Las Cruces

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In 2014, an ACD Task Force was formed to explore opportunities to create an ACD in Las Cruces. The Task Force was anchored by the Doña Ana Arts Council, Downtown Las Cruces Partnership, and the City. In 2015, the Task Force re-formed into a cross-sector, 11-member ACD Coordinating Council and began developing the first “municipally-designated” ACD in New Mexico. The Council researched the designated New Mexico districts, national trends, and outcomes of other districts, and determined that the establishment of a unique cultural identity was paramount.

The City of Las Cruces requested to be designated as a State-Authorized district in 2018 and the New Mexico Arts Commission unanimously approved the request. The City Council adopted a municipally-designated Arts & Cultural District Plan in July 2018, after a nine-month process administered by the City’s Arts & Cultural Coordinating Council.

The District has been hosting cultural events such The Prado in Las Cruces, and a three-month long exhibit of artwork from the Prado Museum in Spain which was featured in downtown Las Cruces. The district is also looking for strategic funding opportunities to support cultural activities, placemaking initiatives, and increased events and attendance.

The district contains 21 arts assets—museums, galleries, theatres; 1 library; 14 restaurants, 1 coffee house; 27 arts-complementary businesses; 8 historic buildings/sites and at least 100 homes or buildings built from 1870 to the 1950’s, which are listed in the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Cultural Properties.

Learn more about Las Cruces:

• City of Las Cruces Economic Development Department
• City of Las Cruces Quality of Life Department
• Las Cruces Museum System
• City Art Board
• Downtown Las Cruces Partnership
• Doña Ana Arts Council

Website:
downtownlascruces.org

Facebook:
facebook.com/DowntownLasCruces

Contact:
(575) 525-1955
director@dlcp.org
assistant@dlcp.org

Susan Greenwald

Downtown Las Cruces Partnership Executive Director

After focusing on her studies on the language of female punk performance, Susan graduated with a MA in English Literature from West Texas A&M University. Over the next ten years, Susan shared her passion for the arts as a dedicated English and Humanities faculty member at a community college in Texas where she also held several administrative titles. Wishing to redefine how she served her community, Susan was accepted as a Master of Public Administration candidate to the University of Texas at El Paso and moved to Las Cruces in 2018. During her time in the MPA program, Susan had the opportunity to develop her research, data analysis, and technical writing skills as the department research assistant.  After her first class, she discovered a passion for nonprofit administration, and in her final semester of coursework, she was granted an internship at Downtown Las Cruces Partnership (DLCP). After completing her internship, Susan accepted the position as the Community Coordinator, managing projects for DLCP and the Arts and Cultural District.  In December 2019, Susan graduated as the outstanding student of her class with the program’s first ever MPA degree with a concentration in nonprofit management and governance.

Since Susan and her rescue dog, Gus, relocated to New Mexico, she has fallen in love with the people, culture, and community of Las Cruces. In her time away from the office, Susan enjoys knitting poorly, running slowly, and spending time with her partner, Rob.