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Four New Exhibits Open on Friday, February 3

The Las Cruces Museums open 4 new exhibits on Friday, February 3, with opening receptions from 5pm to 7pm during the First Friday Ramble.

Issei and Beyond: The Nakayama Family’s Journey in the Mesilla Valley and Hillsboro Faces: A Collection of Portraits, opens in the Branigan Cultural Center.

ReTooled: Highlights from the Hechinger Collection, opens in the Las Cruces Museum of Art.

For the Love of Railroad Architecture, opens at the Las Cruces Railroad Museum.

John Kaichiro and Tome Nakayama were issei – immigrants to the United States in the early 20th century – who settled in Las Cruces in 1918. Issei and Beyond uses personal objects and images to share the story of how the Nakayama family rose above the challenges of immigration and racial discrimination to become leading farmers and chile specialists in Las Cruces. The artifacts displayed are from the family collection stewarded by Peggy Nakayama Swoveland, who is delighted to present her family’s story to the community for the first time as a full museum exhibition. Issei and Beyond will be on exhibit at the Branigan Cultural Center through May 13.

Photographer Matilde Holzwarth captures the character of Hillsboro, New Mexico, through portraits of the members of its community. Hillsboro Faces features more than 20 portraits of the people of the former mining town. The exhibition runs through March 25.

Featuring over 40 works by 28 artists, ReTooled celebrates the prevalence of tools with art that transforms utilitarian objects into fanciful works that speak of humor and beauty. Over the course of 30 years, hardware chain owner John Hechinger amassed a collection of over 300 works of 20th century art. Hechinger’s quest to assemble a preeminent art collection unifying the theme of tools rested on the notion that everyday instruments could be objects of beauty and reverence. Artists represented in the exhibition include Red Grooms, Jacob Lawrence, Berenice Abbott, Jim Dine, and Las Cruces artist Stephen Hansen, among others. ReTooled was organized by International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C., from Tools as Art: The Hechinger Collection, a gift of John and June Hechinger to International Arts & Artists. Curated by Jared Packard-Winkler, ReTooled will be on exhibit at the Museum of Art through March 25.

Admission is free to the Las Cruces Museums, located in Downtown Las Cruces. The museums are open Tuesday through Friday from 10am to 4:30pm, and Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm. For additional information, visit the website at museums.las-cruces.org or call 575-541-2154.

If you need an accommodation for a disability to enable you to fully participate in this event, please contact the museum 48 hours prior to the event.

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