SOCORRO, N.M. (Oct. 23, 2023) — New Mexico Tech’s Performing Arts Series (PAS) and the Village of Magdalena are two Socorro County recipients of the New Mexico Economic Development Department’s (NMEDD) inaugural Creative Industries Grant Awards. Through a competitive process, Creative Industries selected 18 communities from around the state to receive $100,000 grants. Funding passed during the 2023 legislative session established the grants to help stimulate advancement or economic development through creative industries.

NMT PAS plans to build on existing arts education programs by providing event and technical production training; expanding visibility, participation and sustainability in arts, culture and entertainment activities across Central New Mexico; and enhancing the media presence and brand of Socorro County’s creative strengths. 

NMT PAS Director Ronna Kalish said a key activity will be to provide training in event and technical theater production. Staff and contracted instructors will train high school, college and adult learners on state-of-the-art equipment used in all aspects of event production. The grant will be used to expand visibility and participation in annual events such as SocorroFest, the National Dance Institute’s New Mexico residency, Mariachi Christmas, WomenFest and others. The funding will be used to develop touring shows, events and activities with arts stakeholders as a way to increase visibility of the arts, culture and entertainment scene and support local creative industries.

 

“We are all about building up the arts industries and activities in Socorro County,” Kalish said. “NMT PAS has long-standing partnerships with the city of Socorro and school districts, plus a multitude of collaborations. This project will provide opportunities and skills in arts, entertainment and tourism, and open up resources to youth and adults in our community, with the goal of creating jobs, supporting the local economy and strengthening creative industries in our region.”

The Village of Magdalena is a small, rural community of under 900 that boasts a thriving arts community. The Village of Magdalena will use its grant to host four community arts events, offer partnership advertising, multiple exhibitions and gallery programming of workshops and performances, lighting for Magdalena Stage Theater, and creative skill-building seminars.

ART Magdalena Collaborative, an initiative spearheaded by Magdalena’s artist-run galleries, aims to provide opportunities for artists and the public to connect through exhibitions, skill-building workshops, music and theatrical performances, public art and community arts events. Funding will pay for expenses involved with developing and implementing four community arts events, including ART Magdalena Gallery and Studio Tour, Christmas Holiday Craft Show, Fiber Arts Guild of Socorro County Quilt Exhibition and ART Magdalena Workshop Weekend for adults and children as well as ongoing public art projects such as the Crushing Main Street Installations. 

“Arts events in Magdalena draw tourism and revenue to the central region of our state,” said Catherine DeMaria, gallery owner of Warehouse 1-10 Contemporary Art and Performance Space, who organized the Village of Magdalena’s proposal for the Creative Industries Grant. “The funds will allow us to expand and thrive with a full-year schedule of exhibitions, workshops and events. These funds will set the foundation of our art community’s sustainability, allowing us to provide more opportunities for artists and those interested in art.”

Fritz Kapraun of La Posada de Maria Magdalena Gallery says he is “looking forward to shining a spotlight on the artistic traditions of local artists and artisans, such as area painters, santera and retablo artists and the Navajo weavers of Alamo Navajo Reservation.”

In a letter announcing the grants, NMEDD Deputy Cabinet Secretary Jon Clark said that the proposals stood out for their potential to make a significant impact on the state’s creative economy. The project proposals “demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation, and a clear commitment to advancing the creative industries in your region.”

More information about the Creative Industries Grants is in a news release on the New Mexico Economic Development Department website.