Axle Contemporary
a mobile artspace based in Santa Fe, New Mexico
E Pluribus Unum: El Norte
On the road, coming to your town, August 26 through October 11, 2022
E Pluribus Unum: El Norte is a mobile black and white photography studio, a mobile public exhibition, a book, andlater a museum exhibition. Axle Contemporary is a mobile art gallery and for this project also serves as a natural-light photography studio. During the late summer and Fall of 2022, the studio/gallery will visit communities in Northern New Mexico, offering free photographic portrait sessions to all. We will set up at local businesses,schools, cafes, roadsides, festivals and other community gathering places.
In each portrait, the subject/participant holds a small object, brought with her/him that holds some personal significance. Each object reveals something about the identity of that individual, and anchors the photograph in a specific time and place.
Two copies of each photograph are printed immediately onsite in our solar-powered print studio. One is given, free of charge, to the participant. The other is pasted to the exterior of the studio/gallery, creating a growing mobile public exhibition. As the exterior is slowly covered in photographs, awareness and enthusiasm for the project expands for all passersby.
We plan to to visit communities throughout Northern New Mexico, likely including Taos, Española, Pojoaque, Los Alamos, Ohkay Owingeh, Dixon, Questa, Costilla, Abiquiu, Chama, Dulce, Las Vegas, Mora, Raton, Roy, Mosquero, Tucumcari, and Clayton.
At the close of our tour, we will publish a book with all of the portraits, photographs of the onsite activity, an essay by the artists and an essay by a local leader and a poem by a local writer. The cover of the book will be an image created by digitally blending equal portions of every portrait in translucent layers. This image is part of the overall portrait of the community created by the project, and embodies the “e pluribus unum” (from many one) of the project title. Copies of the book will be donated to libraries in each of the participating towns. The book will also be offered for sale in local bookstores and online. The book is a document of the time and place where the project was created and a visual testament to the fact that we are unique individuals, and also that we are members of a whole that is larger than the sum of its parts.
An exhibition of the photographs will be presented at the Taos Center for the Arts' Encore Gallery in the summer and fall of 2023.
E Pluribus Unum: El Norte is the fifth in our series of E Pluribus Unum (EPU) portrait projects in New Mexico.Past EPU projects took place in Santa Fe (2012), Albuquerque (2014), on and adjacent to the Navajo Nation(2016), and in Southeastern New Mexico (2018). As we visit more regions of the state, we bring to light thedistinct cultures and traditions of New Mexico, share visions of the compelling contemporary individuals thatmake up this place, and also share a vision of our shared humanity and our strength as communities.
SCHEDULE/LOCATIONS
WEEK ONE
LOS ALAMOS - August 26 -afternoon/evening
downtown by Ruby K’s noon-4pm
Summer Concert Series, Ashley Pond, 6-9 pm
SANTA CLARA - August 27-morning
Road flooded-date cancelled!
CHIMAYO - August 27 -afternoon
2-5pm Benny Chavez Community Center
ESPANOLA - August 28 -morning
El Parasol 9-11am
POJOAQUE - August 28 -afternoon
Poeh Cultural Center noon-4pm
August 29 ESPANOLA -Farmers Market 9-noon ... Moving Arts 1-4th
WEEK TWO
Sept 2 WATROUS- Coffee Shop 11-1
Sept 3 RATON-Gate City Music Festival 10am-9pm
Sep 4 CLAYTON-Clayton Ranch Market 11-5
WEEK THREE
Sep 8 OHKAY OWINGEH- Library 3-5 pm
Sept 9 PENASCO- Sugar Nymphs 11-2
Sept 9 TRUCHAS- Community Library/Truchas Services Center 3-5
Sep 10 EL PRADO -Millicent Rogers Museum- Paseo Warmup- 6:30 PM-9:30 PM
Sep 11 QUESTA-farmers market 10-2
Sept 11 COSTILLA/GARCIA CO- 101 Cafe 3-5
WEEK FOUR
TAOS
FRIDAY, SEPT 16
part of The Paseo
PLAZA 6pm -11pm
TAOS
SATURDAY, SEPT 17
at Farmers Market
PLAZA 10am-1pm
TAOS
SATURDAY, SEPT 17
part of The Paseo
PLAZA 6pm -11pm
DIXON
SUNDAY, SEPT 18
LIBRARY--11-4
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WEEK FIVE
Fri. Sept 23- Roy- Gabrielle’s Convenience Store/Claudia’s Coffee Shop 10:30 am-12:30 pm
Mosquero -Headquarters Restaurant 1:00pm-3:00 pm
Sat. Sept 24- Tucumcari- Fired Up Festival, Railroad Depot, 4pm -9pm
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WEEK SIX
Sat. Oct 1 LAS VEGAS- Farmers Market -University and 6th by Semillas 8am - 1pm
LAS VEGAS- The Skillet 4pm - 8pm
Sun. Oct 2 MORA -at Los de Mora 1-3pm
LAS VEGAS- Plaza/Byron T's Saloon/Prairie Hill Cafe- 5-8pm
Mon. Oct 3 LAS VEGAS- by the Spic and Span 9am -11am
LAS VEGAS- Highlands Campus Noon - 4pm
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WEEK SEVEN
Sat. Oct 8 ABIQUIU -Bode's General Store 11-4
Oct 9 CHAMA- 11-4
Oct 10 DULCE (tentative)
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Dates are subject to change. Check website for updates. https://www.axleart.com/epu-el-norte
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E Pluribus Unum: El Norte is open to all to participate. Accomodations are available to those people with disabilities. Please come by or phone or write for information.
Matthew (505) 670-5854
Jerry (505) 670-7612
Previous E Pluribus Unum projects here: https://www.axleart.com/epu-el-norte
Many thanks to our community partners and supporters who are working with us to make this project a success. Los Alamos MainStreet, Los Alamos Commerce and Development Corporation, Comfort Inn Los Alamos, Santa Clara Pueblo Development Corporation, Benny Chavez Community Center, El Parasol, The Poeh Cultural Center, Moving Arts Espanola, Espanola Farmers Market, Northern New Mexico College, Raton MainStreet, Clayton MainStreet, Clayton Ranch Market, Pòe Tsáwä Community Library, Truchas Community Library, Sugar Nymphs Bistro, The Millicent Rogers Museum, Questa Farmers Market, Questa Stories, LEAP, 101 Bar and Grill, The Paseo-Taos, The Harwood Museum Taos, Harding County MainStreet. MainStreet de Las Vegas, Plaza Hotel-Las Vegas, Byron T's Saloon + Prairie Hill Cafe. New Mexico Highlands University, Los de Mora, New Mexico MainStreet, Tucumcari MainStreet, Bode's Store, Chama Valley Arts.
E Pluribus Unum: El Norte is supported by Axle Projects, Inc. Axle Projects is supported through individual donations, grants, and community partners. Funders include the National Endowment for the Arts, the FUNd of the Albuquerque Community Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, The New Mexico Humanities Council, The National Endowment for the Humanities, the Northern Rio Grande Heritage Area, the Native American Advised Fund of the Santa Fe Community Foundation, and The Paseo-Taos. This project is made possible in part by New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, and the National Endowment for the Arts. If you are interested in supporting Axle Projects, visit the website here.
