Public art is a community asset that should be properly maintained. Las Cruces Public Art will regularly conduct a survey of the condition of each work in the public art collection belonging to the City of Las Cruces and provide care accordingly.
If you would like to report concerns or issues with the condition of a piece of public art, please call 575-541-2780/TTY:711 or email [email protected].
Current Maintenance or Restoration Projects
Status of maintenance, restoration and repair projects, including updates, are listed below.
Pastel Palms
Pastel Palms by Pat and Michelle Welsh was installed in 1998 in a pocket part on the corner of S. Espina St. and Missouri Ave. It is due for a paint restoration of the fronds and repairs to the trunks of the palms. Tentatively scheduled for March – April 2026.
Update: Work was completed in at the end of April 2026. The palm fronds were removed and sent to a painter for spray coating. Every effort was made to match the original colors. The trunks were repaired with new metal siding and weather- proofing the seams to prevent water damage. The palms were then reassembled.
E.J. and Mabel Bronze Lions
E.J. and Mabel lion sculptures by Modesto Barios Caballeros were installed in 1968 in the previous City Hall located on Church St. They were moved their current location when the new City Hall was finished in 2010. The bronze lions are overdue for a cleaning and restoration of thier patina. Tentatively scheduled for April 2026.
Update: The Lions were buffed and polished by an artist with expertise in bronze work. The lions were sandblasted to remove the old clear coating. Then a fresh coat of patina was applied. The artist tried to match the original patina as closely as possible which is hard to do when the bronze work was done so long ago. He finished with a coat of clear coat that will protect the patina and requires less maintenance than a wax coat that would need to be reapplied regularly. Work was completed in April 2026.
Albert N. Johnson Bronze Statue
The bronze statue by C.M. Djorojieski commemorates the first African American mayor in New Mexico. He served as Mayor of Las Cruces from 1976 – 1980. The statue’s patina had oxidized to a green tint in some areas and darkened in others which is normal for bronze work. However, it had not been cleaned in quite some time.
The artist who did the Lions also cleaned the Mayor so the patina looks fresh again. There was no repair or restoration needed for this statue. Work was completed in April 2026.
Downtown Traffic Cabinet (Corner of Las Cruces St. and Church St.)
The traffic cabinet was one of nine cabinets wrapped with artwork in the downtown area as part of the pilot project called ArtScapes Mini-Murals in 2019. Unfortunately, this cabinet was damaged when a vehicle ran into it. It was replaced with a new cabinet a few years ago without the wrap.
In keeping with arts and cultural theme of the original cabinets, we licensed two photographs of the Sunshine Grocery and Grill building located in the Mesquite Historic District. The photo artwork was created by the late Mel Stone who lived in the District and owned a gallery on Mesquite St. The photos show the building in a day and night setting. The images were printed on vinyl and installed in June 2026.
