Start Here: Getting to Know Las Cruces
If you're planning a trip to Las Cruces, New Mexico, you may be wondering what you can do while you're here. This podcast will answer that question for you! You'll learn about the rich culture, history, art, outdoor activities, and special events that make a trip to the city of the crosses memorable. Watch this podcast first, then view some of the others on our channel that delve more deeply into specific topics like wine tasting, White Sands National Monument, and our museums. Subscribe to this channel to be notified when new podcasts are posted.
This podcast was produced by Explore! New Mexico for the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Explore Las Cruces Museums
Las Cruces, New Mexico, has a number of museums to explore while you are visiting. This podcast introduces you to nine of them, from the state-operated New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, city and university facilities and two privately operated museums. Learn about the exciting collection of fossils and minerals at the Zuhl Museum, Cowboy Days at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, and much more. See museums housed in facilities on the National Register of Historic Places: the Las Cruces Railroad Museum and the Branigan Cultural Center. Contact information is included for each museum. This video was produced by Explore! New Mexico for the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The 8th Annual Las Cruces Arts Fair
Presented by the Doña Ana Arts Council, the Las Cruces Arts Fair is a fine art show featuring over 100 regional artists held in the Las Cruces Convention Center.
Top 13 Things To Do In Las Cruces, New Mexico
Cheapest Hotels To Stay In Las Cruces -
Best Tours To Enjoy Las Cruces -
Cheap Airline Tickets -
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Here are top 13 things to do in Las Cruces, New Mexico
All photos belong to their rightful owners. Credit next to name.
1. Railroad Museum -
2. Las Cruces Museum of Art -
3. La Vina Winery -
4. Old Mesilla -
5. Las Cruces Farmers and Crafts Market -
6. New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum -
7. Fort Seldon State Monument -
8. Museum of Nature and Science -
9. White Sands National Monument -
10. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park -
11. Fountain Theater -
12. Branigan Cultural Center -
13. Organs Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument -
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Weeklong Event Highlights American Indian Culture In New Mexico
American Indian Week has been a tradition on the New Mexico State University Campus since the 1970’s. It shows the influence of the American Indian Culture on the campus and in the New Mexico.
Almost 640 American Indian Students attend NMSU, and American Indian program director Justin McHorse says this week helps them bring their culture to campus.
“American Indian Week is a product of students, American Indian Program Staff, and other American Indian tribal members on campus,” McHorse said. “Wanting to bring that culture to campus, wanting to bring that sense of community down here that American Indians are welcome here at NMSU, and they add to the diversity of learning in the classroom, and outside of the classroom.
He says the weeklong event helps the American Indian students feel at home, and allows them to connect with the community.
“In making the transition down to campus from tribal communities,” McHorse said. “The students look for a way to connect their culture from their communities to campus, and also help educate the greater NMSU community on American Indian people and American Indian lifestyles. So, American Indian Week is an opportunity to share various elements of American Indian culture in New Mexico here on campus with our students, faculty, staff, and community.”
McHorse says that there are many influences from American Indian culture in the culture of New Mexico.
“American Indian Culture is significant here in the state of New Mexico,” McHorse said. “As American Indian people, indigenous people have been on this land since time memorial. The culture has been ingrained in New Mexico lifestyles. And so it’s been here, and it’s still thriving today.”
Although this week is meant to help educate the community, McHorse says that is something they try to do all year round.
“We’ve created an app for the iPad called ‘how well do you know New Mexico,” McHorse said. “And on that people can learn where the various pueblos, tribes, and nations are located in New Mexico, as well as certain elements of what their community is known for.”
The event concludes with Dance performances, pottery demonstrations, and an Arts and Crafts expo this Friday at the University Museum at Kent Hall.
