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Shop Talk
G athering
Place
LD: We carry a lot more two-
dimensional work, and we do
well with it, too.
JR: Younger collectors are
open to all mediums. So we
can exhibit paintings next to
ceramic or wire sculptures,
or juxtaposed with an amazing
piece of jewelry by Kristin
Diener. Cynthia Cook makes
these incredibly intricate shad-
ow boxes, such as her
Floating
W orld-Self Portrait®,
all of
recycled materials, and it is
fine, fine art. It’s hard for us to
label what we show here, be-
cause those labels are all mixed
and blurred now. It’s an excit-
ing time for art.
What sustains the business
in a tough economy?
JR: Customer service. We have
the most loyal group of people
that support us. It’s our goal that
everyone who comes in that door
not only feels comfortable, but
that it’s a fun experience in eveiy
way. There’s a lot of laughing
here, a ton of humor, color, great
art. W e like to put food out.
LD: W e like you to bring your
dog in.
JR: Yeah, we’re dog-friendly.
W e’re the anti-stuffy gallery.
It’s all about experiencing
art the way it should be experi-
enced, the way it’s going to
be in your home.—
j . l .
Mariposa Gallery
3500 Central Ave.
s . e .
Albuquerque,
N M
87106
505-268-6828
mariposa-gallerjr.com
Located in Albuquerque’s lively
Nob Hill retail district, Mariposa
Gallery© is a beloved local insti-
tution, having showcased fine
craft by southwestern makers
since 1974. When founder Fay
Abrams retired in 2005, she sold
the place to her employees Liz
Dineen and Jennifer Rohrig,
who have preserved its original
spirit in their own accessible,
community-oriented style.
You specialize in supporting
the emerging artist. Has
that always been a focus at
Mariposa?
JR: A lot of successful New
Mexico artists had their first
gallery experience with Mari-
posa, and it’s an honor for Liz
and me to continue that tradi-
tion. W e take great joy in find-
ing new artists; it’s something
we’re both passionate about
for sure. Most of them continue
to show with us even as their
careers grow.
Who are your customers?
JR: Our customer base is not
elitist. Anybody can come in
here and buy artwork. One of
us is always here and that inter-
action has been really impor-
tant to our success. W e have
personal relationships with our
clients. W e’ve been working
a lot with younger collectors,
people in their 30s who are in-
terested in starting a collection.
LD: They might be the chil-
dren of people who shopped
with us in the 1970s. That’s
been a great cyclical thing.
JR: When you have an art gal-
lery, you’re part of the commu-
nity. People come in to see
what’s going on in the culture
around them. Our openings
are a gathering place.
When the idea of Liz and
me taking over the gallery came
up, it was mostly about passing
the torch. Mariposa has a life
of its own, a long history of
being about the community and
the artists who exhibit here.
But you’ve put your own stamp
on it.
JR: W e definitely have taken
it in a new direction.
016
american craft june/julyio
www.WorldMags.net & www.Journal-Plaza.net
Mariposa Gallery photo Kirk Gittings / Cook photo Margot Geist.
