• by Fern Siegel , December 22, 2020

Southwest Contemporary, a company that includes a magazine, newsletters and art guides about art and culture in New Mexico, is revamping its flagship publication.

The Magazine, its original bimonthly, shuttered in May. But it returns in February as a quarterly called Southwest Contemporary.

Owner Lauren Tresp will also expand Southwest Contemporary's coverage beyond Santa Fe to embrace the full region: New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas and Utah.

She also intends to revamp distribution — steering the publication from newsstands to purchase at bookstores, museums and membership. The latter will be a three-tier model, ranging from $35 to $250, that includes the magazine, branded merchandise and event invites.

Tresp will focus more on digital going forward, with daily and weekly news published online. In addition, the company will publish a New Mexico Field Guide and Southwest Contemporary Journal.

Separately, Southern California Public Radio named Brian De Los Santos as editor of LAist, its online news site, reporting to Megan Garvey. The site covers the diverse communities of Los Angeles.

Previously, De Los Santos worked at KCRW, the Los Angeles Times and American Public Media.

Most recently, he led digital strategy for The Desert Sun, where he founded Vamos Forward, the Latinx employee resource group for Gannett, the newspaper’s parent company.

“Only local news can tap into Los Angeles with an introspective lens that truly listens to its audiences,” De Los Santos said of his new assignment. He joins the LAist on Jan. 11.