The Museum opens a new exhibit featuring more than 40 objects from its collections that combine usefulness and beauty. Some objects are purely utilitarian in nature, with no real aesthetic appeal. At the other end of the spectrum are objects of art, which serve no functional purpose other than to be appreciated for their beauty, or the message the artist wishes to convey.  Somewhere in the middle are those things that have a definite purpose, but which also exhibit a deliberate sense of style. That’s what the objects in this exhibit have in common.

It includes everything from woven items such as Navajo rugs to Apache and Pima baskets, to vases, pots and bowls, as well as saddles, guns, and furniture.

The exhibit will be in the Museum’s Legacy Gallery through July 8, 2018.

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.  Monday – Saturday 9 am – 5 pm, Sunday 12 – 5 pm.  $2-5.  575-522-4100.  www.frhm.org

In this highly immersive and engaging exhibit, families will discover the power and joy of reading at any age. Children will step into the worlds of The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Snowy Day, and Where’s Spot? Interactive activities such as matching, rhyming, poetry, and storytelling help set the foundation for literacy by encouraging children to love books, learn words, tell stories, read everything, know letters, and hear sounds.

Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street. Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 4:30 pm, Saturday 9am – 4:30pm.

Free admission. 575-541-2154. www.las-cruces.org/museums

In this exhibit, you will learn about women’s clothing from the pioneer days of the 1870s to the Depression Era of the 1930s. The exhibit focuses on clothing worn for “everyday” as well as special events like weddings, funerals, and baptism. Under garments are included, as well as accessories such as hats and gloves. Lots of dresses and lots of historic photographs.

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road.  575-522-4100.  www.frhm.org

Monday through Saturday: 9 am to 5 pm.
Sunday: Noon to 5 pm.
Daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. The barns close at 4 p.m. each day, but visitors may still walk to see the livestock until 5 pm.
Admission rates
Adults: $5
Senior citizens (60 and over): $4
Children 4-17: $3
Active U.S. military & veterans: $2
Children 3 and under and museum members with card: Free* New Mexico seniors are admitted free on Wednesdays.
* Admission rates may differ for special events

The exhibit will be in the Museum’s Legacy gallery through March 3, 2019.

Studio Art Quilt Association is a non-profit organization founded in 1989 by an initial of 50 artists, SAQA members now number more than 3,400 members. Artists from residing in Western states were asked to create work representing the vast variety of things that are important to the Rio Grande River.  The Rio Grande river flows through the state of New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado and it is a critical source for the desert region. There is a variety of living things along the Rio Grande. The work in the exhibit explores historical, cultural, scientific, geological, and environmental topics relating to the flora, fauna, and people living near the river.

Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street. Tuesday – Friday 10 am – 4:30 pm, Saturday 9am – 4:30pm.

Free admission. 575-541-2154. www.las-cruces.org/museums

May 18th
• Star Party – 7 PM Dripping Springs Natural Area 7-10 PM
https://www.facebook.com/events/407534793060857/

May 19th 
• River Rafting on the Rio Grande – 11:30 AM – book at www.southwestexpeditions.com
• Organ Mountains City to Sky Aerial Tour – book at www.southwestexpeditions.com

May 21st
• OMDP 4th Anniversary Monument Clean Up! – 9 AM – Noon https://www.facebook.com/events/389437144904311/
• Las Cruces City Council OMDP Proclamation on 21st at 1 PM

May 26th
• Hike in the Organ Mountains – 9 AM – Dripping Springs Visitor Center
• River Rafting on the Rio Grande 8:30 AM – book at www.southwestexpeditions.com
• OMDP 4th Anniversary Fiesta at the Mesilla Plaza, 5-8 PM
Fiesta features free stagecoach rides, OMDP birthday cake, and live music by Caliente
On May 21st 2014 President Barack Obama established the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, giving protection to the Organ Mountains and surrounding mountains including the Robledo, Sierra de las Uvas, Doña Ana and Portillo Mountains.  The Monument has gained international notoriety, and visitation to it has more than doubled since its protection.

Contact:  Patrick Nolan, Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks – 575-520-8817
Grecia Nunez, New Mexico Wild – 575-993-8091

Event Description:  New Mexico State University Art Gallery, in collaboration with The Las Cruces Museum of Art presents Here and Now, a regional, juried exhibition featuring works in all media. The exhibition opens in the University Art Gallery on Thursday, May 24, and continues through Saturday, July 14, 2018. An artists’ reception will be held on Friday, June 1, from 5pm to 8pm at both the Museum of Art and the University Art Gallery venues.

Here and Now includes works created by artists living and working within a 150 mile of Las Cruces. Paintings, prints, photographs, video, ceramics, and sculpture highlight the diverse approaches to creative expression found in Southern New Mexico and West Texas. The show continues in the Gallery through July 14, and in the Museum of Art through July 21. The Las Cruces Museum of Art opens Here and Now on Friday, May 11. The show continues in the LMOA through July 21.

Event Address/location:  1390 E. University Ave., Las Cruces, New Mexico

Event Times: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm.

Admission:  Free admission.

Event Phone Number:  575-646-2545

Event Website:  https://uag.nmsu.edu/hereandnow/

Welcome to the 26th annual Las Cruces Wine Festival featuring New Mexico’s best wineries, exceptional food trucks, talented artisans, and award-winning musicians. Las Cruces Wine Festival features a wide selection of red, white and sparkling wines that range from soft and sweet to bold and dry. Share the experience with friends or grab a date for this annual Memorial Day Weekend tradition. Your ticket includes a complimentary tasting glass for sampling great wines. Wines also available for purchase by the glass, bottle, or case.

Southern New Mexico State Fair Grounds, 12125 Robert Larson Blvd, Las Cruces, NM 88007.

12 – 6 pm Saturday – Monday / 11am-12pm VIP Hour Saturday only.

$20.  505-859-0541.  www.NMWine.com

Event Description:  Each Wednesday evening, a local expert teaches an art class on topics including pen and ink with watercolor, torn paper landscapes, painting flowers in acrylic, and small scale sculptures. Get ArtRageous!
classes are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and include all materials and light refreshments. If the evening classes fill up, they may add an afternoon class as well.

Event Address/location:  DAAC, 1740 Calle de Mercado, Mesilla

Event Times:  5:30 pm – 7:30 pm

Admission:  $30.00 (includes art supplies)

Event Phone Number:  575-523-6403

Event Website:  www.daarts.org

Admission $8 Or PURCHASE A TICKET to Urban Cowboy AND the Homeward Bounds Country Music Show on the Plaza on June 2 for $20

Doors open at 6:00 pm, show at 7:00 pm

Concessions served including snacks, refreshments, beer, wine and spirits
Urban Cowboy is a 1980 American romantic drama film about the love-hate relationship between Buford Uan “Bud” Davis (John Travolta) and Sissy (Debra Winger). The movie captured the late 1970s/early 1980s popularity of country music. It was John Travolta’s third major film role after Saturday Night Feverand Grease. Much of the action centers around activities at Gilley’s Club, a football field sized honky tonk in Pasadena, Texas.

Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Main Street.  575-541-2290.  www.RioGrandeTheatre.org