Land Arts of the American West facts for kids
Land Arts of the American West is a special outdoor program. It helps students learn about land art by exploring real places. Land art means anything from building a road to leaving a mark in the sand. This program connects different ideas about how humans interact with the land.
Each fall, students spend two months camping. They travel about 7,000 miles across the American West. They visit many interesting places. These include the CLUI complex in Utah and the pottery culture at Mata Ortiz in Mexico. They also see famous earthworks like Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty. Ancient sites like Chaco Canyon are also on the list.
The program teaches students to see connections. For example, Donald Judd collected both modern art and Navajo rugs. Chaco Canyon and Roden Crater act like giant tools for watching the sky. The Very Large Array is a science center that also looks amazing in the landscape. Students live and work outdoors with experts. These experts teach about archeology, art, architecture, and more. This deep experience helps students create their own unique art and ideas.
What is Land Art?
Land art is art made directly in the landscape. It uses natural materials like rocks, soil, and plants. It can also be about how we change the land. Think about a road or a building. Even walking and leaving footprints can be a kind of land art. This program helps you see art everywhere in nature.
How the Program Started
The Land Arts of the American West program began in 2000. Artist Bill Gilbert started it at the University of New Mexico. In 2001, architect Chris Taylor joined him. From 2002 to 2008, both the University of New Mexico and the University of Texas at Austin supported the program.
Later, Chris Taylor moved to Texas Tech University. The program now runs independently from both universities. It gets funding from organizations like the Lannan Foundation and Andrea Nasher. A book called Land Arts of the American West was published in 2009. It tells the story of the program.
Program Directors
- Bill Gilbert, from the University of New Mexico
- Chris Taylor, from Texas Tech University
Places They Visit
The program explores many different places. These sites show how people have interacted with the land over time. They include natural wonders, ancient ruins, and modern art installations.
- Arizona: Chiricahua Mountains, Coolidge Dam, Fire Point, Point Sublime, Grand Canyon, Roden Crater.
- New Mexico: Anaya Springs, Chaco Canyon, Bisti Badlands, Bosque del Apache Cabinetlandia, Cebolla Canyon, El Vado Lake, Gila Cliff Dwellings, Jackpile Mine at Laguna Pueblo, Madrid, Mimbres River, Otero Mesa, Plains of San Agustin, Sawtooth Mountains, The Lightning Field, Turkey Creek, Three Rivers, Twin Buttes, Mount Withington, Very Large Array, Wild Rivers.
- Nevada: Double Negative, Goshute Canyon Wilderness, Hoover Dam, Lake Mead.
- Mexico: Mata Ortiz.
- Texas: Boquillas Canyon, El Cosmico, Huaco Tanks, Land Heritage Institute, Lubbock, Marfa - Chinati Foundation and Judd Foundation, Presidio - Adobe Alliance.
- Utah: Blue Notch at Lake Powell, CLUI Wendover, Goblin Valley, Horse Tanks, Horseshoe Canyon, Intrepid Potash, Moon House, Muley Point, Spiral Jetty, Sun Tunnels.
