Immersed in Inspiration - Roswell, New Mexico
I've had to pinch myself a lot recently thanks to a recent performance I was invited to give in tiny-in-size, but not tiny-in-spirit Roswell, New Mexico.
This was a second time for me performing as part of the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art's Piano Series. The first time I ventured out there about a year and a half ago, I arrived in the dusty, small, alien and UFO laden town wondering how it was all going to go. The minute I stepped into the museum for the first time I realized I was in the perfect place for me. This art museum is more a welcoming collection than it is a stuffy museum. Offered as a "salon hang," a style of display that was popular in 17th century France, everywhere you look there is art of different mediums...sculptures, paintings, dioramas, furniture...mammoth size in the middle of a room, hanging from the ceiling, tucked in corners. Paintings aren't necessarily given a lot of space in which to reside. They are cozied up to others, sometimes feeling like surprising neighbors, at other times practically holding hands and drinking tea with one another.
And there, in the middle of one of the largest rooms, surrounded by incredible art and sculpture, was their beautiful concert grand Bösendorfer piano.
That was the first time I pinched myself.
I had the luxury of having as much time as I wanted on their piano while the museum was open. To get to know the instrument (I often say it's like going on a blind date) in that space was incredibly inspiring. I got up from the bench many times to check out a piece of art that had caught my eye while playing. This was a rare occasion in which I decided to let myself be distracted.
The next day I visited again to practice a bit but first and foremost on my mind was checking out every piece of art displayed there. Hours later my head was swimming with all the art I had seen. I was reminded that art is art. Music is art. They can be happy bedfellows.
The day of my performance I was invited to tour the house and property of the museum's founder, Don Anderson. Since I was staying nearby at RAiR's compound that houses its artists in residence, I had already glimpsed the Anderson home. It seemed to be yet another extraordinary space including an intriguing, huge structure slightly reminiscent of Stonehenge so in spite of also wanting to rest up before performing, I accepted their invitation.
First of all, it was clear to me after taking the tour, that Don Anderson was a remarkable man. He created an entire new world in the middle of New Mexico. He designed an open, airy, completely unique house, drove the tractor himself to do the landscaping which includes the magnificent "Henge" (more on that later),
lake, meditation labyrinth, artist workshop, a hill of boulders complete with cacti, and more. Sculptures greet you at just about every few hundred. It feels like a different world the moment you step onto the property.
And then the Henge. From looking at photos it's hard to understand how there can be art within the structure itself. But the moment you walk through the door that's what you're greeted with - a most unusual set of rooms that are covered, every inch with murals painted by my friend, Anne Midgette's father, Willard Midgette. I don't even know that I can properly describe what he created in this most unusual of spaces. The best thing you can do is to watch the video here to get a sense of it. The mural is full of Trompe l'oeil painting and since it's immersive I spent a lot of time turning around and around to trace where one part of the mural was reflecting another part. Even in the corners of the rooms you find tricks of the eye - like pieces of wood standing up against a corner that are perfectly painted so that they look like you can reach out and pick one up or accidentally knock one down.
As for the rest of the Henge, once you get past the mural room, the interior is surprisingly bright with natural light that streams in through windows and skylights high up in the structure. If you don't mind heights you can also climb up ladders to pop out of doors that plop you on the top of the structure where you're then greeted with a spectacular view of the property and the surrounding area.
Needless to say when I finally returned back to my accommodations to get ready for my performance, I was in quite a state. The experience was extra stimulating for all the senses but also, and fortunately for me, just the inspiration I needed to head into my recital at the museum.
Now a bit of a fast forward.
Not long after I returned home I received an invitation to return to Roswell to present another recital there. And this time I was offered Don Anderson's house as a place to stay while I was in town. I think it won't come as a surprise to you that I excitedly said yes. The thought of being able to linger in the house and on the grounds and to be able to truly take in all that the Anderson property has to offer was too good to be true and yes, it earned another pinch to make sure I was awake.
So this past September I headed out there yet again, purposefully getting myself out there days before the recital so that I could soak in as much as I could. I was thrilled this time around to also be joined by Anne Midgette, Don Anderson's stepdaughter and my good friend. It was utterly fascinating to be in that space with her and to hear more about Don, the genesis of this magical space including the Henge, which her dad, Willard Midgette painted, and the RAiR Foundation and artists' residency program. I of course also heard more about her father and mother, both fascinating people themselves. This time I also got to meet more of the artists in residence in addition to folks on the board of RAiR and others in the community who treasure what I think is a very unique set of spaces that blend art with everyday life. It is difficult to ascertain where art begins and ends in the world that he built.
fabric of his life and of acknowledging artists whose creations he enjoyed for reasons that might not necessarily make sense to a stereotypical art critic. If he enjoyed a piece of art, he proudly displayed it. He also seemed to embrace whimsy and humor, setting a stuffed aviator Snoopy up on a beam in the kitchen next to what looked to be a handcrafted wooden, sculptural something or other. I got the feeling that he wouldn't judge an artist based on their training, the reviews they'd received, or prizes they had won. I got the feeling he enjoyed meeting artists and when he liked them and what they were doing, he was there to support them. I absolutely love that approach and it made me, a somewhat renegade musician myself, feel like I would have been welcome in that space.
Another thing that struck me about performing here is the strength and enthusiasm based around community that the RAiR Foundation and their artists' residency program fosters. The program itself, that gives artists the space, time, and materials to focus on their art and also gives them a solo exhibit at the museum at the end of their residency, seems to be such a nurturing, supportive environment. I was moved that so many of them were at attendance at my recital. It was a thrill both last time I performed there and this time as well to talk with some of them and to see their own work. It can be so refreshing to talk about art and music as if they are both in the same family, which in my opinion, they are. And I found seeing artists supporting one another and cheering one another on wonderfully refreshing.
Don Anderson is a hero to me. I know he was a pretty quiet, reserved man, but he seemed to know what he loved, not worrying about how anyone else perceived it and he made it a point to surround himself with the artists and art that he enjoyed. I find a lot of inspiration in that approach and hope that someday soon the RAiR foundation, along with Anne and her brother Dameron, who recently invested a lot of resources into beginning a renovation of the property and their father's mural inside the "Henge," will be able to share this unique space with a lot more people. It's more than a museum. It's more than a home. It's more than an artists' retreat - it's a monumental tribute to art and joy and has the potential to be a place of inspiration to so many.
And yep. I'm pinching myself again writing this. Being there infused me with enough energy to last quite some time. Truly a gift.
Delightful! I particularly love the moon above pic.
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