Archive for February, 2010

Who: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
What: Cowboy Days  
When: March 13-14,  2010 
Where: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
Contact: (575) 522-1232

The 11th annual Cowboy Days has something for everyone
 
Dust off your boots and make plans to joins us March 13th -14th for Cowboy Days at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. This two day celebration is packed with horseshoes, gun fight re-enactments, Musical performances, horseback rides, demonstrations, and so much more. Cowboy Days takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily at the museum, located at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces.
 
On Saturday, March 13th from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., bring your appetite for an old cowboy favorite breakfast of biscuits and gravy, sausage and scrambled eggs. Tickets for this are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Children under 4 years old are free. Tickets are on sale at New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum through noon on Friday, May 12.
 
After breakfast, stay and enjoy music performances by Randy Granger, Eddy Harrison, and headlining artist, John Arthur Martinez. On Sunday, Randy Granger and Eddy Harrison will return for musical performances, along with James Michael and headliner The Deming Fusiliers.
 
The Wild West will be brought to life through on-going activities like horseback and stagecoach rides, blacksmithing, dowsing, weaving/ sewing, Back Country Horsemen, living history re-enactments, milking demonstrations, children’s activities and crafts, branding, leather stamping, and more. There will be something for everyone and every age!
 
A roping contest will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, and the finals and an award ceremony will take place on Sunday. There will be readings and cowboy stories, along with an author panel featuring Melody Groves, Mike Kearby, Leon Metz and John Duncklee of the Western Writers of America.
 
Cowboy Days is sponsored by the City of Las Cruces and the musical entertainment is sponsored by KGRT and KKBS Viva Vista. For more information, call Helping Hands Event Planning at 575-522-1232.

Who: Branigan Cultural Center
What: Hosting a walking tour of the Mesquite Historic District 
When: March 13, 2010 
Where: Mesquite Historic District
Contact: (575) 541-2154

Branigan Cultural Center to host second walking tour in Mesquite Historic District
 
Las Cruces, NM –The Branigan Cultural Center will host a walking tour of the northern part of the Mesquite Street and Original Town Site Historic District on Saturday, March 13, 2010. The tour will start at 10 a.m. at the historic Phillips Chapel, 638 N. Tornillo Street.
 
Phillips Chapel is in the midst of a restoration project utilizing students from Doña Ana Community College. Ron Taylor, lead instructor in the Building and Construction Technology Program at DACC, and Pat Taylor, adobe preservation specialist, are supervising the students’ work.  The instructors will be on site during the tour to explain the process.
 
The tour will be led by Branigan Cultural Center staff, with architectural information provided by Greg Smith.  Representatives of Las Esparanzas Inc., the neighborhood preservation organization, will be on hand.  In addition to Phillips Chapel, the tour will include the Jardin de Mesquite, the Unsettled Gallery and numerous historic homes in the district.
 
The program is free and no registration is required. Participants should plan for a two-hour walk on city streets and wear sturdy walking shoes.
 
The Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main Street, is located at the north end of the Downtown Mall in Las Cruces.  All programs are free and open to the public.  Galleries are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  For more information contact the Branigan Cultural Center at (575) 541-2154 or visit the Center’s web site at las-cruces.org/museums
 

Who: Rio Grande Theatre
What: Calendar of Events 
When: March 2010 
Where: Rio Grande Theatre
Contact: (575) 523-6403

Rio Grande Theatre March 2010 Calendar of Events
 
Monday, March 1
The Glenn Miller Orchestra
Considered one of the greatest bands of all time, the world famous Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed in 1956 and has been touring consistently ever since, playing an average of 300 live dates a year under the direction of current musical director, trombonist Larry O’Brien. Over the years, the band has recorded a number of chart successes, including “Moonlight Serenade,” “In The Mood,” “Tuxedo Junction” and “Chattanooga Choo Choo.” In 2003, Miller was posthumously given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Doña Ana Arts Council and Rio Grande Theatre are proud to welcome the Glenn Miller Orchestra to Las Cruces as part of their 2009/2010 Cultural Series. Showtime is 7:30. Tickets are $40. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit www.RioGrandeTheatre.com.
 
