ALBUQUERQUE, NM --- This summer and fall more than 25 New Mexico art organizations are joining together to present LAND/ART, a collaboration of environmentally inspired art. This six-month explorative project will examine relationships of land, art and community through exhibitions, site-specific art works, speakers, performances, tours, and excursions through multiple indoor and outdoor venues around the state. The collaboration features more than 60 artists. To see a full list of presenting organizations and artists, visit www.landartnm.org.

LAND/ART, coordinated by 516 Arts in Albuquerque, focuses on “environmental” or “land” art and seeks to address humans’ changing relationship to nature, and to offer a new or previously unconsidered understanding of the place in which we live. Environmental issues are emphasized throughout LAND/ART as artists bring awareness and creative thinking to issues of climate change, water shortage, endangered wildlife and more.

"There is a very strong interest in this type of artwork right now, as concerns about the environment are so much at the forefront of people's minds,” said Suzanne Sbarge, LAND/ART project coordinator. “Artists bring different perspectives to thinking about our relationships with nature and the environment."

The LAND/ART Symposium Weekend, June 27-28, 2009, in Albuquerque is kicking off the six-month long collaboration. The symposium weekend takes place in conjunction with the opening of the exhibition Experimental Geography at the Albuquerque Museum, which will run June 28-September 20. Created by 19 artist teams from six countries, including the United States, Experimental Geography explores the distinctions between geographical study and artistic experience of the earth, as well as the juncture where the two realms collide and possibly make a new field altogether.

The LAND/ART Symposium Weekend also includes an excursion taking passengers to explore different New Mexico landscapes, poetry readings, a panel discussion exploring the evolution of land art, artist lectures and presentations.

For a complete listing of LAND/ART activities, visit www.landartnm.org. For information on visiting Albuquerque, visit http://www.itsatrip.org/

To download images related to LAND/ART, go to:

http://www.itsatrip.org/!userfiles/enews/LAND-ARTHalperin_BoilingMilk LR.jpg by Halperin

http://www.itsatrip.org by Michael Berman

http://www.itsatrip.org by Anne Cooper