Southwest Contemporary Summit
About this Event
The Southwest Contemporary Summit is a one-day convening for arts professionals from across the Southwest region dedicated to strengthening the connections that sustain the arts ecosystem, hosted at CCA Santa Fe.
Building on Southwest Contemporary’s role as a platform where voices and stories from across the region intersect, the summit brings that work into physical space.
Together, we'll have candid, constructive conversation about what is working—and changing—in the visual arts sector across the greater Southwest region. Panels and discussions will explore trends in art infrastructure and collaborative work, financial sustainability and the shape of the art market, and the broader state of the arts ecosystem.
Focused on success stories, knowledge-sharing, and community-building, the summit asks what can be learned by bringing peers from neighboring communities into the same room to share tools, resources, and inspiration.
Hosted in Santa Fe, the Summit is also part of a larger Southwest Contemporary Weekend, including SWC's annual fundraiser party and benefit art auction, and citywide art tours for Summit participants.
Schedule + Logistical Information:
- Attendees should plan to arrive in Santa Fe on Thursday, September 3, and depart on Sunday, September 6.
- Panel discussions will take place all day on Friday, September 4.
- Coffee and pastries will be provided in the morning as well as a boxed lunch for all summit registrants.
- Explore Santa Fe's art scene on your own or with a private tour on Saturday, September 5. In the evening, attend SWC's annual Art Party.
- We have reserved a hotel room block with a special rate at El Rey Court, an iconic motor court built in the 1930s. Please book your room before August 12 through this link, or call 505-982-1931 with the code SWCONTEMPORARY.
Cost:
- $115 regular registration.
- $95 SWC members.
- $85 student/artist registration.
- Additional discounts for groups of 3 or more.
Registration Includes:
- Access to the full day of panels on Friday, September 4.
- Coffee and pastries in the morning.
- Boxed lunch (please indicate dietary restrictions upon registration).
- One free ticket and one drink ticket for Southwest Contemporary's annual fundraiser Saturday evening, featuring a benefit art auction, DJ dance party, and cash bar ($40 value).
- Free 6-month , includes access to the Art Industry Newsletter and Art Opportunity Index ($45 value).
- Private tours at Site Santa Fe, New Mexico Museum of Art, Santa Fe's Canyon Road gallery district, and the Midtown Arts and Design Alliance on Saturday, September 5 (separate sign-up required, links forthcoming).
- Copy of the limited-edition program book, with suggestions for exploring Santa Fe's art scene.
Questions?
Contact Lauren Tresp, publisher, at 505-424-7641 or [email protected].
Thank you to our sponsors!
Friday 9/4
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Check-in | Coffee + Pastries
🕑: 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Welcome + Introduction
🕑: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel 1: Arts Infrastructure and Collaboration
Host: Richard Saxton
Info: Can the greater Southwest region conceive of itself as a network? How can the art community better collaborate across the region? Informed by Southwest Contemporary’s commitment to creating information infrastructure through arts journalism and criticism, we are interested in exploring other facets of knowledge-sharing, cross-pollination, and collaboration across communities, sectors, and geographies. Panelists include: Ally Grimm (artist + founder, Denver Walls), Peter Hay (co-director and co-founder, ProArtes México), Marisa Sage (executive director, New Mexico Museum of Art), Richard Saxton (artist + co-founder, M12 Studio collective). Moderator: Natalie Hegert (arts editor, Southwest Contemporary).
🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:30 PM
Lunch
Info: (catered on site) Pick a themed lunch table for an unstructured conversation on a topic. Table topics may include DIY culture, marketing, art criticism, etc. Let us know what you want to talk about!
🕑: 01:45 PM - 03:00 PM
Panel 2: The Shape of the Market + Financial Sustainability
Host: Chelsey Johnson
Info: Whether for- or nonprofit, money is always top of mind in the arts. What do we actually know about the art market and arts funding in our region? Who funds the arts, why, and how is that changing? Most art-market news only reflects coastal or international dynamics and trends that are frequently irrelevant here. This panel will help us understand dynamics specific to the Southwest with an eye toward preparedness for the future. Panelists include: Chelsey Johnson (director, City of Santa Fe Department of Arts and Culture), Doug Kacena (owner/curator, K Contemporary), Juniper Leherissey (executive director, Harwood Museum of Art), Louise Martorano (managing director of national programs, Community Arts Stabilization Trust).
Moderator: Nancy Zastudil (art writer and editor).
🕑: 03:15 PM - 04:30 PM
Open Mic: One Great Idea
Info: This fast-paced session will feature the top experts in the room—you! Registrants can sign up to share One Great Idea: a single tactic, program, or project you/your organization successfully used to raise funding, engage your community, expand your audience, or any other positive outcome you want to share. No Great Idea is too small! Each presenter will have no more than 5 minutes and can share up to 5 slides. Attendees will walk away with 10 Great Ideas to take home. (Presenters must sign up in advance, submit your great idea here: https://airtable.com/appRFhXCQ7TAIRNY1/pagD3llSPDnvVBqDW/form)
🕑: 05:30 PM - 07:30 PM
Panel 3: The State of the Art Ecosystem in the Southwest
Host: Adriana Gallego
Info: How do we understand the greater picture of the regional art ecosystem? This panel will open with original reporting and “trendspotting” by Southwest Contemporary that reflects on the health of the regional art ecosystem in the broadest sense. Then we’ll ask our panelists to reflect on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Panelists include: Adriana Gallego (CEO, Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona), Chris Kiley (executive director, Texans for the Arts). Danyelle Means (executive director, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture). Toccarra Thomas (executive director, Santa Fe Art Institute). Introduction: Lauren Tresp (founder + publisher, Southwest Contemporary). Moderator: Jordan Eddy (editor-in-chief, Southwest Contemporary).
Saturday 9/5
Explore Santa Fe's Art Scene (Private Tour Schedule Forthcoming)
Info: Sign up for a private, curator-led tour of at Site Santa Fe, New Mexico Museum of Art, or of Santa Fe's Canyon Road gallery district (limited capacity, advance signups will be required, watch for the sign-up link), and/or follow one of our suggested arts itineraries to discover the best of Santa Fe’s art scene at your own pace.
🕑: 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM
Southwest Contemporary Art Party Fundraiser
Info: Close out the weekend with SWC and our Santa Fe art community for the second annual Art Party fundraiser! DJ, benefit auction, raffle, cash bar, and the launch of SWC Vol. 14: Alien! One party ticket and one drink ticket included for all Summit registrants.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 85.00 to USD 115.00