Wednesday, March 3
Screening: “Home Or Heaven”
The Las Cruces Public Information Office presents an inside look at the workings of the Animal Service Center of the Mesilla Valley and a revealing examination of the area’s pet overpopulation problem, lack of pet owner responsibility and the sometimes sad, but necessary, means of reducing the ever-growing numbers of ownerless pets. Doors open at 6pm. Show starts at 6:30 pm. Admission is free to the public. Tickets available at City Hall, limit four per person while supply lasts. Go to www.CLCTV.com for more information. 
 
Thursday, March 4
ASNMSU presents Janis Ian
Singer/songwriter, columnist and science fiction fan-turned-author, Janis Ian has had a long and distinguished career, beginning in 1967 when her first release, “Society’s Child,” went to number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. A Grammy Award for her song “At Seventeen” in 1975 cemented her place as an American Folk icon and she has continued recording well into the 21st century.  Janis Ian will appear at the Rio Grande Theatre as part of the ASNMSU Cultural Series. Showtime is 8pm. Tickets are $15 general admission; $10 students and seniors and are available through Ticketmaster or the Pan American Center on the NMSU Campus.
 
Saturday, March 6
Books Alive!
Literacy is celebrated in all its various forms in a morning and afternoon of events spotlighting the importance of books and art in our community. The highlight will be a special presentation of Magic Carpet Storytime, featuring a reading by James Warhola, the nephew of infamous pop artist Andy Warhol, of his children’s book Uncle Andy’s Cats. It will be directly followed by a lecture on the life and art of Andy Warhol, presented by the Las Cruces Museum of Art in conjunction with their on-going Warhol exhibit. Showtime begins at 10:30am, with a performance by the students of Alma de Arte School, followed at 11:30 by the Warhola reading and Noon by the Warhol lecture. Admission is free to the public.
 
Saturday, March 6
Guitars Not Guns presents Boulder Acoustic Society
As their name implies, this young quartet specializes in all things acoustic: fiddles, ukuleles, accordions, upright basses. What you might not glean from their name, however, is that these guys tackle the traditions with the gusto of a group of rabble-rousing punks. B.A.S.’s music is intense and exciting for listeners, with something new and interesting at every turn. The energy that B.A.S. brings to a stage can tip a festival into overdrive or mesmerize a club audience as they dance into the wee hours. Showtime is 7:30pm. Tickets are $15. For more information visit www.GuitarsNotGuns.org or www.BoulderAcousticSociety.net.
 
Friday, March 12
LoCura & Nuevo Sol
Direct from San Francisco’s vibrant music scene, en route to the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, the Doña Ana Arts Council welcomes Latin music and dance ensemble LoCura to the Rio Grande Theatre Stage. LoCura mixes grooves and melodies from Latin and North American influences to create an original blend of music that bridges cultures and transcends borders. Joining LoCura for an evening of spirited Latin-flavored beats are local-rising-stars, Nuevo Sol. Showtime is 7pm, doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets are $15. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit www.RioGrandeTheatre.com.
 
Saturday, March 13
LCCCA presents Rudolf Budginas
The Las Cruces Civic Concert Association continues their season with the musical prodigy who debuted with the Lithuanian National Symphony at age nine and rose to fame performing solo concerts. His true passion, however, is giving classical music a broader audience appeal, taking audiences from “Claire de Lune” to “Rhapsody In Blue” with contagious energy, humorous asides and endless surprises. Showtime is 3pm. Single ticket price is $20 at the door. Call (575) 521-4051 for more information.
 
Tuesday, March 23
The Vienna Boy’s Choir
The Doña Ana Arts Council will bring the internationally renowned choir to Las Cruces for two big shows on one night as part of their 2009/2010 Cultural Series. In existence since 1498, when Emperor Maximilian of Hapsberg decreed its establishment, the choir as it exists today is a private, not-for-profit organization which performs approximately 300 concerts each year, in front of over 500,000 people. Among the composers represented in the choir’s repertoire are Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig von Beethoven, Georg Friedrich Handel, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert and many more. Showtimes are 6pm and 8pm. Tickets are $40. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit www.RioGrandeTheatre.com.
 
