"Descansos Along the Ancestral Road" now open in Albuquerque

On November 4th, 2016, Descansos Along the Ancestral Road opened at FreeStyle Gallery in Albuquerque. In spite of rain and street repairs, an appreciative crowd came to participate. Each artist in the exhibit developed his or her work with care and attention to honoring meaningful moments of their ancestral or present day life stories. Love and nostalgia is evident in each heartfelt piece. Of all the exhibits in the Creation/Migration series, this latest seems most personal and close to the hearts of the creators of the work. The viewers, therefore, were curious and personally touched by the meanings within the artworks.

Equally touching and poignant was the poetry reading by Max Early. The ancestral voices and stories of Max's Laguna Pueblo family and culture resonated through the gift of his words.

Here are some photos from the exhibit.

Jaymes Dudding, "Fire Fighters' Memorial Flag"

Kai Harper, "We're on our way to no where"

Jean Nichols, "Altar de Amor"

Betsie Miller-Kusz, "Cruz del Tiempo". Donna Caulton, "Journey Between Two Worlds"

Donna Lea, "Valles Caldera Descanso" and "Altar"

Max Early, "Carry Your Canteen on Your Journey Home"

Ralph Greene, "Artifacts"

Krystofer Meadows, "Alabama Now and Then.....ancestral memories"

Poetry Reading, Max and Betsie

Set-up Preview: "Descansos Along the Ancestral Road".

The Creation/Migration Group, as it approaches the end of its 4^th year, presents an exciting new exhibit honoring the pathways of their ancient, mythical and modern day forefathers and mothers. Returning to Freestyle Gallery, site of their first exhibition in 2012, founding members of the group, Betsie Miller-Kusz and Donna Caulton, have selected the title theme, Descansos Along the Ancestral Road.

This installation of personal altars and descansos explores the stories and journeys of honored ancestors, loved ones and children who have crossed from and to other worlds, over the rough seas and harsh lands of emergence and migration. Since the Descanso is a specific roadside marker for those who have died in transit, it has formed the starting point for the visual representation of these journeys.

The northern New Mexico artists presenting work in this exhibit are Donna Lea (fabric), Jaymes Dudding (mixed media), Kai Harper (mixed media), Jean Nichols (assemblage), Max Early (clay), Ralph Greene (painting), Krystofer Meadows (collage), Betsie Miller-Kusz (mixed media) and Donna Caulton (mixed media). The artists come from diverse heritages, which will be richly reflected in their work.

At the time of this posting, the show has not been completely installed, the lighting is not set, and all hands (and artwork) are not yet on deck. But please enjoy a couple of sneak peeks of some of the works that will be seen. Hopefully these will stimulate your curiosity enough to realize this thought provoking exhibit it not to be missed. 

Ralph Greene has only begun his installation as seen on the left. He is incorporating many meaningful ancestral artifacts with his own personal imagery. We are all waiting to see what is yet to unfold.

Fabric artist, Donna Lea, has incorporated her two pieces, Valles Caldera Descanso, and Altar, along with other fabrics and symbolic additions (see below) into a stunningly luminescent altar.

Sitting within her Altar de Amor is artist Jean Nichols. This is exactly what she would like the viewing audience to do. The piece is interactive and there is more than one way to "be" within its surround. Listen to its voice and yours.

Cruz del Tiempo by Betsie Miller-Kusz honors the sacred interaction of earth and air and memory. 

There will be a public reception for the exhibition on Friday, November 4 from 5-8 PM with refreshments celebrating the Day of the Dead festivities in Albuquerque. At 7:30, during the reception, there will be a poetry reading by Laguna Pueblo artist and poet, Max Early, whose poetry so eloquently expresses his respect for his ancestral ways.

Miller-Kusz' Ongoing Migration: Jemez to and from California: Mural Project

Damaged Mural Wall

"The Chant of the Earth, the Voice of the Land," mural on cement, San Francisco, CA.

Betsie Miller-Kusz originally painted this large and prominent San Francisco wall (about 1500 square feet) in 1983.  The mural was fully renovated in 1993.

Using abstract land-form elements, the painting depicts the strata of the earth as it might actually appear behind the retaining wall, referencing the geography of this hilly part of the City.

Graffiti Damage

In the fall of 2012, the mural was damaged, once again,  with  large graffiti tags. Therefore another repair is in process.

The wall is located on Upper Market St. in San Francisco. Every day tour buses drive by on their way up to Twin Peaks.  Added to the volume of traffic normal to the main thoroughfare of Market Street, the wall is viewed by over 2,000 people daily.  It is a greatly beloved institution, and the neighborhood residents and organizations have been very supportive in its continued existence.

More Graffiti Damage

Shown are photos of the grafitti damage and the repair in process by the muralist, Betsie Miller-Kusz. Work will continue in February of 2013, with final varnishing expected once the weather is sufficiently warm.

Partially Repaired Wall

La Muralista at Work

Betsie Miller-Kusz has been painting public murals since the 1970's. She began with the CETA program in the San Francisco public schools, then moved to large, community generated projects. In addition to the Upper Market St. mural, she has painted murals at the Eureka Valley Rec Center, Mission Rec Center, New College of California, Mission Cultural Center, York St. Mini-Park, and also interior locations around the Bay Area. Working with Russian artists in Leningrad, she painted the last mural in the Soviet Union before its collapse, for the USSR Second Human Rights Conference. Working with Mongolian aritists, she painted the first 5 story modern mural in Ulan Bataar in 1999. Working with Vietnam veterans, she guided the painting of "Nightwatch", a personal expression of images of war. In Guatemala City, she worked with children in the basurero to bring some hope into hopeless lives with a mural. She has also painted extensively in Mexico City, particularly a mural symbolizing the Harmonic Convergence in 1987. She traveled to the remote Delta de Parana in Argentina to paint two murals on community walls in wilderness islands in 2006. In the past few years, she has also painted two murals in her local Jemez Valley: a Virgin of Guadalupe homage, and a large participatory historic mural, "Passages".