AIPP Mission Statement 

The Art in Public Places (AIPP) program enriches New Mexico’s public spaces through an innovative and diverse public art collection. Since its inception in 1986, the program has placed more than 3,000 works of art in all of New Mexico’s 33 counties. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of the arts in New Mexico, the Southwest, and the nation while building a dynamic public art collection for the State of New Mexico. 

Project Intent 

The Art in Public Places Program of New Mexico Arts at the NM Department of Cultural Affairs (NMDCA), in collaboration with the NM Poet Laureate: Lauren Camp, seek 15 artists to create double page coloring book illustrations for the 2023 DCA Activity Book. A goal of this project is to encourage arts and culture exploration by all ages through literary arts, visual arts, and science. Chosen artists will be commissioned to create a double page spread coloring book illustration in response to a Lauren Camp poem and the themes of togetherness, community and environment.  How do New Mexicans contribute, connect, protect, maintain, and grow our environment, communities and culture?  

Poem Example by Lauren Camp:  

To Be Still 

Sometimes you have to drive 

through a river basin and a bracelet of cypress 

to find the center of forgetting. 

It is practical to be sitting here, 

seeing down to acorns, 

unknotting into the umbrella of each tree. 

The sky has not fallen, not yet. 

If you have to move to be still, 

be satisfied by this. 

Let the world offer the roughed-up edges 

of a stacked wall, each stone talking 

about what it cannot contain. 

Rubbing the day against your small self, 

you realize the pitch of water, 

the crowning balm of lavender. 

The sun settles sideways 

on a field of seeded columbine; 

the heart of June is the slope of dusk. 

Sparrows and finches sing 

on their absent-minded journey 

past dandelion brush heads. 

The red-leafed ash, lobelia and catmint 

all gather nearby — in concentration, 

not making a sound. 

Coloring book illustrations must be black and white and approximately 11” x 17” in size (template will be provided), landscape orientation. Any text will be added to each page during final book assembly and design phase. Artists will work with project committee to select and finalize illustrations. 

Once finalized and assembled, books will be printed and distributed across New Mexico through local libraries and partners. Rural communities will be a priority for distribution. 

Project Amount 

Artists will be paid $2,000 per completed double page spread illustration (approximately 11” x 17”, template will be provided). This amount includes all fees and expenses associated with the project, e.g., materials, equipment, labor, taxes, and travel. 

Selection Process and Criteria 

The Project Committee is made up of representatives from NM Department of Cultural Affairs. Under the guidance of an AIPP Project Coordinator, the Project Committee is responsible for prospectus development, submission review, finalist selection and ultimately selecting the 15 artists to be awarded. 

The selection criteria shall include, but is not limited to: 

• The qualifications of the artist(s) as evidenced by the supporting materials. 
• Proven ability to undertake projects of the described scope. 
• Artistic merit and superior caliber craftsmanship as evidenced by the images. 
• Suitability of submission to project intent and scope. 

Artists selected for this project will be required to enter into an artist agreement with the State of New Mexico. 

PLEASE DO NOT CREATE AND SUBMIT ARTWORK FOR THIS PROJECT AT THIS TIME. WE ARE ONLY REQUESTING QUALIFICATIONS AND PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR WORK, OR ARTWORK THAT DEMONSTRATES YOUR STYLE AND TECHNIQUE.  

Project Timeline (subject to change): 

December 2022 – Project Announced 

February 2023 – Application Deadline 

February 2023 - Jurying of Applications by Project Committee 

February 2023 – Notification of Selected Artists 

March – May 2023 – Contract with Selected Artists, Artwork Creation & Book Assembly 

May – July 2023 – Book Printing & Distribution 

Questions/Follow Up 

Questions regarding the project should be directed to Meredith Doborski, Public Art Program Director, at 505-396-0326, email: Meredith.doborski@dca.nm.gov  

If you would like to have your submission materials reviewed by an AIPP staff person, please make an appointment no less than two weeks prior to the submission deadline. Technical assistance calls increase dramatically during the final two weeks of the open submission period; therefore, we cannot guarantee review during the final two weeks of the competition. Submission materials will not be reviewed on the day of the deadline. 

Deadline for Submission: Midnight (MDT), Thursday, February 9, 2023 

Application Requirements

Submission Requirements 

PLEASE DO NOT CREATE AND SUBMIT ARTWORK FOR THIS PROJECT AT THIS TIME. WE ARE ONLY REQUESTING QUALIFICATIONS AND PREVIOUSLY COMPLETED EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR WORK, OR ARTWORK THAT DEMONSTRATES YOUR STYLE AND TECHNIQUE.  

Please read the following information carefully as incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted. Failure to provide any of the published requirements could result in disqualification from the competition. Duplicate submissions will not be accepted. All materials must be submitted via CaFÉ (callforentry.org) according to the specifications outlined below: 

• Artist Statement/Letter of Interest no longer than 5,000 characters (including spaces). Please explain what excites you about the opportunity and how you may approach the project if selected. Describe your work, medium, techniques, cultural background and/or experience that influences your art. 
• Helpful Links. Please provide any website or social media links that will help us learn more about you as an artist and your artistic practice. An extended biography can also go here (up to 5,000 characters, including spaces). 
• Up to ten images of previously completed artwork. When possible, please submit images of artwork similar to the scope of this project (coloring book illustrations), otherwise, please include images of your artwork that demonstrates your style, technique, and perspective. Complete image citations will be required; including artwork title, medium, height, width and depth, price or value, year of completion, and project description. Please review and adhere to the Image and Media Preparation page on CaFÉ when formatting your images. Tutorials can be downloaded using the links near the bottom of the page. By default, CaFÉ will organize the images in your submission alphabetically. If you wish to present the images to the committee in a different order you must prioritize the images before submitting an application. 

Eligibility Criteria

This request for qualifications is open to all artists working in New Mexico. Artists submitting qualifications should demonstrate an ability to create similar work commensurate with the scope of this project. AIPP regulations state that 1% funds may not be utilized for artwork created for an institution or agency by an employee of the institution or agency. Qualifications submitted by and on behalf of current employees or family of current employees of NM Department of Cultural Affairs will not be considered. Applicants may be required to provide verifiable proof of current employment at the discretion of AIPP Program staff. Past employees are eligible to submit qualifications but may not become employed by NMDCA for the duration of the project.