Thursday, March 25
Guitars Not Guns presents Asylum Street Spankers
The magnificently indefinable Asylum Street Spankers began in 1994 during a booze and hallucinogen-fueled party at the Dabbs Hotel in Llano, Texas. Within a year they conquered Austin, playing three SRO weekly residencies, including the city’s first Gospel Brunch. In 1997 the band began venturing out into the wider world, where regular touring throughout Europe, Japan and the states has established the Asylum Street Spankers as an underground institution, widely considered one of the best live acts working today. The Jazz Review refers to the Asylum Street Spankers as “an audacious, genre-defying national treasure,” while Rolling Stone declares them “inspired, lunatic brilliance,” and The Washington Post calls them “Electrifying! A mind-altering experience!” Showtime is 7:30pm. Tickets are $15. For more information visit www.GuitarsNotGuns.org or www.AsylumStreetSpankers.com.
 
Every Other Tuesday at the Rio Grande Theatre
March 9 – NMSU Vocalists
March 23 – NO EOT!
Please note: Every Other Tuesday performances always begin at 5:30pm and are free to the public. 
 
On Exhibit in the El Paso Electric and Carolene de Mesilla Galleries
Abby Osborne
As one fiber art show comes to a close in February another takes it place for March, when the galleries of the Rio Grande Theatre present a brand new exhibition entitled Patched Wings by artist Abby Osborne. Osborne has been a lifelong artist. She creates using several mediums, including painting, drawing and fiber art. Her work combines multiple layers of patterns, symbolism and spirituality. Abby has earned a BFA in painting from Arizona State University, a BA in graphic design as well as an AAS in computer graphics and a Masters in Learning Technologies from New Mexico State University. Osborne is an Associate Professor in the Creative Media Technology Program at Doña Ana Community College. The exhibition will run through the entire month of  March, 2010, beginning with an artist reception on March 5, from 5 to 7pm, as part of the Downtown Art Ramble.
 
The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 N. Main, in Las Cruces, NM. For clarification, photos or additional information, please visit www.RioGrandeTheatre.com or contact the Rio Grande Theatre Manager, David Salcido, at 575-523-6403.

Who: LoCura & Nuevo Sol
What: Performance 
When: March 12, 2010 
Where: Rio Grande Theatre
Contact: (575) 523-6403

San Francisco’s LoCura With Las Cruces’ Own Nuevo Sol at the Rio Grande Theatre Friday, March 12, 2010
 
Direct from San Francisco’s vibrant music scene, en route to the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, the Doña Ana Arts Council welcomes Latin music and dance ensemble LoCura to the Rio Grande Theatre Stage. LoCura mixes grooves and melodies from Latin and North American influences to create an original blend of music that bridges cultures and transcends borders. Joining LoCura for an evening of spirited Latin-flavored beats are local-rising-stars, Nuevo Sol. Both will take the Rio Grande Theatre stage on March 12, 2010.
 
LoCura’s music draws from many genres, bringing them together into an original mix of Flamenco Rumba, Reggae, Cuban Son and North American Folk.  LoCura’s debut album Animas was released in March 2008 with sold out concerts at the Great American Music Hall and other venues throughout San Francisco, as well as a 2009 featured slot at the renowned SXSW music festival in Austin, TX. After touring music festivals throughout the West Coast, Canada, and Mexico, LoCura will make an appearance at the Rio Grande Theatre on their return to Austin for this year’s SXSW music festival.
 
Las Cruces natives Nuevo Sol–made up of members from such diverse local acts as Rio, Zia’s Soul, Del Rey, Live Bait and Liquid Cheese–takes the best of  Latin, Jazz, Reggae and Rock, then transforms them into a powerful, energetic performance with a style all their own. The result is a progressive, cutting-edge sound that reflects the rich cultural styles of the region and takes Southwestern music to all new levels. Making their musical debut in mid-2009, the band has since made a name for itself throughout the state as one of the best rising bands of the region.
 
The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 N. Downtown Mall, in Las Cruces. Doors open at 6:30pm and the performance begins at 7pm. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased via the website at www.RioGrandeTheatre.com. For more information contact Rio Grande Theatre Manager, David Salcido, at (575) 523-6403.

