Arts & Culture / Public News Service

It is estimated about one-third of New Mexico's more than 120 threatened and endangered species occur in the Gila region, including the Mexican grey wolf, Gila trout and Mexican spotted owl. (Photo courtesy of Raquel Madrigal)

New Mexico Mural Art Features Endangered Species, Migration Themes

The Village of Doña Ana is New Mexico's oldest federally designated settlement, and about to be the newest destination for public art. The …

In the ancient world, letters were written on a variety of materials including metal, pottery fragments, animal skin and papyrus. (Serhiy Hipskyy/Adobe Stock)<br />

Sharpen Your Pencil – It's National Letter-Writing Month

If not for the colonial postal system, newcomers to the frontier soon to be known as New Mexico would not have kept up with relatives to the south in …

According to the American Library Association, a record 2,571 unique titles were targeted for censorship in 2022, a 38% increase over the previous year. (Adobe Stock)

Amid Censorship Craze, Library Campaign Aims to Turn the Page

Public libraries are known for their quiet settings. But during National Library Week, staff leaders in Minnesota and elsewhere are being vocal about …

Award-winning journalist Molly Ivins worked at the Texas Observer in the 1970s, calling it a

The Texas Observer Lives to See Another Print Run

The Texas Observer, a nonprofit news organization known for its liberal, independent reporting and cultural criticism, will continue publishing…

Statistics show the Los Angeles region has the biggest arts community in the U.S., but is 52nd for the amount spent on art programs and 259th in the country in terms of government support of the arts. (Jacob Lund/Adobe Stock)

For Arts Month, CA Groups Press for Workforce Diversity, Opportunity

April is the fifth annual Arts, Culture and Creativity Month in California, and advocates for the arts are promoting diversity in the arts workforce …

According to PEN America, 138 school districts in 32 states enacted some form of book ban or restriction from July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022. (Adobe Stock)

Possible Children's Book Ban in Indiana Draws Concerns

Indiana lawmakers are still debating a bill that would ban some books in school libraries. Senate Bill 12 passed the Indiana Senate at the end of …

3,514 men and one woman have won the Medal of Honor in service of their country from the Civil War to the present day. 19 have won it twice. (Adobe Stock) <br />

Plans for National Medal of Honor Monument Progress in Washington, D.C.

Congress is moving forward with plans to build a National Medal of Honor Monument in Washington, D.C. - honoring the 3,600 Americans who have earned …

In 2021, Congress unanimously approved - and President Joe Biden signed into law - legislation authorizing the creation of the National Medal of Honor Monument. (National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation Staff)

Survivors Call for Monument in Honor of Fallen Heroes

Robert Patterson received his Medal of Honor in 1969 for risking his life above and beyond the call of duty during the Vietnam War. He's among the 65 …

According to a 2022 report from the American Library Association, 80% of parents have confidence in librarians to make good decisions about the books they make available in their collections. (Adobe Stock)

NY Libraries Grapple With Increase in Book Challenges

As National Reading Month ends soon, libraries across New York and the nation are dealing with the increasing number of book challenges. New data …

Hip Hop Higher Ed Symposium programming brings hip-hop culture and scholarship to North Carolina college students. (Stephanie Reed)<br />

Symposium Brings Hip Hop Culture, Scholarship to NC Campuses

An upcoming event in Raleigh hosted in part by William Peace University aims to bring hip-hop arts culture to North Carolina's college students…

Despite climate change, water-rights transfers and development, approximately 750 centuries-old acequias still operate in New Mexico. (MayaPena/lasacequias.org)

NM's Historic Acequias Featured in New Documentary Film

The annual cleaning of acequias in northern New Mexico gets underway in earnest next week, just as a filmmaker debuts a documentary about their past…

Grace Raymond Hebard's second home, known as the Doctor's Inn at 318 S. 10th St. in Laramie, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the University Neighborhood Historic District. (Andrea Graham/Alliance for Historic Wyoming)

