2018

Neorio: Roots ~ Raices

Land Arts of the American West artists were invited to present works during L.E.A.P’s annual outdoor contemporary art and community event, called NeoRio at the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, Wild Rivers, NM. The theme of this year’s event, Roots ~ Raices, prompted LAAW artists to explore the connection between people, place, land, wonder, and nourishment through creating five projects in the span of just a few days at the site.

September 15, 2018

Rio Grande del Norte National Monument

Wild Rivers, New Mexico

Partners and collaborators for this project include:

Land Arts of the American West

L.E.A.P. Land Experience and Art of Place

Francisco Leterlier, Santa Fe Art Institute Truth and Reconciliation Visiting Artist

The Rio Grande Del Norte National Monument encompasses the confluence of the Rio Grande and Red Rivers.

Guest artist Francisco Leterlier works with students and faculty to experiment with the possibilities of light and shadow.

Sarah Canelas, Erin Gould, and Xena Gurule work with sage and pinon branches to construct a site-specific sculpture that reflects the contours and shapes of the surrounding environment.

A process map for Roots project by nicholas b. jacobsen.

LAAW student, Rowan Willow assembles The Roots of Wonder, an interactive, multi-generational material exploration using objects found in the landscape and concepts for all ages. This work provided a space to play, think, and reconnect to the roots of the land and childhood wonder.

Santa Fe Art Institute artist Francisco Leterlier draws a map of South America, which will become a component of Paso del Condor, Quipu Rivers, and Continental Veils. This map was a part of a series of works exploring American continental histories, human rights, and environmental justice through quipa-knotted strings and earth pigments gathered from Rapa Nui, California, and Rio Grande Headwaters.

Roots Interviews, by Kyle Holub and Xena Gurule were a series of audio interviews about people’s roots and their connection to Wild Rivers.

Daytime and night views of Pinon-Sage Arc: Growing Dead Trees, by Sarah Canelas, Erin Gould, Xena Gurule, and Ryan Henel. This work emerged from the landscape, creating an arc between a pinon tree and the earth.

LAAW student Brionna Garcia reads a poem about roots and their connection to our environment; she was one of many to perform for the Neo Rio event.

Nourishing Roots, by Brionna Garcia, Jeanette Hart-Mann, nicholas b. jacobsen, Blaise Koller, and Jessica Zeglin was a sculptural installation and performance nourishing interconnecting roots as home.