The 4,700-square-foot space brings together an eclectic mix of art, culture, and vintage wares in a rollicking celebration of Las Cruces.
Source: New Mexico Magazine
BY DEBRA LEVY MARTINELLI (Photo: Courtesy The Hood)
3206 Harrelson St., Las Cruces; 575-621-0931.
THE PLAYFUL definition printed on the door of the Hood in Las Cruces sums up what awaits inside and beyond:
the hood (slang) noun
: short for “neigh · bor · hood”
: community · culture · barrio
: “welcome to the hood”
The 4,700-square-foot space exudes a cheeky personality that mixes cement floors and rolling metal display carts with orange and red midcentury modern sofas, stacks of vinyl records, and whimsical touches like an enormous red-and-yellow lighted crown above the back door. Thrift-store chic merchandise, including a vintage saltine cracker tin and a 1950s Royal Racer sled, cozies up to works by local artists displayed on white walls. Outside, a spacious enclosed outdoor area known as the Yard features a covered stage, cheerful bar, trailer turned art gallery, and ample space for socializing and dancing.
“There’s so much appetite and potential for a space like this,” says Marcus Xavier Chormicle, who purchased the Hood in May with his mother, Kimberly Chormicle. A photographer and art curator, Marcus worked at the Hood as a college student before acquiring the business from artist Richard Parra, who had owned it since 2019.
While Parra, who also had previously owned Spirit Winds (a gallery and coffee shop) for 40 years, focused on eclectic retail, the Chormicles see the Hood’s greatest potential as a gathering space to showcase local art and culture. “Las Cruces is an active and vibrant city with a lot of artists, but not enough places for them to hold open studios to show their work,” Marcus says. So a month after taking ownership, the Hood launched Third Friday Open Studios in the Yard.
The inaugural event featured live music by singer-songwriter Dzaki Sukarno, vinyl mixing by DJ Topo Chica, farm-to-table goodies from Wannabe Farms Food Truck, and craft beer from Icebox Brewing Company. “That success confirmed our belief that Las Cruces is hungry for events that celebrate the city’s art and culture,” Marcus explains. “That’s what gets people excited.”
At the core of the Hood are its 10 studios, open Friday through Sunday and occupied by painters, photographers, metal designers, printmakers, mixed-media artists, and graphic designers. Resident metal artist Carolina Sephra Reyes appreciates the opportunity to network with other artists and share her own artistry with the public during Third Friday Open Studios. “Having the whole building open encourages people to experience everything we have going on here and expand their view of the art scene in Las Cruces,” she says. “The Hood is showing what can be done in this town.”
The varied thrift-store inventory that was Parra’s passion remains an integral part of the Hood as a gateway for people to connect with the space. “We want to celebrate that spirit as we transition into making the Hood a multifaceted destination,” Marcus says. “We’re honored that Richard passed the torch to us.”
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