The Artesia Arts & Cultural District is getting ready to begin the THIRD mural in our Downtown Mural Program! This mural will wrap around the side and back of the Artesia Arts Council’s Ocotillo Performing Arts Center (310 W. Main St.) and will celebrate AAC’s official reopening.
As part of the celebration, everyone in our community is invited to stop by during mural hours to help paint! Mural artists Alyssa Marie & Braden Everly will start work on Saturday Oct. 9th and will work through Wednesday Oct. 13th (14th if needed). The alley behind the OPAC will be closed from 10:00 am-5:00 pm during this time so that all artists have plenty of room to work (Thank you, City of Artesia!); everyone is asked to please respect all current Covid social distancing guidelines.
Large groups with more than 4 children or adults are asked to reserve a time by calling 575.308.9333 ; otherwise, everyone is welcome to stop by and paint for as long as you like! (Artists under 18 will need a responsible adult with them) Be sure to wear paint clothes and please note that there will be no restroom access—cleanup will be done outside.
Artesians will recognize our artists from their past work in Artesia—they created the Bulldogs mural on the Berkshire-Hathaway offices on 1st St., and the Fly-Fishing mural near the corner of 4th & Quay Ave. Our newest community mural will be a part of Alyssa & Braden’s Happy Mural Project trail, because “happy people inspire others. The Happy Mural Project is more than just sunflowers on a wall, it is a movement that will uplift the community in an atmosphere of positive engagement. We just want to see the world smile!” (Alyssa Marie, www.alyssamariegallery.com )
We will all have a lot to smile about in the next couple of weeks, as the Artesia Arts Council unveils a series of events and programs: there are spooky paint parties on October 7th & 8th, and an art reception for Artist of the Month Kirsten Mauritsen at 5 pm on the 9th followed by Irish comic George Casey’s hilarious (and family-friendly) performance at 6:00 pm. (Call AAC at 575.746.4212 for more information)
ACD’s latest mural project could not have happened without lots of help! We want to thank our local private donors and the Written In Red Foundation for your support of this project.
So if you’ve ever wanted to show off your art skills, or are curious about how a mural is born, or just want to be a part of a fun community project—please plan to join us Saturday-Wednesday, 10-5!
(call 575.308.9333 for more information)
