Gay Pride Art Show & Sale

Friday, September 26, 2025

5:00 - 7:00 PM

Saturday, September 27, 2025

11:00 am - 2:00 pm

XYZ Studios

5719 Mauer Road

Las Cruces, New Mexico

Coming off the successful showing of our private art collection at the Las Cruces Museum of Art (Engaging Masters: Parody Art, February 7 - May 3, 2025), Christopher Alexander and David Lyman will now be hosting an art display/fundraiser at XYZ Studios in Las Cruces.

Proceeds from all sales will go to the University Art Museum at New Mexico State University. The pieces in this show celebrate the male body, from serious to playful. Most of these were produced by young, up and coming artists--both male and female--here in the US and abroad. 

The NMSU University Art Museum's mission is to serve as an academic environment for the critical analysis of visual art, while making culturally relevant and conceptual practice accessible to the University and surrounding regional and border communities. The Strategic Plan for the Art Museum includes increased focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, helping the Museum to create sustained impact on the cultural landscape of Las Cruces and southern New Mexico.

The Art Museum actively acquires and stewards a permanent collection of contemporary visual art, houses the country's largest collection of Mexican retablos, and facilitates educational programming.  

While museums need more money than ever, the traditional philanthropic model is no longer one they can rely on. The rising generations are not interested in supporting these institutions the way their parents did. For more than a century, U.S. museums have been sustained by donors with a very particular idea of what philanthropy looks like. It used to be that one of the hallmarks of becoming a community leader was giving to bedrock institutions where you live—the local food bank, museum, orchestras, etc.

Complicating the picture for university art museums is the federal focus on universities as a whole, and diversity initiatives in particular. The US president calls museums the last remaining segment of 'woke,' saying, "this isn't going to happen." Right now, the emphasis is on the Smithsonian, with the president stating, "I have instructed my attorneys to go through the museums and start the exact same process that has been done with colleges and universities, where tremendous progress has been made."

This announcement prompted the American Alliance of Museums--which represents 35,000 professionals in the sector--to speak out against "growing threats of censorship in US museums ... This is not just a concern for select institutions like the Smithsonian. These processes can create a chilling effect across the entire museum sector."

To date, the main focus from the federal government has been on the ways in which these policies and actions impact research, education decisions, and equity programs. It seems to be a matter of time before they come after the arts at colleges and universities as well.

New Mexico's arts and culture sector, which includes museums, is a significant economic driver, generating $740.9 million in economic activity in 2022. This impact stems from both direct spending by organizations and visitor expenditures, contributing to jobs, personal income for residents, and tax revenue for governments. Tourism, in general, is a vital component of New Mexico’s economy, and museums play a crucial role in attracting visitors who spend money at local businesses and support the broader creative economy

These are all reasons why we need to support our local university art museum. 

Join us as we display upwards of 50 pieces of art that celebrate the male form. If you’re able to buy a piece to support the fundraiser, great. If not, come and enjoy the display, while interacting with other members of the community. It will be a fun event, with refreshments, discussions about art, and a great group of people.

XYZ Studios is located west of the Rio Grande, on a rural road surrounded by pecan orchards. There is ample parking on our 2 acre lot. The studio is a working space for artists, so you’ll be surrounded by art when you visit. This will be a fun and relaxing gathering, open to all in the community. 

5719 Mauer Road, Las Cruces. Enter through the blue gates and turn right. 

The majority of art that will be for sale is on this page. Additional pieces will be added closer to the date of the show.