Carlsbad can 'go batty' at new downtown bat wing mural marking Caverns' 100th anniversary

Almost half a million bats dwell at the Carlsbad Caverns.

Some call the iconic underground caves their permanent home, while other roost temporarily during a migration across North America.

Often misunderstood and even villainized in popular culture, bats serve crucial roles in industries like agriculture where they help pollinate plants and control pests.

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This can save up to $1 billion a year in preventing crop damage and pesticide use nationwide, according to the National Park Service.

Carlsbad’s unique relationship to the bats via the area famous cave system was documented in the city’s newest mural painted last week.

A pair of decorative bat wings now adorn the wall of a building next Domino’s Pizza at 220 S. Canal St., commemorating the 100th anniversary of Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

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The project was commissioned by the Creative Carlsbad Arts Council, and President Diane Joop said it will help dispel much of the mystery and fear many hold for the nocturnal, winged creatures.

The mural is intended to allow visitors to pose between the wings, Joop said, making it an “interactive” art piece she hoped visitors from all over the world will stop at on their way to the caverns.

“Usually when people think about bats, people think they’re scary,” Joop said during an interview at the mural. “We thought you interact with the bats, they don’t seem so scary.”

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She said Brazilian free-tail bats, which are the main bats that dwell in Carlsbad, are about the size of a person’s thumb and weigh no more than three nickels.

“For us to be scared of something so tiny is kind of silly,” Joop said. “Bats are kind of the unofficial mascot of the city.”

The project to create the mural began in 2019, when the arts council was looking to help beautify the city and install more artwork for the community to enjoy.

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It went dormant during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Joop recently began searching for a muralist to get the project going again.

That led her to nationally known muralist Kelsey Montague, most famous for painting a mural of butterfly wings used in a Taylor Swift music video.

The Carlsbad mural is part of Montague’s “What Lifts You” project that sees her painting wings throughout the country.

This will be the first mural of Montague’s in New Mexico and the first of bat wings.

It was sponsored partially by Chevron, which kicked in $10,000 toward the overall cost of $20,000.

“We knew we wanted beautification and murals could be part of that,” Joop said. “I just did a google search for wing mural artist. When we talked with the artist and started to think about who is our audience, we wanted something inviting and whimsical.”

Kat Davis, executive director of Carlsbad Main Street and the city’s Pearl of the Pecos (POP) Arts and Culture District said an art piece like the mural can increase tourism in the city and draw more visitors to its growing downtown area.

“Through all of our organization’s projects and events, we aim to beautify our district and this one-of-a-kind art piece will further support that mission,” Davis said.

“We see this piece serving as a great draw to the POP district, as art trails have caused a major growth in the tourism industry in recent years.”

Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway said art pieces in town were an important “connector of people” in the community.

“It ties our tourists to the businesses and people of our city, encouraging them to stop in and have lunch, shop, and spend some time in our beautiful downtown,” he said. “Carlsbad is thrilled to be home to New Mexico’s only Kelsey Montague mural, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Caverns.”

The painting features multiple “easter eggs,” Joop said.

That includes a Zia symbol, Carlsbad’s iconic “flumes,” the Carlsbad Caverns, and a pecan.

“We wanted it to not be mistaken for anything but New Mexico,” Joop said. “We hope people from all over the world and take pictures with it.

“And then people can go batty.”

Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Carlsbad Current-Argus: Carlsbad's downtown bat wing mural marks Caverns' 100th anniversary