LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN NEW PHOTOGRAPHS OF SOUTHWEST CEMETERY NICHOS IN HISPANIC NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO

Laurie Zuckerman's photograph of cemetery nicho

Laurie Beth Zuckerman's current exhibit of Southwest cemetery photography is on view at the Toolbox Creative in Old Town Fort Collins, Colorado. I have created an album of these digital photographs for you to browse, especially for all of you who can not visit the show in person. I hope you enjoy these unique images of these intimate nichos in the Hispanic graveyards of New Mexico and Southern Colorado. Click on the image below to view all the images. All of these photos of gravestone nichos are available for purchase in archival Lumira digital prints. Please contact me at: zucky@qwest.net

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN PHOTOGRAPHS OF JAPANESE GRAVESTONES IN SO COLORADO

Laurie Zuckerman photo from Old Capulin Cemetery, Colorado

Laurie Zuckerman traveled for a week to Southern Colorado last Thanksgiving to photograph Hispanic graves in some of the most remote areas of the San Luis Valley. Much of that new work is in my current exhibit at the Toolbox Creative Gallery. But in and amongst the Spanish language tombstones, lay two Japanese gravesites, one for a child and the other presumably for an adult—the first I have ever found in all of my years of travels to the historic Hispanic lands of Southern Colorado and New Mexico. They have stood out in my mind ever since. Who were these people? What brought them to this Valley. In the most remote and forlorn "camposanto" cemetery I have ever found, these Japanese handcarved stones lay at the far end of the barren holy field on this cold November morning. After receiving a photo of a Japanese tombstone from today's New York Times via my old friend in North Carolina, I was reminded of my images and decided to share them now. You can compare them with the image from the interesting Times article, linked below.

Laurie Zuckerman photo from Old Capulin Cemetery, Colorado

Laurie Zuckerman's photo of child's grave from Old Capulin Cemetery

Laurie Zuckerman's photo of a "guardian" grave near the two Japanese tombstones.

New York Times photo from first website article below. 

New York Times photo from second website article below. 

Japan obviously has more trees than the high desert of the San Luis Valley.

The inscription on the stone pictured above, was quoted in the article:

"High dwellings are the peace and harmony of our descendants…. 

Remember the calamity of the great tsunamis. 

Do not build any homes below this point."

http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/08/limits-to-disaster-memory-even-etched-in-stone/

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/world/asia/21stones.html?hp

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN SOUTHWEST CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT OPENED APRIL 15 AT TOOLBOX CREATIVE GALLERY

Laurie Zuckerman's photo of cemetery nicho

Laurie Beth Zuckerman is exhibiting new works from her digital photography series of Southwest Cemetery Nichos at Toolbox Creative in Old Town Fort Collins. The show is up for the two months, so there is plenty of time to visit the Toolbox. These are intimate detailed photos of cubby-hole altars decorating rustic gravestones in rural New Mexico and Southern Colorado. I find these nichos to be unique to the old Hispanic camposantos (holy fields), and I have spent the last ten years traveling, studying, and documenting these folk art shrines. They are hauntingly lovely pictures of faith, reverance, and memory, and are part of my large body of "Memento Mori" photographs, home altars, and memory jugs.

My hosts, Dawn Putney and Tom Campbell, owners of Toolbox Creative, threw me an "Art Party" public reception at their trés chic design studio office/gallery on Friday, April 15. Dawn and Tom also run the Art Lab in Fort Collins, an excellent alternative space for artists and performers. We had our Front Range Community College Art Department faculty show at the Art Lab last spring.

For information about my show, log onto:
http://www.toolboxcreative.com/portfolio/toolbox-art-party-laurie-zuckerman-april-15th-2011

Stop by or call; Toolbox Creative, 325 Cherry Street #4, Old Town Fort Collins, 970-493-5755

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN SELECTED FOR CREATIVE CAPITAL WORKSHOP FOR ARTISTS SPONSORED BY BEET STREET

American Vodou Altar Installation at the Loveland Museum, by Laurie Beth Zuckerman

Laurie Beth Zuckerman was selected to attend the Professional Development Core Weekend Workshop presented by the Creative Capital Foundation in Fort Collins, Colorado this April 1-3. I was thrilled beyond belief to be one of 24 Colorado artists picked from this competition hosted by Beet Street, thanks to large grants from the Kresge Foundation and the Bohemian Foundation. 

There were 56 entries from all over Colorado. The jurors included: Ellen Martin, City of Fort Collins Art in Public Places, Merry Hummell, Bohemian Foundation, Director of Music Events, and Stephanie G'Schwind, Colorado State University, Director, Center for Literary Publishing. Emphasis was placed on individuals who are well-established visual artists, writers, musicians, composers, choreographers, and other artists who create original work. 

