Focus on Lea County Winter 2015

WIN

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2015

Painting New MexicoArts on Parade in Local Museums

On the Road AgainAn Education in Stone

A Texas Poet in LovingtonCalendar of Events & More!

The ArtsCelebratingAND ALL THAT IS CREATIVE IN LEA COUNTY

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FROM THE EDITOR

FOCUS CALENDAR OF EVENTSUPCOMING EVENTS IN LEA COUNTY

FOCUS ON PAINTINGMOVEMENT AND COLOR

FOCUS ON MUSEUMSARTS ON PARADE AT LOCAL MUSEUMS

FOCUS ON RECIPESLET’S EAT

FOCUS ON COMMUNITY ARTPASSION FOR PROGRESS IN THE ARTS

TIDBITS & TRIVIA

FOCUS ON MUSICON THE ROAD AGAIN

FOCUS ON EDUCATIONQUICK DRAW

FOCUS ON STONEWORKAN EDUCATION IN STONE

PHOTOS IN FOCUS

FOCUS ON POETRYTEXAS POETRY LOVINGTON STYLE

FOCUS ON METALWORKJAL SCULPTURES LARGER THAN LIFE

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Every effort was made to ensure accuracy of the information provided.The publisher assumes no responsibility or liability for errors, changes or omissions.

Kyle Marksteiner, Editorial Director - Adrian Martinez, AdvertisingPhotography by Cornerstone Photography, Jim Harris, Adrian Martinez,

Lisa Dollahon, Chris Elliott, Amberlee Olivas, Scott Wingert & Submitted PhotosSpecial Contributors: Leah Wingert, Jonathan Sena & Stella Davis

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A B O U T T H E C O V E RPainter Debra Atherton is one of the most highly touted artists

in southeastern New Mexico. Read her story - starting on page 6.Photo by Cornerstone Photography • www.cornerstonehobbs.com

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There’s an old saying comparing marriage to a duck that kind of reminds me of the creative process.When you first glance at a duck in the water, everything seems to be going on quite smoothly, but the reality is that all kinds of frantic paddling is going on beneath the surface in order for things to look smooth up above.

Creativity is mentally exhausting.

I’m sure there are a few prodigies out there for whom everything feels easy, and everyone has the occasional moment of swift inspiration, but the fact is that producing something, whether it is a novel, painting, poem or sculpture, is often very mentally fatiguing. Our brains, as least as adults, largely become hardwired to stick with what we already know. Producing a new work of art, whatever the venue, can sometimes feel like trying to carve an exquisite ice sculpture with nothing but a brick. It’s a lot easier to just not do it.

The good news is that once the ball starts rolling, it becomes somewhat simpler to keep it rolling. Creativity tends to inspire more creativity, and ideas are never born in a void. See more, do more, write more, paint more and sing more. Suddenly the brick becomes a chisel. Creativity will always follow its own rules--you’ll have a great idea while mowing the lawn or brushing your teeth--but every idea is a celebration of what amazing creatures we are.

That is what is so amazing about the creative process. We are taking what is bottled up inside us, whether it

is pain or joy or the appreciation of beauty, and turning it into something to share with the world around us. A crazy daydream by Stephen King, possibly interlaced with some degree of childhood anxiety, becomes a bestselling novel and then a movie. The final step of the process is, of course, a culture’s appreciation and understanding of a work of art and how it defines that culture. This is an important part of the process, but I find myself most intrigued by the very first spark, where an individual has an idea and begins the grueling effort of translating that into something he or she wants to share with the rest of the world.

For this edition of Focus on Lea County, we have been all around this great big county and have seen a

lot of art. We enjoyed asking some of Lea County’s artists about their sources of inspiration and dedication.

Writer Leah Wingert looks at the art program at a local elementary school and checks out some of the amazing creations by Sadler Monument. Stella Davis took a trip to Jal, where she captured some of Lea County’s biggest works of art.

I had the incredible opportunity to chat with a poet from Lovington, a singer from Hobbs, a painter from Eunice and the directors of the county’s three big museums. We talked about their artwork, of course, but I also enjoyed listening to discussions about times where the creative process just wasn’t coming very quickly and how they responded.

The creative process can be exhausting, but it’s well worth it, both for us as individuals and as a society.

I hope you enjoy the magazine.

ABOUT THE EDITORKyle Marksteiner is the editorial director of Focus on Lea County. He can be reached at [email protected].

F O C U S from the editor

KYLE MARKSTEINEREditorial DirectorFOCUS ON LEA CO.

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2015 IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER. HERE ARE A FEW OF THE EXCITING ENTERTAINMENT OPPORTUNITIES COMING TO THE AREA. JANUARY 2, 2015Willie NelsonLea County Event Center – 7:30 p.m. The Hobbs Road Trip Concert series brings the country legend to New Mexico for an event to remember at the Lea County Event Center. For more information, visit www.LeaCounty.net or call 575-391-2900.

JANUARY 12, 2015Southwest Symphony Orchestra and Tour of Schools Tydings Auditorium – 7:00 p.m. Orchestra members and Artistic Director Dr. Mark Jelinek will perform Peter and the Wolf, Op. 67 by Prokofiev. The beloved classic has been delighting adults and children alike all over the world with a musical journey where each character Peter meets in the story is represented by an instrument in the orchestra. The orchestra will also perform Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43 by Beethoven. The next day, Dr. Jelinek, the musicians and staff will take the magical production to third and fourth grade classrooms in Lovington, Tatum and Hobbs for the annual Tour of Schools Youth Outreach Program. Each year, the program educates students in Lea County about the wonderful world of symphonic orchestra and the performing arts.

JANUARY 22, 2015 Bugs: Outside the Box Exhibit OpeningWestern Heritage Museum -Exhibit opening in the eveningThe world of insects is all around us. Cleverly camouflaged or flamboyant in their displays, their diminutive size frequently keeps them from attracting our attention. Important to science and necessary in the natural world, the unexpected artistry and beauty of insects can

usually only be fully appreciated under a magnifying glass. Until now. Bugs: Outside the Box presents a selection of greatly enlarged insect sculptures, each showcasing the beauty hidden within the (mini) beasts of the natural world. Butterflies with five foot wingspans and beetles, four feet long, that can stare you square in the eye are only two examples of the unique sculptures on display in this one-of-a-kind exhibition. Intricate details not visible to the naked eye are showcased alongside educational topics, including an exciting look at museum collections and taxonomy and an exploration of the power of magnification. The opening will feature speakers and maybe even some creepy crawlies!

JANUARY 30, 2015UnpluggedHobbs H.S. Theater – 6:00 p.m. This show is a collaboration between the high school and junior highs. The Hobbs High School theater was given two weeks to audition, cast, rehearse and perform a full show with students from all three junior high schools. Free to the public.

FEBRUARY 6, 2015The 10 WorstBreak Ups of All TimeHobbs High School – 7:30 p.m.This one act comedy, which is a contest piece for HHS Studio Theatre, will be fun for everyone. If you’ve ever gone through a break up, you will appreciate this light-hearted show. Tickets are $5.

FEBRUARY 17, 2015 Glenn Miller OrchestraTydings Auditorium – 7:00 p.m.This is the most popular and sought-after big band in the world today for both concert and swing dance engagements. With its

unique jazz sound, the Glenn Miller Orchestra is considered one of the greatest bands of all time. The legendary Glenn Miller was perhaps the most successful dance bandleader back in the Swing Era of the 1930s and 40s. A matchless string of hits such as Moonlight Serenade, Danny Boy, Stardust, A String of Pearls, In the Mood and many more ensured the band’s enduring popularity. The present Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year all around the world and keeping the era of big bands alive and swinging. For more information, visit www.GlennMillerOrchestra.com.

