516 ARTS
Share
A nonprofit contemporary art museum in Downtown Albuquerque.
✨THE REST IS DRAG✨: Opening July 11, 6-8pm
https://www.eventbrite.com/o/516-arts-23044783137
516 ARTS
Contemporary Art for Everyone
516 ARTS is an independent, nonprofit, contemporary art museum in the center of Downtown Albuquerque that celebrates thought-provoking art in the here and now. We feature local, national, and international artists and inspire curiosity, risk-taking and creative experimentation. 516 ARTS offers fresh perspectives on relevant issues and cultivates engagement between diverse artists and communities. Founded in 2006, 516 ARTS produces curated exhibitions focused on socially relevant topics, accompanied by public programs including collaborations with museums and organizations around the region and beyond, public art projects, talks, panel discussions, the 516 WORDS literary arts series, workshops, performances and more. Education programs include exhibitions tours for schools and community groups with curriculum support packets for teachers, youth activities and more. Many of the exhibitions feature artwork for sale, with a portion of sales benefiting our public programs,
In 2016, 516ARTS established Fulcrum Fund as a partner in the Regional Regranting Program of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, distributing grants directly to artists for artist-organized activities in our region.
Join 516 ARTS TOMORROW at 2pm for an artist panel with Apolo Gomez and Chris E. Vargas, presented in conjunction with The Rest Is Drag. In conversation with Curator Olivia Amaya Ortiz, Gomez and Vargas will reflect on their approaches to contemporary art, their experiences working across different forms and mediums, and some of the ideas that resonate with The Rest Is Drag.
Apolo Gomez is a visual artist based in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Working across photography, painting, collage, and installation, his interdisciplinary practice explores q***rness, Chicanx identity, memory, desire, and mortality.
Chris E. Vargas is a Los-Angeles based video maker and interdisciplinary artist whose work uses humor and performance to explore how q***r and trans people negotiate historical and institutional memory and popular culture.
This conversation offers an opportunity to engage more deeply with the artists' ideas and lived experiences on view in our final exhibition at our Central location.
RSVP link is in our bio! We hope to see you
09/18/2026
Traveling through Albuquerque in a 1970s Dodge Dart, “The Simulated Road: a cinematic podcast” by Jesse Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblos) transforms the car as neither sculpture nor machine, but as a simulator of sincere driving conversations moving through past and present-day space. The road has become a moving studio where Littlebird occupies a moving contradiction: an Indigenous vessel transformed into a contemporary image. The project’s dialogue is centered around what it means to be a place-based person in New Mexico.
Spend time with Jesse Littlebird’s work in “The Rest is Drag,” on view now until October 11th, 2026!
Video Credit: Jesse Littlebird (Laguna/Kewa Pueblos), The Simulated Road: a cinematic podcast, 2026. Video (projector).
09/11/2026
Thank you to everyone who joined us last Friday for our first event at our 1st Street location!
This was the first exclusive opportunity for the public to get a sneak peak of the future of contemporary art in downtown Albuquerque. Thank you The Albuquerque Artwalk for coordinating the community together with over 20 vendors and live musical performances. Also, thank you to Explora Science Center for providing hands-on, educational activites for the artists of tomorrow!
Keep an eye out for more information for the grand-opening of our new space in November, you won't want to miss it.
09/09/2026
September 11 - Poetry Workshop with Manuel González
Join us from 6-8pm for a Poet Laureate led workshop at 516 ARTS. Sign up via the link in our bio!
09/08/2026
Featuring Keira Farias, Sarita Sol González, Savannah P. Rodriguez, Kristin Patton and New Mexico Poet Laureate Manuel González, 516 Words presented it's first reading of 2026 on August 24!
Join us on September 11th from 6-8pm for your opportunity to explore identity, culture, history, and personal experience through your writing, guided by Laureate Manuel. Through prompts, conversation, and creative exercises, González will encourage participants to consider the stories we carry, the communities that shape us, and the ways poetry can give voice to experiences that are deeply personal while connecting us to something larger. Sign up with the link in our bio.
08/27/2026
08/26/2026
August 28th at 7pm - 516 WORDS is back, featuring Sarita Sol González! Link in bio to RSVP.
González is a dynamic performance poet hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Their poetry has been featured in numerous anthologies, and in 2016, they published their debut collection, Burquenita, with Swimming With Elephants Publications.
This series will present workshops and readings collaboratively developed with New Mexico Poet Laureate Manuel González.
Want to get involved? This event will also be your opportunity to learn more about future 516 WORDS workshops lead by Manuel González.
08/22/2026
August 28th at 7pm - 516 WORDS is back, featuring Kristin Patton! Link in bio to RSVP.
In 2026, Farias represented NACA as a youth poet at Brave New Voices, a national youth poetry festival and competition in Madison, Wisconsin. Her work is rooted in an understanding of storytelling as more than artistic expression.
This series will present workshops and readings collaboratively developed with New Mexico Poet Laureate Manuel González.
Want to get involved? This event will also be your opportunity to learn more about future 516 WORDS workshops lead by González.
08/21/2026
August 28th at 7pm - 516 WORDS is back, featuring Kristin Patton! Link in bio to RSVP.
Kristin currently holds the 2019 title of Poetry Goddess of Albuquerque. In 2024, they competed with the Voices of the Barrio Slam Team, taking 4th in the Nation overall. Winner of 2026 New Mexico Entertainment's Best Spoken Word Artist award.
This series will present workshops and readings collaboratively developed with New Mexico Poet Laureate Manuel González.
Want to get involved? This event will also be your opportunity to learn more about future 516 WORDS workshops lead by González.
08/20/2026
August 28th at 7pm - 516 ARTS is excited to bring back our literary arts effort, 516 WORDS! Link in bio to RSVP.
Designed to highlight and celebrate the rich cultural narratives of New Mexico with a focus on strategically undervalued communities - including Q***r, Indigenous, and Latinx communities, this series will present workshops and readings collaboratively developed with New Mexico Poet Laureate Manuel González.
Want to get involved? This event will also be your opportunity to learn more about future 516 WORDS workshops lead by González.
Just as the visual arts on display challenge and reflect on these concepts, the 516 WORDS program offers a literary counterpart, allowing participants and audiences to engage with the same themes through the powerful medium of words. By fostering dialogues that traverse both visual and literary art forms, the program reinforces the exploration of identity, encouraging a deeper understanding of how culture, history, and personal experiences shape who we are.
The first reading, scheduled for August 28, 2026, brings together González and four recruited poets Keira Farias, Sarita Sol González, Savannah P. Rodriguez and Kristin Patton. The program will feature readings from each.
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Category
Contact the establishment
Telephone
Website
Address
516 Central Avenue SW
Albuquerque, NM
87102
Opening Hours
| Tuesday | 12pm - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 12pm - 5pm |
| Thursday | 12pm - 5pm |
| Friday | 12pm - 5pm |
| Saturday | 12pm - 5pm |