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Land Arts of the American West

CAE0902

Summary Note

Land Arts of the American West contains materials generated from the studio-based field studies program started by Bill Gilbert at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 2000 with the help of John Wenger. In 2002, Chris Taylor, an architect then at the University of Texas, Austin (UTA), was brought in to co-direct the program until 2007.

Biographical Note

Bill Gilbert is an artist and professor whose work has addressed the environments and communities of New Mexico for the past 30 years. Gilbert received his M.F.A. from the University of Montana, Missoula in 1978 and began teaching sculpture at the University of New Mexico in 1987. He held the Lannan Chair in the Department of Art and Art History at the University of New Mexico where he directed the place-based, field program entitled Land Arts of the American West. To advance the Land Arts program, Gilbert created alliances with other educational institutions in the United States and abroad to expand into a network of field-based art programs. Partners included Chris Taylor, now teaching Architecture at Texas Tech University; former Land Arts student and instructor Erika Osborne; Nathan Lynch at the California College of Art in San Francisco; and John Reid at Australia National University in Canberra. As another part of the program's growth, Gilbert developed the Land Arts Mobile Research Center to support research and publication of program participants.

After retiring in 2016, former participant Jeannette (Jenn) Hart-Mann, Assistant Professor of Art & Ecology was awarded the position of Director, Land Arts of the American West. Biographical Note: Jeanette (Jenn) Hart-Mann
Jeanette Hart-Mann is Director of the Land Arts of the American West (LAAW) program at the University of New Mexico (land arts.unm.edu) and Assistant Professor of Art & Ecology. Land Arts of the American West is an academic program supporting field-based Art & Ecology courses for graduate, undergraduate, and non-degree seeking students. LAAW's mission is to inspire and support environmentally and socially engaged art practices through bioregional teaching, collective learning, interdisciplinary research, community collaboration, and creative forms of publication and exhibition.

Hart-Mann received her BFA, summa cum laude and University Honors, summa cum laude at The University of New Mexico and her MFA in Visual Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Jeanette Hart-Mann is a farmer, artist, activist and teacher committed to the transformative potential of traditional ecological knowledge, embodied land-based practices, creative engagement and more-than-human-relationships. Her current research is focused on agroecology and environmental justice, as well as vegetal philosophies and eco-social storytelling. Her methodologies are iterative, emergent and interdisciplinary. She weaves farming, wild crafting, and ecological restoration with video, sculpture, photography, installation, and writing.

Hart-Mann is Co-Founder and Co-Director of SeedBroadcast (seedbroadcast.org) an artist collective committed to uplifting the culture in agri-Culture through creative public engagement, Seed Stories and sharing. SeedBroadcast is the recipient of multiple grants from Kindle Project, McCune Foundation, Robert Rauschenberg Foundation - Climate Change Solutions Fund Grant, and Puffin Foundation. She is also lead farmer, seed steward, and shepherdess at HawkMoth Farm Agroecology Center where she is designing and implementing experimental climate-resilient polycultures through integrative plant, animal, soil, and human habitation while producing food for local communities.

Scope and Content

Bill Gilbert started this studio-based field studies program at the University of New Mexico (UNM) in 2000 with the help of John Wenger. In 2002, Chris Taylor, an architect then at the University of Texas, Austin (UTA), was brought in to co-direct the program until 2007. Studio art students from UNM and design students from UTA spend a fall semester alternating between fieldwork and studio to create responses to a spectrum of land arts from pre-contact Native American to contemporary Euro-American cultures. Gilbert defines Land Arts practices to include everything from constructing a road, to taking a walk, to building a monument, to leaving a mark in the sand. The program seeks to expand upon connections between typically separate fields: the fact that Donald Judd surrounded himself with both contemporary sculpture and Navajo rugs; that Chaco Canyon and Roden Crater function as celestial instruments; and that the Very Large Array is a scientific research center with a powerful aesthetic presence on the land.

Initially, fourteen students led by the two faculty members spent a semester living and working in the southwestern landscape with guest scholars and artists in disciplines including archeology, art history, architecture, ceramics, criticism, writing, design, and studio art. The program continues to evolve, with Taylor now leading a separate program at Texas Tech University. This archive includes materials starting in 2000 from UNM students, visiting artists, and Bill Gilbert. Materials include notebooks, photographs, maps, itineraries, project ephemera, and curriculum materials from what has become a progenitive program. Materials are organized by year, and within each year first by program material and images, by collaborative project, and by student last name, while the final folders contain program exhibition materials and materials produced by former participants.