FEBRUARY 23, 2015Dr. Ben Carson LectureTydings Auditorium – 7:00 p.m.The Jack Maddox Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted by USW, presents Dr. Ben Carson. Tickets are free but required to enter. You may contact [email protected] or 575-492-2107 to reserve tickets by mail.

MARCH 8, 2015Southwest Symphony OrchestraFirst United Methodist – 3:00 p.m. Spend an afternoon enjoying a concert of “Magnificent Mozart” featuring Overture to The Abduction from the Seraglio, K. 384; Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550; and Sinfonia Concertante for Violin and Viola in E-flat Major, K. 364 performed by guest artists Simon and Agnes Maurer under the baton of Artistic Director Dr. Mark Jelinek. Simon Maurer grew up in Switzerland where he studied music at the Conservatory in Biel and is an accomplished musician, performing chamber music and solo concerts throughout the eastern United States, Europe and China. He is currently concertmaster of the Anthracite Philharmonic Orchestra and assistant concertmaster of the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra. Violinist Agnes Maurer is a native of France, where at the age of sixteen she joined the Ensemble

Instrumental Andrée Colson, a professional chamber orchestra. She is principal violist with the Allentown Symphony, Pennsylvania Sinfonia and Shippensburg Festival Orchestras. Both are founding members of Gabriel Chamber Ensemble and have performed with the Ensemble for over 20 years.

MARCH 27, 2015Chamber Orchestra KremlinTydings Auditorium – 7:00 p.m.Since 1991, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin has earned international recognition as one of Russia’s leading ensembles. The Orchestra, comprising some of Russia’s finest young string players, has carved a niche for itself under the creative baton of its founder and music director, Misha Rachlevsky. From its highly-acclaimed CDs to its mesmerizing concerts, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin’s warmth and high energy create addictive performances that stay with listeners long after the last note has been played. In addition to an active schedule of concerts and festivals in Moscow, Chamber Orchestra Kremlin tours regularly in North and South America, Europe and the Far East. The New York Times hailed the Orchestra for its “elicited warm, full-blooded and virtuosic playing with colorfully shaped, gleaming phrases.”

APRIL 25, 2015Free Enterprise DinnerJack & Mabel Maddox Student Life Center on the USW campus - 6:00 p.mUniversity of the Southwest Free Enterprise Dinner, featuring Dr. Vinh Chung. Tickets are $50 per plate and sponsorships are available at various levels. Contact 575-492-2108 for more information.

F O C U S calendar of events

UPCOMING EVENTS

Photos courtesy of Geni Cavanaugh, Executive Director, Southwest Symphony, Inc.


F O C U S on painting


rtist Debra Atherton (nee Wadlington) has an industrious

approach to dealing with “painter’s block.” When a painting is not quite

working out, or when the ideas for one piece are just not there, she sets that work aside and starts working on something else.

“Usually, I’ll have several going on at once,” she shared. “Sometimes, I’ll start a similar painting to try to solve a problem I was working on with the other one, so I can try different things with each one.”

Atherton starts her painting every morning at her home in Eunice shortly after she finishes washing the dishes from breakfast. Sometimes she’ll draw a sketch or jot down some ideas, but she sometimes just begins painting directly. She’ll then take a break for lunch, work some more, and often resume working after dinner as well, “especially if my husband has something to do, like if there is football going on,” she joked.

Atherton’s hard work has paid off. She’s one of the most lauded artists in the area, not just in Hobbs but across southeastern New Mexico.

“She’s one of the most talented artists that we have living in this area,” agreed Andrew Akufo, director of the Center for the Arts in Hobbs.

Not every day is spent painting for 12 hours, but Atherton does keep herself pretty busy and works on her craft

about 30 hours a week. When she isn’t painting, she’ll go out and photograph objects to help her with ideas.

“I’m not a great photographer, but I’m trying to get material,” she confessed. “You need a ton of resources, so you may take several detailed photographs of what you are going to paint.” The best time to photograph is in the morning or evening when the long shadows better define the detail of the objects she plans to paint.

Like any creative process, painting can be mentally exhausting. Sometimes, the ideas just don’t come. “Some paintings go unfinished for months,” Atherton admitted. “I have paintings that are still unfinished. I need to do some more research or something just does not look right.”

Most of Atherton’s work is done in acrylics. She used

oil paints for years but developed an allergic reaction to them. She enjoys using charcoal but the dust bothers her. She draws with colored pencils and enjoys experimenting with water colors.

Her goal is to finish four paintings

“Debra is not just a great artist; she is a person who genuinely cares about people.”

- DR. STEVE McCLEERY, PRESIDENTNew Mexico Junior College

by Kyle Marksteiner

Movement ColorARTIST ’S TOUCH CAPTURES NEW MEXICO

PHOTO LEFT: Painter Debra Atherton is one of the most highly touted artists in southeastern New Mexico. ART THROUGHOUT STORY: Various works from Debra Atherton’s collection. Photos by Cornerstone Photography


a month, but she does not always meet that objective. She enjoys the occasional bigger major project, but insisted that she also learns a lot from some of the faster productions.

Atherton was born in the northern New Mexico town of Raton, and she grew up on a dry-land farm in Farley, New Mexico. She grew up around the cowboys, mountains and ranchers that would eventually inspire much of her work. Her father later became a welder due to a drought, and her family traveled across much of New Mexico, further inspiring her insight into the Land of Enchantment. A number of her current paintings focus on the industrious beauty of the area’s oil patch, but her work has so much variety that it is difficult to quickly categorize.

Atherton knew she wanted to be an artist when she was in the first grade. She attended a summer camp on a

scholarship at the University of Kansas in high school and fell in love with oil painting.

After graduating from Raton High School, she attended Trinidad State University and continued her studies. After briefly attending the University of New Mexico, she graduated from New Mexico State University (NMSU) with a bachelor’s degree in art. She continued graduate work in fine art at NMSU and lacks only a few hours for her master’s degree in fine art. She earned a teaching certificate and later a master’s degree in education from Eastern New Mexico University. She taught art and reading in the public schools until she retired to paint full-time.

Her work has been on display in Santa Fe at the famous Jamison Gallery and at the Tabor Gallery; the Allied Arts Center in Pasco, Washington; the Artist Gallery in Carlsbad; and

in Hobbs at the Pecos Valley Gallery, En Suenos and University of the Southwest. She has won too many awards to list, including sweeping first, second and third place as well as Best in Show at the 2009 Lea County Fair.

New Mexico Junior College President Dr. Steve McCleery recently recommended Atherton for an Outstanding Artist of Lea County award. “Once you have seen her art, you can’t help but be impressed with the vivid colors which characterize her work,” he wrote. “While an artist might focus on one topic, Debra can paint any topic with equal professionalism.”

McCleery noted that Atherton has also done several murals in Tatum. Additionally, he praised her commitment to community service. “Debra is not just a great artist; she is a person who genuinely cares about people,” he continued. “As a public

8 F O C U S O N L E A C O U N T Y | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5 F O C U S N M . C O M

school teacher, she was constantly involved in serving the underprivileged students in her community.”

Atherton has received additional accolades for her service to those around her, including assistance to the homeless, hungry and disabled.

The Center for the Arts featured Atherton’s work throughout October. Akufo said he was especially impressed by her depiction of flamenco style. “People will walk by, and the first thing they will see is one of Debra’s paintings,” declared Akufo. “They’ll do a double take and come inside.”

According to Atherton, her favorite thing to paint is

movement in color. She loves studying light on objects and once painted an entire series of enlarged leaves just to view the impact. “I love to paint Spanish dancers and horses because of the movement,” she added.

