In her letter from the publisher on page 45, Cynthia Canyon talks about the “full circle” that characterizes her decades publishing Trend magazine. Each story in Trend sends forth ripples that go on to sometimes unseen outcomes, but often these ripples return to our team in new and enlightening ways as the creative visionaries we cover proceed in their careers. It’s a happy coincidence, then, that the last name of one of our featured artists, Judy Tuwaletstiwa (page 104), is Hopi for “the wind making ripples in the sand.”
In a similar manner, our team has fluctuated and grown over the years. I’m honored to be back with Trend as editor of this issue with Kristian Macaron, who helmed our previous 20th-anniversary issue. I took a break to cowrite the documentary Meow Wolf: Origin Story, co-executive produced by George R.R. Martin, whose library features the stained-glass sigils from Game of Thrones that appear in our story on Spin Dunbar (page 128). It seems to me that since I moved here from New York City seven years ago, the ebb and flow and evolution of the arts in New Mexico could well be symbolized by the ancient Egyptian symbol of the ouroboros. This serpent eating its own tail represents the beginning and end of time, and the quantum mystery of the inseparability of these extremes.
Navigating in the now, the artists, architects, culinary creatives, and designers of interiors, textiles, and soundscapes covered in this issue are all making their work at the nexus of past and future. They are creating their art in a region where history remains alive and relevant far more than in other parts of the country, and where multiculturalism defines who we are. This is evident in how interior designers find their inspiration, as explored on page 96. In this issue we also look at sustainability in architecture, as exemplified by the work of Tamarah Begay on page 50 and Jonah Stanford on page 86. We also examine trends that strengthen local economics, such as how national laboratories in New Mexico are helping businesses innovate (page 60), and how Kei & Molly Textiles (page 76)—a far cry from the likes of Amazon and other monolithic retail operations—cares for its employees. Of particular interest are the stories that survive beyond the artist’s lifetime, such as the legacy of the late sculptor Tony Price and his pro-peace, anti-nuclear message, which has found new life via a nonprofit organization formed by his friends (page 116).
There are some who say that there is no such thing as coincidences, that they’re merely patterns, threads through points in time that seem to disrupt our linear assumptions. One such ripple occurred during this issue when our publisher, Cynthia Canyon, obtained The Diary of an Art Dealer, the unpublished manuscript by Tally Richards, a former heavyweight in the Taos art scene. Skimming through her diary entries, I saw one from February 3, 1969, when Richards was fresh off the train from New York City and flat broke but thinking about opening a contemporary art gallery. She wrote: “Marcia Oliver, a painter who is at the Wurlitzer Foundation on a grant . . . is going to do some small commercial paintings that I can sell.” Indeed she did, and the two collaborated for years. I was amazed to realize that 50 years later, Marcia Oliver is still at work in her studio, as described on page 150. Richards’ instincts about the artist’s longevity were correct. We hope ours are too, and that the ripples Trend helps make in our community have a longevity and full circle of their own.
Christina Procter, Editor