NMSU's Zuhl Museum reopens with entertainment, food and historic beauty
Members of the Las Cruces community joined New Mexico State University leaders and family members of Herb Zuhl from across the country to tour the newly renovated and expanded Zuhl Museum. Sol y Arena flamenco ensemble danced as visitors enjoyed food and more than 1,800 examples of petrified wood, fossils and minerals that Herb and Joan Zuhl donated to the university. For museum hours and more about the museum, visit zuhlmuseum.nmsu.edu.
Las Cruces Art Scene
Las Cruces has several art galleries featuring all types of art. We go inside a few of the galleries in the City to show you what creativity comes from Las Crucens. CLCTVs media production specialist, Dominic Aragon, lets the artists and organizers explain.
Las Cruces Holds Conversation On The Creative Economy
New Mexico Senator Tom Udall is working to pass the CREATE act to help support the creative economy, as part of the effort he is holding conversations around the state with arts professionals and the business community to help determine the best way to grow the creative economy.
Local Arts Professional Irene Oliver-Lewis says the creative arts is an important part of economic development, and Las Cruces is a great community for it.
“An artist is producing art,” Oliver-Lewis said. “They’re buying their materials from another business, that business is making money, and then it just goes on and on and on and on. So, the multipliers of art is very, very important. And the nature of New Mexico, our vistas, our land, our landscapes, our culture, our everything that we have is ripe for creating an economy, and having jobs for people in their area.”
Arianna Parsons, Executive Director of the Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, says a thriving arts community helps improve quality of life, which can bring in business.
“There is a definite trend in many large corporations moving into more urban settings, and that is specifically the reason,” Parsons said. “The Quality of life for the employees of larger businesses, smaller businesses, and families, retirees even. They all want to have a pretty setting. I mean we undervalue what public art means to our community.”
Irene Oliver-Lewis says it’s important for people from different areas of the community to be involved in discussions on the creative economy.
“You have consumers of art, you have advocates of art, and you have producers of art,” Oliver-Lewis said. “And all of those three groups have to come together to do the creative economy. And so you have somebody, if your not an advocate, if you don’t think oh I can buy this art and have it in my house. Instead of thinking, oh no I can just go to a museum to see this art. We’re never going to have the consumer who creates the business and has the money to buy this art.”
Arianna Parsons says there also needs to be more programs for artists to learn how to turn their talent into a business.
“Technical assistance and training just like any other business is key to the success of those individual artists,” Parsons said. “We’re really fortunate to have partners like WESST, like the small business development center, and like SCORE that have staff dedicated just to helping artists take that next step.”
Irene Oliver-Lewis says artists can help bring new types of business into a community because they think outside of the box.
“Artists realize that better than anyone,” Oliver-Lewis said. “Because artists go from nothing to create something, and they have that innovation and creativity and imagination to change the world.”
New Museum Opens in Downtown Las Cruces
11.07.12 (LAS CRUCES) Workers were wrapping up the finishing touches on the Museum of Nature and Science a day before it opened to the public in downtown Las Cruces Friday.
Richard Quick, the museum's naturalist, was working to place a panel inside a turtle cage.
You have to be real careful with this tape because it sticks once and it's stuck, said Quick.
Richard said New Mexico is no stranger to turtles.
New Mexico has ten species of turtles. The majority of those are aquatic and the Western box turtle is the only box turtle that we have.
The museum showcases one of Las Cruces' most famous residents, Clyde Tombaugh, who first discovered Pluto. Kim Hanson is Education Curator at the museum and a fan of Tombaugh.
He founded the Las Cruces astronomical society and he spent his entire life making astronomy accessible to the public -- a fantastic inspiration to anyone who loves science.
Kim spoke with his family and says Tombaugh probably wouldn't be mad that Pluto was dropped as a planet.
People thought he would have been upset. And they said no, he would not have been upset because he was all about the advancement of science. And it's all about clarity, all about refinement and he would have been fine.
The Museum of Nature and Science has some history of its own. For the last 25 years, it was inside the Mesilla Valley Mall.
And one artifact came with it during the move. The nature center from the old location is now at the new one.
