LAS CRUCES, N.M. – One hopeful artist moved from New York City to Las Cruces three years ago to seek new adventures. Little did she know the City of Crosses would have more to offer than pecan farms and Dripping Springs.
Penny Peace “jumped into the rabbit hole” and created the Mad Hatter Gallery located in downtown Las Cruces.
Owning her own gallery was something that was always on Peace’s bucket list.
“When you reach a certain age where you’re no longer checking them off, you’re crossing them out. And certainly having a gallery, my own gallery… where I could present art that I wanted to present, that didn’t involve any kind of approval, was a fantasy for me,” Peace said.
This is not like every other gallery in Las Cruces. The Mad Hatter focuses exclusively on contemporary art being alive and young artists who are still creating.
“I’m interested in art that is issue driven, that makes us think, makes us respond,” Peace said.
And what is a better way to introduce her gallery than with the art of Salome Ali Jaffe? An artist whose medium is none other than acid paintings on metal.
This exhibit closed Friday, Oct. 18, but Peace’s journey continues.
Her next exhibit features a local El Paso artist named Serjik Leon. This exhibit will be up from Saturday, Oct. 26, through Tuesday, Nov. 26.
Peace has an inspirational story for those who think they have crossed out items on their bucket list, but have not given up hope.
“I have since uncrossed out that item on my bucket list,” Peace said. “It’s something that I had thought about doing, never did, and it just reached a point where it wasn’t going to happen for me. And the lesson is here: never give up on your dreams, ever.”
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