2026 Ralph R. Solano Memorial Photography Exhibit & Show Drop-Off Deadline March 27th
Call to Artists We are accepting all original photography for our 20th Annual Ralph R. Solano Memorial Photography Exhibit & Show […]
Arts
Music From Angel Fire Events – Art Must Be Submitted by March 6th
Hello Everyone, we have some updates that we are excited to share with you. First, the theme for this year’s
Soft Light, Hard Times, and the Necessary Weird: A Night with Tim Gianulis Upstairs at Meditating Monkey Art Emporium
Upstairs at the Meditating Monkey Art Emporium, Tim Gianulis turned layered landscapes and glowing oddities into a temporary economy of attention, conversation, and actual art sales. For one wine-softened evening, artists, officials, and derby bruisers shared the same orbit — proof that in a struggling town, weirdness isn’t a luxury; it’s infrastructure.
Meditating Monkey Art Emporium – Tim Gianulis Art Reception on February 21st
In Conversation with Tim Gianulis — painter, educator, storyteller. This Saturday, we are honored to host a reception for Tim
Meditating Monkey Art Emporium Young Artists
It’s time to vote for these talented young artists. We here at The Meditating Monkey want you to cast your
Annual Women’s Art Show Drop Off Deadline February 28th
We are accepting all original artwork for our Annual Women’s Show: “The Art of Women” at the Old Pass Gallery, 145 South
Young Artists Competition Drop-Off Deadline is February 13th
Hello, teachers, educators, and community leaders! We’re opening the doors at the Meditating Monkey Art Emporium to the next generation
Call For Projects: For Projects and Programs Supporting the Growth of Creative Industries in New Mexico – Grants Applications Starting in March
The New Mexico Economic Development Department’s Creative Industries Division is issuing a Call for Projects to fund local government programs
Business Development and Expansion Grant Cycle 2 Deadline February 27th
The Business Development and Expansion Grant is back, offering up to $25,000 to help creative businesses reach their full potential. If you
Not Just an Art Gallery — A Gathering
**Meditating Monkey Art Emporium: Where Weird, Good Things Happen After Dark**
A sky-blue building full of eccentric artists, thrift-store charm, and at least one allegedly cursed painting. The Monkey blends boutique-quality art supplies, regional souvenirs, and local vendor marketplaces with live programming that keeps downtown Raton buzzing after hours. Open mic nights, D&D campaigns, youth art competitions, masquerade balls, and collaborations with Trinidad artists—all designed to build a creative corridor that refuses to pretend small towns can’t have nightlife. Co-owner Gary Rife’s mission? “World domination.” Translation: make Raton the place where participation matters more than prestige, and showing up beats gatekeeping every time.
**Meditating Monkey Art Emporium**
136 N. 1st St., Raton, NM
575-707-8865 | meditatingmonkey1984@gmail.com
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Or if you want something even shorter:
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Sky-blue building. Eccentric artists. Allegedly cursed painting. The Meditating Monkey Art Emporium is Raton’s new creative chaos engine—part art supply shop, part gallery, part auditorium for open mics, D&D nights, and masquerade balls. Co-owner Gary Rife wants “world domination.” We say: start with the county. Bring your weird, your art, and your appetite for small miracles.
**136 N. 1st St., Raton, NM | 575-707-8865 | meditatingmonkey1984@gmail.com**
Fifty People as a Signpost: Youth Art, Early Recognition, and Community Retention in Small-Town New Mexico
On a snowy Saturday in Raton, a youth art show quietly demonstrated how scale works differently in rural towns. While First Street sat nearly empty, nearly a hundred people filled Old Pass Gallery for Shades of the Southwest, turning less than one percent of the local population into a meaningful civic force. This piece examines how recurring youth art exhibitions function as cultural infrastructure in economically contracted communities—offering visibility, validation, and altered futures for young people—and why, in places like Raton, fifty people in a room is not symbolic, but structural.
NM Creative Industries Workshop in Raton on March 28th
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 1, 2026 Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Cabinet Secretary Rob Black Deputy Cabinet Secretary Isaac Romero Creative
Creative Arts Business Development and Expansion Grant Cycle 2 Ends February 27th
The Business Development and Expansion Grant is back, offering up to $25,000 to help creative businesses reach their full potential. If you
NM Creative Industries Upcoming Business Development & Expansion Grant Due December 26th
Upcoming Grant NM Creative Industries Business Development & Expansion Grant Cycle 1 Application Period – December 1-26, 2025 Cycle 2
Creative Industries Announces Award of $100,000 to Raton Arts & Cultural District
October 30, 2025 SANTA FE — Ten projects across New Mexico have been awarded Arts & Cultural District (ACD) Pilot Grants, powering
FY26 Creative Industries Division Grants Webinar on October 3rd
Creative Support Organization Grant Webinar Join us on Friday at 10 am MDT to learn about the requirements, expectations, eligibility,
NM Creative Industries Grant Due October 24th
Contact: Chris Chaffin Chris….@edd.nm.gov (505) 490-7962 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 29 , 2025 Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham Cabinet Secretary Rob Black
Water – Life, Beauty, and the Force of Nature Reception September 26th
Everyone is invited to attend this free opening reception to be held in the Old Pass Gallery, 145 S 1st