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 2013 ARTIST-in-RESIDENCE PROGRAM at CANYONS of the ANCIENTS

 

Applications to the 2013 Artist-in-Residence program were accepted though February 28, 2013.

(ABOVE) Sand Canyon area in Canyons of the Ancients. Photo by Kim Gerhardt. (RIGHT) Saddlehorn Pueblo, 13th-century archaeological site in CANM. Photo by Eric Muller.

 

Canyons of the Ancients National Monument (CANM) is filled with both scenic beauty and unique human stories. There may be as many as 30,000 archaeological sites within CANM, including 13 Ancestral Puebloan sites currently identified and located for visitors.

The Artist-in-Residence (AiR) Program promotes awareness through art of the exceptional natural and cultural treasures protected by the National Landscape Conservation System. The program provides an opportunity for learning and dialogue about the value of these public lands resources. It will engage and inform an audience through outreach by AiR participants, and provide quality, uninterrupted time for artists to pursue their work.

The chosen artist will experience a stimulating and rugged environment in which to create art and share it with the public. CANM has few roads, little shade, and no visitor amenities except for its off-site headquarters (the Anasazi Heritage Center, about 20 miles east of Monument boundaries). Weather in this region is erratic: Springtime can be snowy and/or windy; summers can be hot.

Artists will donate a digital copy of at least one original work created during and reflecting their experience in Canyons of the Ancients, which promotes appreciation and conservation of the public lands. The artwork should address content related to natural and/or cultural resources within Canyons of the Ancients.

PROGRAM GOALS: The Artist-in-Residence program is intended to promote Appreciation of the cultural and natural resources protected with CANM; Awareness of the unique and the fragile nature of these resources; and Visitor ethics and conduct that support resource preservation. ELIGIBILITY:  The CANM Artist-in-Residence program is open to all professional artists over 18 years of age who are United States citizens, and who apply within the deadline period.  APPROPRIATE ART MEDIA: In 2013 the CANM-AiR program will consider any medium suitable for digital reproduction including two-dimensional visual still media (such as painting, photography, printmaking), literature, video, music, etc. TO APPLY: Applications will be accepted through February 28, 2013. Applications should be accompanied by art samples in the format specified, your resume showing relevant previous work and achievement, and your Project Proposal.   See the application form.  Applications may be sent by email  OR physically mailed (on paper or CD/DVD) but NOT BOTH.

ART SAMPLE GUIDELINES

Visual Artists (photographers, painters, etc.): Submit 4 to 10  images by email or on CD or as 35mm slides or as 8x10 color prints. Digital images must be in JPG or TIF format, maximum size 5 MB each. Videographers: Submit two productions, or segments thereof, not to exceed 5 minutes total, on CD/DVD (MPEG file format).  Writers, Poets: Submit 10 pages of written samples, double-spaced. (Print or Word format)  Musicians, Composers: Submit two compositions, or segments thereof, not to exceed 5 minutes total, on CD/DVD  (WAV, MP3, or WMA file format).

SELECTION CRITERIA: 
Final selections are based on the merit and professionalism of the artist and the proposal.  Applications will be evaluated according to these elements:

• ART: Artistic merit of sample work submitted
• PROPOSAL: Originality, quality, feasibility. Proposal should address program goals and natural or cultural resources within Canyons of the Ancients
• EXPERIENCE: Applicant's background and previous accomplishments

Selection is solely based on merit, without regard to sex, race, religion, national origin, employer, or physical ability.

 

RESIDENCY PERIOD: 
Residencies are scheduled for an eight-day period (Sunday-Sunday) during April through September of 2013. Preferences for scheduling will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis.

HOUSING: 
BLM-CANM will provide basic housing, either within the National Monument or nearby. Applicants with vehicles such as campers or RVs are welcome to use them in lieu of the provided housing.

With advance notice, a participating artist may bring along a companion or immediate family member, provided that lodging is available and he/she does not interfere with the artist's productivity.  Additional costs will be the responsibility of the artist. No additional costs will be borne by the AiR Program.  

Accommodation corresponding to Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards may be unavailable due to the historic or primitive nature of facilities in field locations. BLM-CANM will make every effort to accommodate disabled participants.

