Greetings and blessings of happiness, health and wealth to all of you from us at Steppin’ Out! A multitude of celebrations mark this season of winter and it seems that peoples back through antiquity have found reason to celebrate life while the earth is sleeping; and to disperse the dreariness of long, cold nights.
So whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day or Kwanzaa, may your celebrations be of great cheer among friends and family.
This time of year is also one of reflection and resolutions as we look back on the trails we have blazed over the last year and peer into the future.
2006 was a rough year for the arts. Just paying for the gas to get places took all our money with little (if any) left to purchase any of the fine arts and crafts offered. Galleries and gift shops struggled to maintain and some succumb this year including Pentimento Café and Gallery in San Antonio. Even the havens of the art world in northern New Mexico had to pull in their belts.
This was reflected in the performing arts as well with funding and attendance dragging previous years.
Fortunately gas prices have eased from the summer’s highest levels and optimism is perhaps endemic to the trade so most are hopeful for a good holiday season.
There have been notable exceptions to a low year. One highlight this year was the coup of London Frontier Theatre Co.’s purchase of the historic WPA gym in Magdalena. This has got to be a story-tellers dream come true, a modern-day fairytale story whose moral is: despite all odds, your dream can come true.
For Steppin’ Out, 2006 has been a year of growth and expansion. The website, SONewMex.com continues to grow in information, photo galleries and events; and more and more people are using the site.
Several people are “steppin’ out” to fill needed positions, including Nicola Roath’s invaluable data entry; and able area representative Marjorie Lilly, based in Deming. We’ve been blessed by article submissions from Ben Moffet and soon will introduce to you others who have volunteered to help make Steppin’ Out and SONewMex.com bigger and better next year.
Earlier in 2006, I wrote that I was relinquishing my title as publisher/peon to become the old crone and play with my grandkids. Dream on, girl! While I have gotten wonderful little snatches of time with the grandkids (four), my work with Steppin’ Out hasn’t dissipated but instead increased – and all to the good as I found myself chunking down those dollar bills to travel to new places and places I hadn’t been to for awhile (Grants/Las Cruces, Mesilla/T or C). It gave me the chance to remember why I started this “little rag” in the first place: to meet and help promote all the wonderful artists, performers and presenters who have chosen to live in this wonderful area of the world.
A title’s just a title like a name is a name is a name. Still, since I find myself in de facto publisher/peon, I herewith reclaim my title. It just fits. It’s what “I yam”. Besides it’s too hard to change the governmental business registration forms. (Just kidding.)
Greg, who had assumed the title of publisher in training, still is in training and has learned a lot this year. He remains the Merlin of the virtual skies and has spent countless hours creating new websites, galleries and video promotions. He also has gotten the chance to explore areas and communities previously unknown to him (and I think he enjoys it.) I was considering conferring to him the titles “Webmaster, publisher-in-training and faithful servant” but that’s rather long for a newcomer, don’t you think?
In any in case, we like to have a little fun as we work to produce this guide to fun and fine arts. And we hope you have fun reading it and attending whichever wonderful opportunities strike your fancy. If you’re so inclined, tell ‘em you found out about it in Steppin’ Out. Maybe we will see you along the way.
Until then, be safe and happy and remember: Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty.
Greetings and blessings of happiness, health and wealth to all of you from us at Steppin’ Out! A multitude of celebrations mark this season of winter and it seems that peoples back through antiquity have found reason to celebrate life while the earth is sleeping; and to disperse the dreariness of long, cold nights.
So whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Boxing Day or Kwanzaa, may your celebrations be of great cheer among friends and family.
This time of year is also one of reflection and resolutions as we look back on the trails we have blazed over the last year and peer into the future.
2006 was a rough year for the arts. Just paying for the gas to get places took all our money with little (if any) left to purchase any of the fine arts and crafts offered. Galleries and gift shops struggled to maintain and some succumb this year including Pentimento Café and Gallery in San Antonio. Even the havens of the art world in northern New Mexico had to pull in their belts.
This was reflected in the performing arts as well with funding and attendance dragging previous years.
Fortunately gas prices have eased from the summer’s highest levels and optimism is perhaps endemic to the trade so most are hopeful for a good holiday season.
There have been notable exceptions to a low year. One highlight this year was the coup of London Frontier Theatre Co.’s purchase of the historic WPA gym in Magdalena. This has got to be a story-tellers dream come true, a modern-day fairytale story whose moral is: despite all odds, your dream can come true.
For Steppin’ Out, 2006 has been a year of growth and expansion. The website, SONewMex.com continues to grow in information, photo galleries and events; and more and more people are using the site.
Several people are “steppin’ out” to fill needed positions, including Nicola Roath’s invaluable data entry; and able area representative Marjorie Lilly, based in Deming. We’ve been blessed by article submissions from Ben Moffet and soon will introduce to you others who have volunteered to help make Steppin’ Out and SONewMex.com bigger and better next year.
Earlier in 2006, I wrote that I was relinquishing my title as publisher/peon to become the old crone and play with my grandkids. Dream on, girl! While I have gotten wonderful little snatches of time with the grandkids (four), my work with Steppin’ Out hasn’t dissipated but instead increased – and all to the good as I found myself chunking down those dollar bills to travel to new places and places I hadn’t been to for awhile (Grants/Las Cruces, Mesilla/T or C). It gave me the chance to remember why I started this “little rag” in the first place: to meet and help promote all the wonderful artists, performers and presenters who have chosen to live in this wonderful area of the world.
A title’s just a title like a name is a name is a name. Still, since I find myself in de facto publisher/peon, I herewith reclaim my title. It just fits. It’s what “I yam”. Besides it’s too hard to change the governmental business registration forms. (Just kidding.)
Greg, who had assumed the title of publisher in training, still is in training and has learned a lot this year. He remains the Merlin of the virtual skies and has spent countless hours creating new websites, galleries and video promotions. He also has gotten the chance to explore areas and communities previously unknown to him (and I think he enjoys it.) I was considering conferring to him the titles “Webmaster, publisher-in-training and faithful servant” but that’s rather long for a newcomer, don’t you think?
In any in case, we like to have a little fun as we work to produce this guide to fun and fine arts. And we hope you have fun reading it and attending whichever wonderful opportunities strike your fancy. If you’re so inclined, tell ‘em you found out about it in Steppin’ Out. Maybe we will see you along the way.
Until then, be safe and happy and remember: Practice Random Acts of Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty.
pengwen