Who: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
What: Events Calendar 
When: March 2010 
Where: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
Contact: (575) 522-4100

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum March 2010 Events Calendar
 
Harvest Cooking Class
March 2, 2-4 p.m.
Enjoy a variety of creative recipes in our very popular monthly cooking class. This month’s recipes feature strawberries and spinach. Carol Koenig is the chef. Pre-registration is required. $35.
 
Monthly Lecture/Film Series: The History of New Mexico Westerns
March 11, 7 p.m.
As a prelude to Cowboy Days, Las Cruces film enthusiast Jeff Berg will show excerpts from several Westerns filmed in New Mexico and talk about the industry’s long association with our state. Admission is a suggested $2 donation.
 
Spring Tree & Plant Sale
March 11-14
The museum’s Greenhouse will be the site of our second-annual Spring Plant & Tree Sale. The sale includes trees, shrubs, and a wide variety of bedding plants, as well as hanging plants and potted plants. Admission required during Cowboy Days (March 13-14).
 
11th Annual Cowboy Days
March 13-14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The museum’s largest event of the year features the Cowboy Breakfast (8-10 a.m. on March 13), as well as match team roping, Mexican-style rodeo demonstrations, horseback and stagecoach rides, cowboy music and poetry, a large arts and craft show, great food, children’s activities, gunfight re-enactments, cowboy demonstrations, and a trip back in time to witness an 1895 wedding. Admission is $4 per person. Children 4 and under are free. Tickets for the breakfast on Saturday are $10 in advance and $12 at the door (includes Cowboy Days admission).
 
Basic Dowsing Class
March 20, 1-3 p.m.
Learn the basics of dowing (questing, divining, water witching), how to use the four basic tools, and the benefits associated with dowsing. The cost is $15 and dowsing tools will be available. Pre-registration is required.
 
For more information, or to register for a class, please call (575) 522-4100.
 
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
4100 Dripping Springs Road
Las Cruces, NM 88011
www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org
 

Who: Abby Osborne
What: New art exhibit
When: March 2010  
Where: Rio Grande Theatre Galleries
Contact: (575) 523-6403

Fiber Artist Abby Osborne to exhibit in the Rio Grande Theatre Galleries
 
As one fiber art show comes to a close in February another takes it place for March, when the galleries of the Rio Grande Theatre present a brand new exhibition entitled Patched Wings by artist Abby Osborne. The exhibition will take place in both the El Paso Electric and Carolene de Mesilla Galleries. The show will run through the entire month of  March, 2010, beginning with an artist reception on March 5, from 5 to 7pm, as part of the Downtown Art Ramble.
 
Abby Osborne has been a lifelong artist. She creates using several mediums, including painting, drawing and fiber art. Her work combines multiple layers of patterns, symbolism and spirituality. Abby has earned a BFA in painting from Arizona State University, a BA in graphic design as well as an AAS in computer graphics and a Masters in Learning Technologies from New Mexico State University. Abby is an Associate Professor in the Creative Media Technology Program at Doña Ana Community College.
 
The Rio Grande Theatre galleries, located in the lobby of the historic Rio Grande Theatre at 211 N. Main in Las Cruces, are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.  For more information, contact the DAAC office at (575) 523-6403.

Who: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
What: New What in the World? exhibit 
When: February 11, 2010 – November 28, 2010 
Where: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
Contact: (575) 522-4100

Exhibit will have visitors saying ‘What in the World?’

LAS CRUCES — A new exhibit at the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum takes visitors on a fun and informative journey through a fascinating array of unusual objects from the museum’s vast collections.
 
The exhibit, which opens on Feb. 11, is called “What in the World? Unusual Objects from the Museum Collections.”
 
The gadgets featured in the exhibit were used for a variety of tasks, and museum visitors are invited to answer the challenge to identify their uses in this interactive exhibit.
 
With the coming of the Industrial Revolution and the mass-production of goods beginning in the 1800s, all manner of machines and tools were developed to make life better. But today we sometimes fail to understand how people in the past got along without the indoor plumbing, electricity, automobiles, and other modern conveniences we take for granted.
 
