Pandemic Poetry Project (P3)
Questa Youth Center Art Room
This project is in its second year and has components for youth (up to age 16) and adults (16 and over). Writer Betsy Irwin aims to "illuminate how poetry flows through our ives, from nursery rhymes to rap music." Using the pandemic as a general topic, offshoots into a variety of formats will happen. Poetry Basics happens on week 1, April 1, and developing further refinement happens the following workshop slot, April 15. Mornings sessions are 9 am to noon, with youth, and afternoon sessions are 1 to 4, for adults. Contact Betsy for more info or to register, at (205) 886-2773. Free, but suggested donation to cover supplies is appreciated. Please note: children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Questa Quick-Draw
This project is inspired from the Wild Rivers Plein Air Paintout from a few years back. Don’t miss Saturday, June 24, 2023 for the first annual Questa Quick-Draw. Get ready to leave the four walls of your studio and come paint “en plein air” --- in the open Questa air! The Quick Draw is a one-day drawing/painting event where artists register the morning of Saturday June 24, go out into our beautiful natural surroundings, and return in the afternoon with wet paintings, to display and sell on easels, at the Visitor Center/Questa Farmers Market site. There will be judging and prizes awarded. Area youth are also invited to participate and will be given painting supplies. Look for the specific details of this fun event soon or reach out to us at questacreativecouncil@gmail.com.
Questa Art Tour
Our tour is the earliest in the year of rural art tours in northern New Mexico. This year's, 2023, will be held on August 12 and 13. THE DEADLINE FOR ARTISTS TO APPLY IS APRIL 22. Each year adds more artists and more studios to discover. Last year's tour hosted over 50 artists along this beautiful route, located between the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument and the Carson National Forest. Click here for the online application.
Art for All!
Questa Youth Center Art Room
The QCC continues to offer multi-generational classes and workshops. In 2022 Betsy Irwin led a poetry workshop, Mark Lewis Wagner led a "creative journeys" painting workshop, and Nick Nagawiecki led a beginning weaving class. These are held at the Cisneros Youth Center Art Room. Free, but suggested donation to cover supplies is appreciated. Please note: children under 12 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Northern New Mexico Artists
An engaging directory of Questa area artists—and your connection to shop locally all year 'round for crafts and art—from the traditional to the modern. Discover Artist Profile pages, featuring many who have been a part of the local Questa Art Tour. Northern New Mexico offers a huge variety of scenery, from mountaintop lakes to river gorges, vast mesa views, wildflowers and wildlife. Culture is vibrant here too, where the presence of earlier peoples is still felt. With the UNESCO World Heritage site of Taos Pueblo to the south, the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument to the west, The Carson National Forest to the east, and Latir Lakes overlooking it all; northern Taos County is a uniquely wonder-filled place.
Questa History Trail
We again celebrated National Trails Day on June 4 of 2022 with history-focused camaraderie, music, treats, and this time with a self-guided group walk. This half-mile walkable route illustrates a microcosm of northern New Mexico history. The trail loops from our village intersection to our historic plaza. Start at the Welcome kiosk on the corner and follow the directional arrows. Long-lasting signs are now installed. Please use caution until a bridge across the acequia is completed for stop #5. Our related websites add a deeper understanding of many topics the trail's signs introduce along with local memories. MORE...
Northern New Mexico's Music: Past & Present
How has musical expression in its many forms shaped the culture and
people of this region? Musician and Costilla native Chris J. Arellano directs this
initiative, funded by a New Mexico Arts CARES grant. A presentation was held on May 21, 2021, which can be seen on our Facebook video channel.
Questa Chamber Music Series
Virtual, Pre-Recorded, Hybrid, and Collaborative Concerts
Since 2018, the Questa Chamber Music Series has given a venue in the rural context of Questa to talented local and visiting musicians. These chamber music events are often hosted in an intimate or unique community venue; in doing so it honors the history of musical gatherings and community. MORE...
NeoRio: Inspiration, Reflection & Evolution
2022
NeoRio is entering a new phase in its lifetime as an evolving project. To mark this time of change, we are creating a short film and catalogue of the event’s 11 years at Wild Rivers on the rim of the gorge. These retrospective pieces will provide opportunities to celebrate, reengage with, reflect on and learn from the many featured and contributing artists and their artworks, community gatherings and engagements, and themes explored at NeoRio since 2009. MORE....
Collaborations
Welcome Signs
The QCC has partnered with the QEDF to develop “Welcome to Questa” signs to be installed on the main state highways (38 and 522) as one approaches Questa. They are in the fabrication stage and we hope to see them in the spring of 2021.
Village of Questa Lamppost Banners
The first set of banners funded by the Questa Economic Development Fund (QEDF) exhibited the beautiful hand-painted retablos in St. Anthony’s historic church. The retablo artists are Arlene Cisneros Sena and James Cordova. This first set of lamppost banners were in installed in July 2019. The next set of banners, showing historic imagery of our town and its people was installed in 2020. Currently, the third and final set of banners displays the artwork of local artists and craftspersons, very colorfully!
Past
Wild Rivers Plein Air Festival
2016-2019
Artists from around the southwest gathered in July to paint the dramatic landscape of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, plus the charming historic sites around our village. The festival included four days of open painting, workshops and demos, a Quick-Draw event, and a concluding Art Show with awards and prizes.
Youth Art Classes [past programming]
Questa Youth Center Art Room
QCC has partnered with the Questa Library to offer youth art classes as part of the Library’s youth and family outreach programming in the years just preceding the pandemic shutdown of 2020. The classes have covered a wide range of topics and explored a variety of mediums. The first series featured a focus on clay. Parents were encouraged to attend with their children and participated as well. Art for All classes have replaced this program for the time being..
