Metro Youth Art Exhibit & Addy Awards

Oh boy, there has been so many amazing things to write about I hardly know where to start.

One of the recent events I am very honored to be a part of is the Metro Youth Art Exhibit going on now through April 5th at Expo New Mexico in the Fine Art Gallery. I was asked to judge the digital art entries with my dear friend Hue Walker from the ARTS Lab. We both took great encouragement from the entries we saw in that many of the clichéd topics were under represented.

This year there were few scantily clad, buxom women brandishing swords or lightening, skull, blood and gut motifs. Instead, Hue and I were pleasantly surprised by the thought, concept and skill put into many of the student entries.

Perhaps it is a sign of the times, but there seemed to be a lot more personal reflection on the state of the world and the artists place in it. Many of the pieces were very moving and thought provoking and many pieces of artwork had a definite message. All in all, it was a very good year for entries and picking our top five was difficult to say the least.

If you are in New Mexico and want to get an inspiring dose of some amazing up and coming young artists, you really should stop by the Fine Art Gallery at Expo New Mexico and see some of the fabulous art being done by students in the Albuquerque public high schools.

Another fantastic event that I attended last weekend was the New Mexico Addy Awards. Like many years in the past, this was a great evening of the best in New Mexico advertising art.

The theme this year was Mexican Wrestling, so the organizers of this event brought in professional Luchadors to entertain between award presentations. I am not entirely sure the crowd was completely embracing of the whole wrestling extravaganza, but the night's awardees were well deserved.

The Art Center Design College Albuquerque Branch took home 22 awards including the Student Best in Show, which went to the ever-inspiring senior, Zak Rutledge. Another winner for the night was Aaron Barreras, instructor at the Art Center and silver award winner for his website design for a local advertising firm.

The Addy Awards here in New Mexico are never boring and always offer ample opportunity to network and connect with the local movers and shakers in the industry. I find it particularly gratifying to see how many of the Art Center graduates have gotten fabulous careers in their field working for local ad firms and making the art that is taking home all the awards.