Courtesy of Artesia MainStreet, Inc. Robert Summers, The Rustler, 2009, bronze.

Celebrating Culture and the Arts in New Mexico

Courtesy of Roswell Museum and Art Center.

October is National Arts and Humanities Month, a coast-to-coast collective recognition of the importance of culture in America. Initially launched by Americans for the Arts (AFTA) as a National Arts Week, it was reimagined in 1993 by AFTA as a month-long celebration with goals of:

  • Focusing on equitable access to the arts at local, state, and national levels;
  • Encouraging individuals, organizations, and diverse communities to participate in the arts;
  • Allowing governments and businesses to show their support of the arts; and
  • Raising public awareness about the role the arts and humanities play in our communities and lives. 

During the turbulence of 2020-2021, the arts and humanities have played a critical role in getting America through a pandemic and in amplifying the need for racial equity across our nation. National Arts and Humanities Month is a time for communities to come together in unified celebration of the power of the arts to make a positive difference in quality of life issues. 

In years past there was an Arts and Culture Day at the Roundhouse during the Legislative Session. In an effort to showcase our valuable arts and cultural resources to lawmakers, and to make a case for their worth in building productive communities, numerous arts and culture organizations hosted a day of celebration. Museums, the Department of Cultural Affairs, New Mexico Arts, and other organizations played a vital role in this presentation. We hope that the post-COVID landscape will allow us to pursue such a celebration in the future. 

Get Involved!

To help celebrate National Arts and Humanities Month in October, get involved at the grassroots level in your own community. 

  • Write an Op-Ed article promoting the worth of the arts and culture in your community. 
  • Ask your Mayor to issue a proclamation to officially declare October National Arts and Humanities Month in your community. 
  • Work with arts and culture organizations to organize joint events (such as an art block party, gallery hop, exhibition, performance).
  • Share stories on social media about how the arts and culture have made a difference in peoples’ lives.
  • Write to your elected officials, letting them know about the importance of the arts and humanities in your daily life. 
  • Support the arts in your community by helping to sustain organizations financially: take out a membership in your museum, buy a symphony ticket, pay for a disadvantaged child to take a studio art class, join the yoga class at your local arts council. 
  • Contact Creative New Mexico with news of what you are planning in celebration of National Arts and Humanities Month