New Mexico Art League
                  Art School ∙ Gallery 


 
 
 
 

 

CREATIVE INQUIRY

Where questions become experiments,

and experiments become ideas.

Creative Inquiry is a two-part program that will move you from thinking about creativity, to experiencing creativity, to applying creative inquiry to your own artwork and our gallery's exhibition calls for entries.

FROM INQUIRY TO ARTWORK

PART ONE:  The lecture gives you a way to think about creativity.

PART TWO:  The Play-shop gives you a place to experience it.

...and our upcoming exhibitions give you an opportunity to put that creative inquiry into action.

UPCOMING LECTURE

with F.G. “Fred” Yost

October 24, 10 AM


Creativity:

Where Do Ideas Come From?


Where do ideas come from, and can creativity actually be understood, practiced, and strengthened?

Creativity is often treated as something mysterious: a spark that appears out of nowhere, available to some people but not others. But what if creativity is less mysterious than we think? What if there is a process behind the making of an original idea?

In this engaging lecture, we will explore the fascinating parallels between the scientific method and the creative process, placing their four-step approaches side by side.

What happens when we ask a question without knowing the answer? How do experiments generate new possibilities? What role do failure, collaboration, curiosity, and surprise play in the development of an idea?


Creative Inquiry: Experiment, Play & Discover

Saturday, November 14 & Saturday, November 21

10AM - 3PM | In the Art League Studios 


The ideas introduced in the lecture come alive in this two-Saturday, hands-on Play-shop (as compared to a "Work"-shop) led by Fred Yost and Jaci Fisher.


Rather than beginning with a predetermined project or finished product, participants will be invited to engage directly with the creative process.

A wide range of materials, tools, techniques, and methods will be made available. You'll experiment, combine, alter, collaborate, make unexpected choices, follow interesting accidents, try something that might not work.

And then see what happens.

The goal isn't to tell you what to make. It's to create the conditions in which you can discover ideas you didn't know you had.

Both facilitators are longtime exhibiting artists and active members of our Art League community. Their own practices are marked by prolific experimentation with ideas, materials, techniques, and methods. Together, they will create an environment where curiosity is encouraged, experimentation is welcomed, and surprise is part of the process.

You don't have to arrive with an idea.

Come with curiosity.

You don't have to know what you're going to make.

Come ready to discover.


Be sure to attend the lecture on October 24 to learn more about the

two-Saturday "Play-shop" that will take place on November 14 & 21.  



New Mexico Art League Faculty Exhibition

Albuquerque International Sunport

October 1 - 30


The New Mexico Art League presents a faculty exhibit at the Albuquerque International Sunport, October 1 - 30, 2026. This diverse collection of works offers travelers an authentic visual introduction to the landscapes and sense of place that define New Mexico.


The artwork, by professional New Mexico artists who also teach at the Art League, can be viewed in the art display cases between the terminal and parking garage.


CALL FOR ENTRIES

"Reflections"

 This exhibition invites artists to consider both the literal and metaphorical meanings of reflection. From mirrored surfaces and shimmering waters to moments of memory, self-examination, and perspective, reflections reveal truths both seen and felt.


Exhibition Dates:

December 10, 2026 - January 9, 2027

Entry Deadline: October 24, 2026 

This exhibit will be in the gallery and online. The New Mexico Art League Exhibition Committee will jury exhibit.



A Gliding Grace

Nicholas Tesluk

soft pastel



Call for Entries: REFLECTIONS


CURRENT EXHIBITION

"Land of Enchantment"


Inspired by New Mexico's sweeping vistas, dramatic skies, and luminous light, this exhibition celebrates the landscapes that define our region. From desert horizons to mountain peaks, artists are invited to capture the awe and spirit of a place that has long stirred creativity and wonder.


Exhibition Dates: 

September 10 - October 10, 2026


"Meet the Artists" Reception:

September 19, Saturday

4 PM to 6 PM


Rainbow's Gold

by John DeSpain

pastel, 18" x 24"


View Online Gallery

Gallery Hours: 10 am to 4 pm Tuesday - Saturday  505-293-5034

3409 Juan Tabo Boulevard NE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87111     Map It  

Mailing address: P.O. Box 16554, Albuquerque, NM 87191                              

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