A Year in the Rearview Mirror – how things are BIGGER than they appear…

It’s been a year. You can interpret that statement in a number of ways, to mean a number of things – and any way you slice it would not be wrong. 2021 has come, and is about to be GONE. If you’re ready or not, we will be into 2022 before you can blink and prepare yourself for more. We live in a world of MORE MORE MORE. Notice the lack of commas, because that’s the way it comes at us. Art on The Rio, worked through the “more” of 2021 strategically.

A number of opportunities and ideas have come our way in the last 12 months; we’ve had to be selective and strategic in growing this market place and collective capacity effort of ours – of yours. We are grateful for the growth. We have learned a few things. Here we are, ready to share them with you: 

• • • There is a market for art in Albuquerque. This is something we always knew – but that YOU, the buyers have confirmed. 
    • There is a community that is thirsty for collaboration when it comes to visual artists. So many folks think that painters like to be hemmed up in their studios creating their pieces in solitude and silence – the pandemic, and the launch of AOR as we know it, has proved that this is simply NOT the case. Artists thrive in community. 
    • Collective effort is NOT something everyone admires. Where there is success, there will be skeptics. We have a bunch of folks rooting for us; and some misinformed and malaligned ones hoping we fail – that’s just part of it all. 
    • Our future’s so bright – we don’t have to throw shade. I, the co-founder with the biggest mouth of the pair, will be the first to admit that competition breeds in me something that wants to be loud and bite back when knocked. I have come to realize we need be about love and prosperity, success and possibility in this city of ours – if even we aren’t met with those sentiments. 2022 and beyond will bring nothing but LOVE from the likes of Art On The Rio. 
    • This is only the beginning. Over 70k made for artists in ABQ – and we’ve just begun to do what we do. Look for us in the future as AOR grows “digital” wings and flies off into the world of NFTs. 

We appreciate the support and love we have received from folks ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. We successfully sold and shipped art to two handfuls of cities around the nation, and plan to continue doing so as we head into another year of operations. We are also remaining open to the idea of expanding our footprint in the Southwest region of the United States. Before the calendar year ends, we are stoked about the reality of having grown into the market that is just fifty miles north of Burque –  Santa Fe. We are approaching these sort of partnerships with some caution and hope – and we are grateful for the successes this approach has shown so far. To all the artists and buyers, to the patrons and fans of art, to the painters and the kids who are fed by paint brushes we want to say “Thank you!” Thank you for believing in us – yourselves – each other. We are in this together. Here’s the future. We couldn’t do it without you.