Her house is decorated with her “rejects,” she revealed, because she “can’t afford other people’s art.” Much of her work goes to galleries in southeastern New Mexico.

As a former teacher, Atherton had some simple advice for aspiring artists. Draw a lot. “If you love drawing and you keep drawing, that is the key to any of the arts,” she maintained. “The kids who I had in school who were the best artists were the ones who spent all of their time drawing for fun.”


“ART IS THE THING THAT KEEPS YOU ALIVE,” ACCORDING TO DARRELL BEAUCHAMP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM AND LEA COUNTY COWBOY HALL OF FAME. “SOCIETY AFTER SOCIETY HAS PROVEN THAT WITHOUT ART, IT DIES.”While a wide variety of Lea County institutions provide the area’s residents with meaningful artistic expression, an excellent starting point is to pay a visit to the area’s museums and art centers. “We all provide a different venue and focus,” declared Beauchamp. “That’s what makes Lea County and this area so great.”

LEA COUNTY MUSEUM 103 N. Love Street in Lovingtonwww.LeaCountyMuseum.org

The Lea County Museum was created by the Lovington Women’s Club in 1969 when the club purchased the Commercial Hotel, which was about to be razed.

Over the years, the Museum has

expanded to take up a large parcel of the Lovington downtown area. Buildings from 1928 and 1931, located across the street, were added seven and five years ago. “The Museum has 12 different structures downtown,” Executive Director Jim Harris disclosed. “It ranges from three blocks to the north.”

The original hotel-turned-museum includes a room dedicated to cowboy writer Max Evans. The display includes copies of Evans’ books, the typewriter he used and several of his paintings. Evans even pays the Museum an occasional visit.

“He was an artist before he became a writer,” Harris explained. “A real special one we have is a painting he

started back in the 1950s that he never finished, because he was distracted when he became a professional writer.”

One room down the hallway from the Evans exhibit is a meeting room that once served as the hotel’s dining room. Notable is the decoration – the room is covered wall to wall with paintings. “A number of those works are in transition to other places,” Harris stated, noting that a few of his own photographs are on display as well. Across the hall, a room has been dedicated to Native American arts and crafts.

The newer buildings of the Museum include a permanent veteran’s exhibit that opened in September and an art gallery featuring temporary exhibits. For example, in October, the gallery displayed the work of a local photographer. Harris noted that he’s in the process of putting a permanent oil and gas exhibit into a 25’ by 100’ space that will tell the story of the area’s oil and gas legacy. There is also a sports hall of fame that highlights Lea County’s athletic legacy.

F O C U S on museums

Arts on Parade at

LOCALMUSEUMS by Kyle Marksteiner


The visual arts are not the Museum’s only cultural endeavor, however. Over the past nine years, the Lea County Museum has hosted a wide variety of bands, musicians and singers, Harris revealed. “Some of them have been very well known and some have been not very well known. We’ve also invited lots of local people to come perform. I think a lot of folks identify the Lea County Museum with music.”

Asleep at the Wheel drew a crowd of 4,400 while the Bellamy Brothers saw a similar audience of 4,200. The concerts have been principally sponsored by the Maddox Foundation. “We do have to raise a certain amount of matching money to go along with it,” Harris supplied, “but we never could have done any of it without the Maddox Foundation doing a fantastic job in bringing art and culture to Lea County.”

The Lea County Museum also focuses on advocating the literary arts. Harris said the Museum has published a number of excellent books on history, folklore and literature and expects to publish more next year through the Lea County Museum Press.

High quality visual arts, music and literature all tie in with the Museum’s additional goal of celebrating history. “I think art is a viable way of knowing history,” Harris offered. “Even reading history novels can inform you, sometimes in a much better way than a history text can, about a particular era.” For example, Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath provides readers with a tremendous understanding of the Depression that mere facts and dates may not produce.

He didn’t have a single favorite part of the Museum, but he did confess that he is always an advocate of the more recent exhibits. He added that when asked to name their favorite novel, writers will usually answer, “The one

PHOTOS TOP & BOTTOM: Pictured are just a few of the art exhibits, temporary and permanent, on display at the Lea County Museum.

PHOTO MIDDLE: Billy Joe Shaver recently performed at the Lea County Museum. Photo courtesy of Jim Harris


I’m working on right now.”

The Museum, through Harris, the volunteers and the board, has a mission. “We all feel that this organization is a community activist in a sense,” he concluded. “We partner with all of those individuals and organizations who want to see the community flourish. Museums are not just places where you can go look at bones or old things; they are a part of the community. We do as much as we can or what is needed in the community to make the community a better place.”

CENTER FOR THE ARTSLea County Commission for the Arts 122 W. Broadway in Hobbswww.lccanm.org

The Hobbs Center for the Arts is the place for the Lea County Commission for the Arts to hang its hat, or in this case, its local paintings. The building, once an old clothing store, was renovated in 2010. Andrew Akufo, the Center’s director, admitted that landing a perfectly-located building from which to celebrate the area’s arts was “pretty miraculous, [but] from that point on, there have been exhibitions on a regular basis. We work with a lot of organizations, including industries and the schools, in putting together a community art center.”

The Center’s portfolio includes putting visual arts on display and holding concerts during the summer. Weekly art classes are offered to children and adult along with special programs and summer camps.

“We work closely with groups like the Lea County Museum, the Western Heritage Museum, the theater and the Southwest Symphony,” Akufo added. “We’re all really close knit.”

The Center naturally works especially close with the membership of the Llano Estacado Art Association (www.LlanoEstacadoArtAssociation.com), which consists of artists living in Hobbs, Lovington, Eunice, Jal, Tatum and the surrounding areas. One

of the Association’s recent projects has been setting up “art benches” around the area.

The Center also frequently partners with the Hobbs Community Playhouse.

Akufo is also a relative newcomer, having recently celebrated his first anniversary with the Center. As an arts major at the University of Central Oklahoma, he had also previously worked at an art gallery in Oklahoma. “Working there was just visual arts,” he recalled. “Coming over here, we address all aspects of art, including theater, music and dance.” Recent special programs at the center have drawn in visitors from Texas, Oklahoma and northern New Mexico.

“It’s a good time for the arts here in Lea County,” he reflected “There’s an explosion of all different local arts organizations. We’re trying to bring in new things, and it’s all coming together.” Akufo himself has been pretty busy as a director, but he recently had his first solo show at the Lea County Museum.

Things are going so well, in fact, that the arts community recently put its collective heads together to host the first annual Joe and Joyce Walker Awards. Artists in each genre were presented with awards and a grand prize was given to the outstanding artist of Lea County.

This past Halloween, the Center set up a candy abstract expression art show

PHOTO: Andrew Akufo, director of the Center of the Arts in downtown Hobbs, is a newcomer to the area, but he brings new ideas to help spread the word about the area’s art efforts.


as part of the downtown festivities. Christmas projects included assisting the theater class and Boys and Girls Club with a production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. A New Media exhibition is tentatively planned for next summer.

The arts world needs to engage, Akufo suggested. “What the community enjoys are relationships and connections with people. When they get to know you, they get to like you and visit more often. I think many of our local artists are trying new things and branching in other directions.”

“We’re just going to continue to grow and continue to support as many artists as possible,” he vowed.

WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM ANDLEA COUNTY COWBOY HALL OF FAME1 Thunderbird Circle in Hobbswww.nmjc.edu/museum

Executive Director Darrell Beauchamp joked that the Museum, because of its location on the campus of New Mexico Junior College, may just have the world’s longest title.

The Museum was originally founded in 1978 as the Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame. Since 2005, with the construction of the new facility, it became known as the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.

