See historic art on public tours
Historic art pieces can be found all over Gallup, but some of them are behind closed doors. In an effort to open those doors and give the public an opportunity to see the artwork, gallupARTS Executive Director Rose Eason is leading public art tours throughout June and July.
GallupARTS received a $400,000 Digital Projects for the Public “Production” grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to build a virtual art museum website that showcases Gallup’s collection of New Deal art.
In an interview with the Sun, Eason said the website wouldn’t be ready until about 2025 though, so in an effort to peak people’s interest in the art around town before the project is complete, gallupARTS is introducing public art tours that show off pieces that will be featured on the website. The pieces showcased on the tours include murals and wall paintings inside the county courtroom and the district attorney’s office.
The public doesn’t typically have access to these pieces, so Eason worked with the county courthouse and DA Bernadine Martin to schedule the tours around their schedules.
“Public access is so tricky when it comes to the New Deal art collection,” Eason said. “[This gives] the community a chance to see this artwork, which can be just either off limits or by appointment.”
Eason said the in-person tours this summer will introduce the public to the New Deal project, which she has been working on since 2018.
“It’s all really exciting, but the local community hasn’t had a chance to learn about it yet,” Eason said.
Eason said one of the goals of the tours is to show a side of Gallup people might not have seen before.
“Gallup really prides itself on being an arts and culture center, and it definitely is. I think these tours are going to shed light on an aspect of that identity that I think we’ve kind of forgotten about,” Eason said.
She noted that the tours are accessible for the most part, although the district attorney’s office is only accessible by stairs. If anybody with mobility concerns wants to join the tour, she asks that they let her know ASAP so that she can make the necessary arrangements ahead of time.
The tours will take place in June and July. The first tour is June 2, and it starts at 4 pm. The other June tours take place on June 16 and June 30.
The first tour will focus on the collection’s highlights, including the 2,000 square foot mural in the county courtroom. On June 30, local artist Jerry Brown will join the tour and give his perspective on the Indigenous art pieces as a contemporary Indigenous artist.
For more information on the tours and the virtual museum, visit galluparts.org/newdeal.
By Molly Ann Howell
Managing Editor
