1 Focus a lens on New Mexico.
Known for images that provide an immediate sense of place, Danny Lyon has captured indelible scenes of New Mexico and the wider world for decades. During his 60-year career, his pictures of the civil rights movement, the Chicago Outlaws motorcycle gang, and the Texas prison system have yielded national acclaim.
A new exhibit, Journey West: Danny Lyon, featuring 175 works, opens at the Albuquerque Museum on Saturday with a conversation between head curator Josie Lopez and curator Julian Cox, who arranged an exhibit of Lyon’s work that went to the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. “I’ve been working with Danny for about two years on this project,” Lopez says. “He’s really done an amazing amount of photography here in New Mexico, and in this process of discovering the West, he has created this amazing body of work.”
Living in Bernalillo, Lyon documents local families. “He has this way of capturing everyday people doing everyday things, and turning them into these stunningly beautiful photos,” Lopez says. The exhibition also includes photos of famous subjects such as Muhammad Ali and John Lewis. In a departure from his tried-and-true black-and-white images, Lyon’s newer works focus on the New Mexico landscape, depicting the high desert and all of its colors. “It’s been a pleasure to get to be the first museum to show that new work in such a big way,” says Lopez, “and it’s connected specifically to New Mexico.” See the exhibit through August 27.
2 Dive into history.
On March 9, 1916, Pancho Villa led an attack on Columbus, New Mexico. Now, the Battle of Columbus is marked by the annual Camp Furlong Day at Pancho Villa State Park, which includes special park tours and lectures led by historians.
This year’s event happens on Saturday, kicked off by a 9 a.m. guided historical tour of the village of Columbus. At 1 p.m., Cochise College professor Glenn Minuth gives a presentation, “One Raid and Two Battles of the Mexican Expedition.” At 2 p.m., historian Robert Bouilly speaks about the 24th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers stationed in Columbus from 1916 to 1922. At 3 p.m., president of the 1st Aero Squadron Foundation Ric Lambart gives a slideshow presentation on American aviation. Plus: Don’t miss the city’s annual Festival de Amistad, which includes the Cabalgata Binacional, on Saturday.
3 Have some out-of-this-world fun.
Film screenings, lectures, cosplay mixers, celebrity appearances, and raffles are all part of the intergalactic fun coming to the Roswell Convention Center during the UFOXPO gathering this weekend. The event has moved from Florida to Roswell, which is known as the UFO capital of the world. Happening Friday through Sunday, the three-day party features a cosplay mixer, food trucks, drinks, movie screenings, celebrities like Mike Bara from Ancient Aliens, and live entertainment.
4 Get ready to get outdoors.
Spring is knocking at the door, and you may be looking for fresh hiking boots or a hot new mountain bike. Cue the Ruidoso Outdoor Expo, which takes over the Ruidoso Convention Center on Saturday and Sunday. The second annual expo features vendors and information on fishing, motorsports, racing, disc golf, hiking, and more.
Sydnee Mowry, event and recreation supervisor for parks and rec in Ruidoso, says this event marks the beginning of adventure season. “Spring break time kicks off our outdoor season,” she says. “We have two amazing lakes, and we’re right next to the Lincoln National Forest. We have trails galore, hiking, mountain biking, and more. This expo shows off all the outdoor recreation and activities in this area.” Check it out on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
5 Support women’s voices.
A series of short plays written by women takes the stage at Santa Fe’s Blue Raven Theater during the Fearless Female Voices festival on Saturday. Featuring new works by both established and emerging playwrights, each staged reading is a maximum of 10 minutes long in the newly established home of Theater Santa Fe at the Fashion Outlet Mall.
The performances start at 1 p.m. in unit 420 and showcase 12 plays by playwrights from Santa Fe, New York City, South Carolina, and Virginia. “I love to be inclusive,” says playwright Talia Pura, founder of Blue Raven Theater. “I know how hard it is to get that first performance of a new piece.”
Pura says the short works cover a variety of subject ranging from relationships to aging and Marie Antoinette to the #MeToo movement. “Another thing I like about the short format,” she says, “there’s something for everyone. It’s a really good variety. They are stand-alone pieces, so they should be quite satisfying.”
Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.