This facility here is twice as big as it was at the mall. And we're really able to focus on things that are specific to this region of southern New Mexico.
And with all that new space, the museum has added a space exhibit and prehistoric track ways exhibit.
The trackways were lifted directly from the Robledo Mountains and show fossilized tracks from whatever animals walked across at the time.
Also at the museum is a cast of a Tyrannosaurus Rex named 'Stan.' Stan was found in South Dakota, but dinosaur bones have been found all across New Mexico.
But Kim says that may not be the first thing you see.
When you walk in the front door, first thing you see is this mural with the track ways and it's fantastic. It's an amazing suite of fossil footprints of several different animals -- not just one. It's a snapshot in time, a single moment of a whole bunch of animals walking right here when this was a seashore.
The new museum of nature and science connects to the museum of art, so visitors can walk between the two. Richard Quick sums up what he wants the new museum to do.
It shows everything about this area... what has been, what is now and what will be, said Quick.
Sloan Patton reported this story.
Women's Career Success Conference Held In Las Cruces
Women in Las Cruces gathered at the Arrowhead Center at NMSU for the Women’s Career Success Conference hosted by Senator Tom Udall.
Businesswomen from around Southern New Mexico discussed challenges they’ve faced in their career and strategies to overcome them. Miriam Baca Kotkowski is the President of Omega Trucking Incorporated, the business she started.
“It’s a men’s industry,” Kotkowski said. “So, sometimes it was difficult to be able to talk to the officers at DOT, but there was a point where I didn’t care, I didn’t care if I was a women or not.”
Kathryn Hansen, director of the Arrowhead Center at NMSU says women face many common challenges when looking to start a business.
“Having mentors and the support network,” Hansen said. “And access to resources, including capital, money, to get their business started, and sustain them.”
Hansen says many perceptions of women in business are untrue, and women have many qualities that make them better business owners.
“I think women are great business owners,” Hansen said. “There’s a lot of attention to detail, they have leadership skills, and running a business that put’s all of that to use.”
Senator Tom Udall says it’s important to support economic opportunities that will help women succeed, like the creative economy.
“The CREATE act takes all the government agencies that are out there,” Udall said. “And has them intersect much better with the private sector. So, you have artists, the museums, and all the arts, cultural arts throughout New Mexico and have them work better with the government. And it really gives those government agencies a mission to work very carefully with the artists and the artistic community in New Mexico.”
Miriam Baca Kotkowski says it’s important for conferences like this to bring women together to help each other.
“We all have common challenges,” Kotkowski said. “And once you hear somebody going through one that your going through then it’s not like misery loves company, but it’s like, ok I can do it.”
Centennial Exhibit
07.20.12 (LAS CRUCES) -- Local educators are helping celebrate New Mexico's statehood through art. The exhibition offers a look at contemporary work over the last one hundred years.
There is a wide variety of work on display at New Mexico State University's Art Gallery. Curators are going back in history and providing visitors a look at the past one hundred years.
Starting in the early century New Mexico became a heaven of artist from either coast, the west coast or the east coast, it was seen as a place where new traditions, new colors, I think the most of them loved green chili as well, but it really became a magnet for artist from the east, said Stephanie Taylor of the art gallery.
There are more than fifty art works in the exhibition titled Thinking New Mexico. The art came from private and public collections around the state.
New Mexico has been rich, long before it became a state and there really area some wonderful native traditions and local traditions and some of those are represented in the show, she said.
Local groups and many people have already toured this centennial celebration. Organizers hope more visitors will be able to enjoy the show.
I think that's going to be obvious for someone who comes to the show is just how rich and diverse the art tradition is here in New Mexico, she said.
The exhibition is on display now until September 1.
Reported by Carlos Correa
Preston Contemporary Art Center: Las Cruces, NM
A rare gift to the town of Las Cruces, it is sad to say goodbye to the Preston Contemporary Art Center. Located in Mesilla, the center has offered the highest quality contemporary art and digital photography workshops. In this video, gallery director Paul Schranz discusses the history, philosophy, and future of the Preston.
