The Southwest Environmental Center and NMSU Art Museum are conducting an art workshop this October that will honor extinct and endangered species in southern New Mexico. The workshop is in partnership with 516 Arts, a contemporary museum in Albuquerque that is responding to the global extinction crisis and how it relates to our watershed with a regional collaboration called “Species in Peril along the Rio Grande.”
On October 26th, students and adults alike are invited to create altarpieces that pay homage to our extinct and nearly disappeared Rio Grande species. The works will reference the traditional style of Mexican retablo ex-voto paintings, using paint and collage on metal to memorialize species in peril. The final works will be presented on November 1 on an extinct species altar in Old Mesilla during the Día de los Muertos celebration. Participants in the workshop will also learn about local endangered and extinct species, and what we can all do to help prevent extinction in our area.
“Extinction is such an overwhelming and often paralyzing subject, and typically our only exposure to it is through doomsday announcements on the news. We are rarely given the opportunity to honor what has been lost and mourn for the destruction happening on this planet,” said Amanda Munro, communications director at the Southwest Environmental Center. “We are so excited about this collaboration because it will give the public an opportunity to engage with the heavy topic of mass extinction in a creative and potentially cathartic way.”
"Through investigation, education, programming and recognition of our species in peril along the Rio Grande we as a community can help affect change, formulate new questions, and work towards new models to help treat, minimize, and mitigate the severity and damaging effects of this threat to natural life. In partnership with the NMSU College of Arts and Sciences, Creative Media Institute, Southwest Environmental Center, and Cruces Creatives, the University Art Museum will offer educational programming to address the serious issues we face,” said Bowen Perry, education and outreach assistant at the University Art Museum.
What: Extinct Species Art Workshop
When: October 26th, 12pm – 2pm
Where: Devasthali Hall, Room 106, New Mexico State University
Cost: Free and open to all ages.
For additional information and to RSVP, visit the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/389416995093887/
The Southwest Environmental Center is a member-supported conservation non-profit that protects wildlife and their habitats in the southwest through grassroots advocacy and on-the-ground restoration projects.
The mission of OutsmART is to expose children to art through exploration and play through workshops in the NMSU University Art Museum focused on exhibitions, practicing artists, and participatory play-based creative learning activities that boost student confidence and imagination. Through these free mixed-media classes, we strengthen community ties, provide a resource for families and educators, and promote artistic skills that contribute to New Mexico's creative economy. All workshops, as well as the culminating children’s art show, are free to the public.