SW New Mexico News

Las Cruces Public Libraries is continuing its series of sessions called Palabras y Artesanias (Words and Crafts). These sessions are scheduled at 4 p.m. in the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library Boardroom, located at 200 E. Picacho Avenue, on selected Tuesdays through April 2025.

The upcoming session on March 4, 2025, will focus on the theme of first and second homes. This theme explores the experiences of Latino poets who navigate life in the U.S. while maintaining ties to their ancestral homelands. Participants will engage in crafting Talavera clay decorations for the home, with materials and instruction provided.

On March 18, 2025, another session will center around family and community themes. Latino poets will delve into migration's impact on traditions and generational changes. The craft activity involves hojalatas repujado en aluminio, a tin etching technique from colonial Mexico symbolizing ancestral hopes and dreams.

Linda Galván, a participant from a previous session focused on tenango embroidery, shared her experience: “It was a fun event, and we also got our very own hats with stitching instruction and supplies included. We all stitched while listening to poetry. I loved everything about it!”

These events are part of Latino Poetry: Places We Call Home, a nationwide public humanities initiative for 2024-2025 organized by Library of America with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and Emerson Collective.

Registration is required for each session. For further details or to register, participants can contact Mindy Del Campo at (575) 528-4024 or via email at [email protected]. Spanish translation services are available upon request.

For those needing alternative formats or accommodations due to disabilities, assistance is available by calling (575) 528-4102/TTY 711 at least two days before the event.