Arrangement

Land Arts of the American West archive is arranged into series based on the year.
  • Series 1: 2000
  • Series 2: 2002
  • Series 3: 2003
  • Series 4: 2004
  • Series 5: 2005
  • Series 6: 2006
  • Series 7: 2007
  • Series 8: 2008
  • Series 9: 2009
  • Series 10: 2010
  • Series 11: 2011
  • Series 12: 2012
  • Series 13: 2013
  • Series 14: 2014
  • Series 15: 2015
  • Series 16: 2016
  • Series 17: 2017
  • Series 18: 2018
  • Series 19: 2019

Inclusive Dates

2000-2019

Bulk Dates

2000-2018

Quantity / Extent

5 cubic feet

Language

English

Related Archive Collections

  • CAE1212: 871 Fine Arts: Land Arts Ephemera
  • CAE1201: Cedra Wood: Land Arts and the Riverland Biosphere
  • CAE1114: The LAND/an art site
  • CAE1002: Land/Art New Mexico
  • CAE1041: Center for Land Use Interpretation: Wendover Residencies
  • CAE1501: Boundless Horizons: A Land Art Exhibition
  • CAE1912: Bill Gilbert: Artist Archive
  • CAE2106: Bill Gilbert: Mata Ortiz

Related Publications

Anand, Julie. The Peculiar Intersection of Matter and Meaning. Self-published: 2005.

Bush, Katherine Elaine. Phase Change. Austin, TX: Self Published, 2004.

Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe. Landmines. Santa Fe, NM: Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe, 2006.

Gabriel Naranjo Pulido, David. Estrategias de incorporación del Arte Contemporáneo en la Educación Artística: Una propuesta innovadora en la E.S.O. desde la ecología. Ph.D. diss., Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 2017.

Gilbert, Bill. Land Arts of the American West. Albuquerque NM; Austin TX: University of New Mexico; University of Texas, 2003.

Johnsen, Benjamin. Re:Solving Self. self published, 2009.

Moore, Hollis. Emergency Index: an annual document of performance practice. Vol. 6. Brooklyn NY: The Bros Lumiér for Ugly Duckling Presse, 2017.

Taylor, Chris, and Bill Gilbert. Land Arts of the American West. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 2008.

Container Listing by Series:

CAE0902/1 Series 1: 2000, 2000-2006

Series 1 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2000.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 1-1 Program Ephemera, 2000
    • 1-2 In the Field, 2000

Additional Materials

  • CAE Box 112 Large Objects

    • 1-6#9 Pink Land Arts t-shirt, 2005
    • 1-6#10 Pink Land Arts tank top, 2005

  • CAE Flat File F8 Oversized Items

    • 1-1#3 Poster: The Potters of Mata Ortiz: Transforming a Tradition, 1999
    • 1-4#9 Poster: Land Arts of the American West, 2003
    • 1-6#3 Sand Canyon Quadrangle New Mexico - Valencia Co. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1964
    • 1-6#4 Canyon Hill Quadrangle New Mexico-Grant Co. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1965
    • 1-6#5 Cornudas Mountain Quadrangle New Mexico-Texas Co. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographical), 1975
    • 1-6#6 York Ranch SE Quadrangle New Mexico 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1967
    • 1-6#7 Madre Mountain Quadrangle New Mexico-Catron Co. 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1995
    • 1-6#8 Augustine Well Quadrangle New Mexico 7.5 Minute Series (Topographic), 1965
    • 1-9#5 Poster: Matt Coolidge: Anthrogeomorphology in the USA: programs and projects from the Center for Land Use Interpretation, 2008
    • 1-9#6 Poster: Amy Franceschini: Chance Matters, 2008
    • 1-9#7 Poster: Nils Norman: The Exploding School & other projects, 2008
    • 1-9#8 Poster: William L. Fox: Land, Landscape, Land Art: Cognition & the Possible, 2008
    • 1-9#9 Poster: Bill Gilbert: Land Arts of the American West Program: a peripatetic engagement with place, 2008

CAE0902/2 Series 2: 2002, 2000-2006

Series 2 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2002.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 2-1 Program Ephemera, 2002
    • 2-2 In the Field, 2002
    • 2-3 Anand, Julie, 2002

