Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Art On The Rio

“A PLACE WHERE THE SHARED NETWORK OF ARTISTS WHO AGREE TO NON-EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATION WILL THRIVE.”

Since the start of the pandemic, creatives have found themselves struggling to show, sell and ship their art. These impacts have been wide-reaching and long-lasting but there have been some great advancements in art sales and distribution, including Art on the Rio. Founded by Immastar Productions and Paper Plane Branding and Marketing, the virtual and in-person space has been a brilliant place for Albuquerque-based artists to get their art back into homes and business but also to gain nation-wide exposure.

Founder Carlos Contreras explains the importance of the organization “Art on the Rio can serve as a very important piece in the puzzle when it comes to growing the rich artistic capacity of New Mexico and our contemporary artists.”

To be clear, I am a friend of the founder, Mr. Contreras and am a proud owner of one of his pieces of art. His efforts to continue to support artists has been both noble and viable. Currently, there are 11 locations in and around Albuquerque, New Mexico that are showcasing artists from Art on the Rio and there are more locations and spaces that continue to engage with Mr. Contreras on supporting and promoting local and regional artists.

But the best asset of the organization is the web portal. Not everyone can get to ABQ but everyone who is interested in dynamic and authentic southwest art can visit the website to see some of the best up-and-coming artists from the region. Many artists of color populate the pages and there are a number of Native artists including: Blythe Mariano, Cloudface, and Roberta Begaye plus many many more marginalized artists and creators.

This direct approach for artists to collectors and consumers may not be new but it is a remarkable way to showcase and highlight voices that are often left to struggle, especially in this ongoing pandemic. I think that Art on the Rio is a great example of how to continue to support artists in a viable and sustainable manner – and get some great art at the same time.

Visit: ART ON THE RIO for all your art needs!

Lee Francis 4
Lee Francis 4http://www.nativerealities.com
Dr. IndigiNerd (Lee Francis 4) is the Publisher for A Tribe Called Geek, the founder of the Indigenous Pop Culture Expo (IPX) and the owner of Red Planet Books and Comics.

Related Articles

Stay Connected

2,416FansLike
1,482FollowersFollow
7,660FollowersFollow
- Advertisement -

Latest Articles