With funding support from NM GRO and the Town of Silver City, the Youth Murals Program will expand its reach by hiring additional local youth to take part in both ongoing and new community art projects. The program has been actively restoring murals throughout Grant County, revitalizing public spaces while providing meaningful creative opportunities for young people. Several new projects are planned for the coming year, including murals in Lordsburg, at the Farmers Market, on Kelly Street and the Big Ditch.
Lt. Gov. Howie Morales, state dignitaries, representatives from TWN Communications, Silver Consolidated Schools, and the New Mexico Office of Broadband Access and Expansion (OBAE) will participate in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Silver High School’s Little Theater on Jan. 7, at 1 p.m. to mark the launch of hundreds of new broadband connections providing high-speed internet access to rural students. The event, hosted by TWN Communications, follows the award of $1.5 million to the company through OBAE’s Student Connect grant program to construct fixed wireless service for nearly 500 students in the Silver Consolidated Schools District.
The Southwest Regional Museum of Art and Art Center (SWRMA), an educational resource serving communities in Grant, Hidalgo, Catron, and Luna counties, will launch its Outreach Program during the Spring 2026 semester for students in the Animas School District. The program will be led by Claude Smith III, a founding member of the SWRMA Board of Directors, who will present a series of instructional and demonstration-based sessions focused on clay as an artistic medium. The curriculum will integrate hands-on art-making with related studies in geology, history, and sociology and will serve second- and third-grade students at Animas Elementary School.
In New Mexico news:
Tomorrow, New Mexico will commemorate the 114th anniversary of its admission into the United States, marking its entry as the nation’s 47th state. This milestone recognizes the state’s rich cultural heritage, shaped by Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo traditions that continue to define its identity. Statehood represented a pivotal moment in New Mexico’s history, providing full representation and a stronger voice in national governance. The anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on the state’s history while looking ahead to its continued growth and contributions to the nation.
