LUMINARIA: A Collaborative Art Show by Max Baptiste & Esteban Ismael Durán

Opening November 28, 2025 — Acosta Strong Fine Art Gallery
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

On November 28th, 2025, Acosta Strong Fine Art Gallery will open its doors for LUMINARIA, a powerful collaborative exhibition that brings together two of New Mexico’s most compelling contemporary artists: Max Baptiste and Esteban Ismael Durán. Through distinct mediums, shared cultural roots, and a deep reverence for place, Baptiste and Durán illuminate the past and present of the Southwest in ways that feel both timeless and boldly innovative.

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A Meeting of Origins and Vision

Though they come from different corners of New Mexico, Baptiste and Durán share a bond shaped by heritage, lived experience, and a commitment to honoring the landscapes and cultures that shaped them.

Max Baptiste: Minimalism, Memory, and the Western Lens

Born in Taos and raised in the quiet valley of San Cristobal, Max Baptiste carries the imagery of northern New Mexico in his bones. Before exhibiting his own artwork, Baptiste built an impressive multidisciplinary career—developing video games, producing large-scale art installations, and curating institutional exhibitions. These experiences sharpened his eye for detail, structure, and narrative.

Now, with his series of contemporary Western paintings on glass, Baptiste offers a distilled visual language. His work embraces minimalism as a form of storytelling—reducing iconic Southwestern forms to their essential shapes and tones. The translucence of glass becomes symbolic: memory, light, and geography all shift depending on the viewer’s angle. His paintings reveal the simplicity and silence of the high desert, the geometry of mesas, and the color fields of a region he has known intimately since childhood.

Esteban Ismael Durán: Tradition Reimagined Through Modern Craft

Albuquerque-born Esteban Ismael Durán grew up in Old Town, surrounded by a vibrant artistic community. His early mentorship in tinwork from the late master craftsman Ted Arellanes sparked a lifelong commitment to hand-driven craft, innovation, and mixed media expression.

Durán’s career spans museum acquisitions, county and city public art commissions, and a remarkable chapter in the Pacific Northwest with Michael Curry Design, where he helped create masks and puppets for Disney’s The Lion King productions on Broadway and global stages. This work honed his skills in sculptural engineering, form, and storytelling through movement.

Since returning to New Mexico in 2016, Durán has continued to push boundaries. His work incorporates repurposed materials, layered textures, and a distinct interplay between tradition and experimentation—reflecting both his heritage and an ever-evolving creative curiosity.

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The Collaboration: Light, TIN, and a Shared Sense of Place

LUMINARIA marks a striking new collaboration between Baptiste and Durán—one that unites modern minimal Western paintings on glass with handcrafted, artistically engineered tin frames. Though their mediums differ dramatically, both artists are shaped by New Mexico’s landscapes, traditions, and visual rhythms.

At the heart of the exhibition are Baptiste’s contemporary works: clean, distilled compositions on glass that interpret the West through shape, light, and intentional simplicity. These luminous pieces take on new dimension when housed within Durán’s meticulously crafted tin frames. Drawing on New Mexican tinwork traditions yet infused with his own sculptural sensibility, Durán creates frames that are not merely borders—they are extensions of the artwork itself.

Together, the glass and tin form a unified object:
transparency paired with metal,
minimalism grounded by craft,
the modern West held within the language of tradition.

The title LUMINARIA speaks to this fusion. Just as luminarias glow against the winter dark, these works radiate—light passing through glass, catching the patterned surfaces of tin, and reflecting the shared heritage of two artists in dialogue.

Their collaborative pieces explore:

• how traditional tinwork can elevate and contextualize contemporary art
• the interplay of light, reflection, and patterned metal
• the spirit and architecture of the New Mexican landscape
• a living lineage of craft, reimagined for the modern West

The result is a body of work that feels both grounded and ethereal—deeply rooted in cultural memory while boldly pushing the boundaries of material and form.

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Acosta Strong Fine Art Gallery: A Home for New Mexican Voices

Hosting LUMINARIA is a natural fit for Acosta Strong Fine Art Gallery, which champions artists whose work is deeply connected to New Mexican culture, land, and community. This exhibition highlights not only the talents of Baptiste and Durán but also the richness and diversity of the region’s contemporary art scene.

Visitors can expect an unforgettable opening day: an opportunity to meet the artists, explore one-of-a-kind collaborative works, and experience the glow, spirit, and creative energy that inspired the show’s title.

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Event Details

Opening Reception:
November 28, 2025
11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Location:
Acosta Strong Fine Art Gallery

Exhibiting Artists:
Max Baptiste & Esteban Ismael Durán
Exhibition Title: LUMINARIA
Featuring: Collaborative works from both artists featuring a minimal paintings with tin frames

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A Celebration of Southwestern Light and Spirit

LUMINARIA is more than an exhibition—it is a celebration of the landscapes, traditions, and stories that continue to shape New Mexico’s creative legacy. Through their collaboration, Baptiste and Durán shine new light on what it means to be an artist rooted in place yet drawn toward innovation.

Join us on November 28th to witness the glow.