Southwest Contemporary owner and publisher Lauren Tresp reflects on our five-year anniversary—and all of the work that is still to come.
This week we are celebrating a momentous anniversary. Five years ago, Southwest Contemporary launched into the world. Building on the twenty-four-year legacy of The Magazine, a scrappy, print-only, Santa Fe-only art magazine, I envisioned Southwest Contemporary as a multi-channel media company that would bring arts journalism and critical discourse to the broader Southwest region.
We’ve made tremendous strides since then. While still incredibly scrappy (once a team of two, now a team of four), we’ve grown our network of arts writers nearly tenfold. We’ve grown our audience by 180%, engaging more than 16,000 readers per month. We’ve received awards and grants from regional and national journalism organizations. We launched a new title, the New Mexico Field Guide, honoring our roots. We’ve remained committed to making our content available for free to all readers.
It’s been the most rewarding work of my life to see this project unfold, to see its impacts on the lives and careers of artists and creators across our region. And most importantly, to see how our community has grown, becoming an integral part of our success story.
If I were another person, perhaps I could sit back and feel satisfied and accomplished. But I know that our work does not stop here, and I’m so excited for the next chapter! Our goal is to empower the creative communities of the Southwest with the information and resources they need to thrive. The reality is that a lack of rigorous local arts reporting means that communities have little opportunity to reflect on, engage with, or take issue with the cultural decisions being made around and for them. The reality is that we are still working our way toward sustainability as an organization.
Whether you joined us five years ago, five months ago, or five days ago, we are grateful you are here. Your support, in all its forms, has been instrumental in our journey to the five-year mark. On this special anniversary, we hope you will take your support to the next level by becoming a member. Your membership contribution will help sustain our work for the next five years, and comes with perks for you, too! New and renewing members receive a welcome packet with our fifth-anniversary merch, custom-designed by New Mexico–based artist Paulina Ho. Help us raise $5,000 on our fifth anniversary and ensure that Southwest Contemporary stays independent, relevant, and stands the test of time. We’re ready to get down to business.
Become a Member Here
With appreciation,
Lauren Tresp
owner, publisher, editor, Southwest Contemporary