The Cowboy Hall of Fame occupies one wing of the Museum. There are 97 individuals honored along the wall, and special tributes are also made to additional cowboys, cowgirls and even horses.

Beauchamp noted that the Museum’s direct affiliation with the college gives

it the resources to pursue larger shows and programs. Last year, an Andy Warhol exhibit brought 39 original paintings to Hobbs.

The Museum also has a core group of 25-30 volunteers who help handle events such as the recent Day of the Dead celebration.

One recent change to the Museum is a decision to use the largest exhibition hall for traveling exhibits. “What that does is allow us to recruit nationally-recognized shows, where before the traveling space was too small,” Beauchamp explained.

The traveling shows are important because they draw people back to the Museum and allow the college to focus on new educational opportunities. Car shows and Bugs: Outside the Box are on the agenda for the future. Exhibits are typically on display for approximately three months, which is optimal in most cases, according to Beauchamp.

The permanent displays remain an important part of the Museum’s historic and cultural depictions. “One thing we really always want to promote is the West and Southwest way of living,” he continued. “This is

PHOTOS ABOVE RIGHT: A recent exhibit at the Western Heritage Museum celebrated Hispanic culture.

PHOTO RIGHT: Perhaps the most popular exhibit at the Western Heritage Museum, this talking cowboy answers questions about the area.


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a tough land. This is no place for sissies.”

In his third year as Museum director, he comes by way of Montana and said he greatly prefers the weather in Lea County.

The Museum also includes a 140 seat auditorium, currently being used for movies. “We’ve got a crowd of about 75 people who love movies,” Beauchamp affirmed. “We’ve done Western movies and dinosaur movies when we had a dinosaur show.” Sunday afternoon movies are free, and college faculty, staff and students, along with first responders, can always get in for free.

Another Museum mainstay is Gus, the animatronic figure located by the entrance. Gus sits next to his chuckwagon and quietly warms himself by a fire. Ask the

right question, however, and he jumps into the converstion. “The kids love him, but I think adults often say they want to show their children just so they can see it again,” Beauchamp laughed.

The Museum celebrates a mixture of art, history and the education process. “Our goal is to provide a quality educational experience for people,” he concluded. “We [had] 25,000 visitors this year, and that’s pretty significant for a city this size. We appreciate the tremendous support we’ve had from this community. We’re blessed beyond measure.”

PHOTO: The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame recently celebrated the Day of the Dead with a special carnival. Photo courtesy of the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame

LEA COUNTY MUSEUM

WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM ANDLEA COUNTY COWBOY HALL OF FAME

CENTER FOR THE ARTS


LET’S Eat!JalapeñoPepper JellyIngredients: • 1 c minced combo of jalapeños and green bell pepper (for Christmas jelly, substitute 1/2 red bell pepper and red jalapeños for green varieties)• 1 1/2 c minus 1 Tbsp white distilled vinegar or cider• 6 c sugar• 4-oz pouch Certo® liquid pectin• (optional) green food coloring, or a drop each of yellow and red food coloring instead, which makes the jelly a beautiful light orange

Looking for a new dish to try in the New Year?Try this jalapeño jelly recipe, courtesy of www.CookEatShare.com.

Directions:1. Mince peppers in food processor.

2. Combine minced peppers with sugarand vinegar in a large saucepan.

3. Bring mixture to a rolling boil that can’t be stirred down.

4. Add Certo®. Add food coloring if desired.

5. Bring to rolling boil again, stirring, for exactly 1 minute.

6. Remove from heat. Skim foam.

7. Pour into jars.

8. Water process for 5 minutes if you plan to store the jelly forfuture use. If you plan to use it right away, skip this step.

9. Let cool and refrigerate. Keeps in the fridge for several months.

NOTE: Some jellies take hours to set up. If it does not set up after 24 hours, don’t despair. Pour contents of one 1/2 pint jar back into the pan and add 1 tsp sugar. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and add 1 tsp Certo®. Place in a small plastic container and check several hours later. If it works, return the rest of the jelly to the pan, add 5 tsp sugar and 5 tsp Certo®, then continue beginning with step 5.

How to Serve:Spread on cornbread or beer cheese bread,

heat and top warm Brie cheese or cream cheese and crackers with it, serve with beef, veal or lamb, or give as a gift. If it never successfully sets up, you can still use it as a glaze for shrimp, pork or chicken.

THIS RECIPE MAKES (6) 1/2 PINT JARS.


F O C U S on community art

JONATHAN SENACommissionerCITY OF HOBBS

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCHE ONCE SAID, “THE ESSENCE OF ALL BEAUTIFUL ART, ALL GREAT ART, IS GRATITUDE.” The Hobbs Public Art Committee is made up of local residents who are genuinely thankful for our community’s past and excited about its future. Initiated by a City Commission resolution in January 2013, the Committee maintains a long-standing community desire to make Hobbs a better place to live. After visiting with Committee Chairman Charley Smith, I observed a deep-rooted appreciation for our community, a thoughtful approach to the improvement of local quality of life and passion for progress.

The Hobbs Public Art Committee members include Chairman Smith, Vice Chairman Daniel Russell, Secretary Mary Lyle, Barry Peters, Dr. Darrel Beauchamp, Tere Boyd, Jo Anne Zespy, Dustin Kaufman and Sandy Farrell.

Smith, a local entrepreneur and a 48-year resident of Hobbs, has previously served on various boards, including the Western Heritage Museum. He discussed the desire of the Committee to see our community have other unique quality of life experiences such as outstanding public art pieces. The goal of the Hobbs Public Art Committee is to make Hobbs the most aesthetically pleasing community possible, a place we are all proud to call home, and a place where our rich culture of hard work and rugged individualism are expressed in aesthetically pleasing and dynamic public art.

The Committee members have applied a deeply thoughtful approach to research as can be seen in the

placement of the Committee’s first bronze sculpture, The Learning Curve, by artist Gary Lee Price. The site selection subcommittee began by searching for a fitting site to place the first public art piece. After careful consideration, the northeast corner of the Hobbs Public Library was chosen for several reasons. First, it is centrally located in the community. Second, the library itself is accessible to Hobbsans of all ages, races and cultures. Third, the library is arguably one of the most unifying geographic locations in all of Hobbs. Fourth, the northeast corner is also visible from busy Turner Street. Smith credited City of Hobbs General Services Director Ronny Choate and his team for getting the bases in place for the sculpture. “Ronny did an amazing job,” he added.

The thoughtful approach of the Committee is also evident in its by-laws and guidelines. From the beginning, the Committee wanted to develop a process that would be used for all types of art selection both now and in the future. Several planning meetings included consultation with the staff of the Public Arts Committee

for the City of Albuquerque. This information, plus consultation with staff from the City of Hobbs, led to the development of the procedures which were later adopted.

Smith expressed the Committee’s passion in moving forward and identifying possible future locations for placement while engaging city commission leadership and community leaders for input. Smith concluded by indicating his desire to see defining works of art that set Hobbs apart from other communities in the region. As Hobbs continues to augment its quality of life with many diverse types of recreation and entertainment, the Public Art Committee hopes to add this additional category to the long list of reasons to visit Hobbs. The Committee envisions Hobbs progressively moving toward becoming a true destination location. The gratitude, thoughtfulness and passion of the Hobbs Public Art Committee are resulting in extraordinary art that people can enjoy for years to come.

PHOTO: Bronze sculpture, The Learning Curve, by artist Gary Lee PricePhoto by Adrian Martinez

Passion for Progress in the Arts


MusicThink you know all

there is to know about music?Take our music trivia quiz and find out!