The weekend was intense and informative, leaving my mind inundated with ideas, skills, hopes, and dreams for my future as a professional artist. Each participant made a short presentation of their artwork on the first evening of the event. I shared photographs of my altar installations from my museum and university exhibitions during the past few years. I only knew two people at the conference going in, but came away with many new friendships and potentially future colleagues in the art community.

___________________________________________________

Creative Capital is a national nonprofit organization, based in New York City and dedicated to providing integrated financial and advisory support to artists pursuing adventurous projects in five disciplines: Emerging Fields, Film/Video, Innovative Literature, Performing Arts (including Music), and Visual Arts. The Core Weekend Workshop is the first time Creative Capital’s award-winning programs have been offered in Colorado.

Creative Capital works in long-term partnership with artists, pioneering approach to support combines funding, counsel and career development services to enable a project’s success and foster sustainable practices for its grantees. In its first decade, Creative Capital has committed more than $20 million in financial and advisory support to 325 projects representing 406 artists, and has reached an additional 3,500 artists through its Professional Development Program.

For more information about this program, visit www.creative-capital.org

LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN AUCTIONS BIRDHOUSE ART AT "THE TASTE" BENEFIT Food Bank of Larimer County & Neighbor to Neighbor

Laurie Zuckerman's "Aspen House" front view. Photo: Dennis Bookstaber

Laurie Zuckerman's "Aspen House" front view. Photo: Dennis Bookstaber

Laurie Zuckerman's "Aspen House" back view. Photo: Dennis Bookstaber

Laurie Zuckerman's "Aspen House" front view

Laurie Zuckerman's "Aspen House" side view

Laurie Beth Zuckerman has painted and donated a birdhouse for the Nests for Neighbors Silent Auction at THE TASTE, to be held at the University Hilton Inn in Fort Collins on April 14, 2011. Ten bird-houses have been created and donated by well-known local artists for this auction, many of them my good friends. My owb birdhouse, entitled "Aspen House" features hand-painted birds, a Downy Woodpecker and a White-breasted Nuthatch. The rusty tin roof was fabricated by my clever husband, Tom Mathies. This sturdy bird box is suitable for use outdoors or as a decorative art object for the patio or indoors.

Fort Collins' top chefs, restaurants, wineries, and breweries gather for THE TASTE, a major fundraising event for Food Bank for Larimer County and Neighbor to Neighbor. This annual fundraiser provides support to fight hunger and homelessness in the local community. All proceeds directly benefit the Food Bank for Larimer County and Neighbor to Neighbor, two of the area's largest non-profit organizations  providing resources for the hungry and homeless. 

General Admission Tickets for the event are $65.00 per person. VIP Admission Tickets are $95.00 per person. To purchase tickets, and to be able to view all the artworks up for bid in the Silent Art Auction, click on: www.tastebenefit.org

Food Bank for Larimer County: www.foodbanklarimer.org

Neighbor to Neighbor: www.n2n.org

LAURIE ZUCKERMAN: JESUS CHRIST STATUES FROM COLONIAL MEXICAN CHURCHES

Laurie Beth Zuckerman posts a new series of photographs of Jesus Christ from Colonial Mexico. These amazingly poignant statues grace the old churches in Colonial towns such as, Oaxaca, Mitla, Guanajuato, and San Miguel de Allende. I concentrate on photographing these images of Jesus every time I am lucky to visit Mexico. The highlight of my trips is my time alone in these quiet, cool Catholic Churches, away from the crowds and traffic noise. Stop back by later this week for more photos from this series of Jesus with the Crown of Thorns.

Once again, my Sunday posts are crosslinked with Rebecca Brooks' blog and her weekly posts entitled, Stumbling Toward Ecstasy:  http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/2011/02/stumbling-towards.html

HAPPY VALENTINE'S WISHES FROM LAURIE BETH ZUCKERMAN AT ICONARTE

Laurie Zuckerman's forget-me-not memory tin, "Be My Valentine"

Laurie Zuckerman's forget-me-not memory tin, "Be My Valentine"

Laurie Zuckerman wishes you a sweet and fulfilling Valentine's Day. Valentine's is a topic I had never used in my artwork, but two years ago, I constructed this tobacco tin with antique Valentine's postcards, porcelain doll, glass button, Sacred Heart scapulars, rabbits' feet charms, and plastic bird whistles. This work was part of a series of "Forget-me-not tins" I created for my solo exhibit at the Loveland Museum in Northern Colorado. They were designed to accompany my large installation altar entitled "Forget-me-not," dedicated to remembering my late mother, Blanche Kleid Zuckerman. Below are three detail shots from my Loveland installation in 2009.

Laurie Zuckerman's "Forget-me-not" altar installation 2009 detail

Laurie Zuckerman's "Forget-me-not" altar installation 2009 detail

Laurie Zuckerman's "Forget-me-not" altar installation 2009 detail

Here are three other examples from my sentimental series of miniature tin "Forget-me-not" altars.

