to purchase and make your own.
But in addition to all that is offered, Trigg sees another important aspect to the festival.
“Yes, you’ll find paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry and mixed-media, collage and assemblage art,” she said, “but you’ll also find crafts that are in danger of becoming lost arts – things like woodcarving, beading and sewing crafts and quilting. Many of these artists are elderly, and we’d hope to excite a new generation of crafters to keep alive these traditions.”
The Questa Creative Council – “mothership of all Questa art,” as noted by Trigg – is dedicated to uplifting the communities of the region and to educating the public in the area’s performance and literary arts, culinary arts, local culture and history.
One of its founding projects was the Questa History Trail, supporting “the Questa community’s shift from a mining town to a broader economy: one that focuses on cultural preservation and includes sharing our local history and surrounding beauty with visitors, residents and homecoming family ... weaving stories and images along a [vibrant walking] trail,” its website notes.
Along the trail you’ll visit the church of San Antonio de Padua on Questa’s historic plaza. It has been recently renovated by members of the community, reflecting traditional art forms and building practices. It will be a memorable stop as you reflect on the Spanish and Indigenous heritage of the region, and deepen your appreciation of the time spent exploring this extraordinary area.
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