Project Highlights Women Who Forged, Documented Wyoming's History

Wyoming became the first U.S. territory to give women the right to vote in 1869, half a century before the nation finally followed the Cowboy State's …

Among the 1,648 suggested book bans in 2022, 41% explicitly address LGBTQ+ themes while 40% contain protagonists or prominent secondary characters of color, according to PEN America. (Adobe Stock)

Maine Librarians Fight Bill to Ban Books Considered 'Obscene'

School librarians in Maine are fighting a bill that would ban schools from providing students with books considered "obscene," saying it could potenti…

Some of the art to be featured at the Regenerative Gala was produced on upcycled canvas. Here we see a detail from the painting,

Regenerative Gala to Spotlight Ethical Consumerism

To kick off Earth Month in April, a Bay Area event called the Regenerative Gala will promote the concepts of ethical consumerism and fashion and art …

Since 2017, AARP has awarded more than $12.7 million to more than 1,060 projects, including 22 in Colorado, through the Community Challenge to nonprofit organizations and government entities. (Adobe Stock)

AARP Colorado Seeking Projects to Help Improve Communities

AARP Colorado is putting out the call for creative projects to help improve communities, by creating new public transportation and housing options…

Historians have traced the origins of Cheyenne Frontier Days back to 1870s riding exhibitions by a Black cowboy named Sam Stewart. Also known as

Project Uncovers Hidden Gems of Black History in Wyoming

African Americans have played a foundational role in Wyoming since the 1860s, when they served as soldiers at Fort Laramie, and owned and operated …

Water scarcity in the U.S. Southwest, augmented by drought, climate change, and increased competition for the resource creates uncertainty for those who grow chile peppers in the Rio Grande Valley. (Susan Vineyard/Adobe)

Hot Conference Topic: NM First State With Official Aroma, Chile Peppers?

Can a state have an official aroma? That topic will on attendees' minds when the annual New Mexico Chile Conference is held in Las Cruces today…

Following defacement of New Mexico's centuries-old La Cieneguilla Petroglyphs in January, momentum is growing for permanent protections for Caja del Rio. (sfnfsitestewards.org)

Permanent Protections Sought for NM's Caja del Rio

New Mexico is home to more world heritage sites than any other state, but also a smaller site outside Santa Fe that indigenous leaders and …

A number of arts programs for seniors involve painting on canvas. But community outreach leaders say something even simpler, such as doodling on a notepad, can help an older adult exercise the creative parts of their brain. (Adobe Stock)

Getting Crafty to Inspire Healthy Aging in SD

Winter is here, leaving many older South Dakotans vulnerable to social isolation. But a growing body of research, as well as opportunities, shows …

Makerspaces allow Native American youths, communities and teachers to engage with culturally connected making activities using high- and low-tech materials, leveraging existing indigenous technologies and craft practices. (Adobe Stock)

Native American Makerspace Coming Soon to Macy and Santee

The Center for Rural Affairs is launching collaborative work spaces on Nebraska Indian Community College campuses in Macy and Santee for making…

As buffalo herds graze, they inspire new vegetative growth across vast tracts of lands in a natural process that mimics the onset of spring. (Adobe Stock)

Buffalo Restoration Key to Wildlife Economy, Tribal Health

By Jake Bullinger for Bitterroot Magazine.Broadcast version by Eric Galatas for Wyoming News Service reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Pu…

In 2021, volunteers drove or flew 42 injured raptors 9,583 miles and donated more than 165 hours of their personal time to help wild birds rehabilitate. (Adobe Stock)

Teton Raptor Center Nears Historic Restoration Goal

The Teton Raptor Center was recently awarded a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation to help the site become a year-round de…

The Tacoma Art Museum opened at its current location in 2003, after outgrowing its original location in a former bank built in 1920. (tacomaartmuseum.org)

Weekend Rally Aims to Support Unionization at Tacoma Art Museum

Employees of the Tacoma Art Museum have collected more than 400 signatures on a community letter, as they seek to unionize the institution founded in …

New Film Examines Women's Dual Roles of Ethnicity, Athleticism

A new three-part documentary film series examines the intersection of sports and identity within a community. "Outlier" looks at what it means to be …

It's estimated that during World War II, some 20 million Americans planted

Can Municipal Canneries Make a Comeback?

