Culture - The Daily Lobo

Culture

ABQ Tattoo fiesta showcases artists

Lauren McDonald | July 15

The annual New Mexico Tattoo Fiesta was held this last weekend at Isleta Casino. The event featured many different tattoo shops in Albuquerque such as Archetype Tattoo, Factory Edge and Route 66, in addition to many more from other countries and states. Hosted by Cervena Fox, the fiesta exhibited different portfolios from artists all over the world. It also held contests for the artist with the best art and the best artwork. During the festival, Isleta Casino was filled with people waiting to get tattoos, shopping and watching tattoos getting done. There were many vendors at the event, including Mindzai Apparel— a shop that is local to Austin, Texas, which sells rock-and-roll style clothes.

Culture

Local Comic Book Store Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Luisa Pennington | July 8

Located on the corner of Central Avenue and Richmond Drive, Astro-Zombies has been a staple to the Nob Hill community for the past two decades. This month, the comic book, vinyl and toy store celebrated their twentieth year in business. To honor this event, the store is offering a different discount every week. According to owner Mike D’Elia, the idea for a comic book store came to mind while he was working at Bow Wow records. Initially, D’Elia and a coworker had planned on creating a vintage ’80s video game arcade, but after looking into it, he realized the store needs to carry more than just video games to be able to afford rent. Astro-Zombies’ first location opened up in 1999 at a smaller shop across the street. It carried a plethora of toys and a handful of comics. It also rented out VHS tapes. According to D’Elia, there was a Pac-Man and a Centipede machine in the back of the store, as well.

Culture

Local traditions for the Fourth

Beatrice Nisoli | July 8

On July 4, Los Alamos residents poured out of the laboratory and into the streets displaying vibrant colors of red, white and blue. Independence Day in Los Alamos kicked off with its annual 5k Firecracker Fun Run. A few hours afterwards, the exhausted runners cleared the way for excited children parading down Central Avenue in the traditional Fourth of July Children’s Parade. Relatives of the paraders lined the sidewalks, marveling at the brightly decorated outfits, bicycles and scooters rolling past. Bill Hamilton, who has been a Los Alamos resident for twenty-two years, said the Children’s Parade has been the holiday tradition for as long as he can remember.

Culture

"Midsommar:" new cult classic

Colin Peña | July 8

Ari Aster’s second venture in to directing and writing a full length horror film, “Midsommar,” is a slow burn, meditating on how we associate with others when set in the context of a secretive commune’s macabre rituals. Aster’s first full project, “Hereditary,” came out in 2018 and it focused on a family experiencing trauma and loss while being manipulated by a satanist cult. Throughout the film, the relationships of the characters dissolve as they lose their trust in each other’s sanity and motivation. In the same vein, “Midsommar” focuses on people and their interactions as the situation around them violently falls apart.

Culture

Zimmerman acquires large Orwell collection

Justin Garcia | July 8

For thousands of American High School students, George Orwell is a mainstay of their literary education. Now, hundreds of first-edition copies of Orwell's classics in over a dozen languages belong to Zimmerman Library at the University of New Mexico. Retired UNM professor and curator emeritus Russ Davidson pledged his 600-plus collection to Zimmerman Library, and he is in the process of planning an exhibit. Davidson and Tomas Jaehn, the Director of the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections, said they see the Orwell collection as having a utility value to scholars at UNM and beyond.

Culture

ABQ Art Crawl showcases local talent

Lauren McDonald | July 8

On the first Friday of every month, the city of Albuquerque hosts the ABQ Art Crawl in locations like Downtown, the Heights, Old Town, Nob Hill and North Valley. This past Friday, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Daily Lobo visited the Downtown event, located around Central Avenue and Sixth Street. Decorating the streets of downtown, pop-up shops lined every sidewalk. One show was located at the Historic First National Bank. There, art pieces were showcased in an almost 100 year-old vault, as well as upstairs on the rooftop. One of the many artists at the Art Walk was Mark Vercammen, a photographer who had a gallery in the antique vault. His artworks used unconventional techniques like slightly diffusing the print in a dark room and using a silver gelatin print.

Culture

Former UNM prof named U.S. Poet Laureate

Beatrice Nisoli | June 30

Former University of New Mexico student and professor Joy Harjo was named the U.S. Poet Laureate last week. The Oklahoma-born poet and musician from the Muscogee (Creek) Nation will be the first indigenous person to fulfill this prestigious role, and she found the news to be “shocking.” “It’s quite an opportunity to serve poetry, to serve the community. What I especially love is that it honors Native peoples too.” Harjo credits the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA)— her high school— with initially influencing her to pursue the arts. However, it was only upon enrolling at the University of New Mexico in the early 1970s that Harjo discovered and fostered her love for writing poetry.

