Photos and Article by Shirin McArthur

Photo: Brenda McFarlane shares her concerns about the vibrancy of downtown Silver City

Photo: Raven Drake discusses his passion for the working class as Kevin Lenkner listens

The Mimbres Region Arts Council hosted the first in a series of three creative conversations at the Bayard Library on Tuesday, November 10. Part of National Arts and Humanities Month, these conversations are designed to gather local creative people for discussion and brainstorming on the transformation of the local arts community.

Kevin Lenkner, executive director of MRAC, began the discussion by stating the purpose of the gathering and inviting those present to talk about the community in which they live and work. The spirited discussion ranged from the state of theater in the Silver City area and surrealism versus realism to the reasons why those present were drawn to Grant County as a place to nurture their art.

Brenda McFarlane of Hurley is initially from Canada and has a background in playwriting and theater direction. She shared her earlier struggles to work as a collaborative director in a masculine field where such equality is shunned and stated that eventually she left theater work and now manufactures natural, handmade body products.

Raven Drake, a local writer and poet, has lived in Bayard for 13 years. Originally from Boston, his passion is to bring the arts to the working class. He believes that spiritual and intellectual opportunities are just as important as food, clothing and shelter. He desires to see more emphasis on surrealism and the avant-garde perspectives within the local arts community, as he believes this will better inform and explain life for the majority of people in Grant County.

Drake pointed out that many people who are from Silver City are not well off, and not able to participate in the local art scene because of a lack of leisure time and money. He stated that art needs to address the issues facing these people, including obesity, addictions, poverty and homelessness. McFarlane noted that it takes tremendous courage to create and present this type of work.

Lenkner asked those present to reflect on what they need to stay creative and productive. Responses included the need for a forum and an artistic community that produces work. McFarlane stated that, in order for theater to be successful, there must be places for companies to rehearse and gather. Drake commented that plays must touch the core of emotional truth. McFarlane suggested that children be taught to write and read their poems within the community.

The arts community in Grant County was described as segmented and fragmented, with an abundance of activities and forms that are not connected. As one participant put it, street art and the academy must inform each other. Drake touted WNMU's recent GLAM Week as an “amazing” and “unique” example of what could happen if there was more collaboration, as those events addressed broader topics such as border issues in addition to lectures, music and performance pieces.

The rapid recent changes in Silver City's downtown area were another topic of discussion. There was concern that art had to be western or southwestern (art as product) in order to be acceptable in this community. On the other hand, some participants believed that without a vibrant downtown community with social spaces, Silver City cannot thrive. The economic downturn in recent years has resulted in a shift that is evident in the newer restaurants, serving burgers and beer rather than local, foraged cuisine.

McFarlane noted that there is no place in Silver City to purchase the state cookie, the biscochito, despite the fact that the population of Silver City is about half ethnic Hispanic. Drake suggested that more recent transplants to Grant County should ask locals what they have to offer, pulling them into the artistic community and encouraging them to share their stories.

Lenkner asked participants if they have a forum for their artistic creations to come alive, and Drake responded that public libraries and studio space provide what he needs for poetry readings. He also noted that there are writers in the Grant County area who do not cultivate personas the way many modern artists do, focusing instead exclusively on the products of their work. He stated that this tendency to promote the personality of the artist is a product of the last half of the twentieth century.

Lenkner then asked what was good about Silver City and Grant County. McFarlane responded that the affordability and beauty drew her and her husband to relocate here. She also appreciates the mix of liberals, cowboys, miners, artists and spiritual seekers. Drake expressed his love for the sky, alternative culture, and people focused on climate change and other important issues facing the nation. He noted that the Silver City area provides an opportunity to downsize and simplify life, as well as taking all that one has gained in life and live well.

There will be two more opportunities to participate in these creative conversations. ASpace in downtown Silver City will host the second conversation from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 12. The Gila Senior Center will host the final Grant County conversation from 3:00-4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 22.