ABOUT US - COMMUNITY AND FAMILY
QUIENES SOMOS - COMUNIDAD Y FAMILIA

The Border Book Festival, Inc., believes that through the arts we become a community and family.  Since our genesis over 15 years ago, we have worked to bring literature, literacy and storytelling to our borderland region. The deeper and closer we work in our home place and in our vecindad, the more we realize how that impacts the greater world and becomes global in scope.

In addition to our annual book festival in April, we offer a series of events throughout the year that transform and impact community from the inside out. 

Our 501 © (3) non-profit organization is housed at The Cultural Center de Mesilla.  The C.C. M. is located a block and a half off the Mesilla Plaza and was once home to a Mexican garrison building and later, the well-known and loved D.C. Frietze grocery store, a family-run business now owned by Mesilla's former mayor and our present landlords, Roberto and Eliza Frietze. The historic building is one of Mesilla's oldest adobes and is permeated with sense of history and story that is the heart of our southwestern landscape.

The Cultural Center has filled a powerful need in our regional community. Not only do we offer a place for people to buy new, used first edition and out-of-print books, we feature many Spanish language and bilingual books for children and adults.  Our dream is to continue to offer multicultural and multilingual books to our patrons as well as a haven, home and resource center to those who want to connect with community in a meaningful way.

The Center offer sodas and paletas, Mexican fruit popsicles, made locally by La Reyna Michoacana, a family owned Las Cruces business we are happy to support.  The Cultural Center offers an easy-going atmosphere for people of all ages.  Our Kids Korner is a popular nook for children to read books, paint and play.  Our sala/living room has held many a lively discussion and offers a quiet respite in the summer heat or a warm corner in the cold of winter. 

We celebrate the artwork of resident artists including painter Jean Buchanan and photographer Daniel Zolinsky as well as sell the CD’s of previous festival musicians, Perla Batalla, Gilberto González, Consuelo Luz, Saúl Rodríguez, Jake Mossman, Nancy Green and storyteller Joe Hayes. Festival Director Denise Chávez and artists Nancy Green, Corina Gabaldón and Kris Wroblewski have collaborated on a CD called La Concha de La Tortuga, an original Spoken Word and Music CD that came out of a workshop generated by the Border Book Festival and the Even Start Program of the Las Cruces Schools.  It is on sale at our Center and is an example of the magic of collaboration that often happens in our work.

We feature a collection of over 700 Mexican lobby cards and posters and are known for the special traditional arts we carry throughout the year including shawls from Centro Santa Catalina, a women’s sewing cooperative from Juárez, México, weavings by Tsobol Antzetik, a weaving cooperative from Chiapas, as well as Make Tacos Not War t-shirts by San Antonio artist Alejandro Díaz.

We are the southwestern outlet for Lucha Libre masks and offer traditional folk Art Auction and Sale that reflects the special nature of our borderland region including Day of the Dead sugar skulls and handiwork that celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe.  You will always find a friendly group of volunteers who love books and are happy to help you find what you need.

Our events have reached thousands of people who have never come out before to support the arts.  Our audiences are multicultural and we are able to facilitate Spanish language and bilingual events and programming for any age or audience.

As our community changes, we have found ways to reach deep inside the heart of our audiences and present programming that is connected to their special needs.  We are activists for peace and we don’t shy away from our mission to bring the arts and literature to the forefront to heal and transform community.

Our mission statement affirms that literature and the arts can transcend the many perceived borders-racial, ethnic, generational, cultural, socio-economic, and gender-based-that divide our community.  Asi es.  So it is. 

The Border Book Festival invites you to become a member of our familia.  We need your help, support and goodwill.  Join us at our events.  Visit us on the weekend at our Cultural Center and during the annual festival.  Volunteers are always needed.  Become a member of our organization for only $15 a year for individuals and $25 for a family.  Your contribution allows us to continue our community work and to bring the best of arts programming to our area.  Mil gracias for 15 years of support and love!

Images of the Cultural Center de Mesilla by Patricia Greathouse