Nanci Bissell: Nanci is a graduate of Texas A&M University of Commerce Texas, having a BS and Master’s degrees in education with a minor in art studies. She has been an educator, teacher, assistant principal, and principal in the elementary schools, retiring after 26 years in the school business. Nanci’s paintings have been exhibited at numerous art shows. Nanci’s artistic interests include seascapes, street scenes, landscapes and people.

Steve Martin: Steve was a geographer, historian, and criminologist, spending 29 years protecting natural, historic, and cultural resources on public lands throughout the Western U.S. He retired to pursue his photographic creations. As a self-taught photographer, he strives to create public awareness for protecting and preserving our nation’s public lands through the medium of digital photography.

The Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery, located at 2470-A Calle de Guadalupe, Mesilla, New Mexico, across from the Fountain Theatre, will feature two local artists for the month of September: Nanci Bissell and Steve Martin.

THE GALLERY HOURS ARE: OPEN DAILY FROM 10 AM TO 5 PM. THE GALLERY HAS BEEN SANITIZED AND IS READY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.

For more information. Call 575-522-2933 or visit our website: www.mesillavalleyfinearts.com

“Icons and Symbols of the Borderland” at the Museum of Art
 Join us for a new exhibition at the Museum of Art, Icons and Symbols of the Borderland: Art from the U.S.-Mexico Crossroads, curated by Diana Molina and featuring over 80 pieces of artwork by 29 regional artists. Stylistically diverse and thematically varied, participating artists consider their complex cultural inheritance and reveal their points of view about the ever-shifting relationship between the United States and Mexico. Icons and Symbols of the Borderland is on view August 5 – October 15, 2022. Participating artists will lead a gallery talk at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, August 5.

Themes of the Environment, Sacred and Profane, the Frontier, and Foodways allow the artists to investigate the Mexican American, Anglo, and Indigenous experience and identity in the Borderlands. Broad in scope, the artists reference the region’s pre-Columbian past, its colonial influences, its Indigenous legacy, and contemporary geo-political tensions. Through their artwork, they present an enduring sense of struggle, sacrifice, and regeneration.

Several events are scheduled for this exhibit. The August 5 exhibit opening will have live music and participating artists on hand to discuss their artwork. Hands-on educational programs are scheduled for October 15 (call for time). The August 6 program features mask making and will run from 10 a.m. to noon. Exhibit artists Davinia Miraval and Miguel Valenzuela will conduct the mask making program. The October 15 program features print making and will also run 10 a.m. to noon. Exhibit artist Oscar Moya will conduct the print making program.

Icons and Symbols of the Borderland was curated by Diana Molina and features artwork by members of Juntos Art Association, based in El Paso, Texas.

The museum is located at 491 N. Main St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. There is no admission fee. The museum is accessible from RoadRUNNER Transit Route 1 Stop 1. For additional information, visit the website at https://www.las-cruces.org/Museums or call (575) 541-2137.

Wayne Suggs says “landscape photography is magical to me.” The renowned New Mexico photographer will share some of that magic with the Farm & Ranch Museum.

The Color of Dreams exhibit features 25 of Suggs’ most-recent photographs that are included in his book of the same title. His images capture the beautiful, rugged landscape of New Mexico. Whether the composition includes night skies, cacti, petroglyphs, boulders, or abandoned structures, Suggs’ photographs have a distinct feel and look.

“For 47 years, I’ve held a camera in my hand,” said Suggs, who has lived his whole life in Las Cruces. “My love and passion for the art of photography has continued to grow with each passing year. To return in my mind to that moment in time, and to remember the joy I felt when I pressed the shutter has made the photographs a part of who I am. I’m not in love with my photographs, I’m in love with all the experiences, the friends I’ve made, and most of all, being out in nature.”

The art show will be on display through Dec. 3, 2022.

Regular admission is required to see the rest of the Museum: $5 for adults, $4 for senior citizens, and $3 for children 4 to 17.

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.

Help us celebrate Monuments to Mainstreet and Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks’ 10th Anniversary with a guided hike!

