Business on the Border Forum - Las Cruces New Mexico

The December meeting of the MVEDA Business on the Border Forum will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2007 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at the Best Western Mesilla Valley Inn Columbus Conference Center. The meeting will begin with a hot entree buffet followed by an update from MVEDA staff.

This month’s featured speaker will be Ken Hessing, the Site Manager for Volt/VMC’s new technical support facility. Volt/VMC announced last month that they selected Las Cruces for their newest facility that will provide technical support services for a major technology company.

Luncheon cost is $10.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. The meeting is open to the public and reservations are not required.

Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance
505 S. Main, Ste. 134 – PO Box 1299
Las Cruces, NM 88004-1299
Tel: (575) 525-2852 – Fax: (575) 523-5707
www.mveda.com

Craft Workshops at Branigan Cultural Center Week of Dec 11

During the week of Dec 11, a series of six mini-workshops will be held at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces. Each workshop is a single two hour session where participants will make either traditional Ojo de Dios or Punched Tin Ornaments just in time to be used during the holiday season. Both crafts are found historically in New Mexico. Space is limited in each workshop so pre-registration is strongly encouraged. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult. There is a $10 fee per participant that covers costs of supplies. A finished piece can be taken home at the end of the session.

From snowflakes and stars to wreaths, hand-made punched tin ornaments are a quick and fun craft. Tin pieces can be used to decorate trees, windows or even add a festive touch to a package. Two punched tin sessions are scheduled for Tuesday, December 11, the first from 1: - 3 p.m. and the second from 5 - 7 p.m. A third session is offered on Saturday, Dec 15 from noon until 2 pm. Sessions are limited to 12 participants each and the minimum age is 10 years old.

Ojo de Dios or Eye of God is a fiber craft where yarn wrapped around wood dowels forms geometric patterns. They are found throughout the Americas. By changing yarn colors and textures, and wrapping directions interesting designs are developed. Ojo de Dios workshop is offered at three times. There are two sessions on Wednesday, Dec 12, the first from 1- 3 p.m. and the second from 5 - 7 p.m. A third session is offered on Saturday, Dec 15 from 9:- 11 a.m. Minimum age for Ojo de Dios workshop is six years old.

For a full schedule of the craft workshops being offered, visit the Branigan Cultural Center at 501 N. Main on the downtown mall or call (575) 541-2154. A registration form is also available online by visiting www.museums.las-cruces.org and clicking on the Branigan

Pascal to give free art talk about sculpture exhibition at Las Cruces Museum of Art Saturday, Dec.8

Santa Fe wood sculptor Pascal will give a free art talk about his exhibit, “Hyle Expression,” on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 11 am at the Las Cruces Museum of Art. The exhibit will open on Friday, Dec. 7 from 5 – 7 pm and continue through Saturday, Jan 26, 2008. For more information about the exhibit, visit the website museums.las-cruces.org or call 575-541-2137.

Thanksgiving Weekend Hours at the Las Cruces Museum of Art

Thanksgiving weekend hours at the Las Cruces Museum of Art: closed Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Nov 22; open Friday, Nov 23 from 10 am - 7pm; Saturday, Nov 24 10am – 5pm; and Sunday, Nov 25 from 1-5pm. Sunday, Nov 25 is the final day to see the “Dali Illustrates Dante’s Divine Comedy” exhibition at the Museum of Art.

3rd Annual Old-Fashioned Holiday Display at the Las Cruces Railroad Museum Friday, Dec. 7

The Las Cruces Railroad Museum will reopen its doors to the public on Friday, Dec 7 at the 3rd Annual Old-Fashioned Holiday Display. Bring the whole family to the Railroad Museum to see the model trains and the holiday lighting. Warm yourself with cocoa and cookies and make an ornament for your tree. The Central Elementary second grade choir will sing carols at 5:30pm. Admission is free. Lights will be on each night through January 1, 2008.

