June 2025 Newsletter

NM Department of Cultural Affairs Offers Free Admission to Active-Duty Military

Through Blue Star Museums Program

Free admission to any of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs’ (NMDCA) eight museums and seven historic sites will be available this summer to active-duty military personnel and their families through the Blue Star Museums program. New Mexico has a sizable active-duty military and National Guard population of more than 43,000 people and NMDCA offers these individuals a chance to explore the history and culture of the state throughout the summer.

Watch New Mexico Art's Kevin Lenker and MOIFA's Charlie Lockwood on the New Mexico Living show discuss the Blue Star Museums Program here

Learn More

New Mexico was well represented at the recent National Finals for Poetry Out Loud. Kaitlyn Lubega from UWC-USA, Montezuma won 3rd Place and a $5000 prize in the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Finals! The competition was fierce, but the talented student contestants were supportive and friendly.

Art in Public Places Announcements

Prospectus #282 Large-Scale Purchase Initiative

Project Intent:

The objective of the Large-Scale Purchase Initiative is to diversify the state's public art collection by purchasing artwork from artists at all stages of their career. All media in all genres, suitable for both interior and exterior display, will be considered. Artwork must be durable, permanent, low-maintenance, and in compliance with ADA guidelines upon installation.

Eligibility Criteria:

The project is open to artists who reside in, and galleries that are located in, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah. Galleries may submit qualifications on behalf of any artist represented by the gallery, regardless of the artist's residency. Finalists may be required to submit verifiable proof of residency prior to being awarded a purchase contract.

Project Timeline:

May 1, 2025: Project Announced

July 1, 2025: Deadline for Submissions

August 2025: Notification of Finalists

September 2025 - December 2027: Time frame of potential purchases and installation of artwork on a rolling basis

Questions/Follow Up:

Please email or call for assistance or questions:

Claude Smith

Public Art Program Coordinator | New Mexico Arts

Department of Cultural Affairs

505-695-6913 Claude.Smith@dca.nm.gov

Deadline: July 1, 2025, Apply Here

Join us for our 2025 New Mexico Arts Artist-in-Residence public program at Los Luceros Historic Site, as resident Chris E. Vargas presents research and artwork developed during his time at the Los Luceros Historic Site. His creative research centers on several Los Luceros icons like Maria Chabot, Mary Cabot Wheelwright and her collaboration with two-spirit Diné weaver Hastiin Klah, whose preservation of Indigenous artworks laid the foundation for the Wheelwright Museum. Their partnership represents a compelling intersection of cultural and gendered autonomy, as well as resistance to erasure. Vargas will contextualize his artistic practice and personal relationship to these figures while examining the legacy of their work through a contemporary lens. He will also debut a new film project created during his residency.

As part of Los Luceros Historic Site’s ongoing research and storytelling please bring your memories, stories, and forgotten histories about Los Luceros which will be recorded and collected onsite.

Chris E. Vargas Artist Talk + Art Film debut

Free and open to the public.

Sunday, June 1st 3 - 4 PM

Los Luceros Historic Site, Community Room

About the Artist

Chris E. Vargas (born 1978, lives and works in Los Angeles, CA) is a video maker and transdisciplinary artist. He earned his MFA from the Art Practice department at Berkeley in 2011. His work uses humor and performance to explore the complex ways that queer and trans people negotiate spaces for themselves within historical and institutional memory. He is the Executive Director of MOTHA, the Museum of Transgender Hirstory & Art, a critical and conceptual arts & hirstory institution highlighting the contributions of trans art to the cultural and political landscape. In 2016 he received a Creative Capital award in the Emerging Field category, in 2020, he was a John C. Guggenheim fellow, and he is a 2024/25 Latinx Art Fellow. Learn more about Chris E. Vargas here

The New Mexico Aging & Long-Term Services Department is seeking original 2D artwork for the 47th Annual New Mexico Conference on Aging commemorative poster.

This year’s theme is joy—celebrating the vibrancy, resilience, and connections that make aging a meaningful journey.

The selected artist will receive $1,500, and their work will be featured in conference marketing, including posters, notecards, and promotional materials.

Submission Deadline: June 15, 2025

Share your vision of joy in aging and submit your artwork today!

Apply HERE

Encantada, The Band of Enchantment, was founded in 2010, and in 2025 celebrates 15 years of music making in New Mexico. Their core mission is to entertain, enrich, educate, and support the LGBTQIAP and Allied community and members through their passion for music. They serve as cultural ambassadors of the LGBTQ+ community and welcomes anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for members and audiences alike.

Encantada has grown tremendously from a small contingent that marched in the 2010 Albuquerque Pride Parade. The concert band, pep and marching unit, and jazz ensemble perform for many types of events around the state. Encantada ensembles participate in Pride activities in Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Los Ranchos, Santa Fe, and Taos. They have played at the annual “Twinkle Light Parade,” Habitat for Humanity Chile Festival, IGRA Rodeos, the Albuquerque HIV Walk, and Albuquerque Isotopes and New Mexico United Pride Days.

Encantada has performed in concert with the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus and the New Mexico Women’s Chorus and co-hosted a Lesbian & Gay Band Association (LGBA) event with other regional bands.

Committed to making their music accessible to the community, most Encantada concerts are offered free of charge. They have a major impact in creating a sense of community with members and audiences, supporting individuals whose participation in Encantada and the arts have been a lifeline through regular attendance at band rehearsals and concerts. Audience members have shared how entertaining, enjoyable, and moving Encantada concerts are. Encantada creates an important community for LGBTQ+ individuals and is a larger celebration of individuals interested in learning and sharing music.

See them in action at their upcoming concert on May 31.

Encantada has openings in multiple sections, but especially in percussion, woodwinds, low- and mid-brass. If you know what that means, you’re our kind of player! All playing levels are welcome.

Encantada attended Pride Events in Los Ranchos

Opportunities

Artist INC Express is coming to Taos/Pueblo, NM

October 18 @ 12:00 pm - October 19 @ 5:00 pm FREE

Eligibility: Artists living within a 75-minute radius of Taos/Pueblo, NM

Age Requirement: 18+

Location: TBA

Total Workshop Hours: 10 hours

Homework Hours: 1 hour

Workshop Size: 25 Artists, 3 Facilitators

Materials Provided: Artist INC Express Workbook and Welcome Packet

Workshop Dates & Times:

Day 1: Saturday, October 18, 2025, 12:00pm-5:00pm MST
Day 2: Sunday, October 19, 2025, 12:00pm-5:00pm MST

Registration Deadline: Thursday, October 16, 2025, at 5:00pm MST

Learn more here

The LOR Foundation’s 2025 Field Work initiative is now accepting applications for innovative ideas that improve rural mental health.

Field Work is the LOR Foundation's search for innovative answers to persistent problems that plague rural communities. Our goal with each Field Work initiative is to get money quickly into the hands of the people on the ground—in communities where LOR works or in other rural parts of the region—who have innovative ideas. This year, LOR is focusing on finding innovative solutions that improve mental health or social well-being in rural communities. Funding proposals can range from $1,000 up to $25,000 for a project. LOR will begin accepting project proposals May 12 and will close applications on June 6. Applicants will be notified by late June.

Learn More & Apply Here

Calling All Artists!

Showcase your art about food, farming, and ranching in the Artist's Corridor at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces. Submit by June 18, 2025, for a chance to have your work featured. They accept submissions from individuals and artist groups. For application details, reach out to Curator Supervisor Nathan Japel at nathan.japel@dca.nm.gov.