Project Intent

The strongest proposals will be works that engage the temporary nature of the T.I.M.E. NOW project (Temporary Installations Made for the Environment) and consider the cultural and local histories of the area. A strong community engagement component that provides genuine enrichment must be considered in collaboration with the site. Site-specific works are strongly encouraged. Artwork should appeal to both local residents and visitors to the area. No artwork requiring concrete pads or other environmentally damaging approaches will be considered. The artist will return the installation site to its original condition during scheduled artwork removal, subject to the approval of the site representative. Media must be low maintenance, safe for both children and adults, ADA compliant, and not leave a permanent mark on the environment when removed.

Site Information

Artwork(s) will be installed in four designated circles on site. The circles offer contemplation for the Bosque Redondo Memorial. Artists may select one of the circles for their artwork. The four circles represent the four sacred mountains/cardinal directions for Navajo Nation. The directions are also represented by colors on the Navajo Nation flag: Black – associated with North, symbolizes Dibé Ntsaa (Hesperus Peak), in what is now southwestern Colorado, White – represents East, is connected to Sisnaajini (Blanca Peak), in what is now southcentral Colorado, Blue – is connected with South and Tsoodzil (Mount Taylor), northeast of Grants, New Mexico, and Yellow – associated with West and Dook’o’oosliid (the San Francisco Peaks), near Flagstaff, Arizona. The colors also represent time of the day, related to the emergence story: black = night, white = dawn, blue = day, and yellow = dusk. There are many more meanings and interpretations related to ceremony.

There is no access to electricity at the sites. To prevent irreparable environmental damage, no large holes may be dug or foreign organic materials released into the environment. Artwork must be sufficiently secured against high winds and intense weather conditions. The artist understands that their artwork may be subject to damage, vandalism or theft at any time due to the temporary nature and outdoor setting of the project. New Mexico Arts and New Mexico Historic Sites will not be responsible for such occurrences. Please see attached PDF for site information and images.

Project Amount

New Mexico Arts has allocated $10,000 for the project, with $2,500 per artist/artist team. Individual artists and artist teams may apply. The local selection committee will select four proposals that best respond to the history and culture of the site and surrounding area. The temporary exhibit will encourage respectful dialogue about the meaning and history of the site. The project amount must include all applicable expenses that the artist may incur while creating the artwork, such as materials, labor, insurance, taxes, travel, installation, community engagement activities, and retrieval of the artwork (including returning the site to its original state). Artists will be paid in two phase payments. The first phase payment will be 50% of the agreement amount once the agreement is approved. The second phase payment of the remaining 50% of the agreement will be made after the artwork is installed, engagement activities have been performed, and all required documentation materials are received. 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 Public Artist Agreement with New Mexico Arts and the Host Site.

Eligibility

The project is open to New Mexico and Navajo Nation residents aged 18 years and older. Artists in all stages of their careers are encouraged to apply.

Timeline

Monday, October 26, 2020 Project Announced

Monday, November 30, 2020 Submission Deadline

Friday, December 11, 2020 Artists Notified

January – June 30, 2020 (Project Period) Artwork Installation/Engagement Activity

Removal of Artwork – Artwork is on temporary display for 30-60 days (Dates TBD)

Proposed timeline is subject to change. Selection criteria used by the Local Selection 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 site.

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 Local Selection Committee. Failure to provide any of the published requirements will result in disqualification from the competition.

Please provide:

·         Artist's statement: provide an introduction to your work, medium, and explanation of your techniques. You may discuss your conceptual approach and inspiration; the statement should be used as a marketing tool relevant to the artwork being considered.

·         Project description: describe your proposed project: what are you trying to communicate and how does it relate to the community/site? Tell us about dimensions, materials, installation, life-span, interactivity (if any), content and physical impact of the project, and clean-up plan. Remember, that once the project is complete, the artwork must be removed, and the site must be returned to its original state.

·         Community Engagement Component: describe any proposed community engagement activities (i.e., community help with creating the artwork, artist talk/workshop, 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.

·         Project Schedule:  All project activities (except removal) must take place between January 2021-June 30, 2021. Please provide a timeline for proposed project activities.

