The Smithsonian Institution is coming to Las Cruces! The City of Las Cruces Museum System is proud to announce that all four City museums have been accepted into the Smithsonian Institution Affiliations Program. In recognition of this achievement, the Las Cruces City Council has designated July as Las Cruces – Smithsonian Affiliations Month. In selecting new affiliates, the Smithsonian considers proposals from institutions whose missions are parallel to the Smithsonian's and who demonstrate a strong commitment to serving their communities.
As a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Las Cruces museums will be able to borrow objects from the Smithsonian’s extensive collections, and can access the expertise of Smithsonian staff through consultation on a wide array of museum issues.
The City of Las Cruces Museum System will be the only Smithsonian Affiliates in the 2nd Congressional District, and now the third Smithsonian Affiliate in New Mexico, along with The Hubbard Museum of the American West in Ruidoso Downs and the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History in Albuquerque. “We are very excited to be able to establish this valuable partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. We are confident that this relationship will help broaden our museum offerings and will bring additional cultural resources and opportunities to the citizens of Las Cruces,” said Will Ticknor, director of City museums.
The Smithsonian Affiliations program was established in 1996. “Today, the Smithsonian is doing more than sharing its treasures with the museums of America,” said Harold A. Closter, director of Smithsonian Affiliations. “We are building relationships with people in their own communities, cost to coast, ensuring that all Americans can enjoy a quality Smithsonian experience, regardless of their proximity to Washington, D.C.”
