Once upon a time Ruth Drayer and Virginia Maria Romero asked separate units of the NMSU Business College to help artists. Ruth Drayer began working with David Boje's small business students, and kicked off the 2007 Talking Stick circles that developed an agenda for change. About this same time, Viriginia Maria Romero began working with Asociate Dean Kevin Boberg of the Business College's Arrowhead Center. In 2008 Boje, Drayer, and Romero launched the 1st Arts Convention, focusing on Mesilla Valley
The 2009 Arts Convention and Street Festival is the continued work, started in 2007, of a community partnership between the NMSU Business College, business professor Dr. David Boje and his management students, area artists, arts businesses, and arts organizations. Artists, arts consumers, and arts advocates are collectively creating a storytelling narrative, action plans and outcomes to enhance and distinguish our area as a major Arts and Culture Destination in Southern New Mexico. The 2-day arts event includes workshops for arts, arts consumers, and arts advocates to advance the movement of a vibrant arts producing community and an arts market in Southern New Mexico. In addition a “free to the public” Street Festival has been added to demonstrate the excitement that art exhibits, arts demonstrations, and entertainment create in a community. The Street Festival will highlight a Grand Finale with a monumental “talking stick,” dance, song, poetry, and a collaborative visual art piece created throughout the day in partnership with the NMSU Recycling Department to demonstrate “green and artful creations.”