Artesia

Welcome to Artesia

For such a small community, Artesia has a surprisingly vital MainStreet, filled with art and activity. Hard work and devotion have created a central business district fulled with fun shopping, great dining, and enjoyable places to hang out. Giant sculptures like “The Derrick Floor” (S. 6th and West Main), the quiet Heritage Walkway mural space (320 West Main) and newly remodeled Ocotillo Performing Arts Center (310 West Main) give Artesia the feeling of a quiet artists town.

The Ocotillo

2008 marked the debut of the state-of-the-art Ocotillo Performing Arts Center. Built in 1935 as a 588 seat movie theater, the original Ocotillo was the center of main street activity for decades. In the 1965, the building was converted into a cafeteria and in 2001 the building was purchased by the Artesia Arts Council. Several years of upgrades and planning led to the September 2007 ground breaking on the new 4,000 square-foot, 191-seat theater. Nearly 30 feature events filled the calendar for the inaugural 2008 season, including concerts, plays and recitals. More renovations are planned, including an elevator and stage production improvements.

History

The Derrick Floor celebrates Artesia’s Oil Heritage

Settlers originally came to the area for the plentiful water provided by the Artesian wells that gave the town its name. Prior to that the area was part of John Chisum’s vast cattle empire. The railroad arrived in the 1890s and the first big oil well hit in 1924. When oil gushed from the Illinois No. 3 rig, Artesia’s future was set. To this day, oil and gas are the mainstays of the area economy, as can be witnessed by the presence of the Navajo Refinery in the heart of town.

Culture: Artesia’s Museum and Sculptures

The Museum is a beautiful stone house on the outskirts of downtown Artesia and is chock-full of information on the history of the town, the oil and gas industry, and pioneer life and New Mexico. For more info: www.artesiamuseum.org.

The Trail Boss

On a short stroll down Artesia’s MainStreet, you will come across 6 separate impressive bronze sculptures. Each celebrates the history of the town, from oil discovery to its wild west past. A seventh sculpture, “The Rustler,” was added to MainStreet in July 2009. Crafted by Robert Summers, “The Rustler” joins its two companion pieces, “The Vaquero” and “The Trail Boss,” to create a dynamic picture of Artesia’s ranching heritage. Each sculpture is a 125% life size representation of cattle, cowboys and courage. Vic Payne created “The Trail Boss,” installed in September 2007 at 1st and Main. “The Vaquero,” by Michael Hamby, was installed in July 2008 near 2nd and Main. “The Rustler,” dramatically depicting a cattle thief at work, was designed and strategically placed at 2nd and Texas as to appear to be looking up the road at the oncoming “Trail Boss” statue. It is all part of a master plan in which each statue engages another, creating a feeling of action and excitement the spreads across several city blocks.

Events:

The Main Event Car Show and Cruise during the last weekend in March features classic cars, antiques, hot rods, motorcycles and fireworks. For more infomation, call 505-746-9477.

Contact:
Rebecca Predergast, Manager
Artesia MainStreet, Inc.
510 West Main St.
Artesia, NM 88210
E-Mail: mainstreet@pvtn.net
Phone: 575.746.1117
Web site: www.artesiamainstreet.com