An Open Letter to the Arts Community in Santa Fe, NM

About the time this particular piece posts, our now-former associate director and the brilliant painter Max-Carlos Martinez will be heading to the airport to begin a new chapter of his life in Santa Fe. Max has a good deal of catching up to do with his family, most of whom live in New Mexico, and he's working on two upcoming solo exhibitions he has in 2011, but after he's settled in he will begin to look for work out there as well.

I realize I could just write Max a letter of recommendation (and will for anyone who wishes), but the one-page format and tone that's considered polite for such testaments couldn't begin to express how very fortunate I know the art gallery or museum in Santa Fe will be that invites Max to join their team. To say that Max has been the heart and soul of our gallery the six years he worked with us would be to only minimize how charmingly and expertly he managed client relations (with both collectors and artists), how I knew when I left town that there was never any reason to worry about how perfectly everything would run under Max's guidance (no small thing for a control freak like myself, let me tell you), and how he was always a trustworthy (and very patient) sounding-board with a keen sense for when I was drifting in my reasoning or letting my emotions get the better of me.

Max not only understands the essence of our gallery's mission as well as I do, he helped promote it in every interaction he had, whether by offering solid advice to artists stopping by to see if we were looking at work or talking at length with our represented artists so that he could not only sell their work but serve as a reliable sounding-board for them as well. Max did all this not because we could afford to pay him a king's ransom, but because, as an artist and as a dealer, his understanding for what drives people to make, discuss, and purchase art is personal. His participation in all this has been a labor of love. He represents the very best of the art market, in my opinion; business smart and art passionate.

We of course wish Max was not leaving. We have a good team in place in the gallery, but we miss our Mr. Martinez already. But I know that the space in Santa Fe smart enough to bring him on board will be extremely happy they've done so. I will be very happy to vouch for him in person as well (just call me at the gallery any time).

Treat him well, Santa Fe. You're inheriting a gem of a human being and an amazing asset to any organization.