Laurie Zuckerman's forget-me-not memory tin, "Sweethearts"

Laurie Zuckerman's forget-me-not memory tin, "Sweet Remembrances"

Laurie Zuckerman's forget-me-not memory tin, "Birds and the Bees,"

includes an antique valentine postcard

To view more of Laurie Zuckerman's Forget-me-not tin altars, click on this link to Laurie's Flickr photo portfolio:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iconarte/sets/72157625925432913/

LAURIE ZUCKERMAN: NICHO SHRINES FROM CEMETERIES IN NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO

Laurie Zuckerman is developing a book of her photography of cemetery nichos from the Southwest and Mexico. I am hoping to complete this extensive project this year. I am working through years of photograph journeys and have begun to layout the 160-page book. For a taste of what my collection will contain, here are three of my favorite photos of vandalized nichos with missing or disintegrated plaster saints. Vandalism and neglect in Hispanic Catholic graveyards in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Texas is sadly rampant. These two particular gravestones from Colorado date back to approximately the 1930s and 40s. It is impossible to know when they were damaged. The startling quality of these nichos is the lasting impression cast by the saint that once sat protected under the thick curved glass. If you are familiar with Jim Dine's drawings of men's robes, you might see the similarity that I see. Dine's robes float with no human head or body. Down in New Mexico I found this first nicho with the Infant of Prague's head fallen off and teetering.

Please visit Rebecca Brooks' blog for more links to images and thoughts in her weekly post, Stumbling Toward Ecstasy:  http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/2011/02/stumbling.html

LAURIE ZUCKERMAN DIA DE LOS MUERTOS OFRENDAS CEMETERY PHOTOGRAPHY FROM OAXACA AND GUANAJUATO, MEXICO

Diá de los Muertos tapete from the San Miguel Panteon, Oaxaca, Mexico

Diá de los Muertos tapete from the San Miguel Panteon, Oaxaca, Mexico

Diá de los Muertos tapete in shop courtyard, Oaxaca, Mexico

Diá de los Muertos tapete on the Alcala of Oaxaca, Mexico

Diá de los Muertos papier maché skulls in Guanajuato, Mexico marketplace

Diá de los Muertos ofrenda (altar) in Oaxaca, Mexico courtyard

Laurie Zuckerman's photographs of Mexican Diá de los Muertos ofrendas (Day of the Dead altars), tapetes, and marketplaces are now on view at Laurie's Flickr photo website. My photos were taken on several photography trips to San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and Oaxaca, Mexico between 2005-2009. I hope you enjoy this colorful photo gallery of my favorite Mexican holiday. Please email me if you are interested in purchasing or using any these copyrighted images.

Please click on this link to view more of Laurie's images of ofrendas, tapetes, and marketplaces in Colonial Mexico:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/iconarte/sets/72157625817456347/

San Miguel Panteon Cemetery in Oaxaca, Mexico

San Miguel Panteon Cemetery in Oaxaca, Mexico on the Day of the Dead

San Miguel Panteon Cemetery in Oaxaca, Mexico on the Day of the Dead

Please click on this link to view more of Laurie's images of cemeteries during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Oaxaca, Mexico:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iconarte/sets/72157625950939576/

LAURIE ZUCKERMAN: CEMETERY NICHO SHRINE PHOTOS FROM NEW MEXICO AND COLORADO

Colorado cemetery nicho with Santo Nino de Atocha

New Mexico cemetery nicho detail with crucifix

New Mexico cemetery nicho with Holy Family statue

New Mexico cemetery nicho with Infant of Prague

New Mexico cemetery nicho with the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Colorado cemetery Madonna in what looks like a phone booth nicho!

Colorado cemetery plastic Madonna nicho

Laurie Zuckerman hunts for nicho shrines to photograph in old Hispanic cemeteries in New Mexico and Colorado. They are hard to find!!! A few of my photos of newer handmade nichos will be shared in this post, so check back daily. Photographing through the dusty plexiglass of this southern Colorado nicho, I was able to capture the hazy image of this Santo Nino de Atocha statue in the first photo. The next two photos are from a small cemetery outside of Las Vegas, New Mexico. Thanks to cloth flowers and a plexiglass cover, this nicho stands a chance of surviving longer in the harsh climate of northern New Mexico. The fourth photo is from a nicho outside of Albuquerque. I love the cool blue colors reflected in the ice on the glass. The Sacred Heart of Jesus is from the Taos region of northern New Mexico. Way down in southern Colorado I discovered this phone booth-like nicho that perfectly fits and matches the Madonna it contains. The last shot is a tacky little plastic nicho that actually been improved by time and age.

You might be interested in more great spiritual images and writings at Rebecca Brooks' website that this post is lined with:

http://corazon.typepad.com/recuerda_mi_corazon/