Local art gallery, Art Ruidoso, held its grand opening last month and featured three artists who created pieces of work live at the gallery that were then auctioned off with proceeds donated to the artists’ designated charities. Suzy Goza, an artist and long-time art educator, chose to donate the proceeds from her work to HEAL & The Nest domestic violence shelter in Ruidoso Downs.
Mrs. Goza and her husband Mike have lived in Ruidoso since 2005. They moved to Lincoln County from Otero County, where they taught school in Tularosa. Their daughters, Megan and Marin, both lived in Ruidoso and were working as teachers here. “Meg, our oldest, had blessed us with a new grandchild,” Goza said as she discussed the move. “Since she and I were both art teachers, we approached the Ruidoso school district about the possibility of sharing an art job. They honored our wish and Mike and I promptly moved to Ruidoso. The grandkids kept on arriving, and soon I retired and began to enjoy their upbringing and making art in my spare time.”
Goza works in acrylics, oils, mixed media, jewelry, sculpture, and more. “All types of art interest me, although contemporary styles are definitely my favorite,” she said. “The inspiration for the grand opening for Art Ruidoso was Jacob Lawrence. His documentation of African Americans moving north is currently on exhibition in Washington DC. The series of over 60 paintings reflects themes that we share today: social injustice, equal opportunity, and creating and sustaining meaningful work.”
“The mixed media piece I was working on at Art Ruidoso centers around the church as the original community center, something that is still common among small Northern New Mexico villages,” Goza continued. “I am still working on the piece but have donated another mixed media painting loosely inspired by the St. Francis de Paula church in Tularosa and the Pope’s abdication.”
Goza expressed her desire to support The Nest, “It is so important for women to have a safe place to be with their children while they consider options for change. Kids always want to be with their mothers – especially in times of crisis or change. The Nest makes this possible.” She continued, “Also, the shared responsibility between the community and outside funding sources to support the Nest financially, reflects the care and concern residents of Lincoln County have for each other. Their outreach strategy is well conceived with information available in places that are accessible and public.”
Learn more about Suzy Goza and her work at her website, http://suzygoza.com, and more about the Art Ruidoso Gallery at http://artruidoso.com.