The Branigan Cultural Center, Las Cruces Museum of Art, Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science, and Railroad Museum are all participating the 2015 Las Cruces Connects Arts Weekend, with programs on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7.
The Museums welcome four new exhibits during the First Friday Downtown Arts Ramble, 5-7 pm. At the Museum of Art, Las Cruces Collects features works from the collections of three local art collectors: Billy & Cynthia Garrett, Lynn Wiley & John Purcell, and the New Mexico State University Art Gallery. The Branigan Cultural Center welcomes the 2015 Las Colcheras Quilt Challenge exhibition, Number, p l e a s e… and Mesilla Valley Scenes, by Artamants. At the Railroad Museum, the Watercolor Society of Southern New Mexico presents Wheels & Wings: Tracing Our Heritage. Artists and collectors will be present at the museums during the First Friday opening receptions.
On Saturday, February 7, each museum will present exhibit-related tours, talks, and activities for a range of audiences:
For adults:
Branigan Cultural Center:
10am-noon: Guided Tours of Quilt show: Numbers, p l e a s e…
Join the quilters of Las Colcheras Quilt Guild for a walk through the gallery and a talk about the process of quilting. Get a close up view of the beautiful quilts in this exhibition.
Museum of Art:
12:30pm: Art Collecting: Where do I start? with Curator Joy Miller.
Exhibits Curator Joy Miller presents a lively talk about the collections on display in Las Cruces Collects and how you might embark on your own collector’s journey. Art – it’s not as hard as you think!
For families and kids:
Museum of Art:
11:30 am: Treasure Chests: A Place to Keep Your Collection
Everyone collects something, but where do you keep it? Join Education Curator Kimberly Hanson in making a place to keep your treasures and receive a small item to kick start your collection!
Branigan Cultural Center:
10:00 am: Vamos a Explorar on painting
Join the museum for a Spanish-language program on painting techniques for kids.
11:00 am: Painting workshop
Try your hand at a few new painting materials and techniques in this fun workshop.
The Branigan Cultural Center is located downtown at 501 N. Main Street, next to the Museum of Art at 491 N. Main Street, and the Museum of Nature and Science at 411 N. Main Street. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. The Railroad Museum is located at 351 N. Mesilla Street. Gallery hours are Thursday-Saturday, 9:00am-4:30pm. For more information, contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154. Find our events calendar and announcements on our Facebook page, or visit the Center’s web site at lascruces.org/museums.