OMDP monument call for artists

The nonprofit Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and federal Bureau of Land Management’s Las Cruces District announced a call to artists to apply for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument Artist-in-Residence Program, taking place Sept. 1-30, 2024.

Applications for the September residency may be completed online at OrganMountainsDesertPeaks.org with a deadline of Aug. 9, according to a news release from BLM. This year’s theme will highlight the 10th anniversary of the Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks National Monument designation.

“The program educates and promotes the appreciation, protection and preservation of natural and cultural resources on public lands,” the agency stated. “The residency provides an artist and the public an opportunity to interact and to enhance the understanding of public lands through the unique qualities an artist’s eye can capture.”

The monument encompasses over 496,000 acres of public land including the Robledo, Sierra de las Uvas, Organ, Potrillo and Doña Ana mountain ranges. “The area’s unique geological, biological, and cultural resources provide the artist with endless possibilities for self-expression through their lens, painting, sculpture, poetry, music, etc.,” BLM stated, noting the archaeological and cultural heritage of the area as well.

Artists are provided with housing for the residency and a $1,000 stipend through the Friends organization. The artist is expected to produce a creative community project; a public event such as a tour, demonstration or workshop; and a completed project used in promoting the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument.