Artrageous Silent Auction

The Southwest Symphony is proud to work with the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame on the campus of New Mexico Junior College to bring you a silent auction of original artwork produced at the Artrageous concert in November 2018. The silent auction will take place at the Museum from March 5-31, 2019.  Proceeds will benefit the Southwest Symphony Youth Series.

The Southwest Symphony brought Artrageous to Tydings auditorium where fine arts met performing arts. The concert was an amazing display of art, music, dance, storytelling and so much more.  According to their website, “Artrageous is a troupe of 12 artists, singers, dancers and musicians hailing from the high desert of New Mexico. Their high energy performance is a combination of fine art, live music, singing, dancing, humour, and interaction in a frenzy of movement and colour with a message of the arts being an integral and valuable part of human existence.”  The audience became part of the show as the troupe taught them dances, pulled them up on stage, and shattered any idea of a fourth wall.

“The members of the troupe were generous enough to let us keep the finished artwork,” said Southwest Symphony Board President, Chris Eubank.  “The Southwest Symphony staff and board decided to hold a silent auction to benefit our popular Youth Series.”  The Youth Series allows the Southwest Symphony to reach the students of Lea County from elementary to high school, by bringing the performers to them for special programs, residencies, and clinics.

The artworks are on paper and are on a large scale, averaging about 5’x5’.  Subjects include eagles, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, and the Statue of Liberty. Come out to the Museum to see these fantastic pieces of art and bid on your favorite!  Minimum bid is $30.  Bidding will close at 5pm on March 31.  Winners will be contacted on April 1.

Southwest Symphony was founded in 1983 to fulfill a need created by the suspension of the Community Concert Series in Hobbs, NM. From its inception, the Symphony has striven to bring a variety of music and dance programs to the citizens of Southeastern New Mexico.  Each season Southwest Symphony presents several concerts featuring our own Southwest Symphony Orchestra and/or performers varying in music and dance genres.

Escape Room

Imagine, if you will, a room where you have to face some of the most common fears in order to escape.  Oh, and you only have 45 minutes.

Join us Thursday nights during the run of Goose Bumps! The Science of Fear for Escape Your Fears. Together with Be-Puzzled, the Hobbs Escape Room, we bring you an escape room where you will learn about fear and face some of man's most common fears.  You will be presented with a map and 5 locked boxes.  In order to unlock the boxes and stop the clock, you'll have to find the clues and solve the puzzles.

What:  Escape Your Fear
Where:  The Museum, in the Goose Bumps! exhibit
When:  Every Thursday night through May 12, 2019.  Must purchase tickets in advance.  Times available are 6pm, 7pm and 8pm.  Please arrive 10 minutes early.
Who:  Ages 12+.  Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.  Groups can be from 2-10 people.  You may be put with people you don't know.
Cost:  $5 per ticket, Museum Members are FREE

Stop in the Museum or give us a call to purchase tickets.  575-492-2678.

Please arrive on time.  If you arrive late your time will be cut short in order to keep the other teams on time.

• Museum is closed to all but participants
• Bags and cell phones will be held at the Kiosk
• Many activities will ask you to interact with the exhibit, but remember this is a Museum

Oral Histories

Oral Histories Now on YouTube

Video recordings from the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame’s Oral History Project are now available on YouTube. Dedicated to capturing the memories of members of our community, the Oral History Project was conceived in 2012 as part of Lea County’s New Mexico Centennial celebration.  The Centennial Committee provided some initial seed-money, which combined with a grant from the J. F Maddox Foundation made it possible for us to purchase video recording and editing equipment. Another grant from the Maciolek Fine Arts Trust helped us hire a film editor and now our first group of oral histories are available on the Western Heritage Museum’s YouTube Channel. We thank all of these sponsors for their support.

What is Oral History? Oral History refers to “both the method of recording and preserving a first-person narrative as a permanent record to contribute to an understanding of the past.”  It has been said, “Every time an old person dies, it is as if a library burned down.” As a community resource, the Museum’s Oral History Project is committed to preserving the stories, traditions, and anecdotes from the people who know them the best, lest they be lost for later generations. 

The practice of recording Oral Histories dates back to the Great Depression.  During that time, a New Deal jobs program called the “Federal Writers’ Project” employed more than 300 writers on a Folklore Project. Writers equipped with pen paper and audio recording equipment were sent out across the country to capture the life stories of Americans who had been born during the previous century. “Slave Narratives,” the first-hand accounts of those who were born into slavery, are preserved for posterity and can be accessed at the National Archives website along with transcripts and photos from every state. First-hand accounts about the famous outlaw Billy the Kid are among the stories recorded by the writers sent to New Mexico. 

Please enjoy our first group of Oral Histories Narrators, who kindly shared their stories. They are listed in alphabetical order: Dorthy Bess; B.J. Caudill (remembered by his grandson); Gene Cessnun; Brice Chapman; Jerry Clayton (remembered by his family); Dallas Family; Johnny Etcheverry (remembered by Nancy Etcheverry); Da Vita Houston’s Family; Mark Jelenek; Kress Jones; Giles Lee Family; Bert Madera; Sylvia Mahoney; Bonnie Moran; Former Congressman Steve Pearce; Tom Pearson Family; Karen Salb; Kenny Smith (remembered by Pat Smith); Smith Family. Some of the interviewees are members of the Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame. Some have been honored as Silver Concho Awardees. Others are members of the community who have made contributions in the arts and the culture. There are also some short vignettes entitled, “Lea County Memories” — you might recognize your friends and neighbors!

We will continue to record Oral Histories and look forward to making more of them available soon. Do you know someone who would be a good subject for an interview? Contact Mary Lyle mlyle@nmjc.edu. To access WHM Oral Histories, go to our website www.nmjc.edu/museumand click on the “Education” tab, “Resources” and “Oral Histories.” 

[1]“Principles and Best Practices.” Oral History Association, www.oralhistory.org/about/princips-and-practices-revised-2009/.