In town and on the farm, many specialized tools were developed to perform particular tasks. These included not only the tractors and implements used to work the fields, but also everyday items used in the home. But the purpose of some of these items is not always obvious to modern eyes. Some have been bypassed by technology or fashion, such as vacuum-tube radios or Victorian-era collar crimpers. Other items (such as the chamber-pot) are rarely used today. But these common objects of the 19th and early 20th centuries remain as evidence of how people lived their daily lives.
 
As visitors view these selected items from the museum’s collection, they will have the opportunity to guess what they are, and to learn how they were originally used. Clues are given and each object is presented with a multiple choice or true-or-false question.
 
The exhibit will be in the museum’s Legacy Gallery through Nov. 28, 2010.
 
For more information, please call (575) 522-4100.

Tradition and sheep to modern and chic: home-based Montana gallery turns urban downtown Las Cruces boutique
By: Paul Dahlgren
Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau
 
From the elegantly minimalistic décor to the multitude of powerhouse artists, Tierra Montaña gallery brings a sense of urban chic to the ever-growing art community in downtown Las Cruces.
 
Opened in September of 2009, the gallery began in Livingston, Montana, as a home-based studio for Owner Ben Maestas’ intricately woven blankets made of naturally dyed sheep’s wool. As the gallery expanded and Maestas and his wife moved to Las Cruces, the gallery continued to grow in size and diversity as a number of artists from around the globe are featured in the gallery.
 
“It’s evolved…I’ve tried to create that special place here, like we had in Montana,” said Maestas as he explained how his vision of the gallery came to fruition as opportunities arose.
 
“We love being around art and artists,” said Maestas while mentioning that the tight knit relationships within the art community of Las Cruces form “a family of artists,” who continually work towards creating what Maestas called, “the next best art community.”
 
Offering a variety of contemporary and traditional artwork ranging from paintings and ceramics to jewelry and fiber art, the wide variety of art found in the gallery is nothing short of astounding.
 
“It’s the collection, we try and bring a little bit of everything for everyone,” said Maestas while describing the rich diversity of the close to 40 artists represented in the gallery. Featuring national, international and local artists interspersed throughout the gallery one truly begins to sense the melting pot of cultures, cohesively melding into the gallery displays.   
 
Among the many artists represented in the gallery is renowned Mixed-Media Artist Akira Blount.
 
“She’s [Blount] a phenomenal artist, we felt lucky to show her work…it’s an inspiration,” said Ben Maestas, owner of the Tierra Montaña Gallery.
 
With works displayed in numerous galleries worldwide, including the Louvre, Musee des Arts Decoratif in Paris, France and the White House’s American Craft Collection, Blount’s unique nature-inspired works continue to highlight her mastery of doll making and showcase her definitive style.
 
“These latest pieces by my husband Larry and I are a natural extension of the collaborative direction we have been working in for the past 2 years,” Blount said in a statement on her website. Blount also stated that her creative impulses have taken her more recent works, “beyond the more traditional ‘doll’ forms I have been known for over the past 30 years.”
 
Blount, considered by many to be one of the world’s premier doll-makers, began her doll making career making dolls out of cotton stockings, after receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Arts Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, according to the biography on her website.
 
“Since early childhood, I’ve been absorbed by the colors, forms, textures and smells of nature and I have always tried to incorporate these elements in my work,” Blount said in a statement on her website, mentioning that she has gradually been adding more natural materials to her works.
 
Blount has been published in a number of magazines throughout the years and her artwork can be found in a number of public and private collections, both nationally and internationally.
 
Blount is just one of the close to 40 unique artists displaying their work in the gallery including a number of “emerging and established artists from the Rocky Mountain region,” and “a small group of carefully selected fine craft artists from east of the Mississippi, artists whose work is not shown anywhere else in the West.”
 
Tierra Montaña Gallery is located in the downtown mall at 525 N. Main Street and is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
 
For more information on the gallery or any of the artists represented in the gallery call 575-635-2891 or visit www.tierramontana.com.

Who: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
What: Events Calendar 
When: February 2010 
Where: New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
Contact: (575) 522-4100

New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum February 2010 Events Calendar
 
An Old-Fashioned Valentine’s Day
Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Celebrate times past with a series of old-fashioned Valentine’s Day activities for kids. The class is for children ages 7 to 12, and the cost is $10 per child. They will create vintage-inspired keepsake boxes, paper flowers, hearts, and cards for friends and family. Participants are encouraged to bring photographs to use in their crafts. Snacks will be provided. Pre-registration is required and the fee includes admission to the Museum for one child and one adult.
 
