South Broadway Cultural Center Gallery Exhibitions

The South Broadway Cultural Center art gallery is a light and bright inviting space for viewing curated art exhibitions featured each year. With free off-street parking and free entry during SBCC hours of operation, and during special events, the art gallery is a wonderful place to visit.

Gallery curator Augustine Romero brings the best in local art and artists to showcase Albuquerque's position as a true art mecca. Opening night receptions for the artists are free to the public, and a great opportunity to meet and mingle with these talented artists.

Regular hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (505) 764-1743.

Learn more about the South Broadway Cultural Center.

Upcoming Shows

• September 12 - MAL AIRE - Bad Air
• November 2 - Dia de los Muertos
• December 7 - Guadalupe Art Exhibit

Gallery Shows & Events

Post Covid Bomb - A new exhibition at the South Broadway Cultural Center entitled The Post Covid Bomb reflects the resilience required to endure the pandemic shutdown. This exhibition features a diverse collection from more than 30 artists who exhibited their work between 2020 and 2023. Showcasing both previously displayed and new works, the exhibition highlights the unique experiences of creating and presenting art during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The exhibition opens with an artist reception on Thursday, June 13 from 5 to 7 p.m.

The COVID-19 pandemic emerged in December 2019 when cases of a novel coronavirus were first identified in Wuhan, China. By March 2020, the World Health Organization had declared a pandemic as the virus rapidly spread globally. In response, governments implemented measures such as lockdowns, social distancing, and travel restrictions to contain the virus, leading to significant disruptions across all sectors, including the arts.

Art institutions, galleries, and museums were forced to close and cancel exhibits, putting artists into survival mode. The South Broadway Cultural Center, for instance, had to cancel an art reception just an hour before it was scheduled to start. Despite these challenges, the Department of Arts & Culture's Public Art Urban Enhancement division continued to showcase exhibits with limited access and, at times, exhibits were viewed via YouTube.

The Post Covid Bomb is on view through August 17. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. South Broadway Cultural Center's gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday.

20 Year Dialogue - The exhibition opens at the South Broadway Cultural Center with an artist reception on Thursday, April 4 with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public through May 31.

For two decades, a dialogue centered on the intertwining themes of friendship, conversation, and art has flourished among three friends. The three dedicated artists - Katrina Lasko, Linda Tratechaud, and Stephanie Lerma - have remained steadfastly anchored in their bond of friendship and artistic pursuits. A new exhibition, 20 Year Dialogue, features their diverse approaches to art coverage, echoing a profound conversation on the intersection of creativity and camaraderie.

Lasko was born in Portland, Ore., and grew up there and in California and Nevada. She received a BFA in studio art from the University of Nevada, Reno, and has been exhibiting her art since 1976. Lasko has taught studio for the past 40 years. She now resides in Rio Rancho.

Tratechaud, an Albuquerque native, has also lived in Denver, Amsterdam, Placitas, and now south of Santa Fe. She earned an Associate's degree in Graphic Design from the Colorado Institute of Art and was an award-winning graphic designer, book designer, and illustrator before finishing her BFA with honors from the University of New Mexico.

Lerma is a New Mexico native and has been a papermaker for the past 30 years. In recent years, cast glass and bronze have found their way into her newer works. She has degrees in English and Women's Studies from the University of New York, Albany, and received her teaching certification in piano pedagogue from L'Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, France.

The Field of Possibilities - The exhibition opens with an artist reception on January 25 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the South Broadway Center's gallery. The exhibition will be on view through March 23. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

"Om Bhavam Namah" which translates to I am absolute existence. I am a field of all possibilities, provided the inspiration for the new art exhibition by 9x9 Art Group. The nine artists are active and former educators, primarily in the art departments of local Albuquerque public and private schools, in addition to being professional artists.

The theme takes its name from a mantra for meditation in which it is a step to achieve a state of enlightenment, according to exhibition organizers. The 9X9 Art Group created an exhibition of and for self awareness, meditation, and creative possibility. A variety of methods and media including painting, sculpture, drawing, and 3-D construction, set up a field of possibilities from which to enjoy, ponder, and grow. A collaborative piece is among the entries. There is a short presentation with poetry and musical accompaniment to the exhibit as an added feature.

The collection of artists in 9x9 Art Group include Peter Fitzpatrick; Larry L. Smith; Jeannette Williams; Cecily Colbert; Mary Dornacker; Lauri Dickinson; Joani Murphy; Christopher Bull; and Santiago Perez. Each have contributed substantially to the development of many art programs and activities to further the development of young people in Albuquerque, and further, New Mexico. This exhibit will, in turn, provide an opportunity for people of all ages - but primarily young people - to enjoy and appreciate the art of these artists and educators.

Our Lady of Guadalupe - The exhibition opens with an artist reception on December 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the South Broadway Cultural Center's gallery. The exhibition will be on view through December 30. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The South Broadway Cultural Center has announced its 28th annual exhibition commemorating the first apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a revered moment in history when she introduced herself to Juan Diego as the Mother of God and the mother of all humanity.

