The Friends of Organ Mountains Desert Peaks and Bureau of Land Management announce a call to artists to apply for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument Artist in Residence Program to take place September 1–30, 2018. Entries for the September 2018 Residency must be received via email on or before July 20, 2018.
The Artist in Residence program educates and promotes the appreciation, protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources on public lands. The residency provides an artist and public an opportunity to interact to better enhance the understanding of the public lands as well as the unique qualities an artist’s eye can capture.
The selected Artist in Residence lives on Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks National Monument for the residency month, immersed in the landscape. “This program brings together an artist and our community, to provide both with a fresh and unique perspective on our public lands”, remarked Patrick Nolan, Executive Director of Friends of Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks. Previous Artists in Residence at Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks include Meg G. Freyermuth, oil painter; Emmitt Booher, photographer; Kayla Blundell, mixed media artist; Heidi Annalise, oil painter; Gabriella Banegas, print maker artist; and Cassandra Lockwood, Oil Painter. As part of the residency requirements, artists host a community workshop during their stay to engage local residents on the monument.
The Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument was established on May 21, 2014. As part of the National Conservation Lands System the nearly 497,000 acres are some of the west’s most iconic landscapes. The Bureau of Land Management manages the National Monument. The Monument is the current backdrop to Las Cruces, New Mexico but has a long history where Geromino and Billy the Kid once roamed, Butterfield stagecoach meandered, and World War II pilots trained. It is home to diverse geological, biological and cultural resources. The diversity of landscapes, wildlife and hidden desert treasures provides artists with endless inspiration.
For more information, please see program details and application materials at: http://organmountainsdesertpeaks.org/artist-in-residence/ or contact Brenda Gallegos at 575-323-1423 or email brenda@organmtnfriends.org.