ART-Rageous Event the Best Ever!!

Well, maybe not in sales exactly since the economy is a bit sluggish, but we had a great time!! In spite of reduced set-up time the artists were able to assemble and beautify their booths in record time.

The reception was well-attended and the food ran out (boohoo), but the music by Tony Russell was good and the Raffle for St. Felix Pantry was a big winner. We raised $305 for them and had 14 entries.

We had the Kinkaids and Bear Martinez playing for us on Saturday and Tony Russell came and closed the show on Sunday afternoon.


This was the biggest thing I have ever been involved with and it took magnanimous amounts of praying to get me through. However, the team was fantastic! Kudos to our chief, Carol Sanna, who kept us on target and so much thanks goes to Naomi Hanauer who was our graphic artist designing the brochure, postcards, and signs. Wendell Unzicker did a splendid job with the advertising and Bob Crowley worked and worked to get the room and artists synchronized so we all fit. The effect was amazing!

The volunteers who sat the RRAA booth were both entertaining and knowledgeable about RRAA. They all encouraged the visitors to buy raffle tickets and point them to specific artists that they wanted to see.

Thank You's go to the Greengards who provided the sweet grapes from their vines for all to enjoy!

Carol Sanna brought her really cool camera to show customers and I have to say I was really impressed with how it works. Naomi Hanauer set up her paints and worked on a piece that she has going and Cristina Diaz-Arntzen did a punch-quilt and finished it over the course of the show.

Customers who came through were surprised at the quality of art in Rio Rancho. Few of them even heard of us unless they were friends of the artists. So we had a whole lot of exposure and even picked up about 5 new members.

We loved Sister Claire and Marge who kept the St Felix booth for us. It was great to meet people from the Pantry where we love to donate both food and money.

Carmen Taylor did a great job on compiling the exit surveys. It sounds like the artists had a great time too!


Sue Hanauer

Boys and Girls Club Rio Rancho

Wow! these kids really love to build things. They are like small energetic architects who don't need glue or tape to build fantastic structures. Like the Taj Mahal or a drive-in movie theater complete with popcorn.

I took about 1/2 of my stash of recyclable material and let them explore and experiment. There were about 50+ kids all together and we worked in two separate stages. I didn't even have to prompt them on what to do with the styrofoam and cardboard. I DID have to prompt them not to tear it apart or use it as weapons on each other's heads...lol

Just check out the videos and photos...one photo on the right and others will follow

Invisibility Factor

“My goal in life is to be invisible...and I am very good at it” (Princess Mia, “The Princess Diaries”) My favorite movie quote of all time. This is what I have aspired to in my life. But all good things must come to an end. *grin*

Most artists want to be known to art patrons around the world. They work hard and market themselves and they join associations and groups, and take classes and get degrees, and teach and...well, you get the picture. They want to be “known”.

Me, not so much. I have lived my life to be invisible to the outside world. Marketing myself has come really hard, because of this attitude.

I love making art, and sometimes what I do astounds me because I don’t get tired of looking at it. When I get tired of looking at a piece of art it makes me want to toss it out or put it in a yard sale. Or just gesso over it and do something else.

I have more art in my head than I have produced. Often, I lie awake at night and piece together the parts that I know I have stored. And on waking up and sorting through the parts I am always surprised by something I’ve forgotten I have. It’s an adventure. My tag line is “Where every day meets surprise”.

But the putting myself “out there” is the hardest part. I want people to see my art, but not me. I love when someone sees something I did and gushes over it or stands there with the chin in hand studying it. I like the way they see it.

I am learning that it’s not a bad thing for people to notice me. The artist. The one who comes with the art. It’s all a part of the whole. Acceptance of this fact is slowly (but surely) dawning on my psyche. People will see me.

I find many artists have this problem. It’s not just me. Rio Rancho Art Association and all the people in it have shown me over and over that it’s ok to be noticed. Thanks for that.

Sue Hanauer