“Monumental Territory” will be displayed in the Museum’s Arts Corridor through the end of July 2021. The show features 22 creative works by Las Cruces artist Kayla Blundell.

Her artist-in-residence selection for the Friends of the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks National Monument program in 2016 inspired the art in this show. The exhibit displays abstract paintings, including acrylic spray paint, and photographs. Her work relates to the culture of New Mexico as it captures the beauty of the national monument and the farm life and ranch communities near it. In some of her mixed media work, she uses paper mache to make a 3-D effect to help the viewer experience the sensation of the mountains and the maar volcanic arc known as Kilbourne Hole in southern Doña Ana County.

“One of the first things all the farmers, ranchers, and New Mexicans in the surrounding area see each new day (are the mountains), and it is one great historic landmark that connects all people who live here and continues to be a landmark in our lives,” said Blundell. “We get so used to the areas we live in and tend to be trapped in complacency, forgetting to look around at the gorgeous surroundings.

“If you drive down Baylor Canyon Road, you will see three things: ranchlands with roaming cattle, the river and farmlands in the distance, and the beautiful national monument,” she said “Also, if you drive in the valley, you will see three things: the farmland, the ranching livestock, and of course the beautiful national monument.”

In her photography, Blundell captures the scenes and farm life that she enjoys in hopes to encourage those around her to love the farm and ranch life within the monumental territory. Painting is a passion she carries and uses to express herself through the surrounding nature and culture.

Blundell was born and raised in West Texas. She moved to Las Cruces in 2011 when she married her husband, Josh Blundell, who assisted her with this show. He made all the frames for her work.

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About the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum is a sprawling, 47-acre facility in Las Cruces that shares and preserves the region’s 4,000-year history of growing food. The campus features barns, corrals, livestock, art galleries, indoor and outdoor exhibits, and a gift shop and snack bar. The Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday. It is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is supported by the Friends of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

NMSU Art Museum will present, “Saint Joseph & The Laborers,”
created through donations from various retablo collectors, including
retablo expert Gloria Fraser Giffords. The exhibit delves into the
role of the laborer through the lens of Mexican retablo imagery.
“Saint Joseph & The Laborers,” will be on display through Nov.
2021 in the newly created Margie and Bobby Rankin Retablo Gallery and
is curated by Courtney Uldrich, MA Candidate, 2021 as part of the
course ART 597.

In this exhibition, the UAM will also display for the first time a
Mexican statue, or bulto, as well as other retablo paintings from the
recent donation to the UAM Permanent Art Collection by leading retablo
expert Gloria Fraser Giffords.

For more information: https://uam.nmsu.edu/saintjoseph/

Event Address/location: University Art Museum 1308 E University Ave, Las Cruces, NM 88001

Event Times: 12 pm-4 pm

Admission: Free

Event Phone Number: 575-646-2545. Please call to make a reservation.

Event Website: https://uam.nmsu.edu/saintjoseph/
***Please visit our website for more information or questions.

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces is offering a variety of summer activities and camps for children that can be enjoyed at home and virtually.

Whether you enjoy animals, crafts, or outdoor fun, the Museum has a camp for you. Discover nature, gardening, animals, weaving, cowboys, and many more exciting activities with our 2021 virtual summer camps and activity kits.

For more information or to register please email FRHM.Education@state.nm.us

Gardening Fun
July 27 – 29
(Ages 5-7 and 8-12)
Recommended $3 cash donation
All participants will explore how seeds sprout and what nutrients they need to survive. Younger campers will explore Ag in the Classroom activity, ‘Farming in a Glove.’ Older campers will explore hydroponics and seed germination. Materials can be picked up the week prior (TBD) and zoom sessions will be available.

For more information or to register please email FRHM.Education@state.nm.us

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs. The Museum is located at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces and preserves and shares they 4,000-year history of growing food in the region. (575) 522-4100.  www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org

Belle Nuit will be directed by Christa Fredrickson who is the Opera Camp Director, Centennial High School Choir teacher and adjunct professor at the NMSU Theatre Department. Barbara Toth will be on piano to accompany the beautiful voices of Morgyn Gallegos, Bryan Berard, Peyton Matthews, Kris Hodgekins, as well as Ms. Fredrickson.

The audience can expect to enjoy a program of arias and songs from The Barber of Seville, Carmen, Gianni Schicchi, Lakme, as well as musical theatre selections by composers George Gershwin, Cole Porter, and more! In addition, Bryan Berard, Peyton Matthews, and Morgyn Gallegos, students from the 2018 Opera Storytellers program, will share original music from their opera, No Fly Zone.

Proceeds from this benefit event will go toward the 2022 Opera Storytellers Camp. The 2021 Opera Storytellers will perform Friday, July 30th at 1:00 pm in the Performing Arts Lab located at Centennial High School.

The Doña Ana Arts & Cultural Center and DAAC administrative offices are located at 250 W. Amador, Las Cruces, NM, and open Monday through Fridays 9-5 and on the second Saturday of every month 12-5. Please visit www.daarts.org or call the DAAC office at (575) 523-6403 for additional information,

Suggestion donation $10 and may be paid at the door.