Art Along the Rio Grande 2021

Art Along the Rio Grande Art Fair is Back In-Person

Albuquerque, NM — The Friends of the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and the Hubbell House Alliance invite the public to come enjoy an in-person art fair Saturday, July 10, 2021, from 9am-1pm, celebrating the art, nature, and community of the South Valley, with their annual fundraising art fair, Art Along the Rio Grande. 

Art Along the Rio Grande is in its fifth year. A half decade of celebrating artists, the event has quickly become a South Valley tradition, bringing together residents of the Valley and throughout the Albuquerque metro area to stroll the grounds of the historic Gutiérrez Hubbell House and browse and buy art from local vendors to benefit two local organizations which support local public lands including: Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and Gutiérrez Hubbell House.

This annual event is typically held in the Spring but the event organizers were hopeful for a statewide reopening and scheduled the event for an early summer morning. Demetria Gutierrez, a member of the planning committee representing the Gutiérrez Hubbell House Alliance said, “We wanted to do what was necessary to provide an opportunity for the community to come out and support some local artists, many of whom may not have had an opportunity to sell their wares in over a year.” When the global coronavirus pandemic led first to rescheduling and then cancellation of the traditional spring, in-person art fair in 2020, it left organizers, artists, and community members understandably disappointed. Aryn LaBrake, the Executive Director of the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge said “We are excited to bring folks out to celebrate in-person this year to come together once again to celebrate our amazing Rio Grande corridor and the amazing experiences and outdoor activities it provides from the lens of our local artists.” 

Along with hosting 25 local artists, the event will feature tours of the Gutiérrez Hubbell House, information on Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, local musicians, food trucks and kids activities.  A portion of proceeds from all artwork sold will benefit the Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and the Gutiérrez Hubbell House Alliance. This year the event will also feature a contactless payment option when purchasing artwork. Event organizers encourage attendees to pre-register by visiting www.friendsofvalledeoro.org to set up an account for contactless payment, however there will be volunteers on site to register attendees and provide technical support on the system the day of the event as well as an option to pay for artwork in a traditional manner. 

Get the facts:

What: An in-person art fair celebrating local art

When: July 10, 2021 from 9am-1pm

Who: Friends of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and Gutierrez Hubbell House Alliance

Where: Gutierrez Hubbell House, 6029 Isleta Blvd SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 87105 

How do I participate: Pre-register online online: one.bidpal.net/artalongtheriogrande2021/welcome 

Questions: artfair@friendsofvalledeoro.org

A note about the venues: The Gutiérrez Hubbell House is open to the public 10am-6pm, Thursday-Saturday. The Welcome Center at Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and vehicular access is currently closed, but the Refuge and trails are still open for hiking, bicycling or dog walking from 6am to 6pm daily. The Refuge is currently in the process of restoring the property to native New Mexico wildlife habitat and building a visitor center, so stop by the Kiosk when you enter the Refuge to grab a current map that indicates current construction closures. Both sites are great places to take a hike with your family or walk your dog and explore.