August 2020 Dona Ana County Arts Council Update – by Greg Smith

There comes a time when, no matter how awful something is, we just have to acknowledge that is what we’ve got and deal with it.  We at the Doña Ana Arts Council are all about being proactive, active, and reactive, each in its turn, when appropriate.  So, we’ve taken some of the classes and workshops we are offering and presented them online, we are taking our events for the rest of 2020 online, and we are using social media to point people to activities, events, museums, works of art, and places of interest.

Our real-time gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  and from noon to 7:00 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month to show the works of local artists.  Please come in, wear a mask, maintain distance, help us limit numbers, and soak in some of the great art we’re so fortunate to enjoy here in the Mesilla Valley.

Please also watch for “Baby, You Can Drive My Art!” and the 49^th annual Renaissance ArtsFaire.  The drivable art will be seen on streets and roads in our community leading up to the Renaissance Faire when it and some other fine works of art will be auctioned off to the highest bidders.  We also have costume and mask contests planned, and videos of some of our regular performers and artists.  Favorite vendors and artists will also be offered spots to keep us informed about what they are doing.  Sponsors are welcome, both to make this a stellar, virtual event this year and to preview the much anticipated 50^th Renaissance ArtsFaire coming next year.

Art and culture existed on both sides of the Atlantic 500 years ago, and both north and south of the equator.  In 2021, our 50^th anniversary RenFaire will be capturing a broader spectrum of what we know about that world, half a millennium ago, and how it has impacted the world we know now.  This year, then, while we are celebrating online, we will also be preparing for the 50 and 500, the years of our faire and the years since the High Renaissance.

Our new Arts Directory is proving to be a big hit.  Please check it out to learn about artists, arts organizations, art galleries, arts venues, and related businesses; and if you believe you should be listed, please let us know!
https://www.daarts.org/directory/

We at the Doña Ana Arts Council are wearing our masks, limiting how many of us are in the office at same time, and staying healthy because we’ve got things to do!