Art That Keeps Giving (Reposted from Dec. 21, 2021)
If you’ve ever doubted the power of public art, take a trip downtown to the Plaza de Las Cruces during the holidays and observe children and adults playing and laughing around the oversized Christmas gifts, snowmen, penguins, sleds, the Polar Express, and taking silly (and serious) selfies in front of…
Choosing To Be Picky
It amazes me how many people think that, as Public Art Coordinator, I choose the public art that gets commissioned and installed. In fact, my vote doesn’t count. The artwork I like is often not the artwork that is chosen, which could be a good thing. In hindsight, I don’t…
What the Duck
It’s been a while since we posted a new Rubber Ducks blog – so sorry to all our loyal Duck followers. Our website was undergoing a transition. We are happy to announce we are ready to go again with a better-looking blog design that is easier to scroll through and…
Identify as Public Art
What would the world be without art? Many different mediums of art touch the lives of people every day. Imagine our community without certain iconic art pieces. Imagine if all buildings were just boring boxes exactly all the same size, each painted beige, with none enhanced by the images of…
My Life As A Public Art Co-Op
Starting out, I didn’t know what to expect; I just knew I wanted to be able to do something that allowed me to express my creativity. In my first couple months of being here, I have gotten to experience so many different things and meet some kind people. Every day…
Who is ALICE?
No, it is not a drug reference or about a girl going down a rabbit hole. ALICE is an acronym forArtists +LibrariesInnovativeCollaborativeEntrepreneurship. The name is a nod to Alice Branigan, who founded the first Las Cruces city library in memory of her husband, Thomas Branigan. The Ask ALICE program is…
Art Stops Are Here!
After going through an artist call selection process, six original art works were chosen to be displayed at bus shelters throughout the City. The shelters were chosen based on their location (one in each City district) and accessibility for viewing by passing cars and foot traffic. We are proud to…
May the Creative Workforce Be with You
Public Art, in partnership with the Las Cruces Public Libraries (Library) and the City’s Economic Development department, will hold a series of “Art Smarter, Not Harder” workshops focusing on the business of being a creative entrepreneur. Artist Art Garcia presenting his proposal for Fire Station #3. Proposed topics include “Business…
Artists Rights Matter
Recently a community member took it upon himself to “restore” a mural that had been badly tagged. He posted his project on social media asking for community participation and financial support. This sparked a community wide outcry of support for someone taking action when the City, who owns the mural,…
Wherever You Go, You Are Here
I can’t remember how many times I went back to look at the small sculpture of a fish sitting on a couch. It was colorful and made of paper-mâché. The symbolism was satirical which appealed to my snarky humor. It was from an artist new to me – Stephen Hansen.…