MORE INFO:
Informational guided hike to visit La Cueva Archeological site
about 3 miles- Easy-Intermediate
Trail contains some steep climbs

PARKING:
Parking available at the La Cueva Parking lot
This is a free event but there is a $5 parking fee

RECOMMENDED GEAR:
Plenty of water
Good hiking shoes
Snacks
Sunscreen/Bug spray
Possibly Rain Gear

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Organ Mountains Dripping Springs Natural Area, 15000 Dripping Springs Road, Las Cruces, NM 88001.

CONTACT INFO: Jessica Gomez (575)680-0957 or jessica@organmtnfriends.org

Full Monuments to Mainstreet Schedule: Click here for complete schedule.

Join Ranger Flo for a guided tour of the Fort Selden ruins. Explore 1400 years of history from the Mogollon to the Spanish and the American military. Tour included in general admission.

Event Address/location: 1280 Fort Selden Rd. Radium Springs, NM 88054/Fort Selden Historic Site

Event Times: 11:00am-12:00pm

Admission: General Admission to historic site: $5/adult. Children 16 years and under free.

Event Phone Number: 575-526-8911

Event Website: nmhistoricsites.org

Full Monuments to Mainstreet Schedule:  Click here for complete schedule.

Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park: 1st Monday of the month bird walk. Meet at the visitors center. Walk leader will be Wayne Treers, substituting for Mark Pendleton. Please contact Wayne by telephone (575-528-8696) at least 2 days before the walk to be sure there are still spaces available.

Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, 5000 Calle Del Norte, Las Cruces, 88005.

monuments2mainstreet.com/event/scheduled-bird-walks-for-mesilla-valley-audubon-society-for-september-2022/

Full Monuments to Mainstreet Schedule:  Click here for complete schedule.

The exhibit, “The Kaleidoscope Eyes of George Mendoza”, is a retrospective survey of the colorful and whimsical paintings created by the artist since the1990s when he began to paint full time.

During his teenage years, Mendoza lost his central vision as a result of an incurable eye

disease that left him with “kaleidoscope eyes” – intense and changing visual images of fiery suns, brightly burning eyes, and colorful pinwheels. These visual images find a permanent home in his paintings.

“We are grateful that George wanted to show his work at the Arts Council,” said Greg Smith, Executive Director of DAArts. “When an opening happened for a September show and he was available, it was one of those kismet moments when things came together like they were meant to be.”

Vivid colors and strong shapes are signature elements in Mendoza’s art, and his approach to life has a corresponding impact. “May everyone who sees George Mendoza’s art understand the lessons of determination and fortitude,” has said former first lady, Laura Bush.

The gallery in the Arts Council’s new location, 250B W. Amador Ave., is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and it will be open for extended hours for the First Friday Art Ramble, September 2, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., and for the Second Saturday Artist’s Reception, September 10, from noon to 5:00 p.m..

The Arts Council supports and promotes the arts both as part of a thriving creative economy and as a source of community pride. DAAC Board meetings occur on the fourth Thursday of most months. Please contact Executive Director Greg Smith at 575.523.6403 or director@daarts.org for more information.

FEE: Free. No fee for program, park entrance fees apply.
LOCATION: Meet near the sunset stroll sign parking area, a 5-mile (8.05 km) drive from the fee station.

Days: Every week on Sunday, Friday, and Saturday

Dates:  September 11 – October 1, 2022

Time: 6:00 PM
Duration: 1 hour

The Sunset Stroll is ranger-guided stroll through the gypsum sand dunes. It is a splendid opportunity to experience the dunes first-hand while learning about the uniqueness of our geology, plants, and animals. As an added bonus, the stroll is timed to end at sunset, providing a panoramic view of the sun setting over the mountains and the potential for some breath-taking photographic opportunities.

Contact White Sands National Park at 575-479-6124.

https://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/calendar.htm

A drama of great tenderness, charm, and beauty, THE GLASS MENAGERIE is an icon of the American theater.

Amanda Wingfield is a faded remnant of Southern gentility who now lives in a dingy St. Louis apartment with her son, Tom, and her daughter, Laura, who has a physical handicap and debilitating shyness. The father has left home; Tom supports his mother and sister with a shoe-factory job he finds unbearable. When Amanda convinces Tom to bring home from his workplace a “gentleman caller” for Laura, the illusions that Tom, Amanda, and Laura have each created in order to make life bearable collapse about them.

Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Main St. (575)523-1223. http://no-strings.org