The Border Artists
The Border Artists were founded in 1992 by artists Carolyn Bunch and Virginia Ness, making this the region’s oldest professional artists’ organization.
Virginia Ness was searching for local art venues to show her work. Las Cruces had outstanding artists, but they were all selling their work outside of Las Cruces. She also tried to work with the Mexican consulate to show her art in Mexico and learned that the Mexican government was more receptive to working with groups of artists rather than individual artists.
Virginia’s husband, Howard Ness, suggested she try to gather a group of local artists and thus, The Border Artists were born.
The Border Artists gives visibility and recognition to all of the fine artists in Las Cruces, El Paso, and the border region. The members have always been keenly aware of the various meanings of the word “border” including state borders, international borders, and artistic borders.
Each of the participants has a strong reputation for their own work. One important aspect of being a Border Artist is being part of the group. It is not enough to be a good artist, but members actively participate in group activities. As a group, their talents and energies are combined to achieve a synergistic mingling of strength and diversity, challenging each other to achieve their highest potential.
The group has two major art shows each year. The summer show is geared towards showing the quality of art and artists in Las Cruces and the surrounding areas. Each member may invite an artist ‘friend’ to exhibit his or her work. The winter show, usually held in December, is used as a fundraiser for charities and nonprofit organizations.
The Border Artists have exhibited in the Governor’s Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Cultural Center in Torreon, Mexico; the Museo de Arte in Juarez, Mexico; the Chamizal and the International Art Museum in El Paso, Texas; and the Branigan Center and several galleries in Las Cruces, New Mexico. They have been featured in "New Mexico Magazine" and had numerous articles featuring them or the individual artists.
Their fundraisers have supported projects such as the Salvation Army “Dress a Child” Program, victims of Hurricane Katrina, and KRWG-FM.
Membership is by invitation only and is composed of artists representing a variety of art forms.