1 • What was the first video ever played on MTV?

2 • What country star got his start in 1981and now has more than 50 #1 hits?

3 • Which R&B artist did the track for Ghostbusters?

4 • Who were the three originalmembers of Backstreet Boys?

5 • What famous star appeared inPaula Abdul’s “Rush, Rush” video?

6 • Which 1970s group has thelongest name containing no vowels?

7 • What was the original nameof the band Chicago?

8 • Patsy Cline’s hit song “Crazy” waswritten by which country music legend?

9 • June Carter Cash had a role inwhich Robert Duvall film?

10 • Thelonious Monk, famous for hissong “’Round Midnight,” was also a

master of this instrument.

TriviaTrivia

1A: “Video Killed the Radio Star” 2A: George Strait3A: Ray Parker, Jr. 4A: Howie Dorough, A.J. MacLean and Nick Carter 5A: Keanu Reeves 6A: Lynyrd Skynyrd 7A: Chicago Transit Authority

8A: Willie Nelson 9A: The Apostle 10A: Piano

ANSWERS


F O C U S on music


TAKING A ROAD TRIP IS NOTHING NEW FOR POLO URIAS AND THE MEMBERS OF HIS BAND, BUT THE GROUP WENT ON A SPECIAL JOURNEY IN NOVEMBER.Urias and the other members of Polo Urias y su Maquina Norteña (Polo Urias and His Engine of the North) headed to Miami as nominees for the Latin Grammy Awards. Their album was up for best Norteño album for a second time.

“We’re all on cloud nine,” exclaimed road manager Saul Rey Sanchez prior to leaving. “It’s a big honor to get to this point again, and it’s even more special being that we come from small communities in New Mexico like Carlsbad and Hobbs.”

Norteño is a genre of Mexican music known for its use of the bajo sexton and accordion. Some of the group’s most popular hits are “Veinte Años,” “Una Aventura” and “Mi Primer Amor.” Up for this year’s Grammy consideration was a recent CD, Clásicas de Ayer y Siempre.

Members of the band are typically home for a few days in the middle of the week, but they will usually hit the road by Thursday to perform at concerts around the United States or Mexico. They’ll travel 50 out of 52 weeks each year, and that includes trips to a recording studio in San Antonio, Texas to work on a new album. A recent October weekend saw a Friday night stop in Dallas, Saturday and Sunday performances in Louisiana and then the long ride back home.

While on the bus, Urias relaxes by listening to music or watching movies, but he also spends a lot of time on the phone making arrangements for upcoming events.

Still, 19 years with his current band has not worn down this continental sensation. “I could only be home for a few days,” Urias said, with his son, Eric, serving as translator. “I have to hit the road.”

When he isn’t on the road, Urias enjoys ranching at his quiet property in southeast Hobbs. The band’s office is next door, and there’s a large carport in the back for two enormous tour buses and Urias’ assorted collection of vehicles. Eric, who is also the band’s drummer, lives nearby. Other band and crew members also live in Hobbs or are scattered across southeastern New Mexico.

Urias grew up near the border town of Ojinaga in the Mexican state of Chihuahua with 11 siblings. According to one bio, he would sing to his mules while plowing the fields. He served as a railworker before beginning his career in music. He formed his own band in 1994, but prior to that performed as the lead singer of Los Rieleros del Norte. He first moved to Hobbs because a cousin lived nearby and

promised work in the music industry.

Every week, the band performs in front of thousands and receives an abundance of airtime on Spanish stations in the United States and Mexico. They are huge in Urias’ home state of Chihuahua, where there is even a monument in the band’s honor.

Urias did voice some complaints with music today, regardless of genre. He pointed out the difference between George Strait’s music and modern country songs. “The younger generation is much more about showboating and not as much from the heart,” he observed. “Back in the day, the music was more feeling. There was a story that the song told.”

Urias writes some of his own music, though other writers assist as well. Sanchez said the songs are typically romantic in nature. “We stay away from the drug scene,” he added. “Our music really relates to our roots. The style will change some, but we keep down to our old roots.”

Urias and the members of his band may be superstars on the national scene, but they blend into the background pretty quickly when they get back home. “People know who we are,” Sanchez concluded. “When we go out to eat, people will pat us on the shoulder or take a picture or send us drinks, but mostly we are (only) celebrities on the road.”

PHOTO: Band leader and lead singer Polo Urias stands in front of his band’s tour bus. The band hits the road 50 weeks a year, but when he’s not on the road, Urias enjoys ranching on his property in Hobbs.

On TheRoad Again

Members of Polo Urias y su Maquina NorteñaPolo Urias (lead singer), Jody Vasquez (bass/backup singer), Eric Urias (drummer), Juan Guajardo (percussion), Johnny Supolvido (bajo sexton), Hector Molina (saxophone), Jose Munioz (accordion), Lorenzo Morales (sound engineer) and Saul Ray Sanchez (road manager).

by Kyle Marksteiner


F O C U S on education

“IT IS THE SUPREME ART OF A TEACHER TO AWAKEN JOY IN CREATIVE EXPRESSION AND KNOWLEDGE.” ALBERT EINSTEIN While Einstein is known best as the greatest scientific mind of the twentieth century, he also understood the value of art and of teaching it to children. In the mind that gave us E=mc2, the supreme knowledge that it was his creative mind, not his mathematical one, that could bend past the impossible gave him the ability to think outside the realm of traditional theoretical physics. However, in the world of elementary education it sometimes seems as if the arts are the last programs funded and the first to go when stretching budgets.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, during the 2009-2010 school year only 4% of American

elementary schools offered dance and only 3% offered theater. By comparison, 20% percent of American elementary schools offered these arts to their students just ten years ago. However, just as Einstein said, the logical brain has been proven to do its best work with the creative brain. Countries in which the arts are emphasized as core curricula such as Japan, Hungary and the Netherlands, also consistently score highest in math and science, according to “11 Facts About Arts in Education” on dosomething.org.

As budgets get smaller and class sizes grow larger, it is a struggle to maintain the arts in schools and most especially for elementary children. In Lea County, however, Hobbs Municipal Schools (HMS) is seeking to buck this national trend.

Over the last ten years, HMS has implemented a strategic, comprehensive plan for arts education and supplementation throughout the district. Every child in every elementary school in Hobbs can be involved in the arts after school in some meaningful way. Theater, music, visual and media arts are all part of the HMS plan for arts education. Conductors, ballet instructors and even a rock band form a vibrant art community, all in an attempt to save, preserve and encourage the next generation’s connection to the arts. Through cooperation with the National Dance Institute-New Mexico and the Missoula Children’s Theatre, the children of Hobbs have had the opportunity to put on community plays such as Sleeping Beauty and Meredith Wilson’s The Music Man. There are three areas on which HMS focuses its attention: direct instruction through art and music classes; special programming such as the Missoula Children’s Theatre; and bridge programs such as Heizer Ballet and

PHOTOS: Teacher Bethany Freidenbloom and student Theresa Wingert work on a project together at Stone Elementary. Pictured at far right is artwork done by students at Stone Elementary.Photos Courtesy of Scott Wingert

by Leah Wingert


6610 N. Lovington HWY, Hobbs, NM 88240

Phone: 575-392-6561Toll Free: 800-530-4400

E-mail: [email protected]: usw.edu

Heizer Rock Band, which familiarize elementary children with the arts before they begin middle school.

These special programs are usually done either after school or on the child’s own time. One exception is the Southwest Symphony, which performs for the students of Hobbs schools throughout the year. For the most part, the children who wish to be involved in these programs must do so on their own time with support from their teachers and parents. However, Stone Elementary School is fortunate to have active art and music programs.

