AT MADE IN SILVER CITY, you might see dangly earrings, abstract paintings, turquoise-inlaid wooden bowls, and—hold up!—an unfinished statue. Run by four sculptors, the downtown Silver City storefront offers fine art, gifts, and a peek into the process of art.
Sure, you may not realize you need a an artisanal cocktail-stirrer or a piece of assemblage jewelry. But after you start talking with partners Colette Beers, Chelsea Boone, Maurice Camacho, and Michael Metcalf, who met in Metcalf’s Western New Mexico University sculpture class, you’ll consider buying a puzzle ball lamp and gifting your next host with New Mexico wine in a personalized box.
Driven to contribute to the southwestern New Mexico arts scene, the sculptors co-founded Made in Silver City in 2020. “The idea was creating opportunities for young artists to stay in our region,” Metcalf says.
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"The Break Up" by Colette Beers, $2,800; "Woodturned Basket Illusion" by Joseph Holguin, $580.
He secured space adjoining the Murray Hotel, which he co-owns, to house their endeavor. Made in Silver City received a sculpture commission that floated them through pandemic shutdowns and a remodel. In addition to featuring their own art, the Made in Silver City sculptors curate work by a rotating cast of woodturners, blacksmiths, fiber artists, and painters. Each piece must be made in or inspired by the Silver City region.
The gallery’s art openings are show-and-tell events, where people ask questions and artists share creative processes. “We’re willing to tell our secrets,” Beers says.
Read more: Home to the best in traditional Native American art, Gallup expands its creative reach to build a better community.
