Another of Art Santa Fe’s 2026 Spotlight recipients, Ben Garza is a contemporary artist whose work celebrates the vibrant culture, landscapes, and spirit of the American Southwest. Drawing inspiration from his Texas roots, Garza creates bold and expressive paintings that blend color, movement, and storytelling into visually compelling works of art. His artistic vision reflects a deep appreciation for heritage, community, and the beauty found in everyday life. Known for his dynamic compositions and confident use of color, we wanted to know more about this artist’s inspirations.

Art Business News: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is?

Ben Garza: Hello, my name is Ben Garza. I am a local Santa Fe visual artist working in oil medium. My vision as an artist is to push the boundary of visual language. I achieve this with multiple levels of interest, such as broad strokes, scratching, and introspective color harmonies. I like to create a piece that offers something new each time one views the painting.

ABN: What is your background?

BG: I have been an artist and musician my whole life. One has always fueled the other. I received my Bachelor of Music from City College of New York. And then, went on to live in the south of France obtaining my Master of Fine Art in Aix-en-Provence. I have traveled the world and lived in a handful of cities. I believe that it is through these life experiences that I can inject my work with considerable variance.

ABN: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

BG: My work philosophy is to be a vessel. I aim to remove all earthly thoughts and allow the work to flow out of me. This impacts my work by allowing the piece to inform me of what is essential. In this way it allows the work to become its own personality and upon completion we both arrive at a point of new relations.

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

BG: Some artists that inspire me are Eugene Delacroix, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Georgia O’Keeffe, Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt. I gravitate towards rule breakers and innovators!

ABN: What is the best advice you’ve received?

BG: The best advice I received is to make work with honesty and integrity. All other artifacts will fall into place if the works can withstand the test of time.

ABN: When you are not working, where can we find you?

BG: When I am not working you can find me with my wife. We like camping, reading, and sitting by the river just taking in nature and its natural beauty.

ABN: What does exhibiting at Art Santa Fe 2026 mean to you?

BG: Exhibiting at Art Santa Fe 2026 means so much to me. I am very happy to have an opportunity to present my work to the public. It was exciting to establish connections, cultivate partnerships, and meet new people!

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To learn more about Ben Garza, please visit:

Website: http://www.bengarzastudios.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bengarzastudios/

Ellen Gonzales is an Arizona based artist whose work celebrates the beauty, spirit, and symbolism of the natural world. Through expressive paintings inspired by birds, wildlife, florals, and Southwestern landscapes, she creates imagery that reflects a deep connection to nature and the emotional experiences it evokes. Ellen and her work were recognized as one of the Spotlight recipients for Art Santa Fe 2026. Art Business News was interested in knowing more about this first-time Art Santa Fe exhibitor.

Art Business News: Introduce yourself — who you are and your vision as an artist.

Ellen Gonzales: I’m Ellen Gonzales, the artist behind White Bird Fine Art. I am a faith-based artist; even though my paintings aren’t directly representational, faith is the foundation and heart behind the work. My hope is that my work is felt that it brings hope, light and healing. I like to play when I create so I use a lot of mark making, inks, spray paint, collage, and acrylics in the underpainting then pull it all together and finish it with oils. I love my process and the layers it encompasses.

ABN: What is your background?

EG: I have always loved the arts and creating. I took a few art classes in high school and college, but I did not pursue art as a career until 2020. Even then, I only took it on full-time in the last four years, which coincided with my decision to homeschool my two teens. I wanted to grow and refresh my technique, as I had a lot of vision but lacked confidence in the execution. So, I signed up for the Mastery Program at the Milan Art Institute, where I built the technical foundation, my work stands on now.

ABN: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

EG: My philosophy is that we are all created for a purpose. No matter our history or circumstance, we can grow and bloom. I paint mostly florals because they can convey so much. What’s funny is my mom decorated all of our homes in florals (stenciling them on most walls) and I swore I would never have florals in my house. Now it’s the majority of what I paint… interesting. I love that painting can say so much without using any words. My hope is that when someone walks up to my paintings, they feel something: hope, love, encouragement, or a sense of joy. That they would experience them and then of course take it home.