PERSONAL EXPENSES: 
Artists are responsible for personal expenses including meals, transportation, cell phone, internet access, or insurance coverage. Some insurance coverage is provided under the required BLM Volunteer Services Agreement.

The artist will be responsible for additional costs for any companion, such as lodging, meals, amenities, etc. 

AGREEMENTS:  
In addition to other terms described on this page, the program participant will sign and be covered by the official BLM Volunteer Agreement during the residency period. The participant must abide by the same rules of conduct as any other visitor or CANM volunteer. Most of the monument is accessible by foot; vehicle access is limited. The artwork must not identify archaeological sites not otherwise publicized.

PRODUCT:  
The resident artist must provide BLM with a high-resolution and reproduction-quality digital version of at least one original artwork created during the residency or as a result of it, which may be reproduced by the BLM in any print or electronic format. The product is due to BLM within one month (30 days) following the end of the residency period. 

The product must not identify nor communicate the location of archaeological sites that are not otherwise publicly identified for visitors.

PUBLIC PRESENTATION: 
The Artist-in-Residence is expected to conduct at least one 45-minute public presentation during the residency period. Please include a description of your planned presentation with your application.

The presentation should be developed using only a few hours of the artist's time, and tailored to the artist's medium and interests.  Presentations may utilize almost any format including demonstrations, talks, slide shows, exploratory walks, or hands-on workshops. Artists must provide their own supplies and equipment for these public presentations.

Potential public presentation venues include the artist residence, local libraries or schools, cultural and arts centers, or an outdoor setting.  The final day of residence is usually a Sunday; you may wish to schedule your presentation for that day.

Artists are also requested to give public presentations in their home communities about their residency experience after the residency ends.

COPYRIGHT & PUBLICATION: 
The artist agrees that artwork produced under the AiR program may be used in exhibits and for educational purposes by the Bureau of Land Management or by its nonprofit cooperating associations.

The artist retains all copyrights associated with work produced under the BLM AiR Program. The BLM, where possible, will identify the artist as the creator of the image(s) on materials produced. BLM materials will bear a copyright notice for the artist that will include the word “Copyright” or the copyright symbol (^©), the artist’s name, and the year of first publication. 

When the artist reproduces the artwork for his/her own purposes, captioning or publication information must include the language: "This artwork was produced under the Artist-in-Residence Program of the Bureau of Land Management at Canyons of the Ancient National Monument."

OTHER PARTICIPANT RESPONSIBILITIES: 
Program participants will abide by all local, state, and federal laws including all BLM rules and regulations appropriate to the BLM-CANM site during their residency. CANM managers, the local site AiR Program coordinator, or the national BLM Artist-in-Residence program office have the right to cancel any artist's residency immediately for inappropriate behavior or serious disregard for safety or BLM regulations. AiR Program participants will be official BLM Volunteers, and are encouraged to promote appropriate site etiquette and landscape conservation in any public contacts while acting as the Artist-in-Residence at Canyons of the Ancients.

	Canyons of the Ancients National Monument
For more information, contact the CANM AiR coordinator via air@blm.gov or phone 970.882.5624. Canyons of the Ancients National Monument 27501 HWY 184 Dolores, CO 81323

 

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2012 ARTISTS in RESIDENCE

Forty-four artists from across the nation applied for residencies at CANM during 2012. Those selected were chosen on the basis of both artistic merit and pubic outreach proposals. This year’s chosen artists were:

• Kirk Gittings of Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Joyce Heuman of Cortez, Colorado
• Carol Chamberland of Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Arthur Short Bull of Estes Park, Colorado
• (alternate) Charles Johnston of Helper, Utah
• (alternate) Lin Hampton of Denton, Texas

Each artist spent one week absorbing and experiencing the Monument landscape, creating a work of art in response to the experience, then sharing their vision and techniques with the public.