It's that time of year when kitchens are bubbling over as home gardeners preserve their bounty. But there was a time when homegrown produce could be …

Artist Stella Nall made this painting of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, located in north central Montana. (Montana Conservation Voters)

'Remember Our History': Artists Paint MT National Monuments

Artists in Montana have recently immortalized the state's national monuments on canvas. At "Pint Night" events put on by the Montana Conservation …

Maine artist Russel Whitten creates an ocean scene at East Point Audubon Sanctuary at Biddeford Pool. (Elizabeth Creamer/Maine Audubon)

Maine Audubon 'Brush with Nature' Event Captures Wilderness Sanctuaries

The beauty and inspiration of Maine's coastal wetlands soon could be hanging on a wall near you. Twenty-seven plein-air painters will be creating …

The Ohio Motion Picture Tax Credit refunds 30% of what productions spend to film in the state, up to $40 million annually. (Adobe Stock)

Ohio Film Industry Leaders Call for More Investment

By Andrew Kuder / Broadcast version by Mary Schuermann Reporting for the Kent State-Ohio News Connection Collaboration According to data from the Ohi…

Larah Helayne, left, and Montana Hobbs, right. Helayne uses a rainbow strap for their banjo to highlight their LGBTQ+ identity. Others at Cowan did the same. (Rebecca Stern)

A Kentucky Music School Focuses on Appalachian Music and Inclusion

By Rebecca Stern for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for West Virginia News Service for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Coll…

ND Tribal School: New Book Highlights Language Preservation Movement

Many Indigenous languages face extinction, and in the U.S. efforts are popping up to preserve traditional Native American dialects and culture…

Eugene Mural Brings New Attention to Native Oregon Plants

A new mural in Eugene depicts Kalapuya people harvesting native plants and preparing them as food and medicine. It is part of a larger project to …

Lemley Mill is part of the 30-square-miles South Pass Historic Mining Area, part of the traditional homelands of the Crow, Cheyenne, and Eastern Shoshone Nations. (Historicorps/BJ Klophaus)

Volunteers at Work on Lemley Mill, Miner’s Delight Saloon

Volunteers have set up camp and are hard at work on the historic Lemley Mill in Wyoming's South Pass Historic Mining District, where the Red Desert …

Even ass the U.S. celebrates the second observance of the Juneteenth National Independence Day, more states have passed legislation prohibiting schools from teaching about the country's legacy of racism. (WynnPointaux/Pixabay)

Celebrations Mark 2nd Nationwide Juneteenth Independence Day

The 95-year-old Texan known as the "grandmother of Juneteenth" will celebrate this weekend, as she has for the past nine decades, but with the added …

Local municipalities and counties can apply to Wyoming's state historic preservation office for funding to conduct their own historical surveys. (Adobe Stock)

Towns Tap Surveys to Uncover Wyoming’s Hidden History

Summer brings plenty of opportunities to get out and discover hidden historic treasures in your community, and preservation advocates are encouraging …

Studies show that there is more than <a href=

one gun for each of 330 million Americans, and 110 people are killed every day due to gun violence. (Artfully-79/Adobe Stock)">

Utah Nonprofit to Turn Surrendered Firearms into Garden Tools

Gun violence has become an epidemic across America, leaving many people frightened and wondering what can be done about it. A Utah group is taking …

History and Culture, H. Furlong Baldwin Library, Preserve the Baltimore Uprising)">

