Art in Public Places

Art in Public Places

The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame and New Mexico Junior College have two new pieces of art thanks to New Mexico Arts and the Art in Public Places Program (AIPP).  Over the next two weeks we will introduce you to both the artwork and the artists.  But first what exactly is AIPP?

Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, AIPP has placed more than 2,500 works of art in all of New Mexico's 33 counties. The goal is to reflect the diversity of the arts in New Mexico, the Southwest, and the nation while building a dynamic public art collection for the State of New Mexico.

Through a fair and open public process, committees made up of local and regional representatives work with New Mexico Arts staff to select artwork for their communities.  The Art in Public Places program then commissions large-scale projects that are designed for integration directly into the architecture of a building, or the program purchases existing original artwork to be placed in public buildings permanently or on loan.

The new artwork at the Museum was purchased through the Acclaimed Artists Series, which features artworks from well known established artists and galleries in the region working in all media. The Acclaimed Artists Series provides is an opportunity for regional artists and galleries from New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and Utah to submit their work. New Mexico Junior College's Public Art Selection Committee reviewed artwork that had been submitted to NM Arts.

For more information on the legislation and general proceedings of AIPP, please visit their website.