You say you want a revolution…

Growing up in Las Cruces, I found myself constantly bored. There wasn’t a lot to do besides wandering around a ghost-town mall or getting drunk with your friends somewhere down by the waterless Rio Grande. Las Cruces, though a booming college town, was merely a tiny blip in between the more metropolitan Albuquerque and El Paso.

But, in the last five years, there’s been a rumbling in the ground: a collective emergence from an artistic hibernation; local artists and musicians that have begun to dust the sleep from their souls to start creating an underground artistic movement this town is still not 100% prepared for.

It began (for me, at least) with the West End Art Depot, an ultimately doomed mecca for local artists. It was constantly dusty, not up to code, had no heating or air conditioning to speak of and we were all absolutely in love with it. The reason? Local artists finally had an accessible space to create and perform (my own burlesque troupe included). We drank and danced and painted our way to a viable community. It was beautiful. And when it closed down, there was no lack of heartbreak.

Luckily, the West End seemed to ignite a fire throughout the artistic community. Thanks to their pioneering efforts, the arts scene has had the courage to keep on growing. Now we have the gallery and antique shop, Art Obscura, run by the incomparable Deret Roberts(a featured artist in our shirt series) and Abbey Carver. Roberts and Carver have almost single-handedly created a network of up-and-coming artists and musicians, some of whom come from all over the United States to perform in their venue. They work so hard day in and day out to keep this budding art scene growing.

And while I have a bias towards my hometown, I understand how much the state at large has to offer when it comes to the arts. Everything from art exhibitions to plays to open mics and concerts from local talent, I plan on covering as much as I possibly can. The journey and the revolution are just beginning.

If you know of any cool exhibitions or events, let me know in the comments!