ARTHUR SHORT BULL   Arthur Short Bull belongs to the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) people of the northern Great Plains. He works primarily in watercolors, and was the last of four artists in 2012 to spend time exploring and absorbing the landscape while creating art in response to the experience. His presentation was from a Native American point of view, and he explained how his cultural background has influenced his creative process.  The artist is related to famed Lakota historian Amos Bad Heart Bull, younger brother of He Dog, both of whom rode with Crazy Horse at the battle of Little Big Horn.   “The history of the American West is rich and abundant, and inextricably interwoven with that of the original inhabitants.... That history has rarely been told visually through the eyes of Native Americans, with the outlook and interpretation that only Native Americans could express,” Short Bull said. In 2006 Short Bull was a recipient of the First Peoples Cultural Capital Program Fellowship, during which he commemorated the Wounded Knee Massacre in poems and paintings. In 2009 Short Bull received a First Peoples Fund Business Leadership award, and in 2010 he was a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC. Short Bull’s paintings are found in collections throughout America and Europe.

JOYCE HEUMAN Joyce Heuman, Artist-in-Residence at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, led interested artists on a hiking and sketching tour on Saturday, May 19, 2012.  Heuman was the second of four artists-in-residence to work in Canyons of the Ancients this summer, devoting herself to art and observation. She is a watercolorist and aficionado of local history, and the only selected artist who lives in the Cortez area. Heuman’s twin passions, for painting and nature, are evident in all her work. She has exhibited art in various galleries and venues throughout the Southwest, and is currently employed by Crow Canyon Archaeological Center near Cortez. According to Heuman, “A walk through this spectacular landscape is a journey through time, and many places show evidence of early habitation. Our imaginations are activated by intriguing alcoves that shelter the remains of ancient homes.

 

CAROL CHAMBERLAND Carol Chamberland, Artist-in-Residence for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, shared her work and vision with the public on July 1, 2012 at the Bureau of Land Management Anasazi Heritage Center.   Chamberland was the third artist this year to spend a week exploring and absorbing the southwest Colorado landscape and creating art in response to the experience. Her presentation discussed both materials and technique, and comment on how her archeological background has influenced the creative process.   The Artist-in-Residence program promotes awareness through art of the exceptional places protected within the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System, and provides an opportunity for learning and dialogue about the value of preserving public lands.   The Albuquerque-based artist grew up in Connecticut where she developed an early love for outdoor activities.   “I hope that by exploring difficult terrain on foot, and producing exciting imagery of places within the Monument, others will be inspired to make the physical journey themselves,” said Chamberland.   Previous participants have worked in black-and-white photography and watercolors. Chamberland’s mixed media paintings often portray a desert of abstract forms and patterns illuminated by intense and spooky light. Part of her presentation showed creative digital work based on her years of rock art research. When not painting, she leads volunteer groups who record ancient rock art on public lands throughout New Mexico, and volunteers as a docent at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History.    Chamberland also discussed a more introspective project involving 30 years of annual self-portraits.  She believes that “all of life’s experiences provide inspiration for the mindful artist.”

KIRK GITTINGS Kirk Gittings, first Artist-in-Residence at Canyons of the Ancients National Monument, discussed the ideas behind his life work in a theater presentation at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Anasazi Heritage Center on  April 21, 2012. The Albuquerque photographer is one of four professional artists chosen for one-week residencies during the spring and summer 2012 at Canyons of the Ancients. His primary tool is a large-format 4x5 inch view camera, which demands a slow and deliberate approach, according to Gittings.   The Artist-in-Residence program promotes awareness through art of the exceptional places protected within the BLM’s National Landscape Conservation System and provides an opportunity for learning and dialogue about the value of preserving public lands. Gittings sees the expanse of canyons and mesas as a mythological landscape with aesthetic and historic qualities to inspire both residents and visitors. He will spend a week immersed in the Monument landscapes, learning their inner story and making photographs. “My first mythological landscape was my childhood home west of Albuquerque,” said Gittings. “Surrounded by the volcanos, Sandia Peak, Ladron Peak, and Mount Taylor, my brother and I invented personal mythologies. I learned later that prominent landforms featured in Native American origin myths, and that tourist stops along Route 66 were mythologized versions of cowboy culture and the Old West.” Gittings’ acclaimed book Chaco Body (with poet V.B. Price) became the first part of a long-term project to reimagine the Southwest in mythic terms. Gittings has presented his work previously to the American Institute of Architects and the Art Institute of Chicago, as well as at Chaco Canyon and the University of New Mexico.

CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT
27501 HWY 184, DOLORES, CO 81323
(970) 882-5600