Gallery manager links art and identity

“Las Cruces holds a special place in my heart. I love the diverse range of artists here in Las Cruces, especially because we're a borderland city,” Natalia Martinez said during a recent interview.

Last June, Martinez was hired as the Doña Ana Arts Council’s new gallery manager. A native New Mexican from Santa Fe, Martinez came to Las Cruces to study at New Mexico State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in art history and museum conservation in the Spring 2023. During her time as an Aggie, she founded the Honors Art Collective program.

“Part of the reason why I moved down here is to represent those minority artists, or specifically Latinx or BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and other people of color) artists that are engaging with borderland issues and also borderland culture and identity,” she said.

The arts council is a nonprofit located in downtown Las Cruces. For over 50 years, DAAC has had the vision of a community where the arts thrive. They hold many annual events throughout the year, including the Las Cruces Arts Fair and the Renaissance Arts Faire. The council recently welcomed its new executive director, Karrie Porter, who succeeds Araceli Solis.

DAAC was originally located in the Rio Grande Theatre, but has changed location a few times in recent years, settling into their current location on Water Street to expand their programming to a broad spectrum that includes cuisine, visual and performing arts and creative writing. Martinez described their location as lively in the midst of the events occurring downtown. This allows them to invite tourists and locals that love wandering downtown into their facility to view the works they have on display. 

“Doña Ana Arts Council’s goal has always been to serve the community by providing events that support artists and celebrate cultural traditions,” Martinez said. 

Currently on display at the gallery is artwork by Cheryl Nelson, a local watercolor painter who began her art career after her retirement. Martinez explained that Nelson uses a very abstract watercolor process with recycled material.                

Martinez went into detail on what the DAAC looks for in their artists. She expressed they are looking for artists that are pushing the boundaries of their media and their connections with the Las Cruces community and the global art community.

“First and foremost, we're an organization that promotes a broad representation of diverse groups of people,” Martinez said. “We want to show artists that are brave enough to really create a visual story of their identity or their cultural background or how they're engaging with socio-political issues in today's world.”

Among Martinez’s responsibilities is curating exhibits that showcase artists’ work to ensure they have a platform to market themselves and grow as artists, whether they're new or long-time artists. Martinez also assists in the sales of their work. She presented her role as a gallery manager as a venue for ethnic representation, for her passion for her culture to have a spotlight in the art world.  

“Being a Latina and growing up in Santa Fe, where Hispanic culture is well represented and celebrated, I wanted to be a part of that here in Las Cruces and be involved in supporting other Latino and Latina artists here in Las Cruces as well,” Martinez said. 

Student artists participate in the Doña Ana Arts Council’s “Career Art Path” program in 2023.

The most rewarding part of her work at the arts council, she said, is connecting with each of the artists, learning about their artistic processes, giving them a platform to show the community their creative output and helping them to express who they are.

“I think that's so beautiful: to value and empower people who express themselves creatively,” she said. “It's extremely rewarding. I think it is important within this community to solicit authentic storytelling of the Latinos and Latino artists here. Allowing them to share their personal experiences, their traditions, their histories.”

Martinez recognizes that art also preserves and documents cultural practices and perspectives. She noted, through the arts, one can document one's cultural heritage.

More information on the Dona Ana Arts Council is available at daarts.org, or by following them on Facebook and Instagram.