Written by Natalia Martinez, Gallery Manager, Doña Ana Arts Council, May 2025

In Fall 2024, the Doña Ana Arts Council (DAAC) proudly partnered with DUKEScomics to bring their Comics Career Art Path program to Chaparral Middle School in southern Doña Ana County. This initiative was made possible through support from New Mexico Arts and the Devasthali Family Foundation and represented a unique opportunity to merge arts education, bilingual literacy, and career exploration through comic and zine creation.

With a honorarium awarded to DUKEScomics, the team—led by Dr. Elvira Carrizal-Dukes and Mr. Ronnie Dukes—delivered a successful multi-day workshop series spanning September 16–17, 19–20, and 23–24, 2024. Over the course of these six days, they reached more than 400 middle and high school school students, including students from special education classes and Spanish-language dominant learners. The program emphasized inclusivity by offering bilingual instruction, ensuring accessibility and deeper engagement for all participants.

Educational Framework and Activities
Each workshop provided students with an immersive introduction to storytelling through visual art. Students engaged in:

• Zine-making demonstrations, including hands-on folding and design,

• Story development exercises focused on crafting original protagonists, antagonists, and structured plot arcs,

• Drawing instruction using foundational shapes to illustrate the human form and create characters.

Students excelled in producing original content. The facilitators encouraged creative risk-taking and individualized expression while adapting instruction to support diverse learning needs.

Outcomes and Impact
The feedback from faculty and students was overwhelmingly positive. Key accomplishments include:

• The vast majority of students completing key elements of character and story development,

• Notable improvement in artistic confidence and technical drawing within the span of each workshop,

• Increased peer collaboration and excitement around creative literacy.

To further support the school’s literary and arts resources, DUKEScomics also donated six graphic novels (valued at $180) to the Chaparral Middle School library.

Looking Ahead & Expanding Community Engagement
Following the success of their school-based workshops, DUKEScomics continued their outreach by participating in the First Friday Fine Arts Flea Market (FAFM) on May 2, 2025, in downtown Las Cruces. Hosted at 100 Main St. and Navajo-owned and operated, FAFM is a community-centered event designed to uplift local artists, creatives, and small businesses.

At this event, DUKEScomics joined fellow New Mexican authors Paul and Carlos Meyer for a book signing and public engagement session at Zia Comics, connecting directly with families, educators, and youth. This activation was not only an opportunity to showcase their work, Under the Cottonwood Tree and Once Upon a Time in the Land of Enchantment, but also to build awareness of the Comics Career Art Path and share outcomes from their work in Chaparral.

DUKEScomics is currently seeking continued support for these efforts and has expressed a strong interest in working with DAAC to pursue further funding and sponsorships. Their goal is to expand access to arts education in underserved communities while fostering local talent and cultural pride through storytelling.

Conclusion
This initiative is a clear demonstration of the impact strategic arts funding can have on underserved communities. Through the support of New Mexico Arts, DAAC and DUKEScomics have empowered youth in the Borderlands with new tools for storytelling, self-expression, and future career paths in the arts. The outcomes speak volumes: inspired students, engaged faculty, and a community eager for more.

We extend our sincerest gratitude to New Mexico Arts for making this meaningful work possible.

Visit DUKEScomics https://dukescomics.com/