Additional Materials

  • CAE Box 13 Objects

    • 2-1#8 Handmade Field Journal, 2000

  • CAE Box 66 Objects

    • 2-4#9 Brooke Steiger: Untitled Journal, 2000

  • CAE Box 112 Large Objects

    • 2-4#9 Brooke Steiger: Untitled Journal, 2000

  • CAE Box 251 Large Objects

    • 2-2#3 Handmade Book: Relations, 2000

CAE0902/3 Series 3: 2003, 2002-2010

Series 3 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2003.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 3-1 Program Ephemera, 2003
    • 3-2 In the Field, 2003
    • 3-3 Arpad-Cotta, Tori (Guest Artist), 2001-2005
    • 3-4 Bash, Katherine, 2005

Additional Materials

  • CAE Special Object Box

    • 3-4#2 Traveling Box, 2009

CAE0902/4 Series 4: 2004, 2001-2006

Series 4 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2004.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 4-1 Program Ephemera, 2004
    • 4-3 Brown, Julie, 2005-2006
    • 4-5 Dubois, Nina, 2003 - 2005
    • 4-6 Giavedoni, Veronica, 2004
    • 4-7 Gilbert, Bill, 2004
    • 4-8 Hensel, Mark, 2004-2006
    • 4-9 Loth, Jonathon, 2006-2007

Additional Materials

  • CAE Box 14 - Tray 1

    • 4-5#5 Petrified wood necklace

  • CAE Flat File F8 Oversized Items

    • 4-5#4 Aspen—Tipover, 2005
    • 4-7#2 Mockup of 751 San Mateo Blvd. SE, Albuquerque, NM, 2005

CAE0902/5 Series 5: 2005, 2003-2007

Series 5 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2005.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 5-1 Program Ephemera, 2005
    • 5-3 Coyne, Rory, 2004-2007
    • 5-5 Dunn, Jessica, 2000-2007
    • 5-6 Garlick, Jennifer, 2005

CAE0902/6 Series 6: 2006, 2000-2007

Series 6 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2006.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 6-1 Program Ephemera, 2006-2007
    • 6-2 In the Field, 2006
    • 6-3 Brinich-Langlois, Cynthia, (A Visual Survey of Twenty Tinajas), 2006
    • 6-4 Casaus, Christine, (Artwork for Application), 2006
    • 6-5 Towl, Andrew, (Video and Audio Works), 2005-2006
    • 6-6 Young, Emma Lee, (Bodyland Images Landarts '06), 2006-2007
    • 6-7 Program Exhibition Ephemera, 2006

CAE0902/7 Series 7: 2007, 2007

Series 7 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2007.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 7-1 Program Ephemera, 2007
    • 7-2 In the Field, 2007
    • 7-3 D’Errico, Hannah, 2005
    • 7-4 Gilroy, Peter, (Continuous Climb, Photomontages), 2007
    • 7-5 Johnsen, Benjamin, (Photographic Works), 2007-2009

CAE0902/8 Series 8: 2008, 2008

Series 8 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program, although the program did not occur in 2008.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 8-1 Program Ephemera, 2008
    • 8-2 Program Alumni Ephemera, 2008

Additional Materials

  • CAE Flat File F8 Oversized Items

    • 8-2#5 Climbing to the Moon, 2007
    • 8-2#6 Man Made Nature, 2007

CAE0902/9 Series 9: 2009, 2008-2009

Series 9 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2009.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 9-1 Program Ephemera, 2006-2009
    • 9-2 Land Arts of the American West Book Project, 2009

CAE0902/10 Series 10: 2010, 2010

Series 10 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2010.

  • CAE Box 7

    • 10-1 Program Ephemera, 2010
    • 10-2 In the Field, 2010
    • 10-3 Collaborative Project: Bridge to Nowhere, 2010
    • 10-4 Collaborative Project: Clean Livin’, 2010
    • 10-5 Collaborative Project: Foodshed: Nomadic Foraging, 2010
    • 10-6 Program Exhibition Ephemera, 2010

Additional Materials

  • Achive Bin 1 Moving Bin

    • 10-9#3 El Paso Mural Project Process photographs

  • CAE Box 251 Large Objects

    • 10-2#1 Illustrated Journal, 2009

  • CAE Flat File F8 Oversized Items

    • 10-9#2 El Paso Mural Patterns, 2009

  • CAE S-Box 9

    • 10-1#5 Maria Louise Garcia seated in her pottery studio; she is working on a pot in her lap, 2009
    • 10-1#6 Maria Louise Garcia seated in her pottery studio; she is working on a pot in her lap and smiling at something off-camera to her right, 2009
    • 10-1#7 Maria Louise Garcia seated in her pottery studio; she is working on a pot in her lap, 2009
    • 10-7#1 Photograph: Queva de la Odla, 2009
    • 10-7#2 Photograph: Jean Quesade, 2009
    • 10-7#3 Photograph: Paquime Ruan, 2009

CAE0902/11 Series 11: 2011, 2011

Series 11 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2011.

