D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
February 2012
As if this month didn't already have a lot going for it with Silver City's Chocolate Fantasia and For the Love of Art Month in Las Cruces and Mesilla (see Arts Exposure section), February has plenty more packed into the shortest month. Thank goodness we get 29 days to enjoy it this year!
Music leads the list, starting Feb. 3 at the WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater with the latest in the Mimbres Region Arts Council's Performance Series, The Ragbirds. The five-piece group is led by energetic front woman Erin Zindle, who is not only the singer and songwriter but a classically trained violinist proficient in a range of stringed instruments. Accompanying her are guitarist T.J. Zindle and bassist Brian Crist, drummer Loren Kranz and percussionist Randall Moore. The Ragbirds recently released their fourth studio album, "Travelin' Machine."
Feb. 18 is Mardi Gras, and the Buckhorn in Pinos Altos celebrates with a Mardi Gras Party and Masquerade Ball, featuring music by Naiz Denae. It's the kickoff of this year's New Mexico Music Series. Upcoming concerts will be: March 3, Tony Furtado; April 28, Round Mountain; June 23, Anthony Leon & the Chain; July 21, Cathryn McGill with John Rangel; and August 25, Le Chat Lunatique.
Also at the Buckhorn Opera House, Antje Duvekot performs as part of the MRAC Folk Series on Feb. 24. Her debut studio release, "Big Dream Boulevard" in 2006, was voted the top folk album of the year by the Boston Globe and one of the year's top 10 by NPR's "Folk Alley."
The traveling youth group Up With People comes to Silver City for two concerts, Feb. 24 and 25. The international education organization, founded in 1965, brings a 120-person cast from 21 countries and 25 states, not only to perform but also to participate in volunteer activities and assist local organizations as a way to give back to the communities that host them. (Those interested in serving as a host family for Up With People's Feb. 20-27 visit should email MVerbeek@upwithpeople.org or call 303-681-6012.)
On Feb. 26, the Grant County Community Concert Association brings Anita Chen to the WNMU stage. Born in the US to Taiwanese parents, Chen is not yet 21 years of age, but is internationally acclaimed as a rare "double-threat" in classical music performance, equally proficient on both violin and piano. Chen began work at Julliard at the age of seven, but she actually started playing piano at age four and the violin at age five. She launched her soloist career at age 11 at Carnegie Hall in New York, and made her recording debut with the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra at age 15.
It's not all tunes this month, however. All month long, the Grant County Community Health Council will be conducting focus groups across the county as part of a Community Assessment to learn the health and wellness needs of residents. See the full events calendar for dates, and contact the Health Council at 388-1198, email tknauf@grmc.org, to participate or for more information.
On Feb. 24-25, Guadalupe Montessori School will present two full-day workshops and a multimedia program in Silver City in partnership with the Boston-based group The Food Project. Since 1991, The Food Project has built a national model of engaging young people in personal and social change through sustainable agriculture. The group's hallmark is its focus on identifying and transforming a new generation of leaders by placing teens in unusually responsible roles, with deeply meaningful work. In addition to producing and distributing food, the project helps others grow their own through its community programs, and provides training resources based on all they've learned since 1991. See the calendar for details; email foodprojectinsilvercity@gmail.com to reserve your space in either workshop or for more info.