Call Description

PROJECT INTENT

Each residency will take place over a six-week period in which the artist resides and works in Cedar Crest, New Mexico. Artists will have access to and are encouraged to interact with the land, culture, visitor center and the surrounding area.

The culmination of the residency centers the artist’s research and development of new work that showcases ideas and work created during their six-week stay at Sandia Mountain Natural History Center.

Public engagement opportunities include, but are not limited to: an artist talk or exhibition, workshop, temporary site-specific installations, performances, etc. Artwork and community engagement should be safe and appropriate for both children and adults, ADA compliant, and should not permanently alter the environment when removed.

ABOUT SANDIA MOUNTAIN NATURAL HISTORY CENTER

Sandia Mountain Natural History Center (SMNHC) is run by the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science along with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS). It is located on land owned by APS in Cedar Crest, NM. Their environmental educators create and lead ecology programs for 5th graders, as well as other grade levels and the general public.​ The SMNHC provides ecology lessons and activities for use in the classroom and outdoors, and a large collection of videos teaching about and exploring natural places in the Sandia Mountains and throughout New Mexico.

The SMNHC serves about 17,000 people a year in a variety of different programs for school groups, as well as the general public.

Albuquerque Public School Curriculum at SMNHC

The SMNHC has almost 7 miles of trails, winding through piñon-juniper woodland, meadows, small canyons, Ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY & SCIENCE 

Just minutes away from Albuquerque’s lively Old Town Plaza, the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science takes you on a journey to the stars and through New Mexico’s past, from the formation of the universe to the present. This interactive, high-tech museum features an active volcano, Ice Age cave, and dinosaurs galore, including the enormous skeletons and fossils from the popular, Tyrannosaurus rex and Seismosaurus.

The museum’s popular exhibition, Time Tracks: A Walk Through Time, includes the only Triassic hall in North America. The museum's Space Science wing includes a full-scale replica of the Mars Exploration Rover. 

The Planetarium, Powered by META and the Verus Research DynaTheater are exciting detours on journeys through the museum, which also includes a learning garden. 

The Museum was founded in 1986 and is part of the Department of Cultural Affairs portfolio of museums.

USEFUL LINKS AND INFORMATION

About Sandia Mountain Natural History Center (SMNHC)

Sandia Mountain Natural History Center - New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science

History of the Center

Directions to SMNHC

SMNHC Trail Map

SITE INFORMATION

John Milne, long time Superintendent of the Albuquerque Public Schools, foresaw the growth of Albuquerque and acquired property for future schools all over the county. In 1950, his attention turned to the east mountains, specifically the center property, searching for a recreation area for Albuquerque school children. 

The Center property was appraised in February of 1950 for the Albuquerque Public School Board.  It indicated that the 138 acre property was best suited for grazing, had no water or structures. It wasn’t until 1963 that roads were created to access the property and electric and telephone lines were established.

In 1966, John Cox, an APS physical education teacher, obtained a federal grant of $46,000 to create an outdoor education program for students. Cox, a summer Park Service ranger in the Grand Canyon, was in charge of the grant and development of the site; he originally envisioned the center as a residential overnight facility in which classes would spend a full week. He applied for a permit to construct a well and began doing tours in a limited way on the property in the fall of 1966, but it quickly became apparent that more instructors were needed.  

Jack Meloy, an APS science teacher was hired in 1967. On April 27, 1967, the first full day tours of the “Outdoor Education Center” by school children began. At that time the site included “just nature and two chemical toilets” according to Cox. During the summer of 1967, with the help of the Neighborhood Youth Corp, trails were built and picnic tables assembled. Vera Snyder joined the staff as a third instructor in the fall of 1967, bringing experience in field anthropology which she included through archeological education on her tours.

Within the first full school year of operation (1967-1968), some 8,000 students visited the Center; In addition, the site was improved: four World War II barracks and a small residence were trucked in from Kirtland Air Force base. The two barracks on the northwest side were converted into Natural History and Ecology Museums (no longer standing); while the two on the south side became classrooms and bathrooms. The residence building became the caretaker’s cottage (known as the casita).

The Center continued with a variety of educational programs for APS students until the early 1990s, a budget crisis, led to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History stepping in as joint co-operators of the site. In addition, the mission of the program would extend to children statewide. In 1995 it would be renamed to the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center.

In 2004, Paul Mauermann, an educator at the center became the Director and has continued to shape the many initiatives and expanded outreach of the site including expanding hiking trails and accessibility, Forest Health Initiatives, Bear Monitoring Project, Forest Restoration projects, SMNHC Youtube channel’s 300+ educational videos by Center staff, among many others.

New environmentally sustainable facilities were constructed in 2019 and have permitted increased professional training opportunities for APS teachers in ecology and related sciences and an expanded community outreach. All 5th graders in Albuquerque Public Schools, and many from Rio Rancho Public Schools now participate in the Ecology Field Programs as part of their curriculum. SMNHC now serves 17,000 people a year with its school and public programs.

About the New Center Buildings

RESIDENCY INFORMATION

Lodging for the artists will be provided by the Sandia Mountain Natural History Center at the Caretaker's Casita, a small one bedroom adobe building that is historically rustic. The Casita comes fully furnished and has a vintage kitchen equipped with a stove, dishwasher, bathroom with tub and shower, and easy access to miles of trails within the Sandia Mountain range.  

