Santa Fe – New Mexico MainStreet, New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Historic Preservation Division, New Mexico Arts and New Mexico Tourism Department invite community builders throughout the state to participate in the inaugural Building Creative Communities Conference November 12 to 14. This training, educational and networking event will take place at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. The conference will bring together practitioners representing the diverse fields of community building such as arts, culture and redevelopment to help promote commercial district revitalization, arts, cultural and heritage tourism and preservation.
Economic Development Secretary Jon Barela encourages stakeholders from across New Mexico to participate. “This pioneering conference represents a great interagency, interdisciplinary effort to explore and encourage our creative economy,” Barela said.
Nationally-recognized keynote speakers will dive into the themes: Build Upon Our History; Build Alliances With Each Other; Build Our Economy and Sustain Our Culture.
- Andrew Hurley, PhD – Professor of History at the University of Missouri-St. Louis
- Doug Borwick, PhD – One of the country’s leading advocates for the arts and community engagement
- Levi Romero – Poet and Professor of Chicano/a Studies and Planning at University of New Mexico
- Virginia Salazar-Halfmoon – Expert in Native American Tourism and Cultural Resources
They will be joined by more than thirty-five other area specialists from New Mexico and beyond through a variety of sessions and activities over the three days.
“Arts and culture have been shown to be ‘must-haves’ for our communities to thrive economically,” said Department of Cultural Affairs Secretary Veronica N. Gonzales. “The Building Creative Communities Conference will give our communities the needed skills to capitalize on their cultural assets and become more vibrant. The Department of Cultural Affairs – though our Historic Preservation Division and New Mexico Arts – is proud to partner with MainStreet on this event.”
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