Greenhouse Gardening Class
Feb. 6, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 27, 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Join the Museum’s Landscaping Department in our new greenhouse and learn how to prepare your garden for the spring. Topics include amending soils, applying herbicides and pesticides, water conservation, and fertilizing. Pre-registration is required and the cost is regular Museum admission ($5 for adults, $3 for senior citizens, and $2 for children 5-17). The class is limited to the first 25 people to pre-register.
 
Lecture/film series: New Mexico Music Legends
Feb. 11, 7 p.m.
Nancy Laflin, executive director of the New Mexico Music Commission, will speak briefly about the Commission and its work, followed by a screening of the documentary “New Mexico Music Legends: Norman Petty Studios.”  The 2009 documentary was co-produced by the NMMC to profile the famous Clovis music studio where artists Buddy Holly, Roy Orbison, Leann Rimes, and the Fireballs all recorded some of their early music hits. Admission is a suggested donation of $2.
 
Exhibit Opening:
What in the World? Unusual Objects from the Museum Collections
Feb. 11
Enjoy a fun and informative journey through a fascinating array of unusual objects from the Museum’s collections. These gadgets were used for a variety of tasks and Museum visitors are invited to answer the challenge to identify their uses in this interactive exhibit.
 
Colcha Embroidery Workshop
Feb. 27, 1-4 p.m.
Come and discover this traditional Spanish Colonial craft. Students will earn the basics of Colcha embroidery stitching and complete a small in-class project. The history of Colcha will be presented, with an informational tour of the exhibit Colcha: Embroidered Connections. Please bring a six-inch embroidery hoop and scissors. Rita Hartley is the instructor and the cost is $25 ($20 for volunteers and museum members). Advance payment required
 
For more information, or to register for a class, please call (575) 522-4100.
 
New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum
4100 Dripping Springs Road
Las Cruces, NM 88011
www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org

Who: La Catrina Quartet
What: Performance 
When: February 13, 2010 
Where: Rio Grande Theatre
Contact: (575) 523-6403

The Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music Present Las Catrina Quartet at the Rio Grande Theatre Saturday, Feb. 13
 
Exacting artistry and infectious personalities are the order of the day when the Las Cruces Friends of Chamber Music present a very special performance by New Mexico State University’s faculty Quartet-in-Residence, La Catrina Quartet. Though locally based, La Catrina Quartet tours regularly throughout the US and Mexico and has received many important awards and recognitions. Upcoming concerts include performances in Merkin Hall in New York City and the University of Washington’s World Series in Seattle. Promising an evening of stylistic passion and entrancing performances, La Catrina Quartet will grace the Rio Grande Theatre stage on Saturday, February 13, 2010.
 
Hailed by Yo Yo Ma as “wonderful ambassadors for music,” La Catrina String Quartet is one of the most sought after ensembles on tour today. Their unique blend of Latin-American and standard repertoire has proved enormously entertaining for its diverse audiences, catering to the more traditional concertgoers while still attracting the next generation of listeners. La Catrina Quartet has a triple mission: to perform the masterworks of the string quartet repertoire, to promote Mexican and Latin American art music worldwide and to work closely with composers in order to promote the performance of new music.
 
“Even with the vast Hispanic influence in our area, there are still many who lack a true understanding of the emphasis the Mexican culture places on honoring the dead,” says Friends of Chamber Music founder Barbara Toth. “In fact, many consider Dia de los Muertos, and other practices, not only difficult to understand, but even think them macabre. In their radio interview with our local NPR station, the members of La Catrina were able to present an insightful explanation of their group’s name along with the tradition from which the name comes. The members of the Quartet are delightful people, and fit wonderfully into the special activities we have arranged.”
 
The Rio Grande Theatre is located at 211 N. Downtown Mall, in Las Cruces. Doors open at 7pm and the performance begins at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10. For more information, contact the Las Cruces Friends Of Chamber Music at (575) 523-7714 or visit the official website at www.LaCatrinaQuartet.com.