ARTventures - AFTACON 2026

ARTventures are immersive experiences that invite attendees to step beyond the conference walls and engage directly with the arts, culture, and creative communities of the region. Equal parts educational and fun, ARTventures offer behind-the-scenes access, hands-on learning, and meaningful encounters with local artists, cultural institutions, and historic sites.

Most ARTventures take place on Wednesday, June 3, from 3:30–5:30pm MT. This year, we’re also excited to offer one early-morning ARTventure on Wednesday and three full-day ARTventures on Thursday. Be sure to read each description carefully when making your selections, as schedules and time commitments vary.

This tour highlights how targeted public investment is revitalizing downtown Albuquerque’s creative life. Participants will visit the historic KiMo Theatre to learn about the City’s significant reinvestment in this cultural landmark, then explore nearby sites such as the former Gizmo Arts building, now being reimagined as a gallery and artist residences. Along the way, the tour will offer insight into how Albuquerque supports arts and culture through adaptive reuse, long term planning, and sustained investment in creative infrastructure.

Experience the Albuquerque Convention Center as an unexpected public art destination on this ARTventure featuring landmark works from the city’s collection. Highlights include the expansive exterior mosaic, the iconic Breaking Bad statue, and a stunning new circular stairwell fresco currently in progress by artist Frederico Vigil. Participants will hear directly from Frederico about the fresco, which weaves together New Mexico landscapes, agricultural traditions, winemaking history, plant physiology, and cosmic mythologies through the story of how wine first took root in North America.

Experience the power of live, unscripted storytelling with High Desert Playback Theater in this highly interactive 90-minute ARTventure. In playback theatre, audience members share real moments from their lives—funny, moving, surprising, or profound—and watch as skilled improvisers instantly transform those stories into dynamic scenes using movement, music, and dialogue. Rooted in deep listening and community connection, each performance is completely unique and shaped by the voices in the room. Perfect for lovers of theater, improv, and community engagement, this experience invites you to witness, reflect, and see your stories come to life on stage.

Discover the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, a world class museum and cultural hub that serves as the gateway to the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. Through dynamic exhibits, participants will engage with Pueblo history, art, and living traditions. This ARTventure takes place during the Center’s 50th anniversary year and includes a special opportunity to meet with the curator of Grounded in Clay, a landmark exhibition featuring more than 100 works selected by nearly 60 community curators representing Pueblo tribes across the Southwest.

All aboard the iconic RVs from Breaking Bad—now transformed into fully air-conditioned tour buses—for a high-energy ride through Albuquerque’s most legendary filming locations. This Breaking Bad–centric ARTventure takes you deep into the world of Heisenberg, with trivia, behind-the-scenes stories, and insider insights from your two onboard guides—each a former actor from Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, or Stranger Things. Along the way, you’ll also spot locations from other hit productions as bonus stops. One of the most popular tourist activities in the city, this tour is a must for superfans who believe in no half measures!

Visit the studio of the ALMA Summer Institute to meet student apprentices creating large scale ceramic tile mosaics and experience the apprenticeship model firsthand. Participants will learn how public art is built through shared skills, mentorship, and community relationships, and hear directly from apprentices about their creative process. The ARTventure includes a hands on ceramic activity where participants create two tiles, one to contribute to the mosaic at the Special Collections Library and one to take home as a personal keepsake.

Go behind the scenes at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science for a curator led ARTventure exploring the intersection of science and art. This experience highlights paleoart and scientific illustration, showcasing both foundational works and contemporary approaches to the field. Participants will also have the rare opportunity to view remarkable specimens from the museum’s special collections not currently on public display, making this ARTventure especially rewarding for dinosaur lovers and art enthusiasts alike.

Spend the day in Santa Fe exploring Museum Hill through food, performance, and museum visits. You will be welomed to Museum Hill with a Pueblo Feast and Dance Performance, followed by presentations about New Mexico’s Laboratory of Anthropology and Office of Archeology. Participants will then split into groups to visit both the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, swapping midway through the afternoon. This day trip offers a focused introduction to Indigenous culture, history, and artistic traditions in New Mexico. The experience includes lunch and an approximately one-hour bus ride each way, departing at 10:45 a.m. and returning to Albuquerque by 6:00 p.m.

Explore Santa Fe’s downtown arts and culture corridor with a day centered on museums, contemporary art, and live performance. Upon arrival, there will be lunch at the New Mexico History Museum, followed by a visit to the New Mexico Museum of Art. Attendees will then head to Vladem Contemporary to enjoy their incredible collection and a special performance by the New Mexico State Poet Laureate. This day trip highlights Santa Fe’s historic and contemporary creative ecosystems. The experience includes lunch and an approximately one-hour bus ride each way, departing at 10:45 a.m. and returning to Albuquerque by 6:00 p.m.

We are honored to be welcomed by Acoma Pueblo for a special guided visit to Sky City Cultural Center, offering a rare opportunity to experience one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in North America. The historic Acoma Pueblo sits atop a dramatic mesa, with the cultural center located at its base. This full-day ARTventure departs Albuquerque at 10:45 a.m. and returns by approximately 6:00 p.m., with an approximately one-hour bus ride each way. Guests will be welcomed at the cultural center with lunch and a hands-on pottery demonstration, followed by time to explore the museum, including a new interactive architectural exhibit, before traveling by bus to the mesa top for a guided tour of the historic pueblo.