I rolled into Ruidoso after dark like an arts-writing ninja.
It was in March, so the skiing hamlet was still snowy as I drove through the heart of town and up through the Upper Canyon cabin district in search of my swanky headquarters for the weekend.
Ruidoso’s public relations dynamo Bay Hirschfeld helped me set up a tour with as many artists as I could fit into 40 hours in town and also arranged for a stay in a duplex that overlooked the river provided by Pinnacle Luxury Rentals.
The cabin, dubbed Riverbank Swank, was my first taste of Ruidoso. It was embanked on a steep hill and had a big yard beneath a wooden deck. When I climbed the stairs, following the sound of water, I was amazed at what I saw.
Snow lined the trees and riverbank, and the water rushed past the property. Even in the dark, sitting up on the second story, it was so peaceful I forgot how cold it was. The next morning, I savored the view and the sound of the river over coffee. By then, I was ready to meet the artists.
Muralist Michael Fish was first, and the jovial painter met me at one of the town’s main attractions: the Ruidoso town mural.
Spencer Fordin
Fish walked over as I stood across the street, trying to photograph his mural. I was waiting for a family to take their photograph and move out of my shot when they asked Fish to snap the picture. That kind of thing happens all the time, Fish told me as we walked the town’s main drag, talking about life and painting.
At his studio, he showed his smaller works on canvas and guided me to my next stop to meet artist Raul Davis.
A herd of deer blocked one side of traffic as I made my way toward the Inn of the Mountain Gods. I stopped for 10 seconds to admire them before I drove toward the resort and casino, which is tucked into a picturesque canyon on the Mescalero Apache Reservation. Mescalero Apache artist Davis led me through his ledger art and told me about other mediums he works in.
After Davis I visited sculptor Rory Combs, who welcomed me into his home and told me about his artistic process. From there I drove out to the Hurd La Rinconada Gallery, where I met with Michael Hurd and talked about his famous parents, his art, and his life in Ruidoso.
And that was all one day.
But thanks to the wonderfully detail-oriented Hirschfeld, I wasn’t done yet.
I headed to the Spencer Theater in Alto, where I joined executive director Charles Centilli for dinner and saw a Rolling Stones tribute act light up the night.
The next day brought even more art. Vicki Conley greeted me at her home near Ruidoso Downs and spent an hour talking about pottery, quilting, and camping in Alaska. Then oil and acrylic painter Suzy Goza showed me her work — and by this point my dog, Pepper, was now sitting in on interviews. I visited glass and metallics artist Deb Wight in her lovely forested Alto home and followed that by learning about thundereggs with Lori Lytle Coleman.
Believe it or not, the trip still wasn’t over.
I made one final stop to meet multimedia artist Ali Schooley and her husband, John, a watercolor painter, before I turned the Subaru back toward Santa Fe.
Last issue’s “Arts roots in Ruidoso” story contained as many artists as I could fit, and despite the schedule and pace, it was a pleasure to make a mad dash through the town’s thriving art scene. I look forward to going back again — and maybe I’ll take my time.