Upon entering the school, one is struck immediately by the art on the walls. The artistic works of the school’s students are proudly displayed beside spectacular prints of Little Dancer by Degas and Van Gogh’s Starry Night. This provides students with early exposure to these classic works.

Bethany Freidenbloom recently became art instructor for Stone after having worked as a substitute instructor at Hobbs Municipal Schools for the last three years. She took over as Stone’s art teacher this year after the retirement of Nancy Powell. It was Powell, according to Freidenbloom, who adorned the walls of Stone with classic works and began the task of teaching the visual arts to Hobbs’ elementary students. Friedenbloom is also an instructor at the Lea County Center for the Arts in Hobbs, which offers after school art instruction.

Due to the dense student population, both art and musical instruction are done by moving from class to class in rapid succession. In her class, Freidenbloom does not stress technique, emphasizing, “It’s not all about learning to do [art] but to learn to appreciate it.”

Because her time with students is limited, Freidenbloom attempts to get the children into “art mode” as soon as possible using a method she calls “quick draw.” In the cafeteria, which serves as their makeshift art room, she gives the kids a prompt to quick draw for two minutes. Suggested prompts include such topics as a castle or a beach scene.

She has them draw as quickly and with as much detail as possible. It is in these moments that the children begin to

learn and appreciate the visual arts. The quick draw is followed by the lesson, which may include a specific artist such as Matisse and a hands-on activity such as a drawing or mosaic, whatever medium fits best with the lesson plan. With 30 minutes of class time once a week for each grade level, the amount and quality of art created by the children is astounding.

Freidenbloom is a self-taught artist who began dabbling in paints, pots and canvas when she was a child. Allowing children to create and be creative stimulates the brain, she believes. Over the course of the year, the children at Stone Elementary will focus on several different types of art. By the end, they have created impressive portfolios. Projects range from works mimicking the faces of Henri Matisse, Keith Haring’s androgynous stick figures and Georgia O’Keeffe’s flowers. The children take home pieces uniquely their own. Freidenbloom reminds them that when the art they are creating doesn’t exactly resemble the example, “The art will be different. That doesn’t make it bad. It makes it yours.”

Within Hobbs Municipal Schools is a concentrated effort to grow and enhance arts instruction by making it available to every student. The children taught art, music and dance within these halls will not all become artists. However, eventually they will become young adults with appreciation for art who will perhaps will take in new exhibits. In turn they will become parents who take their children to the ballet, and because they love it, those parents will become patrons who give so that other children will not lose out on the importance of arts education.

For every actor on Broadway and every musician in an orchestra, for every ballerina and diva, there was a moment when someone said to him or her, “Why not this? Why not art? Why not you?”

A teacher, an instructor or another artist taught them how to hit the high notes or perform the perfect plié. In Hobbs Municipal Schools and with efforts from such instructors as Friedenbloom, there is at least one child with talent and passion among the crop of students who have been exposed to the ten-year plan. This one child with Billy Elliot dreams will look back and remember that it was in art class at Stone Elementary when the caterpillar of his or her dreams became a butterfly.


F O C U S on stonework

Along a stretch of road in Hobbs is a garden of stone. Monuments and angels springing from the landscape catch the eyes of casual passersby. The garden is unassuming in its display of headstones, glistening in marble and limestone. A passing motorist may only see this garden’s obvious initial cover, headstones and memorial markers and the final immortalization of lives well lived.

Certainly, if we are lucky and greatly loved, we will all receive such a monument to mark our passing in and out of this world. However, if

we are luckier still, it will have been carved by the owner of Sadler and Son Monument Works in Hobbs. At first glance, Sadler and Son looks like just a field of headstones and memorials. Angels and monuments to beloved family members are carved in stone with solemn reverence and seem to be what this business is all about. However, as is always the case when one digs deeper, there is much more to Sadler and Son Monument Works and to its owner, David Sadler, than meets the eye.

An unassuming man, Sadler greeted me in coveralls and mud, having come from rescuing one of his pieces from the overzealous Pecos River. To David Sadler, a piece of stone, whether a ton or an ounce, holds infinite possibility. There is a one-ton piece of marble in the back of his workshop that he says “decided it wanted to be a picnic table,” seemingly so precariously balanced that the soft kiss of a summer breeze could make it sway.

However, the table actually sits so solidly that Sadler uses it for the tools of his trade, and not even a good shove could make that picnic table wobble. Building on a lifetime of exposure to the monument industry, first from his own father, who was also a memoralist, Sadler went into business for himself 27 years ago with Sadler Monument Works. Upon the birth of his son, who would be the third generation memoralist of this family-run business, the name became Sadler and Son Monument Works, and it has been flourishing in Lea County ever since.

To Sadler it is “an honor that a family would come to us for a memorial for their loved one.” The usual memorials can always be seen, crosses and roses mixed with more modern and personal touches, a Volkswagen Beetle

An Education in Stone by Leah Wingert

PHOTO: Hobbs master craftsman David Sadler.Photo by Chris Elliott


PHOTO: Hobbs master craftsman David Sadler.Photo by Chris Elliott

and a yin and yang, an eagle and a soccer ball and, howling through stone, a wolf just beginning to break free. Each piece tells the story of the life that occurred between the dates that will be listed on the monument. Tammie Jenkins, a customer on more than one occasion, said she was greatly impressed with both the quality of the work as well as the friendliness of the staff.

“They are very nice and kind people,” Jenkins said. “It only took them six weeks from [when we] ordered the stone[s] until they were placed, and they called to let us know when they were going to put them in.” The stones were placed in Denver City, Texas. Sadler and Son serves communities in southeastern New Mexico and west Texas.

In the pursuit of ideal stone for his work, Sadler has visited quarries in Utah, Wyoming, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado, Arizona, Louisiana, California and even Italy. While in Italy, Sadler visited the famous Fantiscritti marble quarry, from which Michelangelo mined the stone for his David. For a child who considered a trip to the panhandle of Oklahoma an adventure, Sadler has seen the world, and all for the love and passion of stone. He has a habit of picking up stones from those quarries he visits, mixing those pebbles into the landscapes upon which he works. From Sadler’s pockets, bits of America and Europe have been strewn throughout New Mexico.

Sadler began his career in the monument business just out of high school. His own father was also a memoralist, and for a young man with no interest in college and a fair working knowledge of the trade, it seemed a perfect fit. His post high school training, he observed, “was an

PHOTO TOP: Artist David Sadler, hard at work on a piece simply called The WolfPhoto by Lisa Dollahon

PHOTO MIDDLE: Called If Fence Posts Could Talk, this face was made from a scrap piece of stone from Kansas that had once been a fence post in the 1890s. Photo by Chris Elliott

PHOTO BOTTOM: One of Sadler’s works of art, an orange fish called The Bubble FishPhoto by Amberlee Olivas


education in stone.”

At the beginning of his professional career, Sadler did not think of himself as an artist. The process of making memorials is ancient and fairly unchanged, even with recent advancements in technology. The purpose of headstones and grave markers is to be intact for generations to come, and to that end a process of stenciling and sandblasting are used to etch the desired words upon the stone medium. Sadler continued in this manner for the first few years of his business, aware of the value of his knowledge in the world of monuments. He sought out further education, becoming a “certified memoralist,” the equivalent of earning a master’s degree in memorial building. This designation is given by the Monument Builders of America, and Sadler is the only memorialist in New Mexico to have pursued and completed this course of study. For him, it was another piece in place in the complex puzzle of becoming an artist.

A man walked into his shop one day, transforming Sadler’s ideas of himself and his business from that of a stenclier to a sculptor. Over the course of several weeks, Sadler’s “carving angel” convinced him to go to a sculpting workshop in Jemez, New Mexico.

