One door closes, another opens
Feb. 16—From Mexico via the Midwest
Guadalajara, Mexico, is almost exactly a day's drive — 24 hours — from Santa Fe. In terms of the art and culture, it might as well be a world away.
Artist Hugo Ximello-Salido grew up in the city, the capital of the state of Jalisco, and showcases Mexican contemporary art at his new downtown Santa Fe gallery and studio, Hugo Gabán.
The inspiration for the "Hugo" part of the name is obvious. As for gabán, it's a traditional textile worn in Mexico, Ximello-Salido says.
details
* 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, or by appointment
* 112 W. San Francisco Street, Suite 108A
* 816-288-7169; hugogaban.com
"From artists like José Guadalupe Posada and Remedios Varo to Frida Khalo and Gabriel Orozco, gabán symbolizes Mexican heritage, culture, and traditions," he says via email. He operated a business of the same name in Kansas City, Missouri, and opened the Santa Fe version in November 2023. Ximello-Salido moved to Northern New Mexico in 2022 — he praises the region's understanding of culture and ethnicity — and opened a studio and gallery at 201 N. El Rancho Road. He creates art Mondays through Thursdays in that space, about 3 miles from Hugo Gabán, and welcomes visitors there; contact information is below.
A February exhibit at Hugo Gabán, Gender Fluidity in its Complexity, explores "the three-dimensional ensemble of instruments expressing the deepest understanding for gender fluidity." It includes his documentary MUXE: The Language of Art & Culture, about gender fluidity in Mexico's Oaxaca state. The documentary is set to be screened at several locations in Kansas City and two in Chicago, as well as in Oaxaca, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, Ximello-Salido says.
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'Over 40 years is enough' for La Mesa
La Mesa of Santa Fe's final day in business was February 8, ending a four-decade run.
The closing date originally was set for Tuesday, February 20, but a flood in the gallery forced the change, owner Mary Larson says.
Larson opened the gallery on Johnson Street in 1982, then moved it to 225 Canyon Road five and a half years later. Asked why she's closing the gallery now, she is unequivocal.
"You just know when it's time," she says. "I mean, over 40 years is enough. And there are so many changes with websites and all the online stuff that I'm just not interested in doing."
La Mesa housed the work of 46 artists, according to its website. Neighboring Owen Contemporary is taking over the space occupied by La Mesa and keeping "a good portion" of the gallery's artists, Larson says.
"So in some respects, a lot of people won't even know the gallery has changed," she says. "There will be a lot of changes, certainly, in the merchandise selection. But most of my major artists who have been here, say, for anywhere from 20 to 40 years will still be in this space."
Another change: the growth Larson has witnessed.
"I guess at one point, we all knew each other," she says. "There are so many galleries now. There are so many places for people to shop — which is great, but I think it can sometimes be overwhelming for people by the time they've gone to 20 galleries. They've forgotten what they saw in the first one."
Larson says running the gallery for decades has kept her from enjoying all of the things people visit Santa Fe to experience. She plans to change that in her retirement.