Culture

Fired up for the Fourth

Luisa Pennington | June 30

With temperatures reaching the mid to upper 90s, New Mexico’s summer is in full stride. This means that lake days, barbecues and camping trips are upon us. For many Americans, the Fourth of July is a holiday that is key to the summer experience. This week, communities across the nation will be celebrating America’s Day of Independence. For members of Albuquerque and Rio Rancho communities, the Fourth of July is a holiday where block parties and backyard get-togethers line almost every street. Explosions light up the air decorating the city skyline. Since aerial fireworks are far from legal, instead of risking the danger of the shells yourself, here’s a couple Fourth of July celebrations to attend:

Culture

Lobo's showcased in NM photo gallery

Amanda Britt | June 30

New Mexico Prints celebrated the grand opening of their gallery on Saturday, which showcased New Mexico’s beauty through high quality canvas prints shot by local photographers. Robert Jaramillo and Lyric Moya, the co-owners of the gallery, began planning their gallery a little over a year ago. While only being in the building for three months, they have transformed the space from a concrete shell to a functioning gallery with renovated walls, flooring and lighting. According to Jaramillo, they were inspired to create the exhibit to highlight the beauty of New Mexico, since they believe the media often highlights the negative aspects of Albuquerque.

Culture

UNM team places top five in rocket competition

Makayla Grijalva | June 24

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Nope, it’s a rocket. Eyes were fixed on the skies this week as more than 120 teams from across the globe gathered in the New Mexico desert to compete in the third annual Spaceport America Cup. University of New Mexico Lobo Launch placed top five in the 10,000 feet Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) motor category, announced Saturday at the awards ceremony. “It’s about precision and getting as close to that as possible and we were 600 feet off, which with our category is pretty good,” Victoria Ramirez, Project Lead for the 2019 Lobo Launch team, said to the Daily Lobo on Thursday. “We’re optimistic to see the see the results.”

Culture

Senior games boost economy

Alyssa Martinez | June 24

The biennial National Senior Games have brought visitors from all 50 states to the Land of Enchantment for two weeks of competition and community building. This year’s games are the largest in history, with 13,712 registered athletes spanning across 20 sporting events.The games have brought around 25,000 visitors to the city and local restaurants are feeding the demand. According to Tania Armenta, CEO and director of Visit Albuquerque, the games are projected to bring in at least $17 million in direct spending, and over $30 million in economic impact. One of the restaurants impacted is Frontier, a staple restaurant in Albuquerque best known for their breakfast dishes, green and red chile, flour tortillas and sweet rolls. Dorothy Rainosek, co-owner of the landmark restaurant, seems delighted to be giving visitors a taste of what the city has to offer.

Music

Review: "Doom Days" offers enticing musical story

Chris Mather | June 24

British band, Bastille, released their third studio album on Friday, June 14. This is the band’s first venture into concept albums. Exploring the themes of escape, “Doom Days” narrates what may happen when things might not be going as well as they could be. Beginning with “Quarter Past Midnight,” and ending with “Joy,” the album follows the path of a night out at a party while the world outside is in turmoil. Each of the 11 tracks represents a time during the night, going from 12:15 a.m. with ‘Quarter Past Midnight’ to 8:34 a.m. with ‘“Joy’.” Though each song is intertwined with one another through the main narration, the musical styles vary greatly, going from a somber ballad in “Divide” to the gospel choir assisted euphoric sound of “Joy.” Some songs feature the simple sounds of a plucked guitar, while others feature lead vocalist Dan Smith’s self harmonization. Some even have an ‘80s style synthesizer.

Culture

ABQ Folk Festival offers good music

Luisa Pennington | June 17

Albuquerque’s annual Folk Festival brought melodious tunes to Bosque School this Saturday, June 15. In this all-day festival, patrons were welcomed to purchase items from local vendors, participate in educational sessions, enjoy live performances and eat from a variety of food trucks. This was the first year the festival was held at Bosque School, as it was originally held at Balloon Fiesta Park. The day officially began at 10 a.m. as attendees lined up outside of the school's doors. Walking in, a group of local performers played classic folk songs. Here, patrons could also ask for assistance in signing up for workshops, signing up for Band/ Dance Scramble, and locating any one of the three large stages.

