IF YOU’RE TEMPTED TO PURCHASE a souvenir depicting a saguaro cactus in the Land of Enchantment, make it a tote proclaiming the truth: There are no saguaros in New Mexico. Part of a new set of merchandise from Power and Light Press, the prickly bag fits with the Silver City shop’s bold and sometimes off-color letterpress greeting cards. “A lot of what I make is not for everybody,” acknowledges owner Kyle Durrie, who started the business in 2009 and traveled the country in her movable-type truck (get it?) before opening a store in downtown Silver City in 2012.
“Business came to a standstill in March of 2020,” says Durrie. The pandemic pause refocused her efforts, as she added an artist-in-residence program, spearheaded the Southwest Print Fiesta, and began hosting in-store concerts. The new releases include holiday cards with PG punch lines, shop apparel, and special-occasion cards featuring relabeled VHS tapes (like an anniversary card that shows Eddie Murphy Raw recorded over a wedding video). “It’s a return to a sense of humor after a heavy couple of years,” Durrie says.
A Jessie Baca–designed bandana benefits scholarships for the Golden Hour Artist Residency program, bringing artists for one- to four-week sessions in a historic 1906 apartment. “It’s important to me to share our sweet town,” Durrie says. She also co-organizes the Southwest Print Fiesta’s exhibitions, workshops, and market. “It’s a way for people to experience art that’s not in a gallery,” she says.
Read more: Patricia Jimenez returns to downtown Las Cruces with her creative boutique.
Shop Power and Light Press in Silver City or online.