Two Shows, One Weekend: A Celebration of Heart, Art, and Community

This October, my heart will be full as I participate in two beautiful art shows at the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, NM—all in one unforgettable weekend.

I am honored to be invited by a student from the Chicana/o Studies department at UNM to the Chola Conferences Art Show, happening October 17–19, 2025. This year's theme, “Posted Up: Cholas Taking Up Space,” celebrates the resilience, pride, and cultural significance of Chola identity. The exhibition explores how Cholas have historically—and continue—to assert their presence and voice in spaces where they have often been marginalized. It is a powerful testament to identity, community, and resistance.

That same weekend, I will return for the second year to the 8th Annual Women’s Show, a one-day celebration of creativity and resilience, Saturday, October 18, 2025, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This show honors the strength, beauty, and courage of women, and it is a joy to share space with such inspiring artists.

If you wish to experience both shows, Friday is the perfect day—a rare chance to wander between worlds, between stories, and between art that whispers of culture, identity, and love.

I feel deeply honored to share in this weekend of connection with all who attend. I hope you will come and let your heart wander alongside mine.

Finding Peace in the Garden: A Summer of Growth and Resilience

This summer, while the world seems to swirl in chaos, I found refuge in my garden. There’s something profoundly grounding about working with the earth, feeling the quiet pulse of life beneath your fingers, and witnessing the gentle rhythms of nature.

The songs of birds, the earthy scent of wet soil, and the intoxicating aroma of tomato plants brought a deep calm to my days. Even in the face of relentless heat—abnormally strong this year—there was beauty to be found. Many plants succumbed to the sun’s intensity, as if a magnifying glass had focused its power on my garden.

Yet, resilience prevailed. By transplanting my garden under the shade of a large tree, I was able to save many of my plants. This act of care and adaptation became a metaphor for life itself: even in extreme conditions, nurturing attention and thoughtful adjustments can bring survival, growth, and even beauty.

These moments of quiet observation and care inspired my new painting series. Each piece reflects the harmony, fragility, and resilience of life, capturing the way plants—and the human spirit—bend, adapt, and thrive amidst challenges. My summer in the garden reminded me that peace can always be cultivated, even when the world around us feels uncertain.

The Black Lipstick Army: Not a Label, But a Legacy

By Carolyn Wolf

The Black Lipstick Army represents a wide range of women. Some are full-figured. Some are wrinkled, their skin telling stories that only time can write. Some are young, others carry generations in their gaze. They come from different cultures and regions, each bringing their own voice, their own background, their own truth.

What they share is a presence that makes people nervous—because they defy expectations. They don’t fit into neat categories. And that, too, is something to embrace.

The world wants to look away from what it doesn’t understand. But I challenge you to look closer.

Take the time to really see these women. Read their stories. Let yourself feel something. Find your compassion, your connection, your common ground—because whether you recognize it yet or not: They are YOU.

My Black Lipstick Army tells the stories of women who walk through the world unapologetically. Women who’ve been misunderstood, mislabeled, and underestimated—but who keep showing up. Who raise children, survive trauma, create beauty, and hold it down for their communities every single day.

Whether she comes from a neighborhood where the streets speak louder than textbooks, or from a place where designer dogs and handbags are the norm—every woman is product of her environment. That doesn’t make one better than the other. It just means their stories are different. And every story deserves respect.

This series is my way of saying: You are not alone. You are not a label. You are not here to fit into someone else’s box. You are here to be seen—as you are, where you are, in all your fierce, complicated, and beautiful truth.

The Black Lipstick Army isn’t a trend. It’s a tribute.

To the women who walk into a room and don’t shrink. To the girls who were taught to tone it down and decided not to. To the mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends who carry generations of strength in their bones.

YOU are the army. And you are not here to be explained—you are here to be honored.