Doña Ana County will celebrate working artists, area arts and cultural businesses at an inaugural Creativity Fest 2024 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, June 8 at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 North Motel Blvd. It is one of 11 live festivals being organized throughout the state.
Source: Doña Ana County
“Participants include arts businesses like The Hood, art demonstrations and interactive arts activities and entertainment. Please join us for a symbolic ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. to initiate our six-month creative industries events,” said Economic Development Administrator and Creative Industries Project Coordinator Denisse Carter.
Creative Industries Week, celebrated from June 3 to 9 is part of statewide activities led and hosted by the state’s Economic Development Department, Division of Creative Industries. Doña Ana County received one of 18 state grants to grow jobs, boost investments in creative industries and launch new economic development initiatives like this one.
This week’s events include creative showcases, workshops, online panels featuring more than 50 speakers representing community leaders, higher education experts, entrepreneurs and economic developers.
“We represent Southern New Mexico and are focused on artists, arts businesses and entrepreneurs from Rincon to Santa Teresa, following the historic Camino Real and Highway 28. This event marks the start of a six-month-long creative industries project to highlight and grow the economic potential and workforce development of jobs in the creative sectors of the visual, performing, literary and culinary arts, and technology,” Carter said.
The project is a combination of business and entrepreneurship workshops and trainings; self-guided tours of the county’s public art and historic missions; the creation of a traveling public art piece to visit the County’s 12 community centers; advisory lessons for emerging art businesses; and a series of public events around the county, throughout September and October.
The County contracted artist and arts leader Irene Oliver-Lewis as the artistic director and coordinator of the County’s creative industries project. She is organizing the event in partnership with the County and participation from the City of Las Cruces Public Art Department, Doña Ana Arts Council, and Cruces Creative.
The project will employ about 50 artists, entrepreneurs and arts business owners. “We invite the community to join us at this fun event and meet a number talented artists and bright business owners,” Carter said.
For information on Creativity Fest 2024 please contact Irene Oliver-Lewis at iolewis@zianet.com.
For information on the statewide Creative Industries Week, please visit bit.ly/SSCIDWeek.
For a full live event agenda please visit bit.ly/SSCIDWeekLive.