The selected artists will be responsible for arranging their own transportation expenses to and from Sandia Mountain Natural History Center, in addition to their own food expenses. The nearest grocery store is the Triangle Grocery (one mile away) and big box stores are a 15 - 20 minute drive in Tijeras, NM and Edgewood, NM.  The nearest major airports are in Santa Fe, NM and Albuquerque, NM. Internet access is not provided in the residence but can be connected to in the main buildings.

Shipping and deliveries will be accepted in the main building.

Casita Accommodation Images

Casita Occupancy Agreement - please read

Please note that this opportunity is suitable for an individual artist (one person). We cannot consider artistic duos or accommodate families at this residency site. 

This residency is managed by the Art in Public Places program whose offices are located in Santa Fe, NM. We rely on the onsite partnership of our site's Executive Director and staff to manage daily aspects of the live-work space. 

RESIDENCY STIPEND

An all-inclusive stipend of $14,000, including but not limited to: gross receipts tax and all applicable state and federal taxes for the services performed, insurance, materials, shipping/mailing charges, airfare/travel, car rental, gas, contract labor and services, etc. will be awarded in the form of two payments per residency period: the first ($7,000) upon receipt of signed contract (and approved PO), the second upon completion of public engagement activity ($7,000) at the conclusion of the residency.

There is no medical or workers’ compensation insurance provided by the State of New Mexico or the host site. Artists will be responsible for providing personal coverage. All selected artists will be required to enter into a professional services agreement with New Mexico Arts.

TIMELINE

Call for Proposals launched……....Friday, August 8, 2025
Submission Deadline………………Friday, October 10, 2025
Artists Notified………………………Late October 2025

RESIDENCY TIME FRAMES

March 6, 2026 – April 17, 2026 (Residency I Period) Artwork and Community Engagement Activity

April 24, 2026 – June 5, 2026 (Residency II Period) Artwork and Community Engagement Activity

Proposed timeline is subject to change. Selection criteria used by the Review Committee shall include, but is not limited to: Quality of concept, strength of proposal, quality of previous artwork, and proposed project’s attention to the culture and history of the historic site.

 

Application Requirements

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Please read the following information carefully as incomplete or late submissions will not be accepted. Supplemental information, beyond what is requested, will not be reviewed by the Review Committee. Failure to provide any of the published requirements will result in elimination from consideration.

PLEASE PROVIDE

Artist Statement (200 – 300 words/1,500 characters):

Please provide an introduction to your work, medium, and explanation of your techniques within your artistic practice. You may discuss your conceptual approach and inspiration.

Project Description (350 – 500 words/2,500 characters):

What ideas will you communicate and how does it relate to the community/site? Tell us about your approach to materials, installation, interactivity (if any), content and physical impact of the project, and clean-up plan.  

All project activities must take place during the residency period. Please provide a timeline for proposed project activities.

Once a physical project is complete, the artwork must be removed, and the site must be returned to its original state.

Strong applications will demonstrate the artist's consideration of the site's social, cultural, historical, natural/biological, etc. contexts and compellingly describe how their artistic practice will engage these in their proposed project. 

Community Engagement Component (200 – 300 words/1,500 characters):

A community engagement component is required of artists by the end of their fellowship. Describe proposed community engagement activities during your residency (i.e., community help with creating the artwork, artist talk/workshop, exhibition, special reception or performance, etc.) We encourage artists to consider the community in a thoughtful and meaningful way. Please provide a list of required materials, space considerations, assistance requirements, etc. 

This program can be open to the general public or in conjunction with a specific audience that the Center serves (if feasible) through special arrangement with the SMNHC or Albuquerque Public School system. 

CV or Resume Listing

Please include relevant experience, including other public presentations and residencies, if applicable. Please copy and paste into the text box provided - the formatting does not matter. 

Artwork Images

Five (5) to ten (10) images with descriptions (title, media, dimensions, year of completion, and if applicable, project description, budget, and commissioning agency). Up to 3 sound/video files (3 each total 6 linked from Youtube or Vimeo for optimal playback and viewing). Provide examples of previously completed artwork and/or proposed artwork. Please review and follow the image preparation guide on CaFÉ.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Agency recognizes the need for arts programming targeting rural New Mexico communities in visual, performing, media, and multidisciplinary arts.

The Agency seeks a Contractor to conduct a six-week residency at Sandia Mountain Natural History Center for the Agency before June 30, 2026, which includes private lodging and an all-inclusive artist fee of $14,000. The project amount must include all applicable expenses that the artist may incur during the residency, i.e. materials, labor, living expenses, insurance, taxes, travel, installation, community engagement components/activities, etc.

The contractor shall:

I. Provide their own transportation.

II. Conduct research at the site and have access to all archival materials during regular operating hours.

III. Create a presentable deliverable with a public component, i.e. an exhibition, workshop, performance for the community, or similar at the completion of the residency by sharing their art with the public while considering the cultural and local histories of the historic site and surrounding area.

IV. Consider a strong community engagement component that provides genuine enrichment in collaboration with the site. Site-specific works are strongly encouraged. Artwork should appeal to residents and visitors to the area.

V. Media must be ADA compliant, not pose a physical safety hazard, and not leave a permanent mark on the environment when removed.

VI. All project activities (except removal) must take place during the residency period. The contractor must complete contract activities by June 30, 2026.

VII. Pass an Albuquerque Public Schools background check (unsupervised version) and sign the Albuquerque Public Schools Occupancy Agreement (see above link). 

Eligibility Criteria

The project is open to United States residents aged 18 years and older. Artists in all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply. The residency is open to Visual Art creative genres including: Photographers, Painters, Mixed Media artists, Sculptors, Fiber Artists, New Media artists, Fabric and Textile artists, etc.