by Bianca L. Granado

Art lovers everywhere will be able to enjoy a month of art celebration as the City of Las Cruces celebrates the tenth annual For the Love of Art Month in February.

Diverse events all over the city will help support the month-long art celebration sponsored by the ArtForms Artists Association. These include visual art shows, theatre, dance programs, concerts, and a special anniversary gala.

For the Love of Art Month begins with the annual ArtForms Member Show, that opens from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, at the Downtown Ramble. The show will feature 50 artists, including painters, photographers, sculptors, and a variety of multi-media art. The show will continue at the Branigan Cultural Center until Saturday, March 1.

Local artists will open their studios and galleries and allow art lovers the opportunity to tour where these artists work, and visit and buy from them directly. Two weekends of Studio and Gallery Tours, Feb. 9-10 and Feb. 16-17, will feature 27 locations and more than 30 artists. Tour maps are available at the Blue Gate Gallery, the Las Cruces Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Cultural Center de Mesilla, The Bean and other locations.

The Town of Mesilla also celebrates For the Love of Art Month. During the Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery’s annual “My Masterpiece” show, the public is invited to test their knowledge of famous artists. The show opens from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Feb.1. The gallery is also holding an artists reception on Saturday, Feb. 9.

Art can also be found in the form of dance. The New Mexico State University DanceSport Company will present “Rhythm Nights” a dance performance featuring Ballroom, Latin, and Swing Dance. The performances will be held at 7 P.M. on Friday, Feb. 22, and 3 p.m. on Feb. 23, at the Court Youth Center Auditorium located at 420 W. Court Ave. Tickets for these performances are $10. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 there will be a dinner, performance, and a dance. Tickets are $35. Tickets can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, by phone at (888) 448-7849 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Other events include a reading of love poems, sponsored by the Border Book Festival and the New Mexico Book Association, at 7 p.m. on Saturday, February 16.

To view a list of all For the Love of Art Month events visit www.lascrucescvb.org

ArtForms Artists Association of New Mexico is a non- profit organization that supports and promotes all artistic forms.

For more information about For the Love of Art Month contact Cheryl Fallstead at (575) 521-3838.

Comments are closed.