The Cultural Arts Series at Clovis Community College in Clovis, New Mexico begins its sixth year of “Bringing the World to You.” This year’s theme, “Connections” focuses on our desire to connect audiences with the arts through world class performances and important educational outreach

Sophie Milman
Saturday, September 30
The Lyceum Theatre, 8 pm
General Admission $20, Senior/Military/Student $15

Named the Canadian Breakthrough Jazz Artist of the Year, Sophie Milman is on her way to becoming an international Jazz sensation. Her self-titled debut album was nominated for a Juno Award (Canadian Grammy) for Best Jazz Vocal Album. This concert is held in partnership with Clovis Mainstreet. Their Annual Wine and Cheese Gala precedes the concert and is a favorite of residents of the region. Guests will enjoy a sampling New Mexico wines, hor d’ouerves, and the ever popular chocolate fountain. Tickets for the Gala are $25 and may be purchased from any Clovis MainStreet Board Member, at the Clovis MainStreet Office at 215 N. Main, the Chamber of Commerce at 105 E. Grand or at the CCC Cashier’s windows. sophiemilman.com

The Lovell Sisters
Saturday, October 14
Marshall Auditorium, 7 pm
General Admission $15, Senior/Military/Student $10

The Lovell Sisters feature tight vocal harmonies with an innovative fusion of folk, country and contemporary acoustic music. Most often compared to Alison Krauss, Nickel Creek and The Dixie Chicks, the sisters won the 2005 NPR National Talent Competition. www.myspace.com/thelovellsisters

Davide Cabassi
Thursday, October 19
Marshall Auditorium, 7 pm
General Admission $15, Senior/Military/Student $10

As a top prizewinner of the Twelfth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, this charismatic Italian wins the hearts of audiences of all ages. He made his debut at the age of 13 and has since toured with orchestras throughout the world. davidecabassi.com

Dervish
Thursday, November 16, 7 pm
Lyceum Theatre
General Admission $15, Senior/Military/Student $10

One of the world’s top Irish bands, Dervish is well known for its strong vocals and soaring, plunging instrumentals. Front woman Karan Casey was dubbed by the Wall Street Journal as “one of the true glories of Irish music.” dervish.ie/

Pueblo Christmas with Robert Mirabal
Sunday, November 26, 4 pm
Town Hall
General Admission $20, Senior/Military/Student $15

A 2006 Grammy award winner, Robert Mirabal fuses a spectacular fantasia of traditional Southwestern Native American tribal music and modern beats to bring to life his magical vision of hope, strength and transcendence in this special holiday performance. mirabal.com

Christmas from Dublin
Wednesday, December 6
Marshall Auditorium, 7 pm
General Admission $20, Senior/Military/Student $15

Celebrate the holidays in true Irish style in a special holiday performance featuring The Three Irish Tenors, Irish Divas and an eight-piece orchestra. Direct from the Emerald Isle, this performance is captivating and has charmed audiences around the world.

George Winston
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Marshall Auditorium, 7 pm
General Admission $15, Senior/Military/Student $10

Grammy winner George Winston, best known for his seasonally themed recordings including DECEMBER, AUTUMN, WINTER INTO SPRING and SUMMER, plays a variety of styles, including melodic folk, New Orleans R&B and stride piano. Winston has seven gold, platinum and multi-platinum records. Please join us in support of our local food bank by bringing a donation of canned food to the concert. georgewinston.com

Viver Brasil Dance Company
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Marshall Auditorium, 4 pm
General Admission $15, Senior/Military/Student $10

This multi-award-wining dance company creates riveting and passionate Brazilian dance that explores ancient and contemporary art forms and the spiritual strength of Brazilian culture. The performance fuses passionate Afro-Brazilian dance, stunning costumes, and exuberant live percussion and vocals. viverbrasil.com

Glenn Miller Orchestra
Saturday, March 10, 2007
TBA, 7 pm
General Admission $25, Senior/Military/Student $20

Displaying the authentic Miller sound coupled with superb musicianship and great showmanship, these musicians deliver a fast-paced evening of jazz, swing, timeless classics and traditional big band numbers. Enjoy hor ‘doeurves and dancing during this special evening of musical entertainment. glennmillerorchestra.com

The Spencers – Theatre of Illusion
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Marshall Auditorium, 7 pm
General Admission $15, Senior/Military/Student $10

