Pretty in print: Tamarind Institute teams up with Los Poblanos for lithography exhibit

Jul. 25—The smell of art in the making is the first thing people notice when entering the Tamarind Institute.

Large blocks of limestone sit, waiting to be drawn on with crayon or rolled on with paint. This is lithography, a printmaking process that has existed since the 1700s.

For three years, Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm and the Tamarind Institute have collaborated on an exhibition that features original lithography artwork. This year, they teamed up again to show artwork made by lithographers from around the world, many of whom were trained at Tamarind Institute.

There are 22 works of art from 13 different lithographers featured at the event that runs from 5-10 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 6, and Tuesday, Aug. 27, at La Quinta Gallery at Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, 4803 Rio Grande Blvd. NW in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.

The Tamarind Institute is a nonprofit organization that focuses on teaching printmaking skills to aspiring printers. Tamarind host workshops, classes and have skilled printers who want to share their knowledge with others to keep the art of printmaking alive. The institute is in affiliation with the University of New Mexico.

The lithography process is not well known in the community and the institute hopes to change that, according to Diana Gaston, Tamarind Institute director.

"Lithography is a printmaking medium that is the most complicated in terms of chemistry," Gaston said. "It's not a kitchen table type of process. It's rare to see people do it without learning from a skilled printer, which is why it is so widely unknown. What we do to keep the art form alive is we invite artists to come work with us and spread it to a wider audience."

Gaston was excited to continue working with Los Poblanos as she feels the exhibit provides great exposure and allows people to get connected with the institute to learn more.

"The partnership with Los Poblanos and the Tamarind Institute came from the fact that both are engaged in preservation and history and featuring handmade crafted items," she said. "That's where the alliance starts. This is the third year we have done an exhibit in the gallery and we hope to continue it every summer."

She added, it is "kind of amazing" that the show is at La Quinta Gallery because it is one of the first contemporary art galleries in the greater Albuquerque area.

Emmi Whitehorse, painter and contributor to the gallery, has worked with Tamarind Institute many times over the years, but this is her first time contributing to the gallery show at Los Poblanos.

While Whitehorse did not do the printing herself, she worked alongside printmakers to make sure her vision was being created.

"I was there for four days, from eight in the morning until (5 p.m.), layering and changing colors for the print," she said. "That's where the printer comes in handy because they help with the painting. They do a lot of the heavy lifting."

Lithography can be done with a majority of art forms and creates an abstract art type visual when completed. Painting can be done with oils, crayons and paints to create a unique print.

"I pretty much draw on the plate and we just layer as many layers as we can on one plate," Whitehorse said. "We can add color, we can add more lines and more collaging. The sky is the limit."

Gaston and Whitehorse are excited to see the reception to printmaking and hope it will encourage people to visit the Tamarind Institute and learn more.

"People are still discovering it," Gaston said. "But they're thrilled and pleased when they do discover it. Los Poblanos is a big fan of what we stand for and they wanted more people to know about the gallery. The fact that there's this amazing gallery in this beautiful building suggests there's still things to discover here."