"In Gallup, Appreciation For Art And Fine Craftsmanship Is Not The Preserve Of The Elite, But Part Of Everyday Life"

Gallup’s annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, held each August at Red Rock State Park, was begun in 1922 as a means of celebrating and preserving Native American Culture. Today, the event featuring noted Indian artists, craftspeople and dancers from the United States, Canada and Central America has become a "must see" not only for the people of Gallup, but for the many visitors the event draws each year.

The State’s oldest and second largest balloon rallies, the Red Rock Balloon Rally caps off the year’s events in Gallup each December.

The frequency and quality of these events are testimony to Gallup’s cultural energy. A number of Gallup organizations and institutions provide the foundation for this ongoing cultural vitality. The University of New Mexico Gallup Campus, which draws its students from the entire Four Corners region, provides the community not only with opportunities for learning and refining talents, but also offers public lectures, art shows, performances and reading by noted authors. The University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus is also home to the studios of KGLP, a National Public Radio station.

In addition to serving as Gallup’s 130,000 volume public library, the Octavia Fellin Library boasts a nationally recognized Southwest Collection and regularly features local and touring art shows and cultural exhibitions. Gallup’s nonprofit Red Mesa Art Center strives to encourage and showcase the region’s artistic talents. Characteristic of Gallup’s lack of pretense, a number of the city’s popular restaurants also offer local artists an informal venue for displaying and selling their work. In Gallup, appreciation for art and fine craftsmanship is not the preserve of the elite, but part of everyday life.

The community’s Gallup Area Arts Council and nonprofit cultural organizations often work hand-in-hand to supply the technical expertise and access to grant funding that help support many of these cultural activities which enhance the quality of life in Gallup.

An estimated 75 percent of the world’s Native American arts, crafts and silver jewelry is traded in Gallup, which owes much of its cultural and economic vitality to its position at the crossroads of three cultures-Anglo, Hispanic, and Native American. Still maintaining the friendliness, lack of pretense and casualness of a small town despite its size, Gallup is a thoroughly cosmopolitan city thanks to the unusual richness and diversity of its special cultural attractions. These provide enjoyment for local residents and draw thousands of American and foreign visitors annually.

Gallup’s annual Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, held each August at Red Rock State Park, was begun in 1922 as a means of celebrating and preserving Native American Culture. Today, the event featuring noted Indian artists, craftspeople and dancers from the United States, Canada and Central America has become a "must see" not only for the people of Gallup, but for the many visitors the event draws each year.

The State’s oldest and second largest balloon rallies, the Red Rock Balloon Rally caps off the year’s events in Gallup each December.

The frequency and quality of these events are testimony to Gallup’s cultural energy. A number of Gallup organizations and institutions provide the foundation for this ongoing cultural vitality. The University of New Mexico Gallup Campus, which draws its students from the entire Four Corners region, provides the community not only with opportunities for learning and refining talents, but also offers public lectures, art shows, performances and reading by noted authors. The University of New Mexico-Gallup Campus is also home to the studios of KGLP, a National Public Radio station.

In addition to serving as Gallup’s 130,000 volume public library, the Octavia Fellin Library boasts a nationally recognized Southwest Collection and regularly features local and touring art shows and cultural exhibitions. Gallup’s nonprofit Red Mesa Art Center strives to encourage and showcase the region’s artistic talents. Characteristic of Gallup’s lack of pretense, a number of the city’s popular restaurants also offer local artists an informal venue for displaying and selling their work. In Gallup, appreciation for art and fine craftsmanship is not the preserve of the elite, but part of everyday life.

The community’s Gallup Area Arts Council and nonprofit cultural organizations often work hand-in-hand to supply the technical expertise and access to grant funding that help support many of these cultural activities which enhance the quality of life in Gallup.

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