It is was during this workshop that Sadler realized he had an innate talent for not only stenciling stone, but carving and sculpting it as well. Over the last twenty years, Sadler’s world has grown to include pieces of high art. With little formal stone sculpting education, he once again taught himself the ins and outs of sculpture by going to quarries around the country and seeking out pieces of stone to carve.

Upon walking into his shop, one is immediately presented with pieces of his artistic works: the haunting face of a woman etched in limestone; his son’s foot carved in marble; the face of a baby held in its grandmother’s hand. There is even an attempt at a stone self-portrait. His art ranges from the traditional to the abstract, and he is especially fond of “back to nature” pieces such as glossy and beautiful stone benches that curve back into the stone from which they are carved. Sadler’s passion for his art is evident in his patience for it. The end result of a painting may be seen in hours, and a mistake can be covered by adding a bird or an extra branch on a tree. There is no such luxury in stone carving. With the same passion and patience, Sadler has begun teaching others the torment and euphoria that is the life of an artist.

During the last weekend of September, Sadler hosts an intensive four-day stone sculpting workshop on the grounds of Sadler and Son Monument Works. Over the years, he has hosted master craftsmen from all over the world. At his most recent workshop, he was host to a master carver from India who came to teach. More than 80 students from around the country have taken his workshop over the last four years, and it is open to experienced stone cavers and sculptors as well as novices who have never held a chisel. It is through his efforts as a memoralist, sculptor and teacher that Sadler is making his mark on the world of art in Lea County.

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PHOTOS IN FOCUSJOE AND JOYCE WALKER AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCEIN THE ARTSCelebrating the finest artists in Lea County, the first annual Joe and Joyce Walker Awards for Excellence in the Arts took place in November. Karen Salb received the Outstanding Artist of the Year nod. Brian Norwood was honored for Excellence in Visual Arts, while Mike Newey received the Excellence in Music and Dance honor.Photos by Adrian Martinez


POET CHARLES BEHLEN’S WRITING PROCESS IS SOMETHING MOST PEOPLE CAN RELATE TO THEMSELVES.

“I’ll scribble down something that contains the DNA of a possible poem that has an image and hopefully some rhythmic integrity,” he began. “And then I’ll stare at it. Poets and writers in general do a lot of staring. People around them think they are bums.”

While Behlen’s approach to producing poetry may be something everyone can identify with, his final outcome may be unlike any other.

Behlen, a resident of Lovington, writes his poetry in a style that has been described as “West Texas gothic.” His latest compilation, Failing Heaven, includes settings ranging from a trailer park in Lovington to a Texas death row prison cell to an

abandoned farmhouse in Lubbock County. There’s suffering in many of his poems, but also humor, sensitivity and reflection.

Behlen was born in Slaton, Texas, in 1949. His career as a poet began at New Mexico Junior College when, in 1969, he became editor of the school’s first literary magazine. He had several of his first works published in magazines in New York. He founded Chawed Rawzin, a magazine and chapbook series in 1974 and he released his first collection of poems, Perdition’s Keepsake, in 1978. The term “chapbook” is also in use for present-day publications, usually poetry, of up to about 40 pages, ranging from low-cost productions to expensive, finely produced editions.

He’s a past Dobie Paisano and Frank Waters Foundation fellow who has worked in poet-in-the-schools programs in Texas, New Mexico and Arkansas. Failing Heaven, published through Lamar University Press, is his seventh publication but his first in several decades.

Behlen retired to New Mexico in 2009. He’d previously been managing

an apartment complex in Sulfur Springs, Texas. He has lived outside of Texas a few other times in his life, but always winds up returning to the Lone Star State.

“I moved to [DeKalb, Illinois to attend] Northern Illinois University in 1971, but there was a girlfriend in Lubbock who I missed, and a warm day up there was 20 degrees above zero,” he reflected. “I packed up and came back to Texas.”

Even though he is not currently an official resident of Texas, Behlen was quick to point out that southeast New Mexico has a lot in common geographically and culturally with his home state. Behlen’s poems are usually categorized as “Texas poetry,” and he has his own view of what that means.

F O C U S on poetry

“A poet should be born and bred in Texas, and he should write about tornados and tumbleweeds and things Texan. If a grandmother gets drunk in her pickup and she falls out and is bitten by a rattlesnake and then shoots it with a shotgun, that’s the subject of a great Texas poem.”

TEXAS POETRY

PHOTO: Lovington resident and poet Charles Behlen.

by Kyle Marksteiner

F O C U S N M . C O M26 F O C U S O N L E A C O U N T Y | W I N T E R 2 0 1 5

“I’m a purist on that subject,” he intoned. “A poet should be born and bred in Texas, and he should write about tornados and tumbleweeds and things Texan. If a grandmother gets drunk in her pickup and she falls out and is bitten by a rattlesnake and then shoots it with a shotgun, that’s the subject of a great Texas poem.”

He stressed that he considers himself a Texas poet, not a cowboy poet. “I write about the contemporary experience in Texas,” he clarified. “There might be a tumbleweed or a train, but I’m not writing about roaming the range, checking fences or branding cows.” He added that he considers much “cowboy poetry” to be overly romanticized.

Behlen said getting his most recent book published after a lengthy hiatus has loosened up the ideas in his mind a bit, as Failing Heaven had been in development since 1988’s Dreaming at the Wheel.

Four poems from Dreaming at the Wheel were even set to music by New Jersey-based composer Andrew Rudin, with a premiere by Voices of Change, a Dallas music ensemble at Southern Methodist University in October.

Behlen also writes literary reviews when he spots a good book by a young writer he feels deserves some extra encouragement. “Or when I see a dead writer who is underappreciated,” he added, noting that he’s a strong supporter of poet Winfield Townley Scott, who died in 1968. “He’s one of the best mid-twentieth century American poets, but his books are out of print right now.”

Literary review seldom pays well.

“I cleaned up with $31 with the royalties from what I wrote for a literary encyclopedia a few years ago,” Behlen laughed. Another detailed piece landed him $80.

Instead, Behlen largely pays the bills through rental property and Social Security. It’s a good time to rent in southeast New Mexico, and he said he offers reasonable rent. He lives nearby in his own “faux adobe casita.”

As a former apartment manager, Behlen has had his share of interesting

life experiences that he translates into poetry. He noted that most “serious poetry,” that is, poetry published professionally, is written by people who are professors. He has mixed feelings on the subject, as he believes a myriad of experiences are important. “It’s OK for poets to teach,” he observed, “but when they all teach, I think it is a problem.”

His poems, which often use colorful language, frequently touch on themes of suffering. He also often explores the idea of searching one’s past. “Everybody knows that home is where you want to go,” he explained, “but sometimes home is gone.”

For example, a recent Google search inspired a Behlen poem that is a work in process. He said he looked up a Google map view of a church he attended as a child growing up in west Texas. The church had been demolished, according to the most recent photo. But the church was still present in an older image when he searched for a different view on his computer.

“There were two evergreen trees blowing in the wind, as if they were ushering people into the church,” he recalled, noting that the two trees were still present after the church was demolished.

His written response will highlight his own changes in faith since childhood and the tension of returning to a place that has changed.

He recalls another poem that was inspired when he and his daughter were getting into a vehicle together. A butterfly, seeking to avoid a nearby bird, darted back and forth between the two of them seeking protection.

He is also attempting to write fiction, though he jokingly concedes that, so far, he has only managed to add to the already-existing large pile of bad Texas fiction. “I’ve neglected novels and short stories for decades, but now that I’m retired, why not just drink up the fiction?” he speculated. “I think I’m trying to write poetry and too much is happening. It’s a learning process, and it may not result in publication, but it will give me a new respect for what’s involved.”

