NHCC kicks off yearlong 20th Anniversary celebration February 29

January 27th, 2020

(Albuquerque, New Mexico) — The National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) turns 20 years old in 2020 and the milestone anniversary will be celebrated all year long with a series events and programs. On Saturday, Feb. 29 (Leap Day), NHCC hosts the first centerwide anniversary event from 2-5 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

The event will feature a variety of activities and entertainment, inviting guests to enjoy an “open-house” experience of the campus and its multidisciplinary offerings. Activities will include a blessing of the campus, poetry readings, musical performance, curator tours of the art museum, hands-on activities for the whole family and more.

“The open-house event is designed as a sampler, giving our guests a taste of the many things we do while encouraging them to move through the campus,” says Jadira Gurulé, Art Museum Curator and Anniversary Committee member. “The center’s architecture itself says so much about the importance of art and culture in all forms in our daily lives.”

Each event at the NHCC this year will showcase the type of programming that makes the Center unique. Some will be themed around the idea of 20/20 vision in the year 2020 and will review what the Center has accomplished over the last two decades, highlight favorite moments, and contemplate lessons for the future. The year will also be marked by a social media campaign of fun facts and interviews with staff, patrons, and partners.

While the Center will host its typical robust schedule of exhibits in the Art Museum, History and Literary Arts Building, and Education Building, two exhibits will be specifically dedicated to the anniversary in the second half of the year. One will feature popular artworks from previous exhibitions in the Art Museum and one in the History and Literary Arts building will present the history of the center and its architecture through archival materials.

The popular adult art making event, Happy Arte Hour!, which takes place on the first Thursday of the month from 6-8 p.m., will present artist-led workshops based on popular projects over the years. The first of this series is Feb. 6.

A birthday party will be held October 20 to celebrate the actual day that NHCC opened its doors in the year 2000. Details about this event will be coming soon.

“It’s been a really rewarding experience to look back on NHCC’s accomplishments during its first 20 years as a group,” says Annette Lujan, NHCC volunteer coordinator and Anniversary Committee member, “We are really excited to celebrate what’s ahead.”

About the National Hispanic Cultural Center:

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts and humanities. The Center presents over 700 events each year through its history, literary arts, performing arts and visual arts programs and its art museum, library and genealogy center.  The Center is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is further supported by the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center is located at 1701 Fourth Street SW in Albuquerque, New Mexico. For information about upcoming events and exhibitions visit the NHCC website at www.nhccnm.org.