'Architecture of Beauty': Artwork supports New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation
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Gallery With A Cause is showcasing 360 works by 16 New Mexico artists to support the New Mexico Cancer Center Foundation.
鈥淭he Architecture of Beauty 鈥� Works by Prominent NM Artists鈥� features a diverse range of artwork and is on display through Nov. 21. Gallery with a Cause is in the New Mexico Cancer Center, displaying artwork throughout the building for patients to enjoy and to raise money for the foundation. The gallery is open to the public by appointment only.
Donna Loraine Contractor, a weaver, has been featured in the show in the past and said it feels nice to know her artwork is helping to improve people鈥檚 situations.
鈥淚 love to do this show, because the people that see it, most of them have some kind of illness that they went through,鈥� Contractor said. 鈥淎fter the show or during the show, I get a lot of emails from the patients saying, 鈥榊our work uplifts me. It makes me feel better.鈥欌��
Regina Held, gallery curator, is responsible for gathering, displaying and selling the artwork to the public.
鈥淭he main purpose is to have something beautiful to look at while you鈥檙e waiting for your treatment, which can be very scary,鈥� Held said.
Held said her goal is to 鈥減rovide a space that鈥檚 serene and beautiful and also entertaining.鈥� She focuses on lighthearted art and avoids anything 鈥渉ardcore political鈥� or about cancer.
鈥淚 like to bring in art that is maybe a little bit humorous, occasionally thoughtful, and maybe, I wouldn鈥檛 say provocative, but I like to make people think, too,鈥� Held said.
Artist Colleen Gregoire said the public can preview the show at .
鈥淚鈥檇 encourage people to go to the website, because all 16 artists, all of their paintings are on the website,鈥� she said.
Gregoire was in the show in 2023 with paintings of architecture and is returning this year with plein air landscapes. She said she has a closer connection to the cause this year.
鈥淭he experience has been a little more meaningful this time, because I have a good friend who鈥檚 dealing with cancer,鈥� Gregoire said. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 just nice to be involved in something that helps people who are having challenges covering the costs of certain things.鈥�
For Holly Roberts, who works in collage, the show is a chance for local artists and their work to be recognized.
鈥淎s artists 鈥� you want people to see what you do,鈥� Roberts said. 鈥淎nd if you don鈥檛 have some kind of venue, I think you just kind of curl up in on yourself and feel terrible.鈥�
She hopes that the artwork on display will encourage people to see art in different ways.
鈥淲hat I would hope is that they would see the art, be interested, enjoy it, hopefully want to take one home,鈥� Roberts said.