Also relatively new for Behlen is writing poems that rhyme. He said he discovered rhyming in 2000. “I was a kid with a new toy,” he reflected.

Then there was the switch from writing on a Toshiba typewriter to a computer because so many magazines are only accepting electronic submissions. His rough drafts used to be archived at Texas Tech University, but that has changed since he now makes his revisions electronically.

Behlen does not have a Kindle. He gestured to a book sitting on the table in front of him. “We’ve had a very special relationship (with books) for hundreds of years. You can open it up and flip through and read it in the bathtub or in bed. With some books, you can still smell the ink.”

Charles Behlen may see a lot of suffering in the world around him, but he also seems willing to celebrate the joy of the ordinary. His poetic gaze seems to pierce the myriad of illusions we lather onto ourselves daily as a coping mechanism. Whether such insight is a blessing or a curse may ultimately be up to the reader.

HOMEby Charles Behlen

Someone must have given uphalfway to the alley.

In backyard weedsa rocking horse

lies upside-downon a wadded dress,

a shoebox swollenwith cancelled checks.

Now the rain starts to falland the bell in the horse’s

broken-out chestsings to a house

that is silent, coldand growing dark.

From Failing Heaven. Reprinted withpermission from the author and courtesy

of Lamar University Press.


On a gentle sloping hill, with the sun gleaming brightly, the silhouette of a cattle drive

in progress turns the heads of passing motorists.

That’s what local artist Brian Norwood hoped to accomplish when he created the monumental metal sculptures of cattle and cowboys making their way toward the city of Jal. The depiction of the cattle drive includes 17 figures created from steel plate. It stretches 400 feet with cowboys standing over 20 feet tall.

Norwood is an accomplished painter of historical scenes and portraits, but working with steel was never on his radar until his beloved community fell on hard economic times. Norwood recalled the economic crisis that befell Jal in the mid 1990s when its major employer, El Paso Natural Gas,

moved its operations and most of its employees out of the community that at that time had a population of about 2,000.

“We were becoming a one-horse town after the company moved out,” Norwood remembered. “Individuals and organizations in our community were looking at ways to improve our economy, and I was looking for a way to help.”

He remembers reading a story in Southern Living magazine about a metal sculpture in Oklahoma, and he believed it was something he could do. Keeping in mind that he was not a welder nor had he ever cut large sheets of metal, he moved forward with his idea anyway and embarked on the Jal Cowboy Sculpture Project.

Norwood’s work is as true-to-life

as he can get it. He spent time on a ranch watching how cattle, horses and cowboys moved and worked. He took measurements and started on the design, which was intended to pay tribute to the western heritage of the area and the first permanent settlers, the ranchers who brought the JAL brand to southeastern New Mexico.

“Organizations and individuals tried to improve our economic situation and also looked for a way to get people to stop in Jal,” he shared. “In 1999, at a monthly Chamber of Commerce community breakfast, I announced the project and began soliciting donations. I left the breakfast with a pledge for $1,000. When I went into that meeting I had no idea whether I would be able to raise enough money to make the sculptures.”

Soon, word spread about his project

F O C U S on metalwork

Jal SculpturesLoom Larger Than Life

by Stella Davis


and more donations began coming in from current and former residents. In a short few months, enough money had been raised to begin construction and a new career was born.

With the design completed and approved by the community, he needed to find a welder who could cut the designs according to his specifications for what would become The Trail Ahead.

That’s where Gene Armstrong came in.

“I’m definitely not a welder. Gene is a retired welder and he agreed to do the cut out work,” Norwood explained. “We got started in mid August of 1999 and hoped to have it all done by Thanksgiving.”

As with many projects, unforeseen circumstances often cause delays, and such was the case on this project as well. “Gene is a pilot and flew with the Commemorative Air Force. He flew a replica of the Japanese dive bombers. He was asked to be in the movie Pearl Harbor,” related Norwood. “So he was getting his plane ready to ship to Pearl Harbor. He said he couldn’t finish the welding until early 2000 and said I might want to find another welder. I

wanted him to complete the project with me, because we worked well together. I was willing to wait until his portion of the filming was completed.”

In March of 2000, the pieces were erected on the chosen site with the help of a local company, Merriam Construction, that provided the needed crane and transportation of the huge metal sculptures to the placement site.

Those who live in southeast New Mexico well know that March is a windy month, and Norwood feared high winds could delay the placement of the sculptures. The placement went off without a hitch, however. “That day was the calmest day in New Mexico. The next day the winds kicked up to 68 miles per hour,” he recalled.

Since then, The Trail Ahead has been featured in numerous magazines and newspapers around the county. It also played a major part in the 2004 exhibit SoQ Contemporary Art in Southern New Mexico at the New Mexico Museum of Fine Arts in Santa Fe.

With the project completed and the many accolades earned, Norwood went back to painting and enjoying his historical research endeavors.

However, it wasn’t long before other communities came knocking on his door wanting similar sculptures.

His next large project was in Fort Stockton, Texas, where he was commissioned to design large metal

PHOTO RIGHT: Brian Norwood stands with one of his metal cowboy sculptures near Jal. The cowboys reach more than 20 feet tall.

PHOTO BELOW: The Trail Ahead, stretching 400 feet, is a cattle drive depiction including 17 figures of cattle and mounted cowboys created from steel plate.


silhouettes of a company of U.S. Cavalry following their captain toward Fort Stockton, called Marching to Fort Stockton, which can be seen just south of Interstate 10. The second part of the project includes a Comanche hunting party sitting on a small hill, with the leader of the party using sign language to alert his friends about the advancing soldiers going to the fort.

“That was my largest project, bigger than the one in Jal,” he beamed.

He has also completed life-sized metal sculptures in Port Lavaca, Texas, Hobbs Army Air Field and at the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame in Hobbs.

His future plans include creating a three-dimensional sculpture paying tribute to New Mexico astronaut and moon walker Harrison Schmitt and

adding to The Trail Ahead to span the north-south length of Lea County, some 120 miles.

“This is almost becoming a full-time job,” he said of his metal art work. “But painting is still my love. I try to find time to paint.”

His wife, Karen, fully supports her husband’s passion for art and understands the time it takes in his new-found medium. “I was a fan of Brian’s art a long way before we were a couple. Actually, it was his art and passion for preserving history that brought us together,” she admitted. “I believe Brian deserves so much more acclaim. He amazes me how he thinks things through and then does it. I think it’s interesting that he didn’t know a thing about metal art and figured out how do it and do it well.”

Asked whether the life-size silhouettes have met Norwood’s and the community’s expectations to bring Jal into the spotlight, State Senator

Carroll Leavell, who makes his home in Jal, believes it has. “The silhouettes certainly attract attention. In my opinion it’s been very positive for Jal. They have been placed in a good location. Brian’s work is so remarkable. I know visitors come just to see that. I was at one of our service stations recently and someone asked me if I could give them directions to see it. Brian received a lot of support from the community for the project. We are very proud of him.”

More requests for his metal art keep him so busy that he has yet to learn how to weld and cut steel. He still uses expert welders to cut his figures out of steel, but learning to weld remains on his bucket list.

“I guess I should learn how to do it. I just have to find the time,” he replied with a chuckle.

For more information, please visitwww.BrianNorwoodArt.com.

PHOTO: Artist Brian Norwood stands with his wife, Karen, in front of some of his paintings.



~ from the writers, contributors & staff ofAd Venture Marketing & Focus on Lea County

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Focus on Lea County Winter 2015