Remembering New Mexico history is like opening a gift: of rich diverse cultures, unique traditions, and the stories of generations. Commemorations give us the opportunity to honor the past, celebrate the present, and envision the future.

The New Mexico Centennial is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is an opportunity for New Mexicans to share their many gifts, showcase important treasures, and tell untold stories of depth and significance. It is a moment in time to recognize one another and take pride in our accomplishments. It is also a moment to remember the long journey our forebears followed to create this unique and beloved state, and imagine what New Mexico can be in the next one hundred years.

The first New Mexico Centennial 2012 Master Plan was presented as a report documenting Centennial projects proposed, in progress, or completed. It contains at present nearly one hundred proposals from every corner of the state – many them not seeking additional funding to realize their projects.

The Master Plan contains the dreams of many New Mexicans and conveys the pride in their communities, and hopes for the future. Now is the time to gather resources statewide to help every community tell their stories to the world, generating awareness of New Mexico and all it has to offer.

New Mexico’s one hundredth birthday is also a potential economic stimulus package unto itself. Tourism employs more than 55,000 workers and generates payroll in excess of $1 billion every year. Travelers inject billions of dollars into our economy annually. And while tourist numbers trended downward in 2009, the Centennial comes at a perfect time to help bring those numbers back to the strength realized prior to 2008, and even grow them significantly. Communities in every county have annual events that will come back to life when the economy improves, and an injection of support for Centennial activities will only augment their potential to draw more tourists to the state.

The potential benefits for every municipality are great. The Oklahoma Centennial reports a $350 million economic impact from their commemoration activities in 2007. And in Jamestown, VA, a well-executed, multi-year commemoration of their 400th anniversary generated a full $1.2 billion in economic impact. It is crucial that enough funding be secured to effectively promote New Mexico’s Centennial locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. It is a moment to seize that will bring both money and attention to the state of New Mexico.

• Click here to see the Centennial Planning Timeline
• Click here to see Project Guidelines
• Click here to see the projects that were funded with legislative appropriations in 2009
• Click here to submit a project idea for the NM Centennial Database