For more information, call 575-647-4480 or visit the website museums.las-cruces.org. The Las Cruces Railroad Museum is located at 351 N. Mesilla Street (intersection of Las Cruces Avenue). After Dec. 7, the Las Cruces Railroad Museum will be open Thursday through Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm (excluding City holidays).

Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music to Perform at Museum of Art Saturday, Nov 24

A modern avant garde musical performance by the Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music will be included in the final weekend for the “Dali Illustrates Dante’s Divine Comedy” exhibition at the Las Cruces Museum of Art. The performance beginning at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24 in the Museum’s Gallery will not include a pre-concert lecture. The cost for viewing the exhibit is $5 for adults; 18 and under, free. There is no additional charge for the musical performance.

Hours for the Museum during the Thanksgiving weekend will be closed Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, Nov 22; open Friday, Nov 23 from 10 am - 7pm; Saturday, Nov 24 10am – 5pm; and Sunday, Nov 25 from 1-5pm. Sunday, Nov 25 is the final day to see the “Dali Illustrates Dante’s Divine Comedy” exhibition at the Museum of Art. The Museum will return to regular hours of operation on Saturday, Dec. 1: Monday through Friday, 10 am – 4 pm; Saturday, 9 am – 1 pm; closed Sunday.

For more information about exhibitions, programs or Museum Studio Classes, call 575-541-2137 or visit the website museums.las-cruces.org.

“Unified Field: The Border,” Paintings and Drawings by Beatriz Ezban on Display at Las Cruces Museum of Art Friday, Dec. 7, 2007 – Saturday, Jan. 26,

The magnetic fields where cultures meet and interact is the focus of paintings and drawings by noted Mexican artist Beatriz Ezban, whose “Unified Field: The Border,” opens at the Las Cruces Museum of Art on Friday, Dec. 7, from 5 – 7 p.m. The exhibit, which runs through Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008, is presented in collaboration with in the Consulado General de México, El Paso, TX.

Included in the exhibit are new paintings and drawings created by Ezban during her residency at Yaddo, an artists' community located on a 400-acre estate in Saratoga Springs, NY. Ezban’s works are made with oil and wax on linen, yielding paintings rich in texture, depth and color. Through her work she confronts border issues, including those experienced along the Mexico-U.S. Border. Her simplified human forms suggest the actions of current events, while retaining a timeless humanity. Ezban explains that in her work she hopes to negotiate between conflicting imperatives at asymmetrical meeting points, where art can turn the edges of chaos into unified fields of harmonious interaction.

Beatriz Ezban’s artworks have been exhibited internationally in solo and group shows. “Unified Fields: The Border” was most recently seen in 2006 at Gallery Zone: Chelsea Center for the Arts in New York City. Other recent solo exhibits were presented in Mexico, Morocco, Germany, Rumania, Poland, Canada, Spain and the United States.

For more information about exhibits, programs and Museum Studio Program classes, visit the website: museums.las-cruces.org, or call 575-541-2137. The Las Cruces Museum of Art is accessible and free of charge and located at 501 N. Main St. in the Las Cruces Downtown Mall.

Business on the Border Forum - November 6 in Las Cruces

The November meeting of the MVEDA Business on the Border Forum will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 from 11:30 AM until 1:00 PM at the Best Western Mesilla Valley Inn Columbus Conference Center. The meeting will begin with a hot entree buffet followed by an update from MVEDA staff.

The future of workforce development and education in southern New Mexico will be the topic of this month’s presentation. Patsy Duran and Kari Mitchell will present an update on the status of the Regional Education Initiative, including preliminary results of recent focus groups and a preview of the soon to be released employer survey.

Luncheon cost is $10.00 per person, payable by cash, check or major credit card. The meeting is open to the public and reservations are not required.

Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance
505 S. Main, Ste. 134 – PO Box 1299
Las Cruces, NM 88004-1299
Tel: (505) 525-2852 – Fax: (505) 523-5707
www.mveda.com