SFR Picks—Week of May 15

One Word

New space Peralta is here for the people

"Peralta!" Joel Leshefka says. "Unfortunately in 2019, all the single word/easy names and dot-coms are taken, so with emails, Instagram handles and websites, we had to get creative."

Peralta is, in simplest terms, a new arts space in Santa Fe. There are many of these, of course, but Leshefka, along with his wife Krysta Jabczenski, envision theirs working a little differently.

"Our official mission statement is to host engaging events that provide a creative outlet for mid-career to under-the-radar artists. It's our hope that the space will foster greater community and serve as a platform for interesting work of all mediums," Jabczenski says. "This first show is heavy on textiles, which was intentional."

This means weavings by Emilie Richardson, Kevin Aspaas, Astral Weaves and more, but also photography from Amelia Bauer's Extra Terrestrial series. Bauer, who Santa Feans may know as the mastermind behind the growing (and inherently impressive) Noise For NOW! series of concerts at the Santa Fe Opera, showcases earthy landscapes against stark black backgrounds.

Peralta will also house pop-up retail events and, for Leshefka and
Jabczenski, the goal was to work with artists they admired.

"Some are folks we've worked with in the past, or some are people we've met since moving here," Leshefka explains. "And still more are people we've never met in person, and reached out specifically for this show."

So think of Peralta like an experiment, or a little bit like co-op space Dandelion Guild with more of a visual arts focus. Either way, underrepresented artists have a chance to show, the arts are even more democratized and collectors who aren't millionaires have a fighting chance to increase their holdings. Win/win/win.
(Alex De Vore)

Perlata Grand Opening: 
6 pm Saturday May 18. Free.
Peralta,
320 Paseo de Peralta

A Thousand Words

Stalwart gallery KEEP Contemporary zeroes in on all things photographic with Nord, its newest opening and a decidedly darker show than we've seen from the space thus far. Five shooters from Russia, Norway and Iceland show haunting imagery, from skewed figurative work to chilling frozen landscapes. Evocative of folklore, the work of Jean-Baptiste Mouton, Amy Haslehurst, Benjamin Hardman, Daria Endresen and Natalia Drepina is ostensibly inviting, though jarring, dreamlike and loaded with drama. Happy little shots these aren't, but worth the challenge? No question. A number of the artists are scheduled to appear. (ADV)

Nord:
5 pm Friday May 17. Free.
KEEP Contemporary,
142 Lincoln Ave.,
557-9574.

Staying Alive

Historic Preservation Month is a nationally recognized annual series of events that promote historical sites across the nation, and Santa Fe gets in on the fun with help from the Cornerstone Community Partnership. Founded in 1986, the nonprofit is committed to continuing the architectural heritage and tradition of New Mexico; thus, Adobe Brick-Making Day each Saturday in May. Participants can join Cornerstone representatives to learn the ins and outs of making adobe bricks which will then be used to preserve historic buildings. "Traditionally in New Mexico, May is a time to make adobe bricks in preparation for summer and fall," says Jake Barrow, executive director of CCP. "We want people to know what it's about, we want to keep the tradition alive." (Per Olson)

Adobe Brick-Making Community Day:
9:30 am-1:00 pm Saturday May 18. Free.
San Miguel Chapel,
401 Old Santa Fe Trail,
983-3974.

Top That

Canadian indie-pop quartet TOPS carves quite the niche for themselves with highly danceable bass and beats layered under smooth yet funky guitar riffs and absolutely gorgeous vocals. They're the intersection of so many styles, in fact, that they might win our Most Catchy Ever award, if such a thing existed. Go on—take a second and look up a couple videos. Did you do it? If so, you know what we mean. Sure, it's kind of familiar, but the deeper you listen, the more you'll find and the more you find, the harder it is to picture your life before you knew TOPS. Yeah, they're on in our car a lot right now, and we think you might just start to feel the same. (ADV)

TOPS with Video Age:
7 pm Tuesday May 21. $15-$18.
Meow Wolf,
1352 Rufina Circle,
395-6369.