AlamogordoTownNews.com Chris Ward Oil Painting Exhibition Opens Friday Night Otero Arts 5 pm

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AlamogordoTownNews.com Otero Arts hosts an October exhibition of Chris Ward

Otero ArtSpace at 1118 Indiana Avenue, Alamogordo, New Mexico is opening its Month long Solo Art Show showcasing legendary local artist Chris Ward.

Friday September 30th the opening reception will be held from 5 pm to 7 pm with a meet and greet with the artist and launching the month long exhibition of several of his fine work of art. 

In a Story in the Las Cruces Bulletin by Elva K. Österreich published March 16, 2022 is a great overview of the life and works of Chris Ward…

Chris Ward has been interested in art since he was a child. His heroes, depicted permanently on his arms as tattoos, are Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh.

“In 6th grade, I painted a watercolor of a cactus in a pot; I have the painting somewhere,” he said. “It was the first painting I ever did and I was going to Catholic school at the time. The nuns didn’t believe that I painted it, and I got second places instead of first, so I lived with that for all my life.”

Not discouraged, Ward moved to pastels and studied art in high school, taking as many classes as they would let him. After service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, he went on to study art in college in New York.

“And I decided I wasn’t going to be able to make any money in art,” he said, and became a journalist instead.

Today, the art shines again in oil paint with Ward producing it in his Alamogordo studio. The legendary New Mexico light catches walls in his paintings of adobe huts and mansions; passion and consternation come to life in portraits of imaginary men; and the Irish landscape comes to life there too.

In 2012 New Mexico called him and he moved here for the light and childhood memories.

“Much of (inspiration) is the hours I spent as a kid watching those old Westerns,” Ward said.

He paints large and small work as well as human, animal and bird work. Nothing is out of reach for Ward as he follows his talent and passion since he retired from his long and varied career from newspapers, to stay-at-home dad (after his wife got a doctorate in chemistry), to other work.

Ward credits his partner Sue Kent for her support and publicity skills.”

The exhibition opens Friday at 5 pm and viewing continues Thursday through Sunday from 1 pm to 4 pm throughout October. 

Congratulations Chris and Sue we extend our well wishes for great success of this reception and exhibition! 

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