“LAST YEAR, WE HAD 62 ARTISTS
in our inaugural show. This year, because we had so many, we reviewed more than 350 works of art for the curation process. We felt compelled to create two shows,” said co-founder Lauren Dana Smith. “This is the kind of show that brings everyone together. That’s been a wonderful offshoot of the collective, we have exhibitions and we have social events and mixers so artists are getting the opportunity to meet one another and learn from each other. We wanted to create a platform that really accurately represented the abstract art of Northern New Mexico.”
Since their first show in September 2022, the Taos Abstract Artist Collective (TAAC) has diligently supported and unified abstract artists throughout Northern New Mexico. From juried exhibitions such as “VIEWPOINT: Abstract Minimalism in Taos, New Mexico” to a six-part documentary series, “TAAC Talks,” visiting artists in their studios, programming has been inclusive and focused on bringing the abstract arts scene to life. Run strictly by volunteers, the core leadership team includes Kari Bell, Lauren Dana Smith, Lynette O’Kane, Paulina Ho and Bianca Goyette.
“This year is super exciting because we have more than doubled the number of artists that are participating. This is the first of two events,” said co-founder Lauren Dana Smith. “What’s different about this is we are not a gallery, we are artists for artists and we are creating this truly collaborative space. I am most excited about how much enthusiasm the community of Northern New Mexico has shown for abstract art. We have all been working together as volunteers to create a reflection of what abstract art means for the community to really show up for the artist as we are all artists ourselves.”