Culture

"Rocketman" offers inspiring take on Elton John's life

Amanda Britt | June 10

“Rocketman”, an impressive musical fantasy directed by Dexter Fletcher, tells the uncensored story of Sir Elton John’s breakthrough years, his struggle with addiction and finding the purest form of love from those close to him. The story begins with John (Taron Egerton) admitting he’s an alcoholic, a drug addict, a sex addict and a shopaholic at a group therapy session. He then tells his story to fame and fortune through biopic scenes and musical numbers set in his hometown of Pinner, England. Egerton is terrific as the singer in the movie – bringing an electrifying energy and high-level performance with him each time he goes on stage. Although he plays a character troubled by self-loathing and insecurities, Egerton does a great job of making the character multi-dimensional. Egerton’s commitment to the role shows as he effortlessly portrays the conflict John faces between his inner diva and pure musical genius.

Culture

Five things to keep you busy over the summer

Luisa Pennington | June 3

Existential dread got you down? Now that the semester is over, you may be wondering what to do. With the time to do whatever, whenever, you may be feeling a little disoriented. No worries, though. Here at the Daily Lobo, we have you covered. Here’s five things you can do with your freedom this summer:

Culture

Adrian Abeyta's 'unpredictable' college experience

Makayla Grijalva | May 6

“Unpredictable,” is how graduating senior Adrian Abeyta describes his overall college experience at the University of New Mexico. “In my brain I always have steps of things I want to get done,” Abeyta said. “I am probably a totally different person than I was when I started, and I really could never have predicted that I’d be a mechanical engineer.” Although he is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering this month, it wasn’t always Abeyta’s chosen degree path. He first started out as an Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media (IFDM) major and even did a semester-long stint in Pre-Pharmacy before settling on engineering. Abeyta’s younger brother, Esteban, 22, was not as surprised when Abeyta decided to pursue mechanical engineering.

Culture

Shayla Cunico discovers love of journalism at UNM

Danielle Prokop | May 6

Shayla Cunico isn’t fragmented, she’s kaleidoscopic. Cunico, the culture editor for the Daily Lobo has said her time at the University has helped to transform how she sees the world and carve out space for her authentic self. She’s learning now that despite how she has pulled in different directions, she could be a whole person and create something new. Graduation is looming but afterward she’s headed to Arizona State University, where orientation starts for her Masters in Visual Communication Design on May 28. Cunico said she feels she has one foot in two places as she finishes here but looks ahead to the program. “I’ve been trying to go through my head and see how I feel,” Cunico said. “But it’s difficult.”

Culture

The art of student-photography

Luisa Pennington | May 6

Last Friday seniors in Associate Professor of Photography Patrick Manning’s advanced photography class, presented their final projects in their art show: “If you don’t know the population of rats in an area, you don’t know anything…” The show showcased artwork exploring themes of technology, identity and familial ties. The Daily Lobo had the opportunity to get to know five of the ten seniors that presented their work at the show. Manning said that the students in his class made him feel like a passenger for the semester. "I guess for this particular group of students, the thing I was very impressed by was that they were all very self driven," Manning said. "It felt like I was a passenger. They were all very good about working together to produce the show."

Culture

Milkweed and Monarchs

Makayla Grijalva and Shayla Cunico | May 5

Tatia Veltkamp, owner of Wings of Enchantment, has a home filled to the brim with butterflies — whether it’s decorations on the walls or breeding monarchs fluttering in their mesh enclosure. Wings of Enchantment is a butterfly farm in northeast Albuquerque that ships butterflies to consumers across the country. What once started out as a hobby 18 years ago, has grown into a business of Veltkamp farming butterflies for the last nine years. Her customers purchase the butterflies to release them at weddings and other events. After release, it is expected that the monarchs migrate with the Eastern population “When my kids were little, I read an article in a magazine about how to go find caterpillars and eggs, but I didn’t know what milkweed was, so we had to figure out what milkweed was first in order to go find them,” Veltkamp said.

Culture

Heroes of Johnson Center

Sean Arguello | May 3

Johnson Center is a place on campus where students go to destress. However, it is the people who work at Johnson Center that make a difference. One student-employee at Johnson is University of New Mexico student Jaquan Franklin. Franklin worked his way up for six months to assistant supervisor at Johnson Center. Franklin said in order to work at Johnson, a person must have “hard work and dedication, a good attitude and the ability to focus on customers.”