Get ready for an unforgettable and powerful theatrical experience! The Spencers combine original theatrical elements with cutting-edge illusions, audience interaction, dramatic lighting, special effects, music, movement and amazing stage magic! http://www.SpencersMagic.com

Santa Fe Opera Performers
Friday, April 20
Town Hall, 7 pm
Free Admission

Back by popular demand, the Santa Fe Opera Performers present joyous music, heart wrenching melodies and show stopping arias during their spring tour throughout New Mexico. santafeopera.org

Cinco de Mayo
Saturday, May 5
American Legion Post 26, 6 pm
General Admission/Senior/Military/Student $10

Enjoy dinner, music, dancing, pi?atas for the children, fabulous prizes and a few surprises!

For more information, contact…

Stephanie Spencer
Director of Resource Development
stephanie.spencer@clovis.edu
505.769.4956

Christy Mendoza
Cultural Arts Director
christy.mendoza@clovis.edu
505.769.4950

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Welcome to Clovis Sign.
Photo by David Burch

It’s my first night in Clovis, New Mexico, and there’s a storm brewing outside.  How appropriate, since there’s one brewing in my head as well.  My husband and my six-month old son and I have just arrived here, after driving from Las Vegas, Nevada.  I’m tired, cranky, and already beginning to panic, even though we have been in this town less than three hours.  But as the sun sets on this attractive, high-plains community of approximately 35,000, and the wind begins to blow, rustling the leaves on the old oak tree out front, I feel my spirits rise.  In my mind there is no problem that a good storm, particularly a thunderstorm, can’t cure.  And in Clovis, in the summer, thunderstorms can be a regular occurrence.

A storm my first night in Clovis.  I decide to take this as a good sign.

The opportunity to move to Clovis came at just the right time.  I had just had a baby, and my husband was under-employed.  We weren’t sure Clovis was what we were looking for, but there was an empty house waiting for us, a big back yard for my son, and the comfort of family close by.

The air was growing heavy, and lightning was flashing.  Thunder rumbled faintly to the east.  I inhaled deeply, filling my parched desert lungs with much needed moisture.  With that breath I could smell the thick, green, manicured lawns, the abundant trees, and the roses in full bloom.  I could smell the sweet smell of the country, a wonderfully foreign mixture of hay, livestock, and freshly tilled earth.  As I watched a particularly creative bolt of lightning dance across the night sky, I felt the last of my reservations vanish.

We stayed in Clovis six months.  During that time I learned how easy – and how difficult – life can be in a small town, often for the same reasons.  I admit that the straightforward friendliness was initially unsettling, but I became accustomed to it, and I gradually came to appreciate it.

Clovis BBQ.
Photo courtesy
Clovis Chamber of Commerce.

Our first week in Clovis we all went to the Curry County Fair, held annually.  It was a warm, August evening, with the acrid smell of livestock lingering in the air.  A soft breeze blew, just enough to be comfortable.  Young, fresh-faced girls stood in groups, giggling, as they assessed the lanky cowboys that strolled the grounds.  Young families with sleeping infants sat on blankets on the lawn, listening to music, or munching snacks.  Proud owners paraded their stubborn livestock around the arena for an appreciative crowd.  When I think of perfect moments, that night at the fair in Clovis, is near the top of the list.

Evenings in Clovis were my favorite.  I would sit on the front porch, staring at the expanse of stars upon stars.  More stars than I ever imagined existed.  I still miss  those evenings.

While in Clovis we spent a lot of time with family.  Family is very important in Clovis.  Much of the town is second and third generation.

Although young people often move away, either for more opportunity or to experience life in a larger city, many eventually return.  Some return after twenty years, others after just a few months.  There seems to be a force, a loyalty of sorts that pulls them back.  Perhaps that force is family, friends, and tradition.

Clovis F111 Monument.
Photo by David Burch

Although Clovis is primarily a farming and ranching community, the presence of Cannon Air Force Base boosts the economy.  Cannon is also a reminder of the strength of the population of Clovis.  When the government talked of closing bases around the country, Clovis sent a delegation to Washington D.C.  While many bases have closed around the country, Cannon remains open today.

