Arts & Entrepreneurship
Big ideas, real impact.
When we set forth to build a coworking space in Albuquerque, we wanted to develop a space where a community of “creatives” could come together. When we think of creatives, it isn’t a narrow definition, but rather any person or group of people who uses original and unusual ideas to produce something. Both artists and start-up entrepreneurs fit into this category.
In today’s world, there are lots of resources for venture-backed businesses, but there are far fewer for emerging artists. In addition to supporting Deciens Capital, a venture fund and the primary tenant of Blue Sky Coworking NM, we aim to leverage the resources designed for start-ups, also to support emerging artists.
Likewise, it was imperative to have dedicated philanthropic funds to support the work of emerging artistic professionals. We aimed to partner with established programs to expand their reach rather than competing with them.
That’s why for our 2026-2027 pilot season we decided to collaborate with the Harwood Art Center to help them expand the reach of their already tremendously impactful SURFACE: Emerging Artists of New Mexico, which is in its 17th cycle.
This partnership is rooted in a shared belief: creative work thrives when artists have access to space, community, and ongoing support. By bringing SURFACE programming into a coworking environment, we’re creating a setting where artists, entrepreneurs, and creative professionals intersect—sparking conversation, collaboration, and new possibilities.
Gallery Hours M-F 9 AM to 5 PM
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Arts and cultural industries in New Mexico enjoy a national reputation that is far beyond the state’s size or economic standing. Narrowly defined, these industries employ 43,031 persons in New Mexico, equal to 1 of every 18 jobs. But sometimes it is hard to break into the industry. We wanted to create more paid opportunities for emerging practitioners to gain experience.
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Almost everyone can use a bit of support as they take on a new endeavor. And even though there are some opportunities for emerging professionals in the NM ecosystem we want to help amplify the impact by partnering with them and offering incremental ways to leverage these resources.
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So many philanthropists just start a new nonprofit or competing initiative instead we’d like to amplify the impact of successful programs.
Route 66 - A Deep Imagining
A SURFACE Artist Alumni Satellite Gallery Exhibition
Curated by Jakia Fuller
Open July to October
Blue Sky and Harwood Art Center present our second SURFACE: Artist Alumni Satellite Gallery Exhibition featuring Christian Gallegos, Ben Roe Jr. and Jen H Doolittle. We invite you to join us in a deep imagining of the various stories and narratives that coincide with this historic passage, exploring the perspective of place, collective consciousness, and the daily lives of the people who work and live along the route – past, present, and future.
Opening Reception - July 24th
4:30 to 6:30 PM
Current Artists
Christian Michael Gallegos
SURFACE Emerging Artist 2011
Christian Michael Gallegos is a prolific Albuquerque-based artist known for vibrant, large-scale murals and richly layered studio work. He has created more than ten public murals across the city, featuring abstract floral landscapes and his signature hummingbirds—visual motifs that reflect both the ecology of New Mexico and his personal narrative. Influenced by street art from his time in New York City and formal training at Bronx Community College, his work bridges accessibility and refinement.
Ben Roe Jr.
SURFACE Emerging Artist 2013
Ben Roe Jr. is a painter and collagist, based in Albuquerque, NM. Roe Jr. received his BFA in Painting from Indiana University-Bloomington in 1989 and has consistently created artwork since. Roe Jr. sees each of his paintings as fragments or tiny dramas extracted from some larger story. Like when you catch just a fleeting glimpse from a moving car or hear just a snippet of a conversation from a passing couple, and not knowing the context or backstory, have seen or heard just enough to get your imagination whirling. We all want the juicy details!
Jen H Doolittle
SURFACE Emerging Artist 2024
Jen H Doolittle is a photo-based artist who incorporates metal leaf and thread into her photographic work, creating layered pieces that explore identity, memory, and emotion. Having moved frequently throughout her childhood, Doolittle has lived in the United States, England, and Saudi Arabia. Photography became a way for her to connect with the people and places around her, a practice that continues to shape her artistic voice.
Our Emerging Curator
Blue Sky NM and Harwood Art Center are excited to announce the inaugural SURFACE: Emerging Curators of New Mexico Fellowship, a new opportunity designed to support the professional growth, visibility, and viability of curatorial talents in our community. The SURFACE: Emerging Curators of New Mexico Fellowship is dedicated to cultivating the growth of local creative talents, supporting their professional viability in the field, and expanding their visibility in the public sphere. The fellowship reflects a new component to Harwood Art Center’s SURFACE Emerging Artists of New Mexico Program, now in its 14th year.
For 2026-2027 Jakia Fuller is our fellow.
Let's create something meaningful together We're not here to just show work—we're here to build something together. We are building a series of workshops to help creatives on the entrepreneurial journey if you’d like to help co-create a session reach out.
Support emerging artists based in NM.
Improve ecosystem connectivity for “creatives”.
Learn from our pilot year.
Program Goals
Foster a sense of kinship between artists and entrepreneurs.
Have Blue Sky Coworking NM be a hub for impactful innovation in NM.
Our Partner
Harwood, the outreach program of Escuela del Sol Montessori, is a creative center for community and the arts. They engage the arts as a catalyst for lifelong learning, cultural enrichment and social change, with programming for every age, background and income level. They believe that equitable access to the arts and opportunities for creative expression are integral to inspired, passionate individuals and to healthy, vibrant communities. Participating at a grassroots level, they recognize and engage the arts as a catalyst for lifelong learning, social change and community development.
Their SURFACE: Emerging Artists of New Mexico program, now in its 17th year, is one of the few juried opportunities to focus on our local artists at pivotal point of inflection in their early careers. This program supports the creative and professional growth of emerging artists and to expand their visibility and viability in our community. They now have over 200 alumni artists and each year the program turns away many talented participants due to capacity constraints. We are excited to help them expand the reach of this important endeavor.