Faye McCalmont (Courtesy Photo)
Silver City, NM - If you've had the pleasure of jamming out to a free music festival, walked past the radiant colors of a mural, or worn a gown to celebrate the arts you have probably experienced one of the dynamic offerings that represent the Mimbres Region Arts Council.
Building communities and enriching culture are something that MRAC has worked toward for the past 30 years, and one woman has made it her mission to do so. Faye McCalmont has led the charge as MRAC's Executive Director for the past 20 years, and she has decided it's time to pass the torch. "I have so enjoyed my time at the helm of the Arts Council. I love this organization and all the wonderful people involved in making it such a success. But, 20 years is long enough and I'm excited to see how the organization will benefit from a fresh view and new ideas. We have built a solid, strong foundation that can support growth in the future. The MRAC Board and staff are committed and hardworking and will see the organization through this transition," says McCalmont.
With McCalmont's outstanding vision and unquenchable passion, the organization has blossomed into one of the most decorated and admired Arts Councils in New Mexico. From the Fine Arts Fridays program which places artists of all types in underserved area schools, to the hugely successful tourist event, the Silver City Blues Festival, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year with the legendary Taj Mahal headlining and an additional day full of motorcycle activities, the range of events conceived and implemented by McCalmont over the years is truly outstanding and has contributed greatly to enhancing life in the Grant County area.
With the help and support of the volunteers, staff and dedicated board members, events such as Pickamania!, Chocolate Fantasia, the Youth Mural Program and the Black Tie Ball came to fruition, enlivening and invigorating the town of Silver City, fostering deep community connection to the arts, and bringing crucial tourist dollars to the area.
Through the MRAC, McCalmont has sky-rocked the organization on a state level and on a professional level as well. In 1999 McCalmont was awarded the SCGC Chamber of Commerce Award for Leadership in the Arts. In 2013 the MRAC was awarded the prestigious Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. McCalmont is also a founding member of the Silver City Arts and Cultural District (ACD) and the New Mexico Community Arts Network (now know as Creative New Mexico) and currently serves on the executive committee of the ACD. McCalmont also sits on the executive committee for the New Mexico Presenters Alliance, has been a panel reviewer for NM Arts, and was a guest presenter for the 2014 Building Creative Communities Conference. It's apparent that through her tenure she has grown the Arts Council into a vital and strong community asset, admired throughout the state as a beacon for how to run a successful arts organization in a rural setting.
The programs and accolades are almost too numerous to mention. With a staff of four, a Western New Mexico University intern, and three contractors, the MRAC remains a small operation running their offices out of the Wells Fargo bank. Over 20 solid sponsors have been nurtured, 400 members, and an astonishing 70 excited volunteers help make the organization what it has become today. For well over a decade the MRAC has been consistently rated the number 1 Local Arts Council by New Mexico Arts.
Ashleigh Garcia, MRAC Board President comments, "We've been preparing this transition for nearly two years. We feel poised and ready to support the organization through this important time. We will be conducting a thorough search and interview process to ensure we find the right individual to carry us into the future."
McCalmont will be moving into a new chapter in her life and career and it is an exciting time for her and MRAC. There are not enough words on a page, paint in a can, or notes on a sheet to express how grateful MRAC is to have had her as their visionary leader. As the MRAC transitions towards the future they want to thank all of our partners, donors, and volunteers for supporting them. MRAC Board Vice President Mimi Clark commented, "Faye is an amazing person, leader, and is a trailblazer in our community. We will miss her deeply! But, she has set us up for success and it's because of our diverse number of supporters and funding sources that our organization is thriving. It's not the work of one individual alone that makes MRAC the pillar that it is today; it is truly the work and support that comes from our community and for that we thank everyone."