  • CAE Box 30

    • 11-1 Program Ephemera, 2011

Additional Materials

  • Achive Bin 1 Moving Bin

    • 11-2#1 Barrio Buena Vista, Bridge to Nowhere Sign, 2010
    • 11-2#2 Barrio Buena Vista, Bridge to Nowhere Sign, 2010
    • 11-2#4 Barrio Buena Vista, Bridge to Nowhere Sign, 2010

CAE0902/12 Series 12: 2012, 2012

Series 12 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2012.

  • CAE Box 30

    • 12-1 Program Ephemera (1 of 2), 2012
    • 12-2 Program Ephemera (2 of 2), 2012
    • 12-3 In the Field, 2012
    • 12-4 Collaborative Project: Cement Lake Barrio Buena Vista, 2012
    • 12-5 Collaborative Project: Utopian Wendover/s, 2012
    • 12-6 Cook, Eric, (Sketchbook), 2012

Additional Materials

  • Achive Bin 1 Moving Bin

    • 12-3#2 El Paso Bus Shelter Process Photographs, 2011
    • 12-4#1 El Malpais: Habitation Site Analysis, Catherine Page Harris, Elena Lopez, 2011

  • CAE Box 26 Objects

    • 12-5#1 Ubiquitous Scale Model, 2011

  • CAE Box 36 Large Objects

    • 12-1#1 Field Journal, Catherine Page Harris, 2011
    • 12-2#3 Clean Livin’ Mobile Shade Model, 2011
    • 12-4#2 El Malpais Habitation Project Individual Shelter Design Model, 2011
    • 12-4#5 El Malpais Habitation Project Individual Shelter Design Model, 2011

  • CAE Box 37 Large Objects

    • 12-4#3 El Malpais Habitation Project Individual Shelter Design Model, 2011
    • 12-4#6 El Malpais Habitation Project Individual Shelter Design Model, 2011

  • CAE Box 38 Objects

    • 12-2#2 Clean Livin’ Solar Oven Model, 2011

  • CAE Box 112 Large Objects

    • 12-5#1 Ubiquitous Scale Model, Object, 2011

  • CAE Flat File F8 Oversized Items

    • 12-2#1 Clean Livin’ Solar Oven Drawing (2 pages), Catherine Page Harris, 2011
    • 12-3#3 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Melodie D’Amour, 2011
    • 12-3#4 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Eugene Upton, 2011
    • 12-3#5 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Chris Galanis, 2011
    • 12-3#6 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Jamie Porter-Lara, 2011
    • 12-3#7 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Bill Gilbert, 2011
    • 12-3#8 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Roberto Salas, 2011
    • 12-3#9 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (3 pages), Celeste Neuhaus, 2011
    • 12-3#10 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (2 pages), Jennifer Etelka Gorst, 2011
    • 12-3#11 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (3 pages), Jane Gordon, 2011
    • 12-3#12 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Ryan Henel, 2011
    • 12-3#13 El Paso: Bus Shelter Design Charette (1 page), Nina Dubois, 2011
    • 12-3#14 El Paso: Bus Shelter Working Drawing (3 pages), Ryan Henel, 2011
    • 12-3#15 El Paso: Bus Shelter Working Drawing (1 page), Ryan Henel, Jeanette Hart-Mann, Nina Dubois, Jane Gordon, Elena Lopez, 2011
    • 12-3#16 El Paso: Bus Shelter Technical Rendering (2 pages), Ryan Henel, 2011
    • 12-4#4 El Malpais: Habitation—Individual Shelter Design Drawing (3 pages), Ryan Henel, 2011

  • CAE Stand-Alone Box

    • 12-2#1 El Paso Bus Shelter Working Model, 2011

CAE0902/13 Series 13: 2013, 2013

Series 13 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2013.

CAE0902/14 Series 14: 2014, 2014

Series 14 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2014.

CAE0902/15 Series 15: 2015, 2015

Series 15 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2015.

CAE0902/16 Series 16: 2016, 2016

Series 16 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2016.

CAE0902/17 Series 17: 2017, 2017

Series 17 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2017.

CAE0902/18 Series 18: 2018, 2018

Series 18 contains materials from the Land Arts of the American West Program for the year 2018.

CAE0902/19 Series 19: 2019, 2019

Series 19 contains program ephemera, program exhibition ephemera, and program alumni ephemera from students previously engaged with the Land Arts of the American West Program.