New Mexico State Capitol Walking Tour
Walking tour of the New Mexico State Capitol, located in Santa Fe. It is the only round shaped capitol building. The joke for this is that you can't corner a politician here.
New Mexico Aliens
12.27.11 (LAS CRUCES) -- Education, family and culture are just some of the things New Mexico is known for, but Aliens have also become a big part of the state's centennial.
Reports of a crash outside of Roswell, New Mexico after World War II helped launch an alien phenomenon.
That was reported on the front page of the Roswell Daily Record -- UFO Crash Site discovered and then it was disembroiled by the Army a couple of days later, said Cameron Saffell, curator of history for the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.
But according to some historians that crash has become a subject of debate.
All through the years and there have been numerous, other reports of UFO sightings or UFO crashing in other parts of the state and has become a big part of pop culture with the Roswell television series and various movies over the years, he said.
Aliens are a small part of the Land of Enchantment: Commemorating the Centennial Statehood exhibit currently on display at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.
The concept is to talk a little bit about the statehood movement, to see some of the memorabilia of statehood celebrations past and present and then talk about what has transpired in the first one hundred years of New Mexico state hood since New Mexico became a state in 1912, he said.
The exhibit is the home of the largest statehood celebration memorabilia in New Mexico bringing generations together.
You know, it was something that I thought for the first one hundred years when we're looking at the list that happened, some of them are very subtle like the writers and the artists and some of them are part of pop culture like the aliens or Smokey the bear that typically, out of town visitors may not think of but its an integral part of American culture and those are things that come from New Mexico, he said.
Reported by Carlos Correa
Former Las Cruces Mayor to be Honored
05.24.12 (LAS CRUCES) -- City of Las Cruces leaders are helping keep a former mayor's memory alive by celebrating his achievements and honoring his legacy.
Alfred Rucks is getting ready to honor his cousin, Albert Johnson, who always worked to improve the quality of life around the community.
This is a man that was fully devoted to making Las Cruces a better place to live and he had tremendous devotion to his family, to his church and to his community, said Rucks.
Johnson was born and raised in Tennessee. He graduated from college with a civil engineer degree and later moved to the Land of Enchantment to work at White Sands Missile Range. Soon after, the became heavily involved in politics.
He's the first African-American mayor in the state of New Mexico and also the City of Las Cruces, he said.
Current Mayor Ken Miyagishima is honoring Johnson with a portrait that will sit in the lobby of City Hall. It's created by Ben Hazard who's art also sits in the White House.
Las Cruces is a great community and that we honor those who lay the infrastructure and the ground work and the great things that we have here today and Mayor Johnson among others also helped and contributed a great deal of things that we have, that we are fortunate and thankful for in Las Cruces and I think that's one thing I want people to see, said Miyagishima.
Johnson was elected to the City Commission in 1968 and served as Mayor of Las Cruces from 1976 to 1980. Johnson died in December 1984, but his legacy lives on.
One of things Mayor Johnson was instrumental in doing was making sure that we had a fun for street maintenance. Right now to the tune of over six million dollars and we get every year because of Mayor Johnson's vision that has allowed us to do a lot of up keep on a lot of our roads and streets through out the city, he said.
Besides the portrait, the late mayor has a park dedicated to him with a statue that stands in front of Branigan Library.
Reported by Carlos Correa.
Art in Public Places
07.11.12 (LAS CRUCES) -- The Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces is adding a new exhibit, curators say will educate the community about the state's history.
The museum received a new statue from the Art in Public Places program, which provides funds for state building projects.
After the building is built, or whatever the situation is, they allow to decorate the area either with interior art or exterior art, and that is how this comes to us, said Toni Laumbach, director of programs for the museum.
The state was done by the Santa Fe artist Star York. It is of a Native American woman with a hawk on her shoulder and kernels in her hands.
