Desert Blooms is Newest Carlsbad Mural

By Michele Robertson

Carlsbad is home to many murals, most depicting life in our area. The latest mural to grace the walls of our community is called Desert Blooms, painted by Alyssa Marie from St. Pete, FL. Alyssa’s work was chosen out of several submissions for the project.

Keep Carlsbad Beautiful and the Pearl of the Pecos Arts & Cultural District sent out a Request for Proposal (RFP) for muralists to submit a design that fit within the parameters given, with a March 3, 2025, deadline; Alyssa’s proposal was the one the committee chose. This collaboration between the two organizations provided a stipend of up to $10,000 for the project as well as including all the supplies needed to complete it. Funding for this mural came from grants both organizations received for projects like this.

“Mural projects done for our community in the past weren’t done through an RFP process, and I think we got to see artwork and design ideas that we may have never considered before. This also gave inspiration and contacts for future beautification efforts for our district and community as a whole,” said Kat Davis, director for Carlsbad MainStreet and the Pearl of the Pecos Arts & Cultural District.

“When deciding on a proper location for the mural, Kat Davis and I agreed that we wanted a prominent location in the Carlsbad MainStreet/Pearl of the Pecos Arts & Cultural District to continue enhancing the area’s appeal so that residents and visitors could enjoy it,” said Mary Garwood, Beautification Coordinator and Keep Carlsbad Beautiful director. “One of our Carlsbad MainStreet board members, Kelan Netherlin, and her husband, Riley, graciously agreed to offer the project wall when requested,” added Garwood.

The theme on the RFP was broad but stated, “subject matter should celebrate one or more of: The City of Carlsbad, Eddy County, New Mexico, local history, cultures, character, architecture,

and/or uniqueness. All artwork must be appropriate for all ages.”

“The prickly pear cactus is prevalent in our unique New Mexico landscaping, and Alyssa’s gorgeous design proposal was just too good for our committee to pass up,” Garwood said.

“It felt serendipitous to get chosen. I wanted to immortalize it (the prickly pear cactus) in paint; they are beautiful,” said Alyssa. “It’s going to be magnificent,” she added.

Using at least 37 different colors to create Desert Blooms, Alyssa and her teammate Raina worked diligently for days to make the mural come to life. Officially starting on Tuesday, April 22, the duo finished up in the evening hours of Saturday, April 26. The dry desert conditions made the tight time frame possible, as humid weather makes the paint dry slower. Multiple coats and gallons of paint were needed for the textured wall as it absorbed the paint quickly, “she’s a thirsty girl,” Alyssa commented about the wall she was painting on.

Inspired by an original oil painting of Alyssa’s, Desert Blooms can be found in the Carlsbad MainStreet and Pearl of the Pecos Arts & Cultural District next to Juar Axe on Canal Street. Alyssa has several murals in Artesia, and she said it was all thanks to Nancy Dunn with the Artesia Arts Council (who sent the RFP to her) that she was in Carlsbad to beautify the area.

“Murals have been shown to boost morale and community spirit when introduced. Undoubtedly, this will be accomplished with Alyssa’s mural. We want tourists to have a positive impression of our town and enjoy it as much as possible while here, even if they only travel on our main thoroughfare,” Garwood said. “Residents will now have this beautiful, eye-catching mural to enjoy and build a connection with.”

As with other out-of-town artists, many firsts were experienced by the duo during their time in Carlsbad. They got to visit the Carlsbad Caverns, witness a dust storm for the first time, and, among other highlights, see a lowrider in action.

To see more of Alyssa Marie’s work, visit her website at https://alyssamariegallery.com/ or follow her on Facebook or Instagram.