I write scriptures, words of encouragement, or positive quotes into the ground of the canvas. Sometimes I collage old hymns, or different textures. Then gold leaf. The oil goes on top of all of it. You can’t see most of it in the finished piece. That’s the point. The words are still there, holding the surface up. What’s buried is still bearing weight.

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

EG: I love the work of Dimitra and Elli Milan, Vanessa Horabuena, and Kim Black’s gorgeous florals; I admire many artists. If we are talking about the old masters Monet is probably my favorite.

ABN: What is the best advice you’ve received?

EG: Paint every day whether you feel like it or not.

ABN: When you are not working, where can we find you?

EG: Probably having a movie night with my husband, two kids and four dogs all snuggled on the couch together. Yes, my teens still snuggle with me. I also enjoy reading and playing guitar. I love leading women’s Bible studies; I have a heart for women knowing who they are in Christ (which is the heart of my She Is Collection).

ABN: What did exhibiting at Art Santa Fe 2026 mean to you?

EG: It’s a big step for me. It’s investing in myself and what I believe to be true. I spend my days painting about dry seasons not being dead seasons, hope in the waiting and being met in the middle of a season nobody else notices. To be chosen for this especially out of the field, into the Spotlight is that same truth landing in my own life. I don’t take it lightly. Santa Fe is one of the “serious rooms” in this country for original work.  It’s a threshold. I’m walking through it grateful, and ready.

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To learn more about Ellen Gonzales and White Bird Fine Art, please visit:

Website: http://www.whitebirddesignco.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitebirdfineart

Olga Lavrova was selected by Art Santa Fe’s curatorial team as one of this year’s Spotlight recipients. Art Business News was intrigued and wanted to know more about this contemporary artist whose work is inspired by the beauty of nature, the emotional power of color, and the timeless connection between people and their environment. Originally trained in classical artistic techniques, Lavrova has developed a distinctive visual style that blends technical precision with expressive creativity.

Art Business News: Introduce yourself — who you are and what your vision as an artist is?

Olga Lavrova: I guess I think of myself as an observer of life, fascinated by everything around me. I am more attracted to things of a quiet, pensive nature. As an artist I want to highlight the intricacy and poignancy of feelings in quiet moments that are often missed in the fast-paced, overwhelming reality of modern day. I feel that through appreciating the depth and preciousness of seemingly routine and simple things, whether they concern people or nature, we become more compassionate and more humane. My goal as an artist is to inspire my viewers to pause, reflect, think and connect with these feelings.

ABN: What is your background? 

OL: I was born in Moscow, Russia, and my family moved to California when I was in my early teens. I had a conventional upbringing, focused strongly on good education, and I did not allow myself to step away from that path until later in life. After getting my degree in Mathematics/Economics, I built a solid career in audit and compliance. At some point I went back to Moscow for several years and that’s when I started taking painting lessons with an artist whose work I admired. After some time, painting consumed me and I felt that I found my true purpose. In the summer of 2021, I came back to California and decided to focus full time on my art. Since then, I have exhibited at shows mostly in Southern California and was once selected by the city of Encinitas Visual Arts Program curators to hold a two month-long exhibit at the City Hall. Since I was not always an artist, there’s still a part of me that’s in disbelief when my work gets high praise and recognition, and I am so grateful for all the support I receive that keeps me motivated.

ABN: What is your work philosophy and how does that impact your work?

OL: I only paint once I become obsessed with a certain idea and the feeling builds up. For me, depth and intensity of emotion when working on a piece is essential to creating something worthy. At the same time, I dislike grandiose, loud, direct images and I spend a lot of time developing the right way to say what I want to say in a quiet, subtle way. In my paintings, the atmosphere, the feeling, is first and foremost, so I have to really channel that into my work. Because of this, my work is very susceptible to changes in my emotional state. Sometimes I can go up to a couple of months without painting anything and then go on a spree and paint a lot in a very short period. It can be a real nuisance, especially if I have a show coming up soon and want to bring new work, but I just can’t force it.

