Masters of their craft: Four New Mexico artist collectives join forces for 28th annual MasterWorks show

MasterWorks of New Mexico is a hotly anticipated annual juried exhibition showcasing paintings, pastels, watercolors and miniature art by artists across the state. This year’s exhibition opens at Expo New Mexico’s Hispanic Arts Building on Friday, March 27, and runs through April 19.

Barbara Lohbeck came up with the idea for MasterWorks 28 years ago. Lohbeck, who owned the now-defunct Bardean Gallery in Albuquerque, was looking for a new venue to present miniature art under the aegis of Miniature Arts Bardean and reached out to two other arts organizations — the Pastel Society of New Mexico and the New Mexico Watercolor Society — who readily agreed to co-sponsor an annual show. The Rio Grande Art Association joined the following year and has been participating ever since.

“It’s just amazing how it’s grown,” Lohbeck said. “There were three of us who organized the whole thing (the first year), and we just look at each other at the receptions now and go, ‘Did you ever think it would turn out to be this big and important?’”

From a slew of submissions, a three-member jury determines which works will be included. Two judges — one for miniatures and one for standard-size works — then award over 60 ribbons for first, second and third places and honorable mention in various categories, along with Best of Show and additional sponsored awards. The judge for the standard works this year is Peggy Immel, a Taos-based artist, and the miniatures will be judged by local painter and children’s book illustrator Ruth Andrews-Vreeland.

“There’s a whole box of ribbons,” Lohbeck said. “There are bigger ones for standard size, and then I got little ribbons for the miniatures.”

All of the works are for sale, Lohbeck said, with proceeds benefiting the artists and the arts nonprofits who co-sponsor the event.

Sally Harris, who has work in this year’s show, is also the president of the Rio Grande Art Association.

“I am always impressed by the incredible talent we have in this great group of adventurous artists, who are continually experimenting with new media and techniques,” Harris said. “I was able to review all of our 230 entries (for the RGAA section), of which only 47 were selected, and I can tell you that all of them deserved to be in the show.”

John DeSpain, who is participating in MasterWorks for the fifth year in a row, won his first ribbon last year — an award of merit for a floral pastel.

“It’s a very competitive show, and it’s an excellent show,” DeSpain said. “So, it’s really an honor to get into it.”

DeSpain credits Masterworks with helping launch his art career.

“Last year, I got into Weems Gallery,” he said. “To get gallery representation is really a great thing, and a goal for many people … and I’m sure that’s a direct result of getting into MasterWorks and other shows.”

Kathleen Keating, a member of the Rio Grande Art Association, got into MasterWorks two years ago and was selected again for this year’s exhibition.

“Getting into MasterWorks is huge, for me especially,” Keating said. 

This year, she is exhibiting a highly detailed oil painting of bulls.

“I see the bulls every day on my road,” she said. “I live out in Edgewood, so there’s lots of bulls and cows out here.”

Although she prefers to paint from life when she can, Keating had to work from photographs in this case, because the bulls wouldn’t stand still long enough for her to paint them. Even with still lifes, she said it’s always a challenge to paint the fruit before it rots.

“I’ve been doing pears and apples, and the apples are strong, sturdy little things. But the pears — oh man — you’ve got to nail the colors right away, because they’re going to start to turn,” Keating said.

The artist Kim Bell has been part of MasterWorks from the very beginning. Both she and her husband, John Bell, have pieces in the miniatures section this year. Hers are paintings, and his is a small sculptural piece. 

“John used to paint very large, like Chuck Close did,” she said. In his youth, John Bell studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City under the mentorship of Close, renowned for larger-than-life photorealistic portraits.

Kim and John Bell were both inspired to try their hand at miniatures after seeing exhibitions of miniature art at Lohbeck’s gallery. Over the years, they have become die-hard miniatures enthusiasts. Kim Bell said MasterWorks is one of the few places in New Mexico where audiences can see so many great miniatures at one time.

“Nobody else does this,” she said.

In past years, Lohbeck has sometimes worked with high schools to develop educational programs related to the exhibition, as well as to encourage young people to submit work to it. She said she is eager to restart those programs and that any educators interested in collaborating with MasterWorks should reach out to her.

“We do need to attract some younger artists, and I hope that happens soon,” she said.

MasterWorks has grown in both size and prestige over the years. Even so, Lohbeck said the competitive element has not overshadowed the spirit of camaraderie.

“I like to think of (MasterWorks) as a family, because we all love each other,” Lohbeck said. “We can’t wait to come and drop our work off and say, ‘How are you doing? What have you been doing,’ and maybe a hug here and there. … They’re still competitive, but that’s not the most important thing.”

Logan Royce Beitmen is an arts writer for the Albuquerque Journal. He covers visual art, music, fashion, theater and more. Reach him at lbeitmen@abqjournal.com or on Instagram at @loganroycebeitmen.