'The Paseo' Features Multimedia Outdoor Art Installations Today

Taos, New Mexico

TAOS, NM-For the first time in Taos, New Mexico and for the 40th annual Taos Fall Arts Festival, 26 artists will present 20 outdoor art installations along a .7 mile stretch of historic Taos as part of "The Paseo," today, Sept. 26 - the first day of the festival. The Paseo will feature art installations, performance pieces, projected light and sound, and temporary murals. There is no charge to attend.

"We wanted to bring new energy to Taos, so The Paseo allows us to come together as a community and share these incredible installation pieces that might not have been seen," said The Paseo director, J. Matt Thomas, in a video interview with the Taos News, available online at taosnews.com. "Taos is known for its art and so much of it is inside on a gallery wall. So here's an opportunity to engage the entire community where everyone has the ability to see the art and enjoy it."

The artists are among over 30 who were invited by a group of multi-disciplinary advisors to propose art pieces for the one-day event. A voting process based on appropriateness, budget, and artist's resume narrowed the slate to the 20 installations.

The 40-year-old Taos Fall Arts Festival supplied seed money for The Paseo's first year, after its board of directors wanted to broaden the scope of art that was presented at its two annual exhibitions. The Paseo's outdoor venue will serve to lead the public along a route that passes the six indoor venues where Fall Arts exhibits will be installed: Kachina Lodge Conference Center, Taos Art Museum, Taos Inn, Stables Art Gallery, the Old County Courthouse on Taos Plaza, and Guadalupe Gymnasium.

The Paseo planning team took a leap of faith with the scale of their plans. A Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign raised $23,000. The Museum of Outdoor Art in Denver has contributed funding and will be listed as the main sponsor, and scores of individuals have contributed to enable all 26 artists' expenses to be covered.

The STEMArts@ThePaseo youth workshops will allow students to go behind the scenes to explore what this time-based-ephemeral and participatory art form is all about. Students will collaborate with Paseo artists exploring Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through their art, and contribute to the making of art for Paseo.

The artists are from throughout the world including Bulgaria, Austria, Britain, the Ukraine, and Turkey. Six artists currently live in Taos, two of which are originally from the town. Other New Mexican artists are from: Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Peñasco and Questa. Other artists are from New York, Portland, Oreg., Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Marfa, Texas. Six of the installations at The Paseo will be collaborations by two-artist teams.

Artists and teams committed to participating in The Paseo include:

Axle Contemporary, Jerry Wellman and Matthew Chase-Daniel (Santa Fe, NM) Visit axleart.com.
Oliver Bell (Taos, NM) Visit olliebell.com.
Christopher Bowen and Julie Brette-Adams (Santa Fe, NM) - Visit onewomandancing.com.
Agnes Chavez (Taos) and Kamen Dimitrov (Bulgaria) - Visit xtreeproject.com or kamend.com for more.
Ben Link Collins (Atlanta) - Visit silentmediaprojects.com
Claire Cote and Anna Keleher (Questa, NM) - Visit claireandanna.com.
Betil Dagdelen (Brooklyn, NY) - Visit betildagdelen.com.
Markus Dorninger (Austria) - Visit markusdorninger.com.
Ethan Jackson (Questa, NM) - Visit ethanjackson.com.
Hector Leiva (Brooklyn NY) - Visit thematterofmemory.com.
Debbie Long (Taos, NM) - Visit debbielong.net.
Julian Mock and Alyce Santora (Marfa TX) - Visit julianmock.com and alycesantoro.com
Yulia Pinkusevich (Oakland, Calif.) - Visit yuliapink.com
Andrea Polli (Albuquerque, NM ) - Visit andreapolli.com
Christain Ristow (Taos, NM) - Visit christianristrow.com.
Christina Sporrong (Taos, NM) - Visit spitfireforge.com.
Filipa Valenta (Los Angeles) - Visit cargocollective.com.

Installations will be visible on Sept. 26 along Paseo del Pueblo Norte (from Kachina Lodge to Taos Plaza). An after-party in celebration of The Paseo's success will take place at 10 p.m. at Taos Mesa Brewing Company. Fire, circus and stilt performances along with a revolving circus door, music and of course Taos Mesa's popular handcrafted brews will be on tap at the event. Entry is $10 per person.

For more information, contact J. Matt Thomas at jmattthomas(at)gmail(dot)com or visit paseotaos.org.

The 40th annual Taos Fall Arts Festival begins on Sept. 26 and continues through Oct. 5. Visit taosfallarts.com for a complete list of events.

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