Clovis does have one notable claim to fame.  In the late 50’s a young singer from Lubbock, Texas named Buddy Holly recorded a song at the Norman Petty Studios, on Seventh St. in Clovis.  The song was ‘Peggy Sue.’  Holly went on to record 18 more songs at the studio.  In recent years, young country star Leann Rimes recorded her first album at the tender age of eleven at the Norman Petty studio.  The studio continues to draw visitors from as far away as England who want to see the the spot where Buddy Holly recorded his hits.  Every summer, Clovis holds a music festival that pays tribute to the music of yesterday and today.

Our stay in Clovis ended in January when my husband received the job offer in Albuquerque we had been waiting for.  I was eager to embark on our new life there, but as I scrambled around the house to box up our belongings, I felt an unexpected tug of regret.  Ironically, our departure had been delayed a day due to a snowstorm that pounded the area with twelve inches of snow.  All roads into and out of Clovis were shut down.  So I had another day to reflect on our six months of life there.

Norman Petty Studio.
Photo by
David Burch

I had seen Clovis in the summer, with its hot, muggy days, late afternoon clouds, and refreshing evening thunderstorms.  I had seen it in the fall, when pumpkins grew large and round in the pumpkin patch, when cotton covered the roads like a soft blanket of snow, and the corn stalks stood taller than I.  And I had seen Clovis in winter, when a thick blanket of snow turned the town into a picture postcard, and neighbors chat while cheerfully shoveling snow.  As I closed the last box, I wondered what spring would be like in this small, high plains town.  I would miss spring in Clovis.  As I would miss the wide open spaces, the wide-open faces, and the fresh, country air.

What makes people love this town so?  I asked myself that question over and over again throughout the six months I spent there.  As we headed to Albuquerque, I still had no answer.  But as I took one final look at Clovis, I thought that maybe I was just a little closer to finding the answer.

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"Clovis Man" sculpture at Clovis Community College. Photo by Phyllis Eileen Banks.

The city’s history goes back thousands of years earlier to the "Clovis Culture." In 1932, A. W. Anderson of Clovis first discovered evidence of human occupation about 11,000 years ago at the Blackwater Draw site. Now the Blackwater Draw Museum presents evidence of the remarkable "fluted" points (a New World invention) and other stone and bone weapons. They occur in association with extinct Pleistocene age megafauna such as mammoth, ancient bison, horse and large turtles. Recovered bones of these mastodon are also on display. A state museum, it is under the direction of Eastern New Mexico University at Portales and is located 12 miles southwest of Clovis on U. S. Highway 70.

Clovis is at the crossroads of U. S. Highways 70, 60 and 84 on the high plains of eastern New Mexico at an elevation of 4,200 feet. An annual rainfall of 17 inches with a mean temperature of 57 degrees and 335 days of sunshine makes pleasant days and cool nights for the 37,000 people who live there.

Cannon Air Force Base, eight miles to the West, adds to the community’s economy and available work force. The cultivated cropland produces corn, wheat, sorghum, cotton, hay, potatoes and other vegetables. The range land and climate make Clovis an ideal location for its nine dairies with average herds of 1,500. Other dairy related industries include implement dealers, feed mills, commodity brokers, trucking firms, weekly livestock auctions and construction companies with dairy building experience.

Clovis boasts many area attractions. Among them is the Norman Petty Studios, known worldwide as the place where Buddy Holly recorded the smash hit, "Peggy Sue," as well as 18 other hits. The Clovis Model Train Museum is in the old Clovis Santa Fe Passenger Depot, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Hillcrest Park Zoo adjacent to Hillcrest Park houses 500 animals. Most are exhibited in their natural habitat.

Ned Houk Memorial Park is 6 1/2 miles north of Clovis on State Highway 209. Covering 3,320 acres, it has large shade trees and 400 acres of mowed and irrigated grass around four stocked fish ponds. The Old Homestead Museum, created by and dedicated to H. A. "Pappy" Thornton, is also located in the park. There is a farming equipment display made prior to 1926, two typical old farm dwellings and a Model T Ford truck. The Ned Houk Motor Sports Complex is located on the Southwest corner of the park, and offers stock car (dirt) racing Saturday nights from May to late October.

Many activities keep the folks at home. There is the Curry County Fair, Pioneer Days, the Old Lyceum Theatre and its productions, Pioneer Days Rodeo and the Clovis Community Band. Clovis Community College satisfies those with a lifelong pursuit of learning.

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