Grandest Canyon

As the days get shorter and the cold fronts arrive with greater frequency, we often find ourselves longing for a trip south. We could play it safe and head for the beach, or–if we truly had our druthers–we could chase adventure on Mexico’s legendary Chihuahua-Pacific Railroad (Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacifico), which spans 413 miles between Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and Los Mochis, Sanalo, along the famed Copper Canyon. Actually a system of several distinct canyons, the Copper Canyon is both larger and deeper than Arizona’s Grand Canyon, making the Chihuahua-Pacific’s run among the most scenic in North America, if not the world. Artist Kenneth Holder spent 30 years waiting for such a trip, finally boarding a train in January 2007. A landscape painter by trade, Holder proceeded to paint the scenic vistas that presented themselves along the way, resulting in the new exhibit Then & Now: Works on Paper 1972-2008. See it now through January 3 at the Conduit Gallery, 1626 C Hi Line Drive. In the gallery’s project room, another virtual trip awaits you with Mary Emma Hawthorne’s Africa, a collection of found art from the artist’s recent African trip; a group exhibit of small-scale works, the imaginatively titled Small Works, is also on display. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 214-939-0064 or visit conduitgallery.com.

Tuesdays-Saturdays. Starts: Nov. 22. Continues through Dec. 24, 2008