White Rock Library hosts pastel art demo, workshop, month-long exhibit
White Rock Branch Library will host a free pastel demo Saturday, then keep the exhibit up through May 26, turning the branch into a hands-on arts stop.
White Rock Branch Library will turn part of its reading room into a pastel studio and gallery, with a live demonstration and hands-on workshop on Saturday, May 2, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., followed by a month-long exhibit that runs through May 26, 2026. The setup gives White Rock residents a free, nearby place to watch an artist work, try the medium themselves and browse finished pieces without leaving Los Alamos County.
Sarah Blumenschein, an Albuquerque-based pastel artist and Distinguished Pastelist of the Pastel Society of New Mexico, will lead the demonstration. The county said all paper and pastels for the workshop portion will be provided, making the event a low-cost entry point for families, adults and anyone curious about pastels but not ready to buy supplies. Rather than a single performance window, the exhibit will remain on view for nearly a month, allowing people to stop by on their own schedule.
The show is also bringing local work into the mix. Los Alamos artist Rachel Pearson has a pastel piece on the walls that was inspired by the White Rock branch itself, tying the exhibit back to the building at 10 Sherwood Boulevard. The Pastel Society of New Mexico is returning after what county library officials described as a successful show at Mesa Public Library in November 2025, a sign that the group has already found an audience in Los Alamos.
Blumenschein’s credentials help explain why the library chose her for the live portion. In addition to her Distinguished Pastelist status with the Pastel Society of New Mexico, she holds Signature status in the Pastel Society of America and Master Circle status in the International Association of Pastel Societies. The county identified her as one of the society’s most accomplished artists, a designation that should make the demo useful for viewers who want to see technique up close rather than just look at the finished work.
Los Alamos Public Library, which operates both Mesa Public Library at 2400 Central Ave. in Los Alamos and White Rock Branch Library in White Rock, has used both branches as civic spaces for more than lending books. The pastel exhibit adds another example of that role, giving the White Rock branch a practical place for public art, informal instruction and neighborhood-scale cultural programming.
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