Free Lecture, “Dali and Dante: a Surreal Pair,” by Art Appraiser Bernard Ewell Saturday, Nov. 3 at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces

Appraiser Bernard Ewell, an authority on the works of Salvador Dali, will offer a free lecture, “Dali and Dante: a Surreal Pair,” on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 11 a.m. at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces. The event is in conjunction with the “Dali Illustrates Dante’s Divine Comedy” exhibition at the Las Cruces Museum of Art, which runs through Sunday, Nov. 25.

Ewell, founder of Bernard Ewell Appraisers, LLC of Santa Fe has spent 35 years appraising million dollar artworks and vast collections. He is an authority of the approximately 1,700 print images legitimately published with Salvador Dali’s participation, as well as the Spanish surrealist’s unique paintings and drawings. Following decades of extensive research, Ewell’s experience includes numerous appearances as the expert witness in lawsuits targeting those who produce Dali forgeries and their publishers and dealers. He is also a noted educator, lecturer and writer, who for the next two years will travel extensively in Europe to meet with every living publisher and printer who ever worked with Dali.

Exhibition hours for the “Dali Illustrates Dante’s Divine Comedy” at the Las Cruces Museum of Art are Tuesday through Thursday, 10 am – 5 pm; Friday, 10 am – 7 pm; Saturday, 10 am – 5 pm; Sunday, 1 – 5 pm; closed Monday. The cost of admission to the exhibit is $5 for adults; 18 and under, free. The Branigan Cultural Center and the Museum of Art are located in the Las Cruces Downtown Mall. For more information, call 505-541-2137 or visit the website at museums.las-cruces.org

Museum of Art Studio Art Classes Registration Now Open for Fall Session 2

Registration is open for Fall Session 2 Art classes for adults and kids of all ages and experience levels at the Las Cruces Museum of Art Studio. Classes will start the week of Nov. 5.

Classes for adults at all levels include ceramics, clay sculpture, drawing and painting, weaving, and digital photography offered on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and/or weekday evenings.

Classes for young artists include preschool ceramics for 4 – 5 year olds. Classes in ceramics and drawing and painting are available for students 6 – 8 and 9 – 12 years. A digital photography class for students 10 – 12 is also offered.

Pick up class descriptions and registration forms at the Museum of Art, at the website museums.las-cruces.org or call 541-2137.

The Museum’s Saturday Studio for Kids is open every Saturday for kids ages 5 – 12 from 10 – The cost is $5 per student, and there is no pre-registration. Classes are limited to 10 students, first come first served. Sign in at the front desk beginning at 9:30 am. 11:30 am.

The Las Cruces Museum of Art is located at 501 N. Main St. in the downtown mall.

Business Incubator Survey

The Arrowhead Center is conducting a feasibility study for a business incubator to serve Southern New Mexico and be located on the NMSU campus. An incubator is a program that helps small businesses (including start-ups and existing firms) be more successful. It often includes a building that houses 10-20 small and start-up businesses who share things like photocopiers, computers, and conference rooms. Incubators also give small and start-up businesses easy access to business assistance, through workshops and one-on-one help. Sometimes that assistance is also available to companies that are not tenants of the incubator.

The study will help to determine if the incubator will further the economic, business and community development goals of the area and what set of services, programs and facilities might be needed to support small and early-stage businesses. You, as a local business owner or manager, can provide much needed input into the decision making process by answering a short (11 questions) on-line survey. To participate, please follow the link below by October 26th.

http://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/incubatorsurvey

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

The "Art of Ballet Folklorico” at Branigan Cultural Center

Ballet Folklorico comes to life with colorful dance costumes from every region of Mexico during “The Art of Ballet Folklorico” at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces Friday, Nov. 2 – Saturday, Dec. 29. The opening reception for the event on Friday, Nov. 2 from 5 – 7 p.m. will feature dance performances by Ballet Folklorico de la Tierra Del Encanto, directed by Jose Tena. A light dinner will be served to guests at the opening.

Ballet Folklorico preserves and promotes traditional dance and culture of Mexico. Utilizing their natural surroundings and cultural heritage, each region produces unique dances, music and costumes. Mexican-American citizens brought this tradition to the United States. In Las Cruces, Jose Tena’s troupe, Ballet Folklorico de la Tierra Del Encanto, has been entertaining audiences and teaching the public about the dances for over 15 years. “The Art of Ballet Folklorico” is enhanced by the photography of David Shaw and watercolors by Flo Hosa Dougherty.

The Branigan Cultural Center is located at the north end of the downtown mall. Parking is accessible from the intersection of Water and Hadley streets. There is no charge, and the Cultural Center is open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Cultural Center is accessible. For more information about the exhibition, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at 541-2154 or visit the Center’s website at museums.las-cruces.org.