Free community celebration will feature Mariachi Alma del Norte and an original projection-mapping experience honoring the life and culture of Las Vegas
MainStreet de Las Vegas and the City of Las Vegas will co-host a free community celebration marking the opening of the newly restored Railroad Avenue in the Historic Railroad District on Saturday, August 1, beginning at 7 p.m.
Mayor David Romero and MainStreet de Las Vegas Board President Louie Trujillo will lead the celebration at the corner of Railroad and Lincoln avenues. The evening will feature music by Las Vegas favorite Mariachi Alma del Norte, followed by the premiere of an original 60-minute, multi-projector presentation created specifically for the event by New Mexico Highlands University Media Arts & Technology interns.
The digital presentation, described by David Rogers as a “multimedia love letter to Las Vegas’ life and culture, in the past, present, and future,” will begin at 8 p.m. The work will be projected across a half-block-long wall owned by Marvin Bustos at Railroad and Lincoln, transforming the building into a large-scale canvas celebrating the people, places and stories of Las Vegas.
The event is free and open to the public. Organizers anticipate a strong community turnout and encourage attendees to bring lawn chairs for comfortable viewing.
Students Bring Art and Technology to the Historic Railroad District
The multimedia experience was created by NMHU students Ali Romero, Chris Romero and Daniel Ayala through the Cultural Technology Emerging Professionals Program. The program provides paid professional internships to students enrolled in NMHU’s Media Arts & Technology Program.
Emerging Professionals earn a living wage of $22 to $24 per hour while receiving professional mentorship and guidance throughout their internships. The program enables students to apply and expand the skills they are developing at Highlands while working with museums, cultural institutions and community organizations throughout New Mexico.
This year, Romero, Romero and Ayala partnered with MainStreet de Las Vegas to bring renewed energy and attention to Railroad Avenue and the surrounding Historic Railroad District.
In addition to developing the projection-mapping presentation, the students have created visual identities for the Las Vegas Arts Council and the People’s Festival of Art & Culture. They also designed banners for new light poles along Lincoln Avenue between Grand and Railroad avenues. The banners will soon be installed for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The students have also been producing four in-depth video interviews with local enterprises and entrepreneurs who are contributing to the cultural and economic vitality of Las Vegas. The interviews highlight community members—including NMHU alumni—whose work, ideas and businesses are bringing positive opportunities to the people of Las Vegas.
A Multimedia Love Letter to Las Vegas
The August 1 presentation will combine original graphic design, photography, video and other visual elements developed by the students. Using multiple projectors and MadMapper, an industry-standard projection-mapping program, the students will fit their original imagery to the architectural features of the half-block-long wall.
The result will be an immersive visual experience connecting the history of Las Vegas with its present-day culture and future possibilities.
Every creative element featured in the presentation originated with the students. Generative artificial intelligence was not used to produce the artwork, designs or multimedia content. The finished work reflects the students’ own imagination, artistic vision, technical ability and commitment to their community.
Meet the Emerging Professionals
Ali Romero is an MFACT student who earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts & Technology from NMHU. Their multidisciplinary work includes graphic design, photography and installation design. Romero is currently exploring light-based projections and the philosophy of color, bringing those interests into the visual development of the Railroad Avenue presentation.
Chris Romero is also an MFACT student and an NMHU graduate with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts & Technology. He is a graphic designer, installation designer and skilled photographer. His recent work has focused on color theory and the ways color can shape meaning, emotion and experience within creative environments.
Daniel Ayala is a senior pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Media Arts & Technology. His work spans graphic design, videography and photography. For this project, Ayala is helping document the stories of Las Vegas enterprises and entrepreneurs, including NMHU alumni. He will present his BFA exhibition in spring 2027.
Together, the three students are demonstrating how media arts, cultural storytelling and emerging technology can strengthen the relationship between a university and its surrounding community. Their partnership with MainStreet de Las Vegas supports the continued revitalization of the Historic Railroad District while creating a public platform for the people and stories that make Las Vegas distinctive.
The project reflects the mission of the Cultural Technology Emerging Professionals Program: preparing students for creative careers through paid, hands-on professional experiences while supporting New Mexico’s communities and cultural institutions.
For more information about the Cultural Technology Emerging Professionals Program, visit cctnewmexico.org/emergingprofessionalsprogram.