The holidays might be winding down, but there’s no reason to stop the party just yet. Rowe Fine Art Gallery rings in 2025 on Friday, January 3, at 4 p.m. with Fresh Start, New Art. The festive show marks the debut of gallery owner and bronze sculptor Ken Rowe’s first-ever piece of jewelry. The gallery will also celebrate new works from painter Jen Farnsworth and toast mixed media sculptor Shirley Eichten Albrecht, who is intent on integrating interesting geodes and even more intricate weaving into her gourd artwork in 2025. Come join the fun!
Ken’s first piece of jewelry, a sterling-silver bison bust that’s available in single-sided (great for engraving!) and double-sided versions, will be the star of the show. Ken says that he’s received requests for jewelry for many years, but his recent bison bas-relief is what finally prompted him to take the plunge. “It’s very challenging to sculpt two-dimensionally,” says Ken, “but the casting process for jewelry is much quicker than it is for a bronze sculpture, meaning the pieces are ready in weeks instead of months. That was very appealing to me.”
Ken is so pleased with the pendant’s creative process and the outcome that he plans to create more jewelry this year. He admits that he’s been in a “bison frame of mind” – witness the one-and-a-half-inch-tall bronze he created for the gallery’s miniature show in November – but he says his next piece of jewelry will feature a raven. Down the line, he’s planning to experiment with gold, too.
Painter Jen Farnsworth recently completed two five-inch-by-five-inch mixed-media-on-panel pieces that will make their debut during the January show. Sedona’s Don Coyote depicts Jen’s favorite trickster and Beautiful Bobcat of Sedona captures the wildcat that has been venturing into her backyard. Both pieces come with a miniature easel for displaying.
“I had so much fun in 2024 experimenting with new sizes, new wildlife and new painting mediums, and I can’t wait to share these with everyone in 2025,” says Jen. “After many months, I am putting the final touches on a larger 24-inch-by-24-inch oil painting and mixed media piece of a black bear titled Love Bears All. I am also finishing up a large oil painting, Still Standing My Ground, which is based on a smaller ink drawing of a bison called Standing My Ground. And I’ll have new landscapes to share soon. 2025 is shaping up to be an amazing year for art!”
Mixed media sculptor Shirley Eichten Albrecht has new gourd works that she’ll be sharing with collectors in January. “Lately, I’ve just felt the need for more color,” she confesses. “I also have a nice piece of cottonwood that I will be cleaning and then searching for the right gourd to pair with it.”
Now that the gift-giving season has passed and the holiday decorations are slowly beginning to come down, it’s the perfect time to refresh your surroundings with a new piece of art. Or maybe your mind has already turned to the next gift-giving occasion: Valentine’s Day! Let the gallery’s esteemed painters, sculptors and jewelers help you turn your house into a home or offer up the perfect expression of love during Fresh Start, New Art. The show runs through January.
Rowe Fine Art Gallery represents traditional and contemporary southwestern artists. The gallery, located under the bell tower in Patio de las Campanas at Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, is open Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call 928-282-8877, visit rowegallery.com, or find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.