Archive for January, 2009

The Seventh Annual For the Love of Art event in Mesilla is Saturday, Feb. 14 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature artwork by area artists, including Guadalupe Jurado Apodaca of L.A. Arts, Latana Bernier of Gourd Art by Latana, Frances Conklin of Casa de Santiago, Ramon A. Escalante of Ramon’s Art, High Desert Furniture and Paintings of Deming, Damon LaGarry of LaGarry Fine Art, Dennis Lujan of In Effect Gallery, Jesse Lujan of Tres Vaqueros Original and Custom Copperworks, Guenevere R. McMahon of Purse Your Lips, Russell Mott of Mott Potts, John Pittari, Preciliana Sandoval of La Morena, John Surra of John Surra Studios and Jovita B. Thomas.

The Border Jazz Trio will play on the plaza from 2-3 p.m.

In 1999, February was declared For the Love of Art Month in Las Cruces. The event in Mesilla is held in conjunction with the Las Cruces celebration in an effort to promote art and the business of art.

 For more information, call the Town of Mesilla at (575) 524-3262 ext. 116.

Related information, New Mexico, Las Cruces

New Mexico Clean & Beautiful, a program of the New Mexico Tourism Department, has rolled out a new television spot for its Toss No Más anti-litter campaign which takes a comical look at what happens when people litter.

The concept for the new spot, titled “What You Toss Adds Up,” came together after focus groups were used to study the behavior of potential litter offenders.

“Surprisingly, we found that young adults didn’t consider tossing cigarette butts or gum littering,” said Joseph Lobato, Executive Director of New Mexico Clean & Beautiful.  “We created the concept for the TV spot and then tested it with the young people again. They said it was a home run.”

The spot, created by Griffin & Associates in both English and Spanish, features a young man getting ready for a date. He picks up flowers for his date, smokes a cigarette and then tosses the cigarette butt.  He is suddenly pummeled by cigarette butts. He gets into his car, finishes his coffee, and then tosses his cup out the window. Again, he is pummeled – this time with coffee cups.  When he finally arrives at his date’s house, he spits his gum out on the sidewalk.  After being pummeled with gum, he walks to the door – his flowers wilted, hair and shirt disheveled, covered in cigarette butts, coffee cups and gum. His date slams the door in his face – and the announcer says, “What you toss adds up. Toss No Más.”

“A littered state has an immediate negative impact on visitors. A first impression is a lasting impression,” said Michael Cerletti, Secretary of the New Mexico Tourism Department. “I hope this new commercial will encourage everyone to do their part to keep New Mexico clean and beautiful.”

New Mexico Clean and Beautiful was created by the Litter Control and Beautification Act of 1985 and is affiliated with the national organization Keep America Beautiful, Inc. The program is charged with coordinating statewide litter control and beautification efforts. Both programs motivate millions of volunteers annually to clean up, beautify and improve their neighborhoods.

The new exhibition “Unidentified Flowering Objects,” collaborative drawings by Chuck Dunbar and Edna Casman, opens Friday, February 6 at the Las Cruces Museum of Art, with a reception as part of the First Friday Ramble from 5-7 pm.  The exhibit will be on display through Saturday, April 4.

Chuck Dunbar and Edna Casman have been drawing together for three years, creating spontaneous pastel drawings.  Their process is a series of moves and counter moves, like playing a game, to create an improvised floral image.  According to their joint artist statement, “these drawings are not abstract.  The subject of these drawings is the marks and rhythm and the spatial illusion they create.”  Both artists currently reside in Albuquerque. 

All exhibits and receptions at the Museum of Art, located at 491 N. Main St. in the downtown mall, are accessible and free to the public.  For more information about exhibits and Studio Programs art classes, please call 575-541-2137 or visit the website http://museums.las-cruces.org