David Mills, Artist-In-Residence

Artist‑in‑Residence David Mills contributes work inspired by borderland cultural traditions, including themes highlighted in Chamizal National Memorial’s mission.

NPS

Chamizal National Memorial welcomes David D. Mills, founder and executive director of Eden Performing Arts, as a 2026 Artist-in-Residence. This December, Mills will present A Very El Paso Christmas: Holiday Traditions on the Border, an original theatrical production inspired by the winter traditions of El Paso and the surrounding borderlands.

Mills has been active in El Paso’s performing arts community for more than 45 years as a performer, producer, technician, administrator, and volunteer. His longstanding relationship with Chamizal includes supporting the Siglo de Oro Drama Festival, coordinating dance and theater outreach, and producing El Chamizal: Wild River, Disputed Land for the Chamizal Festival.

As the founder of Eden Performing Arts, Mills supports culturally rooted theater, dance, and educational programming throughout the El Paso region. The nonprofit’s work includes bilingual and Spanish-language productions by Los Actores, the Shakespeare on-the-Rocks Theatre Festival, and Zapateados, a celebration of borderland dance traditions. These projects create opportunities for local performers, directors, choreographers, designers, technicians, and other artists while sharing the region’s cultural heritage with the community.

For his Chamizal residency, Mills will bring these experiences together in A Very El Paso Christmas: Holiday Traditions on the Border. The production will include acting scenes, traditional dances, songs, and seasonal customs from across the borderland. It will incorporate elements from Hector Serrano’s Original Viva El Paso! which celebrates the Native, Spanish, Mexican, and Western American cultures. Through music, movement, and storytelling, the program will explore how El Paso families and communities celebrate the winter season while preserving traditions shared across generations and across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Public program dates and additional information will be announced soon. Follow Chamizal National Memorial on Facebook at /ChamizalNationalMemorial for updates.

Tags: chamizal national memorial, artist-in-residence