Rivaling venues found in more sophisticated art destinations such as Miami and New York, this uniquely blended art and photography showplace has given the vision of two men, S. Tinsley Preston III and Paul Schranz, a tangible form.

A recent transplant to New Mexico, Gallery Director Paul Schranz is a retired university professor who schooled juniors, seniors and graduate students in the finer points of art at Governors State University, Chicago, for more than 30 years. By contrast, owner S. Tinsley Preston heads up a major Chicago publishing house which produces a variety of magazines focusing on subjects from photography and boating to scientific research. Schranz confides tongue in cheek, “I moved from Chicago to Las Cruces to retire and Tinsley came down here and ruined it, so there you are. Seriously, the gallery is here because I love the Southwest. It is the only place I have lived for which I feel a true affinity. When Tinsley saw the area, he agreed that it was the perfect location to build an art gallery, and once that was decided, we were both determined to do it right.”

All who visit the Preston Contemporary Art Center would have to agree that the duo got it more than “right.” From its sparkling white Mexican hacienda style exterior and the outdoor sculpture garden to three elegantly understated interior galleries whose 15-foot high ceilings accommodate even large scale paintings and sculpture, everything is displayed to its best advantage.

Placing an emphasis on strong, expressive abstract presentations, the gallery showcases not only paintings, but also panoramic photography and dynamic sculpture. Schranz is proud of the fact that the artwork on display is always of museum quality created by working artists who have established a substantial record of exhibitions and collectors over the past ten to thirty years. “When I realized Tinsley and I were going to open a gallery, I spent two years researching artists we would like to show,” he explains. “With each juried exhibition viewers will have the opportunity to view work not only from across the United States, but our aim is also to have at least 30 percent participation by international artists.” To date they have shown paintings and sculpture by artists from Norway, Mexico, the Ukraine, Haiti and England.

“We operate on a different basis than many galleries,” Schranz explains. “Rather than representing a specific stable of artists in the traditional sense, the center negotiates a 90 day contract with each artist for a primary show. We settled upon this quarterly schedule of exhibitions in order to accommodate collectors from outside this immediate area who might travel to view the work after the opening date.”

In some cases, if the artist wishes to continue a relationship with the center, the gallery may extend their contract for an additional 90 days. Hold over work is then rotated to the South Gallery while the North and West Galleries and the Galleria showcase new offerings. Additionally, works in stone, steel and bronze, ceramic and plaster draw viewers to an inviting outdoor sculpture garden.

Schranz reports, “Thus far, the community acceptance of high end contemporary art has been astounding and sales are better than we expected. One of the most gratifying comments I have received is when people come in and say, ‘I can’t believe I’m not in New York.’ The fact that we had 780 people at our July 11th grand opening validates our belief that this type of gallery can be successful. The demographics of El Paso, Las Cruces and Mesilla are changing to include many retirees from out of state, and homes here are designed to accommodate large-scale work. Art of this level really doesn’t have any boundaries when it comes to identifying specific appeal. On any given day our clientele is across the board in all ethnic and age groups.”

Because the presence of a fine art gallery also plays a major role in enhancing the local quality of life and drawing tourists into Southern New Mexico, the Preston Center not only advertises in premier art magazines such as Art in America, Santa Fe’s THE Magazine and their own Xhibit catalog, but they also send out invitations to an extensive list of collectors in surrounding states.

Already scheduled a year in advance, Preston Contemporary Art Center’s quarterly exhibitions feature occasional juried selections, such as “The Nylon Show” which will open April 10 and run through June 28, 2009. According to the show’s prospectus, “Nylon can be considered a textile with surface, weight and strength, while at the same time offering elements of sexuality and spirituality in content.” Using this definition as her guideline, Juror Laura Rabb, owner of Tucson’s 6th at 6th Gallery will face an interesting challenge in selecting the work for this uniquely themed exhibition.

Dressed in a coat and tie as his daily working wardrobe, Schranz relates, “I believe people appreciate the upscale ambience conveyed not only by the quality of the art on the walls, but being assisted by a well, trained, knowledgeable sales staff and the setting itself. We’ve made our openings a special event comparable to attending a symphony concert. The majority of our artists are in attendance at these openings, which gives people a chance to interact with the artists and query them about their vision and technique. Should a collector come in at other times, we have the technical ability to set up a teleconference with many of our artists.”

Built as an art gallery from its inception, the facility itself is also a high tech wonder featuring the latest in “green” technology. Daytime illumination is currently provided by strategically spaced skylights, which have reflecting mirrors that increase the light, while night lighting is equally as efficient. “We are one of the first galleries in the United States to have total LED lighting on the interior, and we plan to go solar powered as soon as possible.” With 13 inch thick walls, heating and cooling are at a minimum, and even exterior landscaping is watered by run off collected by its poured vinyl roofed design.

As if all this did not make the Preston Contemporary Art Center special enough, the center also offers digital imaging workshops conducted in a state-of-the art Mac lab replete with large format printers and scanners. “We specialize in intensive two to five day workshops conducted by professional photographic educators, writers and widely published and exhibited photographers who are highly trained in every aspect of the medium.” The Mesilla Digital Imaging Workshops also recently attained certification as an official Cannon training facility.

In the Summer 2008 issue of Xhibit, Mary Ann Redding, Curator of Photography at the Palace of the Governors/New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe, offers a commentary, which succinctly summarizes the Preston Contemporary Art Center’s purpose as a place to display “a small sampling of the variety of art that characterizes human creative expression. Each artist, in his or her own way, seeks to communicate, enrich and challenge us to enter that quiet place where emotion emanates, prompting a visceral response not only to the artwork, but to life itself.” Guided by these precepts, each visitor to the Preston Contemporary Art Center is certain to come away with an experience that is uniquely his own.