History
The first meeting for organizing an arts council was held October 12, 2000, at the Hobbs Chamber of Commerce. Application, under the name of Lea County Commission for the Arts (LCCA), was made to the IRS for a 501(c)(3) designation. A letter dated October 25, 2006, from the IRS stated the LCCA would be treated as a public charity and the Public Charity Status is 509(a)(2).
The building at 122 W Broadway, Hobbs, NM, was transferred from MainStreet Hobbs, Inc., to LCCA on July 11, 2002, and opened to the public for Hobbs August Nites in August 2004. The building was named “Center for the Arts” (Center). A staff person was hired to handle daily operations opening to the public Wednesday through Saturday. Lea County Commission for the Arts Board Members and volunteers planned the programming and organized the operations of the Center until June 2008. In July 2008, a part-time director was hired enabling LCCA to make great strides in programming and in turn increase arts visibility in Lea County.
LCCA works with the Llano Estacado Art Association, Community Players of Hobbs, Lea County Museum, Western Heritage Museum, and Southwest Symphony to promote the arts in Lea County, New Mexico.
