You don’t have to live in Gallup long to notice the important role art plays in the community. Whether it’s the monthly second-Saturday “Arts Crawl” or the frequent dances and performances outside the courthouse, there’s always art to be appreciated by locals and tourists alike.

Ira Custer is a local artist who makes silver jewelry out of his home in Gallup. He runs a business known as Custer Designs and works with other local artists, among which are members of his own family.

For Custer, working with silver has been a family affair since he began as a small child.  His father casted silver jewelry, and eventually trained his son in the art.

“I’m only going to...

University of New Mexico Associate Professor John Zimmerman will be taking his expertise in ceramic sculpture and his interest in landscapes and geological history to the Fuping Pottery Art Village in the Shaanxi Province of China as part of an international engagement project funded by the UNM Research Allocation Committee (RAC).  John is the first branch campus faculty member to have been awarded a RAC grant and he will utilize the funding to conceptualize, build, dry, glaze and fire original works of art which will be exhibited and may join three of his previous sculptures that are currently on display at the on-site museum in the Art Village.

Currently on a sabbatical, John is...

Photos by Tom Hartsock

A new contribution to a Gallup tradition

Artist Nani Chacon of Albuquerque was commissioned by COPE to paint a mural beside their office at 210 E. Aztec Ave., and she completed the project on Feb. 23. Community Outreach and Patient Empowerment, is a nonprofit organization which focuses on increasing health across Navajo Nation through clinical and preventative care. The mural is an illustration of their logo, featuring a hogan, birds, mountains, and corn. “I worked with COPE on coming up with the design. It’s a reflection of what they do,” Chacon said.

Chacon has been drawing since age 15 and painting murals for five years, including one at the Navajo Nation Museum in Window...