The idea of a quaint and picturesque Main Street is woven throughout our perceptions of small-town America.
Main Street isn’t just a street, it is an idea and a vibe. It is a hometown parade for the State Champs, a hearty greeting at the local coffee shop, friendships made, and art created. It is where the guy gets the girl in the corny, but loveable, Hallmark Movie. Main Street is a symbol of community and a point of pride.
Artesia’s Main Street is the crown jewel of southeastern New Mexico. Not only have we invested millions into urban landscaping, public art, wayfinding, and façade improvement grants, but Artesia’s Main Street is quickly becoming the shopping destination, and a coveted location for entrepreneurs.
Artesia MainStreet (AMS) is a nonprofit organization that envisions downtown Artesia as an economically active and energetic historic downtown where, because of its attractive small-town atmosphere, people will want to live, shop, and work. New Mexico MainStreet and participating local affiliates (like AMS) use The Main Street Four-Point Approach® as the basis for developing transformative economic development. The Four-Points are organization, promotion, design, and economic vitality. With the Four-Points in mind, AMS works closely with community partners like the City of Artesia and the Artesia Chamber of Commerce, as well as many others.
While Artesia MainStreet highly values and appreciates our partnership with the City of Artesia, we are not a department of the City. Artesia’s Main Street is unique because we are one of the only MainStreet affiliates that handle downtown maintenance. Traditionally, City departments handled Main Street clean-up, landscaping, sprinkler repair and maintenance, tourist destination upkeep, etc. However, in Artesia, AMS handles the day-to-day maintenance of our downtown.
Artesia MainStreet has a fantastic crew of dedicated and hardworking folks who are up as the sun crests the refinery, working downtown and on the First Street Greenway. Keeping Main Street pristine is a full-time job! You may have seen Shawn taking care of debris on the street, or Eugene trimming bushes in the medians. Maybe you have passed Teresa early in the morning emptying garbage receptacles, or Joel repairing sprinkler lines in trees just east of HWY 285. Dan can be found mowing the lawn of the Derrick Floor, or power washing what our pesky bird population leaves behind. This crew is invaluable to our community. Without them, we could not count on clean sidewalks, and our beautifully maintained downtown would not sparkle as it does now.
The City of Artesia is always happy to pitch in and help to keep our beautiful Main Street in safe working order. Last fall, we noticed a few tripping hazards on 4th Street. Before we could say “watch your step” the City of Artesia was there — pouring new concrete. Another time, we relayed information about a damaged street sign, and presto, the City of Artesia fixed it. When AMS has downtown events, the City works shoulder-to-shoulder with Artesia MainStreet to put on the best event possible.
This type of work falls far beyond the typical 9 to 5. Sprinkler lines and broken street signs don’t keep business hours. It’s the behind-the-scenes work that gets unrecognized but deserves all the glory. As Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs says, “It’s odd that the jobs we all depend on most are the most underappreciated in our society.”
Morgan Fox,
Executive Director, Artesia MainStreet
Morgan Fox
I wear many hats: wife, mom, entrepreneur, travel enthusiast, interior designer wannabe, writer, enneagram type 7, margarita connoisseur. The list goes on because, heck, I’m a Gemini too and if you’ve met any of those, you know what I’m talking about. I have a spirit for adventure and hometown pride. I love a good road trip and finding new places to explore.
