TIME: Saturday, June 5th from 4-7pm outdoors
LOCATION: Alchemy Studio is located at 2859 State Hwy 14 in Madrid
CONTACT: [email protected]
Madrid, New Mexico – In a year marked by the tragic pandemic, artists suddenly found themselves in new territory. Void of traveling art shows and local gallery exhibitions, many artists went within and intentionally enjoyed a sleepy season where they could hone in on their craft. Local jeweler and musician Lucy Barna spent the year in quiet transition, moving metals and forging change as she transformed a local landmark building in historic Madrid into her home studio. As the pandemic deepened, so did Barna’s desire to connect with other creatives, especially women. “There was a value in the solitude, yes. But there was also a void. I remembered quite quickly: people need people. And in particular, I think women really need to connect with other women. We need each others’ stories, each others’ ears. We need the communion of our collective energies.” As COVID lagged on, Barna vowed that once the light was nearing and the time was right, she would incorporate this communion of women into her space. Not knowing how this would look, she trusted time and process, asking for the right elements to align. A year later, enter 3 dynamic female artists whose work embodies a similar personal story, a passion for geometry and the attention to handcrafted detail that Barna’s contemporary jewelry work is known for.
Alchemy Studio celebrates the feminine artistic expression across various elements: jewelry, ceramics, textiles and paintings. Owner and metalsmith Lucy Barna, along with Albuquerque ceramic artist Patty Bilbro, Santa Fe oil painter Brianne Janes, and local natural-fibers textile artist Cinda Kay Campbell delight in showcasing their contemporary work alongside one another. “My favorite definition of the word alchemy is “A seemingly magical process of transformation, creation or combination (from The Oxford Dictionary)”, Barna shares. “ This is truly what the studio has become to me. There is a magic in the space. You can feel it when you walk in the door. The passion Cinda Kay puts into her natural fiber and Pendleton wool bags, the attention to detail and timeless quality found in Patty’s terra sigillata pottery, the massive scale and energetic pull of Brianne’s 4 x 6’ landscapes… It’s powerful.”
Open by appointment, Alchemy Studio is located at 2859 State Hwy 14 in Madrid. There will be a celebration of the artists held on Saturday, June 5th from 4-7pm outdoors, with limited-capacity private tours of the space available. For more information please contact lucy@alchemystudiomadrid.com
