1 See legendary prints.

Explore the works of renowned Mexican printmaker José Guadalupe Posada (1852–1913) in a new exhibition at the Las Cruces Museum of Art opening Friday. José Guadalupe Posada: Legendary Printmaker of Mexico juxtaposes the artist’s original works with contemporary pieces inspired by his aesthetic. “Whenever you tell people we are doing Posada, they are really so excited,” says curator Jennifer McClung.

Posada’s political satire pieces reflected changing Mexican culture in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His work popularized the skeleton images known as calaveras and catrinas, often seen today around Día de los Muertos, and he was revered by Mexican artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. “We have a number of pieces where he did really intricate work, some of his religious pieces and works featuring General Porfirio Díaz,” McClung says. “His detail work is astounding.”

Organized by California’s Catalina Island Museum, the exhibit includes notebooks, advertisements, and original printing plates. An Artventurous event focusing on the exhibition will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. See it through January 21, 2023.

The Mountains Wore Down to the Valleys visual installation is curated by New Mexican artists Adri De La Cruz and Marissa Demarco. Photograph courtesy of the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

2 Experience a changing exhibit.

The Mountains Wore Down to the Valleys, opening Friday at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, engages visitors in two parts, encouraging repeat visits. It begins with 20 record players set throughout the center’s art museum that will play music for 72 hours. Over three days, the records will erode, creating new musical compositions and etched portraits on the flipsides of eight of the 20 records. “It’s definitely meant to be seen and heard,” says head curator Jadira Gurulé.

Created by two New Mexican artists—Adri De La Cruz, who works in many mediums including taxidermy, sculpture, and painting; and Marisa Demarco, a composer and artist—the presentation documents lineage and family history, most evident in a record that projects stories told by members of many generations of De La Cruz’s family. “The exhibit thinks about the perseverance of generations, about family in New Mexico, and different challenges and triumphs over time,” says Gurulé. “Everything is working with the imagery and symbolism of a sense of place here in New Mexico.” An opening reception with the artists is Friday from 5 to 7 p.m.

Judy Chicago (left) standing in front of illustrated panels for her exhibit "Lessons for Today: Revisiting The Dinner Party" set to open at the Flower Art Space in Belen. Photograph courtesy of Flower Art Space.

3 Honor historical women.

Judy Chicago reexamines her work The Dinner Party, created between 1974 and 1979, in a new exhibit, Lessons for Today: Revisiting the Dinner Party, opening at Through the Flower Art Space in Belén on Saturday. The original artwork—housed in New York at the Brooklyn Museum as part of its permanent collection—depicted 39 important historical women; the new piece features illustrated panels about them. “It is more important than ever that young people learn about women’s history,” says Chicago. “These brave women and their allies stood up to society and made impactful changes—changes that need to happen again or we are going to find ourselves losing many of the gains that have been achieved because of centuries of struggle.”

The opening weekend includes a panel discussion, “Revisiting the Dinner Party: And Why It’s Important Now” with Chicago and Diane Gelon, president of the board at Through the Flower. It happens at 3 p.m. Saturday and admission is free, but seating is limited. You can also catch the discussion via Instagram in a livestream by both Judy Chicago (@Judy.Chicago) and Through the Flower Art Space (@throughtheflowerartspace). See the exhibit through March 2023. 

The exhibit "Grounded in Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery" features more than 100 contemporary and historic works and is on display through May 2023. Photograph by Kate Russell.

4 Celebrate Pueblo potters.

This weekend is the perfect time to see the epic exhibit Grounded In Clay: The Spirit of Pueblo Pottery at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, in Santa Fe. On Sunday, the museum showcases three films that feature potters and pottery included in the exhibit. At 10:30 a.m., catch a screening of a PBS documentary about the exhibit and the deep relationship between Pueblo people and ceramics. At noon, see Celebrating Lucy Lewis, which tells the life story of the renowned Acoma potter. (Her descendants Dolores Lewis Garcia and Claudia Mitchell will also lead pottery demos.) Finally, watch Our Quiyo: Maria Martinez at 2 p.m., a film made by Martinez’s great-great granddaughter Charine Gonzales about the San Ildefonso matriarch, one of the most famous Indigenous potters of all time.

A Christmas Affair is a market featuring goodies by small business owners. Photograph courtesy of A Christmas Affair.

5 Start shopping.

Get a jump start on your holiday shopping at A Christmas Affair, a market featuring goodies by small business owners plus a photo op with Santa. It takes over the Ruidoso Convention Center Friday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. “It’s a one-stop-shop,” says event director Tracey Hernandez. “We have over 55 vendors from Ruidoso, El Paso, Colorado, and Arizona.” Shop for blankets, toys, dips, jams, jewelry, home decor and more. If you’re hungry, you can nab a delicious snack from local caterers Prudy’s. Admission is $2 and free for children.

Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.