·         CV or resume listing: Please include relevant experience, including temporary environmental art installations, if applicable. Please copy and paste into the text box provided.

·         Artwork image(s): One (1) to ten (10) images with descriptions (title, media, dimensions, year of completion, and if applicable, project description, budget, and commissioning agency). Provide examples of previously completed artwork and/or proposed artwork. Please review and follow the image preparation guide on CaFÉ.

About Bosque Redondo

Against the political and historical backdrop of the American Civil War, a conflict focused mainly in the east, another tragic series of events was unfolding for Native Americans in the western territories of Arizona and New Mexico. From 1863 to 1868, Fort Sumner, New Mexico was the center of a million-acre parcel known as the Bosque Redondo Indian Reservation. The story of how the U.S. Army used scorched earth policies to forcibly remove Navajo and Mescalero Apache people from their traditional homelands to this lonely, inhospitable outpost along the Pecos River is pivotal to the history of the American West. The Navajo call this the Long Walk, when more than 50 different groups made the 300+ mile journey over a period of nearly three years. Several hundred Navajo captives either died during the walk or were abducted by slave traders. Gross acts of brutality included stragglers being shot and pregnant women killed if they could not keep up with the group. For the Mescalero, a historically migratory people who hunted and gathered freely in the mountains of the southwest, being rounded up, made sedentary on a single piece of land, and forced to ‘farm’ was in and of itself a form of cultural genocide. Confining members of these two disparate cultures together and pitting them against each other was another form of cruelty inflicted upon the prisoners.

During their internment, the Navajo and Mescalero were prevented from practicing ceremonies, singing songs, or praying in their own language. Daily depredations at the reservation were palpable on every level. Food rationing was both meager and completely foreign (coffee beans, white flour and rank beef), while the lack of wood for heating and cooking during the bitterly cold winters led to illness, and high infant mortality. When a smallpox-like disease was contracted from the military, it ravaged the captives. The suffering from exposure, starvation, and sickness took an estimated 1500 lives. In 1865, close to 350 Mescalero made their escape and returned to their sacred Sacramento Mountains. Nearly 1,000 Navajos fled but more than 7,000 remained.

This dark chapter in our national history finally came to an end in 1868 with the signing of a treaty and the return of Navajo survivors to their traditional homelands. While the treaty established the sovereignty of the Navajo Nation, it also outlined the oppressive conditions under which they would be bound, and forever changed the way they would live. The Mescalero Apache Tribe had a similar experience after they signed a treaty in 1873. The pedagogy of oppression employed throughout the US policies has reshaped their cultures on every level: mentally, politically, and spiritually.

In 2005, the New Mexico State Monuments Division and the Museum of New Mexico, with strong support from Navajo and Mescalero, created the Bosque Redondo Memorial. It stands today to acknowledge the events of the 1860s and to allow those affected by the history to have a voice to tell their history. Designed by Navajo architect David Sloan in the shape of a hogan and tepee, the museum and interpretive trail provide an exhibit and educational programs to visitors.

Useful Links and information

http://nmhistoricsites.org/bosque-redondo

http://nmhistoricsites.org/bosque-redondo/history

http://nmhistoricsites.org/bosque-redondo/photo-gallery

Previous TIME Projects can be viewed here:  http://nmarts.org/time/

SITE Information – Please see PDF attachment.

Questions

For more information, please contact Anna Blyth or Meredith Doborski, at: Anna.Blyth@state.nm.us or Meredith.Doborski@state.nm.us.

Selected artists for the temporary installations will be required to enter into a Public Artist Agreement with New Mexico Arts and the Site Host. Sample copies of the agreements are available upon request. It is unlawful for artists to solicit opinions or viewings from individual members of the Local Selection Committee prior to the committee review and will result in disqualification. We reserve the right to refuse submissions, to refuse any finalist, to waive formal procedures, or to withhold the award of a purchase or commission should it be determined that submissions are not acceptable. Application to this project constitutes agreement to abide by all applicable program guidelines.

Application Requirements

Eligibility Criteria