She is providing a corn blessing. A corn blessing we might look at that as a generic act for asking and giving thanks for the many blessings that are bestowed upon us. So it's very relevant to this museum's mission and I think everybody can relate to that, giving thanks, she said.
The statue will remain a permanent part of the museum and is located in the front entrance for visitors to see.
Art is in the eye of the beholder and what people get out of that, hopefully an appreciation for it as a work of art and the technique that goes into it. Casting bronze is not an easy thing to do, she said.
Laumbach is hoping everyone who visits the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum will find beauty and serenity in the new piece of art.
In my mind this particular piece really exemplifies the museum's agricultural mission and it also exemplifies the multicultural nature of the 150 generations that created the agricultural history that New Mexico has experienced, she said.
Reported by Katy Fagan
Things to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico
2018 Update: Here is a list of fun, educational, and great things to do in Santa Fe. Some things have been added to this list since the video we created. We want to make sure you are continually updated, so check out our list below:
Things to do in Santa Fe
- Visit Meow Wolf. You will thank us!
- Visit the oldest continually occupied building in the United States - Palace of the Governors.
- Visit the Loretto Chapel and the Miraculous Staircase inside the chapel.
- If you're visiting during the summer, be sure to take in an opera at the Santa Fe Opera!
- If you're visiting during the winter, try Ski Santa Fe!
- Take a stroll on Canyon Road, especially if you love art galleries.
- Visit the Santa Fe Plaza, the end of the Santa Fe Trail.
- Visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.
- Visit the Santa Fe Children's Museum.
- Visit the San Miguel Chapel.
- Check out The Roundhouse - otherwise known as the New Mexico State Capitol.
- Another must visit (inside and out) is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
- Visit the Museum of International Folk Art.
- Visit the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.
- Visit the New Mexico Museum of Art.
- Take a stroll around the Santa Fe Railyard.
Please let us know other things that should be added to this list in the comments below!
Named the Best Small City to Visit, Santa Fe is at the heart of New Mexico's slogan - The Land of Enchantment.
See more things to do in Santa Fe, New Mexico at:
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The U.S. - Mexico Border as Photographic Art
2.8.11 (LAS CRUCES) - David Taylor took photos along the border, from the Rio Grande to the Pacific Ocean, for his book Working The Line. KRWG's Jared Andersen has this report.
Museum Celebrates New Mexico History
12.12.11 (LAS CRUCES) -- As we prepare to celebrate New Mexico's Centennial, the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces unveils a new exhibit showcasing the state's rich history.
There are a lot of things curator Cameron Saffell wants visitors to learn about the Land of Enchantment.
This exhibit is a large part, a commemoration, a little bit of a thinking exhibit, thinking about the long journey it took for New Mexico to become a state and then seeing what New Mexico has done in its first hundred years, he said.
New Mexico's Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum is celebrating New Mexico's statehood with the largest collection of memorabilia from the past.
New Mexico is a historical land of extreme diversity, not just in the last one hundred years but going back to the early American Indians of the Southwest. There's a very large extensive documented history here, the history of New Mexico with the Europeans goes back to James town on the east coast so there's a lot here, he said.
There are close to one hundred license plates on display, at least one plate for every year New Mexico produced one, a 10-foot hand made banner celebrating the first fifty years and the 100th anniversary poster, painted by artist Ronald Kil. There's also posters of the films shot on location through out New Mexico.
Filmmaking in New Mexico goes back quite a long ways. One of the earliest moving picture films like Thomas Edison was actually an Indian Pueblo School in Northern New Mexico and there have been making films for over a hundred years, he said.
There's also a tribute to President William Howard Taft who signed New Mexico into statehood. He had some questions on how state constitution were set up for both New Mexico and Arizona, but once he had those issues resolved in his mind, he was very comfortable making both of them states, he said.
The Centennial of New Mexico statehood exhibit at the Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum runs through September 2012.
Reported by Carlos Correa
Avenue Art New Mexico 2016
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