The Ballard Photo Studio: A Portrait of Community at the Branigan Cultural Center

The Branigan Cultural Center is excited to announce a new exhibit, The Ballard Photo Studio: A Portrait of Community, featuring more than 200 portraits and other photographic works by Las Cruces photographer Jim Ballard.

These works offer a snapshot of the Mesilla Valley community between 1930 and 1950. The images are from the Ballard Photo Studio collection at the New Mexico State University (NMSU) Library Archives. The exhibit opens on Friday, October 4, 2024, and runs through Saturday, February 15, 2025.

Jim Ballard operated a photo studio on Main Street, where he created portraits of more than 5,000 Mesilla Valley residents. Using a large-format camera on a tripod, Ballard captured his subjects on 5×7-inch negatives, resulting in clear, high-resolution images.

The NMSU Library Archive holds over 25,000 portrait negatives from the Ballard Photo Studio, with more than 200 images selected for this exhibit. Additionally, Ballard photographed area businesses and community events, producing roughly 4,000 more negatives, which are also preserved by the Library Archives.

Several programs are planned in conjunction with the exhibit, including an opening reception on Friday, October 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a lecture by Dennis Daily, Director of the NMSU Library Archives, on Thursday, October 17, from noon to 1 p.m. Additional programs will be announced on the Las Cruces Museums’ social media platforms.

The museum is located at 501 N. Main Street and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is accessible from Roadrunner Transit Route 1, Stop 1.

For more information, visit https://www.lascruces.gov/museums or call (575) 541-2154.