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

OL: I can’t really say that there are any particular ones that inspire me. I just do my own thing the way I feel it. In my work I am more inspired by people, nature, and events. I do admire a lot of artists though – old masters, as well as contemporary. I (embarrassingly) just recently, discovered Caspar David Friedrich and was stunned by how much his work resonated with me. I also love discovering new favorites at art shows I go to and am a proud owner of several pieces by fellow artists. My current obsession is Gia Chikvaidze – his work just transports you to another world.

ABN: What artist(s) inspire you?

OL: I can’t really say that there are any particular ones that inspire me. I just do my own thing the way I feel it. In my work I am more inspired by people, nature, and events. I do admire a lot of artists though – old masters, as well as contemporary. I (embarrassingly) just recently, discovered Caspar David Friedrich and was stunned by how much his work resonated with me. I also love discovering new favorites at art shows I go to and am a proud owner of several pieces by fellow artists. My current obsession is Gia Chikvaidze – his work just transports you to another world.

ABN: What is the best advice you’ve received?

OL: Don’t dwell on failed pieces. Forget it and move on. Even the best artists can’t create a masterpiece every time. (Is it actually true? I still kinda suspect they can..)

ABN: When you are not working, where can we find you?

OL: On the road across the states, in my yard watching birds, lizards and whatever else makes its way in, or on a couch with my family, dog, book, wine, playing video games, etc.

ABN: What did exhibiting at Art Santa Fe 2026 mean to you?

OL: A lot! Testing new waters, meeting people, expanding my presence, gaining more visibility. This was my first time at Art Santa Fe, but I loved all the other ones I’ve been to in the series, so I am very excited to add a new one to the list.

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To learn more about Olga Lavrova, please visit:

Website: https://olga-lavrova.square.site/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Olga_Lavrova_Art

Alejandro Robles – Booth 1215

Miramar, Florida

https://www.alejandrorobles.cl/

Alejandro Robles is a Chilean-Spanish artist who originally trained as an architect but found his creative calling in fine art. His work features clean compositions, clear linear structures, and visually precise forms, often balancing between abstraction and figuration. Robles’s art is an ongoing exploration of structure, visual order, and expressive restraint.

Alex Lanier – Booth 905

Miami, Florida

https://www.alexlanierart.com/

Alex Lanier is a contemporary digital artist, illustrator, and fine art creator whose work fuses realism, imagination, and narrative storytelling. Lanier is best known for his richly detailed digital paintings that explore culture, history, and fantasy through a cinematic lens. Lanier’s art often highlights heroic figures, spiritual themes, and Afrofuturist influences, blending historical reverence with futuristic vision.

Antoinette Schultze – Booth 1601

Eliot, Maine

https://antoinettepschultze.com/

Antoinette Schultze’s sculptures evolve from her perception of relationships—her connection to nature, to people, and to the materials she uses. Each piece combines two, three, or more materials, relying on their interplay to convey expression and beauty. The emotions conveyed through the sculpture’s form are further enriched by the symbolic colors she selects for the glass.

Bula Barua – Booth 1401

Clearwater, Florida

https://bulagallery.com/

Bula Barua is an award-winning contemporary artist and the creator of Blown Glass on Canvas, a groundbreaking art form that fuses traditional painting with luxury materials including artist-blown glass, 24-karat gold, precious gems, and raw pigments. Her luminous masterpieces shimmer and evolve with the light, creating jeweled surfaces that invite viewers into a world of awe, beauty, and emotional connection.

Charlotte Fonne – Booth 1001

Miami Beach, Florida

https://charlottefonne.com/

With two decades as a film and documentary editor, Charlotte Fonne refines the art of visual storytelling—combining images to reveal deeper meaning. She describes her work as cinematic scenes woven into a single composite, uncovering hidden details and connections that bring memory to life. Her narrative-driven approach bridges the present with echoes of the past, drawing inspiration from Impressionist, Cubist, and Surrealist masters.

A curated group of gentlemen art professionals