Maryland Art Exhibit Connects Past, Present in Fight for Civil Rights

A new museum exhibition in Baltimore opening to the public today aims to tell the story of Maryland's fight for civil rights, both in the past and …

Communities from across Wyoming are offering tours, pamphlets, hands-on workshops, clean-up days and more to help raise awareness of preservation efforts in local communities.<br />(Adobe Stock)

WY Governor to Mark May as Historic Preservation Month

On Thursday, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon is expected to sign a proclamation declaring May of 2022 Historic Preservation Month, part of a national …

The image, above, was made by Kirby Lambert, one of the winners of the first Montana meme photo contest in 2020. (Montana Memory Project)

MT State Library Memes History with Photo Contest

The Montana historical meme contest is back and history has never felt so relevant in the internet age. The Montana State Library began the contest …

What Does Musk Takeover Mean for 'Black Twitter?'

Users of "Black Twitter," a community keeping in touch via Twitter about issues of interest to Black Americans, are watching for changes after Elon …

The art of Isabel Strauss, one of the Key Change contributors, superimposes existing images over architectural renderings to

Art Exhibition Highlights Chicago's Housing Issues, Potential Solutions

An upcoming art exhibition in Chicago aims to provide a new framework to view the city's struggles with housing, past and present. Hosted by the …

Owned by Fort Bliss, Castner Range has significant ancient rock imagery, cultural deposits and historic military sites. (flickr.com/https://bit.ly/3ie8TEL)

Groups Advocate for Historic Latino Monuments in Texas

Every 30 seconds in the U.S. a Latino citizen turns 18, and it is Latino Advocacy Week, the second annual initiative where community leaders champion …

A photograph of the Iowa state capitol taken by Adam Reynolds, an aspiring photographer and Des Moines resident who has cerebral palsy. (Adobe Stock)

From Poetry to Photography, Iowans With Disabilities Show Creative Side

"Worlds Imagined" is the theme of this year's campaign for Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month - which is March. Iowans with disabilities and …

Geraldine Lucas homesteaded in what is now Grand Teton National Park near Jackson in 1913. She was the second woman to climb the Grand Teton, at age 58. (Mary Humstone)

Uncovering Historic Wyoming Women Who Helped Build Communities

Wyoming is known for many "firsts" in women's history. It was the first state to allow women the right to vote. Wyoming also boasts the nation's …

The Mill Creek Dinosaur Tracksite features more than 200 dinosaur tracks preserved in sedimentary rock, representing 10 distinct species of dinosaur. (Center for Biological Diversity)

Conservation Groups Blame Feds for Damage to Rare Dinosaur Tracks

Conservation groups say it was a close call last week when a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) contractor began clearing a site near Moab which containe…

In surveying Americans over a year's time, the Pew Research Center found that roughly a quarter of adults said they hadn't read an entire book or even part of one. (kaboompics/Pixabay)

It's February: Shouldn't You Be Reading?

You might think older Americans would read more than their younger counterparts, because of retirement or a more flexible lifestyle. In fact…

Heart Mountain internment camp's 10,000 Japanese American residents were held in a one-square-mile area surrounded by nine towers staffed by armed military police. (Adobe Stock)

Remembering Japanese Americans' Internment at Heart Mountain

Heart Mountain was an internment camp in northwest Wyoming where Japanese Americans were relocated against their will during World War II. It was …

A sign warns of radioactivity near an abandoned uranium mine in the Horseshoe Mesa area near the Grand Canyon. (Deep Desert Photo/Adobe Stock)<br />

Tribes Urge Congress to Make Grand Canyon Mining Ban Permanent

Members of native tribes living in or near the Grand Canyon are calling on Congress to make a provisional ban on uranium mining near the park permanen…

Supporting Neighborhood Ownership with Public Art

By Marianne Dhenin for Yes! Media. Broadcast version by Emily Scott for Ohio News Service, reporting for the YES! Media-Public News Service …

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