SFR Picks—Week of May 8

Interconnected Systems

The bones, roots and oil pastels of Liza Hayle Doyle

Artist and arts educator Liza Hale Doyle grew up in Santa Fe, but headed east to New York City’s Parsons School of Design after high school. At the time, Doyle tells SFR, she was drawn to the world of fashion and immersed herself in all things garment and costume—though she was ultimately destined to work in oil pastels. Of course, her background hardly ends there.

“When I was little,” Doyle says, “I was also introduced to a lot of different forms of dance and movement, so both of those things have a huge influence on what I do now.”

Now, back in town, Doyle pulls from her art school and dance experience to develop a unique style that isn’t just vibrant but also requires deeper thinking. Take her latest collection: a series of oil pastels culled from her love of nature and the human body, particularly the spine.

“So much of our movement, our health and our brain activity stem from the spine,” Doyle explains. “That kind of central column has been a big inspiration for my work.”

Doyle’s most recent inspo hits close to home, too: Recently, her cousin suffered a traumatic injury that left him wheelchair-bound with a broken spine. In the aftermath, Doyles began merging her interest in flora and the human body, thereby creating images of blooming spines and bones in oil pastels with muted colors and ghostly whites. It was, for her, akin to “visualizing his healing.” Over time, that morphed into the upcoming show BONEPLANT at Canyon Road-adjacent Hollander Gallery.

It isn’t just anatomy that entrances Doyle for her new works, but connectivity on micro and macro scales. We are not at all separate from the organic systems of the natural world, Doyles says.

“I want to get people thinking about their own bodies,” she further explains. “I feel like a lot of the time, in our current day and age, we’re really disembodied. Like, we’re not even aware that we’re this living, breathing, moving thing.” (Adam Ferguson)

Liza Hale Doyle: BONEPLANT Opening: 5 pm-8 pm Friday, May 10. Free. Hollander Gallery, 225 Delgado St., (505) 927- 2072

Where Ya Bean?

Santa Fe has seen neither hide nor hair of elevated pop covers act Vanilla Pop of late because Al Dente and Lester Moore have been sticking close to home in Taos. Fortunately, the dynamic duo returns to our fair city with a performance at The Bridge @Santa Fe Brewing Co. this weekend. What’s new with the fellas? “Well, we have new clothes now,” Dente says. “I got a new jacket—a nice ‘50s brocade wedding jacket. We also have a few new tunes. Our repertoire is pretty extensive.” In addition to new hip-hop jams courtesy of Eminem and Biggie, Vanilla Pop still has all the Michael Jackson, Madonna and Depeche Mode you could want, plus more. “We’re here for people champing at the bit to get out of their house and away from their spouse,” Dente concludes. (Alex De Vore)

Vanilla Pop: 8 pm Friday, May 10. $10. The Bridge @Santa Fe Brewing Co. 37 Fire Place, (505) 557-6182

Get Back to Gardening

After a four-year pandemic hiatus, the Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners Fair is back, with a variety of native plants and gardening tools on sale from local nurseries; demonstrations and art exhibits; lectures from gardening experts; food trucks and even live music. Avra Leodas, this year’s chair of the Garden Fair, tells SFR she’s excited to see the event come together. “Gardening in this climate is not easy, and many people get discouraged,” she says. “We’re a resource…here to support, encourage and advise—that’s what Master Gardeners do.” (Mo Charnot)

Santa Fe Extension Master Gardeners 2024 Garden Fair: 9 am-3 pm Saturday, May 11. Free. Santa Fe County Fairgrounds.3229 Rodeo Road, (505) 471-4711.

Paper Gardens / Origami Outing

Santa Fe artists Kevin and Jennifer Box, creators of the traveling exhibition Origami In The Garden, bring their newest art offering “FLORIGAMI” to their own home studio’s garden just outside of Santa Fe. The exhibit features metal sculptures of flowers, rabbits, deer and more that all start as simple sheets of paper, but are then transformed into bronze, aluminum and stainless steel. “This is truly getting to experience a juxtaposition of the bright, colorful flowers against the New Mexico landscape, as well as the open sky,” Jennifer says. “It’s stunning to have in my front yard, and every day I go out there it still stops me. It demands your attention. You have to stop and look at it.” The flora and fauna garden of origami-inspired art will remain open until Nov. 1. (Evan Chandler)

FLORIGAMI Opening: 9am-1pm Monday, May 13. $5 suggested donation. Box Studio & Sculpture Garden. 3453 NM 14, Cerrillos, (505) 982-1931