Now You Know

Career fair

The New Mexico State University Aggie Career Studio will host the 21st annual Career Connections Fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Wednesday, Feb. 4. This two-day event will be held at Corbett Center Student Union, third floor ballrooms. 
The Career Connections Fair brings together employers representing a wide range of industries, including health and wellness, education, engineering, business, government and public service, mental health, technology and more. Many employers will be hiring across multiple majors. Career Connections are open to all majors on both days of the event. Attendees are encouraged to attend both days. 
For more information, contact NMSU Aggie Career Studio at 575-646-1631 or aggiecareers@nmsu.edu.

Call for art 

The Las Cruces Museum of Art is soliciting artwork for an upcoming exhibit. The exhibition, Declaration/Declaración, explores the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

The call for art is limited to artists living in New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Artwork in all mediums will be considered. It runs through Friday, June 12. All submissions must be submitted via a SurveyMonkey registration form. The application form will be available at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/7PYXBCK or through the Las Cruces Museums website at https://www.lascruces.gov/Museums.

The exhibition will be a powerful investigation and expression of the diversity, complexity, and evolving story of the American experiment with democracy. It will consist of two parts: an invitational of four Borderland artists with ties to Las Cruces who will anchor the exhibition, and a juried call for art by artists from throughout New Mexico and El Paso, Texas.

Qualified artists may submit up to three art pieces for consideration, in either 2-D or 3-D format. Any artistic medium is acceptable, including, but not limited to, painting, drawing, ceramics, photography, digital art, and mixed media. All submitted artwork must be an original piece, either created within the last five years or specifically in response to the exhibition themes of the call for art. Artwork must not infringe on copyrights or include AI-generated components.

For more information contact Jennifer McClung, exhibit curator at jmcclung@lascruces.gov.

The museum is located at 491 N. Main St. and is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. There is no admission fee.

NMSU alum to host public reading

Learn about the neighborhoods of Chicago in a series of short stories as part of the Nelson-Boswell Reading Series. La Sociedad para Las Artes will host a public reading by Barry Pearce, author and New Mexico State University alum, from his most recent publication “The Plan of Chicago: A City in Stories.”
The reading begins at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6 in NMSU’s CMI Theater in Milton Hall, Room 171. A free reception will follow, where copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Pearce earned his MFA in creative writing from NMSU and is now based in Chicago where he works as a ghostwriter and occasional teacher. He has ghostwritten 18 nonfiction books, covering everything from memoirs to business to investing.

The Nelson-Boswell Reading Series invites visiting writers to NMSU to share their work with the community. La Sociedad para Las Artes is seeking to establish a permanent endowed fund through the NMSU Foundation whose earnings will support creative writing programs, including visiting writers and reading series as well as creative writing workshops for children in Las Cruces Public Schools.

Citizens’ Police Academy

Applications for a four-week Citizens’ Police Academy, hosted by the Las Cruces Police Department, are being accepted through Jan. 30.
The Citizens’ Academy is scheduled to begin Tuesday, Mar. 3, and will be held from 6-9 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday through Mar. 26.

The academy provides participants with the philosophy, policies and guiding principles of law enforcement. Students will receive classroom instruction and scenario-based training by personnel on topics such as search and seizure, criminal law, use of force, human performance and crisis intervention techniques.
Participants are also required to complete an eight-hour ride-along with a commissioned officer.

The Citizens’ Academy can accommodate 20 students. Prospective applicants must be 18 years or older and submit a completed application no later than Jan. 30. Applications will be reviewed, and a background check will be completed for each applicant. Those selected for the academy will be notified in advance of the first class.
 Applications available online or at either LCPD Station Office: 217 E. Picacho Ave. or 550 N. Sonoma Ranch Blvd.
 

Free walk-up weddings

Free weddings will be offered by Morning Star United Methodist Church at the Plaza De Las Cruces (100 N. Main Street) for the fifth year in a row from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Valentine’s Day. An indoor option will be available inside Little Toad Creek Brewery and Distillery (119 N. Main). The ceremonies are open to all couples, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

The weddings will be facilitated by Rev. Amy Wilson Feltz and friends of Morning Star Church as a gift to the community of Las Cruces.

For the ceremony to be legally recognized as a marriage, an official marriage license must be obtained from the Doña Ana County Clerk’s office, 845 N. Motel Boulevard. Appointments are available Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Two weeks’ notice is recommended. Please visit donaana.gov or call (575) 647-7421 for more information.

Couples married during this event will receive a professional photograph to commemorate the day. Other complimentary items will be provided while supplies last.

Chalk Walk

The City of Las Cruces Quality of Life Department/Public Art, Las Cruces Museums, and the City Art Board are looking for artists to participate in the 2026 Chalk Walk sidewalk art exhibition. The annual Chalk Walk will take place from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Sat., Mar. 14, in the museum courtyard, 491 N. Main Street.

Artists must complete an application form and submit a concept sketch to be considered. Deadline to submit is Friday, Feb. 21. Participants will be chosen from the submitted applications by the Chalk Walk selection committee.

Interested artists can find more information by going to LasCruces.gov/ChalkWalk.

For information or questions, please contact Ceci Vasconcellos, Public Art Coordinator, City of Las Cruces, at 575-541-2780/TTY:711 or by email cvasconcellos@lascruces.gov

Milan Institute

Milan Institute is announcing $7,000 tuition-based scholarships for members of the first class at its new Las Cruces campus, located at 1440 Missouri Ave, Ste. 7, in Las Cruces.

The $7,000 tuition-based scholarships are available to qualified students enrolling in the inaugural class, with classes scheduled to begin in February 2026. The application deadline for this first-class scholarship opportunity is Feb. 14, and low monthly payment plans are also available in addition to the scholarship.

The Las Cruces campus offers beauty industry programs including cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and nail technology, all designed to be completed in less than a year and to prepare graduates for state licensing exams. Day classes are enrolling now; with evening class options planned for the future as the campus grows. Prospective students can contact the Las Cruces admissions team via the campus webpage at https://milaninstitute.edu/locations/las-cruces-new-mexico/ to learn more, schedule a tour, and begin the application process.