Since 1924, the South Broadway community has gathered to honor this significant event, which occurred on the hill of Tepeyac in Mexico 1531. The exhibition has become a cherished tradition, fostering a sense of unity and cultural richness within the community. This year, the South Broadway Cultural Center is particularly thrilled to mark the 28th year in its gallery space.

A highlight of this year's exhibition is the community altar, a centerpiece created by artist April Gallegos. Known for her distinctive artistic style and deep connection to cultural traditions, Gallegos brings a unique perspective to the annual celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The community altar serves as a focal point for collective reflection and reverence, inviting visitors to engage with the rich cultural and spiritual significance of the event.

Dia de Los Muertos - Opens Thursday, November 2, 2023
The Albuquerque Public Art Program is hosting the annual Dia de Los Muertos celebration at the South Broadway Cultural Center, marking the center's 29th year of involvement in the community tradition. The event promises to be a vibrant and moving tribute to the Mexican cultural holiday, featuring a remarkable art exhibition, ofrendas, and an opportunity for the community to honor their lost loved ones.

Opening night is on Thursday, November 2 with an artist reception from 5 to 8 p.m. A second reception is scheduled for Sunday, November 5 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The exhibition in the gallery and both receptions are free and open to the public.

Since 1994, the South Broadway Cultural Center has been a focal point for the community's Dia de Los Muertos celebrations. This year's event promises to be an extraordinary experience, blending traditional elements with contemporary art and community participation. The heart of the exhibition will feature 13 ofrendas and a community altar where the public can place photographs of their lost loved ones. Beyond the ofrendas, the event will showcase the creative talents of 30 local artists who will exhibit their unique works. These artists will bring their own interpretations of Dia de Los Muertos to life through a variety of mediums.

For more information, view the News Release.

Nortesur / Luis Fitch - Opens Thursday, September 14 - Saturday, October 14, 2023
Exploring the intermingling socio-economic, geopolitics, climate change, and friction between Mexico and the United States.

The exhibit will showcase the work of International Artist and Graphic Designer, Luis Fitch as well as fine art prints designed and created at the Tamarind Institute, featuring works by Fitch as well as local artists Dora Chavarria, Julianna Kirwin, and Lena Kassicieh. The exhibit opens to the public on Thursday, September 14, with a reception from 5 - 7 p.m.

Luis Fitch's lifelong art exploration of the complex interrelationship between the United States and Mexico. With vibrant colors and bold graphic symbolism, Fitch delves into socio-economic disparities, geopolitical tensions, and the looming climate crisis that impacts Latino communities.

The exhibition traces Fitch's artistic evolution from his upbringing along the Tijuana-San Diego border to his status as an internationally renowned Mexican artist living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His limited-edition jumbo size art prints capture the friction between developing and industrialized nations, portrayed through stark contrasts, vivid hues, and intricately Mexican contemporary motifs.

Nortesur takes its name from the Spanish words for "north" and "south," representing the bidirectional influence flow between two countries divided by an ever-shifting border. Fitch explores the spaces in between, where identities remain in flux, shaped by cross-border migration, economic integration, and shared environmental challenges.

This exhibition allows one to engage with one artist's unique cross-cultural reality. Fitch ultimately leaves it to the viewer to meditate on their position within the liminal spaces between nations, communities, and cultures—and to consider how we might navigate these hybrid identities to build a more just, equitable and sustainable world.

For more information, view the News Release.

Outta Sight - Opens Thursday, July 20 - Saturday, August 26, 2023

This exhibit will showcase the work of 40 plus artists who traditionally exhibit their art works outside the confines of a traditional gallery and opens to the public on Thursday, July 20, with a reception from 5 - 7 p.m.

Outta Sight is a group show highlighting "Street Artists" that historically use the street, walls, and trains as their canvas, and are not typically exhibited in museum and/or gallery spaces. These artists are influential to our society and culture because they are a voice for their marginalized communities. The name of the show is a double entendre, the street art created by these artists is literally "out of sight," yet despite the art's appearance in public spaces, it is quite often hidden from view in what is considered formal exhibition spaces. Street art has yet to be situated within a formal art historical cannon and is often considered "other" and "outsider" art even though the style has evolved from the streets into different incarnations from traditional style writing to stickers to canvases. 

This group of predominantly New Mexican artists whose work is on exhibit, emerged out of the late 1980s and early 1990s, and during this era, the street art community's need to create became paramount as an almost "safe" outlet. Coming from some of the most marginalized populations, these artists had limited resources and oftentimes utilize tools that are given, found, or stolen. During this time, some of the most unique and fleeting art was created under a duress of trying to maintain basic survival, let alone having extra money for art supplies and is a proclamation to their existence within a system that oppresses and exploits. This exhibit features new works by these artists who bring beauty to drab, ugly, inhospitable, and inaccessible places creating art that is truly Outta Sight.

For more information, view the News Release.