Welcome to 516 ARTS
516 ARTS is an independent, nonprofit arts venue located at 516 Central Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets in the center of Downtown Albuquerque. The 5500 square foot, two-story gallery is a unique, hybrid venue somewhere between a gallery and museum. 516 ARTS offers adventurous programs that address current issues in world culture, presenting innovative and interdisciplinary exhibitions, events and educational activities in a variety of art forms, including visual and literary arts, film/video and music.
Our mission is to forge connections between art and audiences, and our vision is to be an active partner in developing Albuquerque's cultural landscape. Our values are inquiry, diversity, collaboration and accessibility. 516 ARTS offers programs that inspire curiosity, dialogue, risk-taking and creative experimentation, showcasing a mix of established, emerging, local, national and international artists from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Programs include openings, gallery talks, workshops, panel discussions, the 516 WORDS literary arts series, special events and performances. Education programs include exhibition tours for schools and community groups with curriculum packets, youth activities and events.
The upcoming exhibition at 516 ARTS is Chicana Badgirls: Las Hociconas (January 17–March 21, 2009) opening Saturday, January 17, 6–8pm, featuring performances of art fashion/couture with guest artists Elisa Jimenéz and Diane Gamboa, and music with Las Flores del Valle. This exhibition is part of a series of programs focusing on activism and feminism, and brings together the multimedia work of three generations of women artists from New Mexico, Texas and California. The theme for this exhibition, hociconas, means loudmouth backtalking women, malcriadas — bad mannered mujeres, in short, disorderly, disruptive, critical-thinking, strong Chicana/Latina women telling it like they see it. This project is co-curated by Delilah Montoya and Laura E. Peréz, and special events are in conjunction with the Women & Creativity series organized by the National Hispanic Cultural Center.
In the summer and fall of 2009, 516 ARTS will focus on environmental art with a series of exhibitions and outdoor artworks for the the multi-venue, intercity, collaborative project LAND/ART (www.landartnm.org).
For more information about programs at 516 ARTS, you can download and print the 516 ARTS 2008 Fall/Winter Program Guide
For more information on the Downtown area arts scene along Albuquerque's Cultural Corridor from Old Town to Nob Hill, you can download and print the Downtown Arts Guide.
