Putting forth your paws | Irene Hardwicke Olivieri speaks about her work

Join us for a lively conversation with the exuberant artist, Irene Hardwicke Olivieri. Saturday, June 27, 1PM at EVOKE Contemporary. An energetic storyteller, Irene Hardwicke Olivieri will share the origins of her nickname, Snackadora, and the stories that drive her unique and vibrant paintings and sculptures. “We moved to this house on the Taos Plateau a year and a half ago. Vinny, one of our closest neighbors, lives 2 miles away came to help us insulate my studio. He’s a big bear of a man from the Bronx and I kept bringing plates of snacks while he worked to keep him happy. Soon he made up the nickname Snackadora for me. As I got to know others who lived around here I realized they were all bachelors; I like to share food with them, invite them for Thanksgiving and various meals. The painting Snackadora of the mesa shows me with my four cats, driving food around to the men of the mesa. There’s a pot of beans cooking away, a desert cart, fresh fruit, silverware, burritos, popcorn; all kinds of good snacks. One morning I woke up and knew I had to make a sculpture of the Snackadora. It was so fun using a jigsaw to cut out all of the food that she carries around on her cholla bindle. I learned the word bindle from Two Mama, my grandmother in south Texas who used to feed hobos who travelled through the farm—she was the original Snackadora! Every morning I get up at 5 to feed snacks to the ravens, hummingbirds, cottontails, squirrels, quail, kangaroo rats and other creatures that live around here. My work in Snackadora will be like unexpected treats for viewers, satisfying cravings, and boosting energy. Many of the paintings in the show are inspired by the Rio Grande River which I grew up near and now live 1000 miles upstream, a short walk to the edge of the Rio Grande River Gorge. I was baptized in the river and spent much of my childhood on the family farm along the riverbank. I love the leap from then to now.”