After 25 years, a former curator for UNM has returned to collaborate with various artists around the country on projects that help publicize lithography.
Diana Gaston recently transitioned from the position of lead curator at Fidelity Investments in Boston, to the director of Tamarind Institute in Albuquerque. Gaston originally started as a curator at UNM and soon found herself working for Fidelity’s Investments Corporate Art Collection as a curator.
Gaston now begins the position at Tamarind while enjoying her return to New Mexico.
Gaston said her experience of leading curators in working and developing the collection of art for Fidelity Investments has motivated and prepared her for her new positions as director.
Tamarind Institute focuses on lithography, a printing process in which artists use greasy drawing materials to make original images on stones and metal plates. After the image is drawn, the print maker goes to work on making a print copy.
“It’s a very time consuming, and very exacting process,” Gaston said. “There is a great legacy of print makers who have trained the next generation of printmakers, and that is very much what we do here.”
One of the joys of her job is the ability to see artists who are new to the lithography approach, create new techniques or redefine the boundaries of this art process, she said.
That fresh experience allows the students to develop their communication skills as printers to the artists, and also learn how to incorporate creative and imaginative thinking into what they already know, she said.
Gaston said she wants to inform and educate people on lithography while taking steps to advance it further.
“The opportunity to collaborate directly with artists,” Gaston said. “The idea of bringing artists into this collaborative, creative environment and creating the environment where they can do their best work, but also it’s such a unique type of undertaking. It has this wonderful educational mission that was incorporated into its founding.”
Shelly Smith, the marketing and development specialist for Tamarind, said the institute is looking forward to seeing the artists Gaston decides to bring in and work with.
Tamarind Institute is designed specifically for printers and artists to work together on their projects. Students are preparing and processing art pieces with the artists beside them in close collaboration with the process.
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“Diana’s experience in collaborating with artists is important to her new position and will help the process between printmakers and artists,” Smith said.
Tamarind’s specific focus on lithography takes artists from various places and brings them into their workshop. Tamarind is a place where artists and printmakers can learn lithography, either for the first time, or to learn new ideas and techniques. This is where Gaston becomes vital and evident to the whole process.
Tamarind’s goal is to educate the public, artists and printmakers about lithography. It cultures relationships between printmakers and artists and introduces the public to artwork created through this complex printing process. Along with being a workshop for lithography, Tamarind is a gallery that exhibits the artwork produced.
“As the director I’ll be looking at the artists who I think will translate well, that have something to say for the medium or maybe experienced printmakers who haven’t worked in lithography yet,” Gaston said. “I am always looking at a painting, drawing or another print with the idea of, ‘How would that work in lithography?’”
Isaiah Jordan is a culture reporter at the Daily Lobo. He can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @dailylobo.
