Artist Ralph Sanders shares his graphic novel “Pilgrim’s Progress” with a visitor to the ‘Truth, Justice and Freedom of Expression’ exhibit in Step Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library. The exhibit will be shown through Sept. 11. Courtesy photo.
STEP UP GALLERY NEWS RELEASE
“Truth, Justice and Freedom of Expression” is the latest offering from Step Up Gallery at Mesa Public Library. The show opened on Saturday, Augus16 and runs through September 11, 2025.
Invited artists include Jason Garcia, Israel Haros Lopez, Michael Andryck, and Ralph Sanders, among others. Eight New Mexico artists were invited to show their work in this show- artists who take on difficult subjects with skill and unique perspectives. These artists bring various media such as serigraph, scratchboard, pen and ink illustration and painting to subjects as
diverse as immigration, colonialism, and the role of money in society.
Jason Garcia, also known as Okuu Pin, is an award-winning artist who has shown his work widely, including at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C and the Museum of Contemporary Native Art in Santa Fe. He is exhibiting 7 panels that illustrate the Native experience of the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. His vision is to use contemporary imagery and styles to present historical events.
Ralph Sanders’ submission for this exhibit is several large panels from a graphic novel done entirely in the medium of scratchboard, where a black surface is scratched away to reveal white lines that create the images. This graphic novel is a contemporary rewrite of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. Each panel is a thought-provoking study of temptations and weaknesses of contemporary life.
Israel Haros Lopez is a painter, poet and teacher who was born East Los Angeles to immigrant parents of Mexican descent. He brings his firsthand knowledge of the realities of migration, U.S. border policies, and life as a Mexican American to his work with families and youth as a mentor, educator, art instructor, ally, workshop facilitator and activist. He is showing nine acrylic paintings from his series called Mexican American Jazz Codex.
Michael Andryc is an Albuquerque artist whose work will be familiar to many in Los Alamos, as he is a regular exhibitor at Los Alamos venues. For this exhibit he has submitted work that hasn’t been shown here before. He has the recurring character of the Wolfman in many of his paintings. Andryc’s work falls into categories such as social commentary, legacy lore and self-portraiture, through which he explores topics such as technology, money, politics and TV news.
Other artists in this exhibit include the graphic novelists and illustrators Jeff Benham, Pete and Paul Ziomek, Ivy Rose, and Tony Borek.
This show is intended to complement the Los Alamos Public Library’s Atomicon, which will take place on August 30. More information about Atomicon can be found on the Library’s event calendar.
Step Up Gallery (https://stepupgallery.org) is on the top level of Mesa Public Library in Los Alamos, at 2400 Central Ave. The gallery is open the same hours as the library: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and 1-5 p.m., Sunday.