Upcoming convention asks ‘What’s Art?’

Workshops explore how art can help the community

BY BRANDON BELL

For the Las Cruces Bulletin July 3^rd 2009

The second annual What’s Art Convention, held Friday, Oct. 2, and Saturday, Oct. 3, will tackle topics such as the business of art and how to make southern New Mexican art profitable for artists and the community.

The convention, which will be held at Alma d’arte Charter High School, 402 W. Court Ave., and Pioneer Women’s Park, 500 W. Las Cruces Ave., will feature workshops designed to help local artists flourish financially and artistically.

Virginia Maria Romero, an award-winning Las Cruces artist and convention planning committee member, said the convention will focus on the economy and how art can help other aspects of the community, such as promoting businesses.

“Art can be a vehicle for increasing the local economy,” Romero said.

The convention won’t be limited in its scope of art. David Boje, a professor at New Mexico State University and facilitator of the What’s Art Convention, said he wants the convention to include as many different types of artists as possible.

“When you’re trying to grow a creative economy, you want that circle to be big and as inclusive as possible,” he said.

For example, Chef Maurice Zeck, of the NMSU School of Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management, will cater the banquet. Zeck will also be leading an ice sculpture workshop for culinary artists.

The Friday evening banquet will kick off the convention, during which a question and answer session with local experts about the future of southern New Mexico art and its culture economy will be held.

The workshops will be divided into a morning and an afternoon session on Saturday. To cap the event, Romero said the finale will be a culmination of several different artistic styles.

The convention will also feature events open to the public at Pioneer Park. These events will have an environmentally sustainable theme and will include local music, theater, food, modern and traditional dance and visual arts.

Art Lucero and NMSU Recycling will provide receptacles and a trailer to haul away recyclable materials at end of the day. There will be an art project that will use crushed can cubes. The project will be recycled at the end of the day.

Romero said this won’t be just another art show, but something that can make a real difference.

“I think the vision is really solid and we’ve got a lot of support for it,” she said. “If everyone does their part, it could really put Las Cruces on the map as something that represents the future of art.”

Admission to the convention is tentatively set at $60 in advance and $70 at the door. The fee will pay for the banquet, workshops and smaller roundtable discussions.

The convention is also looking for storytellers to talk about the past, present and future of Las Cruces art.

The convention will be hosted by the Talking Stick Institute and Alma d’arte. For more information on the convention, Talking Stick Institute or to become a vendor or sponsor, visit http://talkingstick.info, or call David Boje at 532-1693.

BRANDON BELL | For the Las Cruces Bulletin

The What’s Art Convention committee gathers around the talking stick – a symbol of good communication – outside of Alma d’arte Charter High School Tuesday, June 23.