Events, exhibits fill arts council in October

The Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC) has a special event Saturday evening, Oct. 8, and will feature two local artists throughout October at their gallery, 250 W. Amador Ave., suite B.

In observance of Indigenous People’s Day, DAAC will present musician and storyteller Randy Granger in an evening of Native American flute music and storytelling starting at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Tickets are $10 or $15 for two and may be purchased at the door, at daarts.org or by calling DAAC at 575-523-6403. 

“DAAC embraces this observance and works to ensure that the broad spectrum of people in our community engages with a wide range of the arts,” DAAC Executive Director Greg Smith said.

“Granger is an award-winning recording artist, performer, educator and master of ceremonies at Native American music festivals around the country,” the news release said. “He is also known for his popular White Sands National Park full-moon concerts.”

A retrospective exhibit of the work of local artist Maria Dolores will be featured in the Doña Arts Council’s (DAAC) Staszewski Gallery during October.

A New York City native, Dolores has been a resident of Las Cruces for nearly four decades, the Arts Council said. She has studied with some of the most prominent art teachers in the Mesilla Valley, including Sally Quillin, Fred Chilton, Joe Ireland and Jan Archey. Dolores has exhibited multiple times at Thomas Branigan Memorial Library and at the former Cutter Gallery. Her work can be found in private collections across the country.

Also exhibiting are recently completed works by artist Rosemary McLoughlin in an exhibit titled “The Gift of Loss.”

The exhibit is a visualization of McLaughlin’s journey to rediscover her creativity and her art.

In 2018, McLoughlin’s glaucoma, which had been diagnosed in 1976, caused some permanent vision loss, limiting her painting, DAAC said. Further vision loss in 2019 temporarily halted her work until recently, when she picked up her paint brushes again, the news release said.

“I am now on a new journey and am hopeful that in this new way of seeing, it will be a journey of discovery and of painting whatever life may inspire,” McLoughlin said.

The DAAC exhibitions will be on view through Saturday, Oct. 29, at DAAC, 9 am.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, plus 5-8 p.m. during First Friday on Oct. 7 and noon-5 p.m. during Second Saturday on Oct. 8.

Contact DAAC Executive Director Greg Smith at 575-523-6403 and director@daarts.org.

 Visit https://daarts.org/.