New Mexico Arts News for August

August 2025 Newsletter

Grants News

Call for Proposals for Arts & The Military Mini Grants

New Mexico Arts announces the 2026 Arts & The Military Mini Grants program. This $2,500 funding opportunity assists art organizations and veteran/service member-focused organizations to create or expand arts programming for military connected participants via a streamlined granting process.

Application process:

Review 2026 Arts & The Military Call for Proposals

Contact Arts & The Military program coordinator with questions

Attend or review Online Q&A presentation on 8/27/2025. (recording available TBA)

New applicants/new projects should apply for Advance Review by 9/22/2025.

Final application deadline 11/7/2025

Award notification date is 12/2/2025

Grantee Activities to be completed January 2026 – June 2026.

Find the 2026 Arts & the Military Application and Guidelines HERE

Join us on Wednesday, August 27, at 10 AM for a brief online presentation and an extended Q&A. This session will be recorded and available for later viewing.

For more information, contact Arts & The Military Program Coordinator, Kevin Lenkner, 505-412-5791 or email kevin.lenkner@dca.nm.gov.

New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Offers Free Admission to Active-Duty Military

Through Blue Star Museums Program

Free admission to any of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs’ (NMDCA) eight museums and seven historic sites continues this summer to active-duty military personnel and their families through the Blue Star Museums program. New Mexico has a sizable active-duty military and National Guard population of more than 43,000 people and NMDCA offers these individuals a chance to explore the history and culture of the state throughout the summer.

Watch New Mexico Art's Kevin Lenker and MOIFA's Charlie Lockwood on the New Mexico Living show discuss the Blue Star Museums Program here

Learn More

ABOUT CENTER:

Through their advancement of artists and their work, CENTER serves to deepen public understanding of lens-based media’s history and ongoing cultural significance. By establishing partnerships between artists and scholars, editors, students, and the art world, they advance projects that respect all people, open minds, and engage our shared humanity.

CENTER hosted the Visual Storytelling Lab online from February–June 2025. This program supported three military persons, two veterans and one military family member, with no-cost photography mentorships to learn visual storytelling techniques. The mentees met with photographer Arin Yoon three times individually and three times as a group. One of the group meetings was with guest speaker, Veteran Ron Keller, who discussed developing project statements for a personal project. These mentorships highlighted the evolution of the visual project as a long-form narrative to develop a body of work which is available on their website.

The Visual Storytelling Lab was supported by a New Mexico Arts, Arts & The Military Mini Grant.

Art in Public Places Opportunities

New Mexico Arts’ Art in Public Places is pleased to announce the launch of their biennial open call for art New Mexico Only Purchase Initiative

Prospectus #283

The goal of the initiative is to diversify the state's public art collection by purchasing artwork from artists in all stages of their careers. The project is open to artists who reside in, and galleries that are located in New Mexico. Galleries may submit qualifications on behalf of any artist represented by the gallery, regardless of the artist's current residence.

AIPP MISSION

The Art in Public Places Program enriches New Mexico's public spaces through an innovative and diverse public art collection. Since its inception in 1986, the program has placed more than 2,500 works of art in all of New Mexico's 33 counties. Our goal is to reflect the diversity of the arts in New Mexico, the Southwest, and nation while building a dynamic public art collection for the State of New Mexico.

Through a fair and open public process, local and regional selection committees work with New Mexico Arts to select artwork for their communities. The Art in Public Places Program also commissions large-scale projects that are designed for integration directly into the architecture of a building, or purchases existing original artworks to be placed in public buildings.

PROJECT TIMELINE

July 18, 2025 – Open Call open for applications

September 21, 2025 – Submission deadline

October 2025 – Notification of finalists

October 2025 – December 2027 – Notification of purchases (if applicable, not guaranteed)

Ongoing basis -- Notification of purchases to artists and artwork installation

THE SUBMISSION DEADLINE IS 11:59 PM (MST), SEPTEMBER 22, 2025

Please see the application on Call For Entry platform for more details and to submit your artwork.

Artwork installed at the Pueblo of San Ildefonso’s Wellness Center, July 2025

as part of the Art in Public Places Program

Ceremony for Rain is inspired by the powerful essence that is Chaco Canyon. I visit Chaco Canyon at least twice a year, sometimes more if I need to refocus or energize my creativity. When I walk around the landscape and among the many rooms my thoughts are of songs, language, ceremonies and what created this place. Coming from a very traditional upbringing through my grandparents I am aware of the process and the reason for certain ceremonies. We live in an environment where rain is a vital part of our existence and culture. It is valuable and it is celebrated. Ceremony for Rain comes from that source of knowledge. I imagine during the time when Chaco was a vibrant living entity there were hundreds of ceremonies. These thoughts are what inspire me. I give thanks to my ancestors before me who kept the traditions alive. I am a grateful recipient of their commitment to define their place in the Universe. This artwork is another extension of the lineage of the past. The many artists who carved sandstone, who built the walls, who made pottery, baskets, jewelry, who composed songs, who made weapons and those who led with their wisdom; they still inspire me today.

Felix Vigil (Jicarilla Apache)

Learn More About Felix Vigil

Artist Calls

The Railyard Park Conservancy’s (RPC) Railyard Art Project (RAP) is now accepting proposals for temporary public art installations and creative projects in Santa Fe’s Railyard Park + Plaza. Thanks to generous funding from Santa Fe’s Arts and Culture Commission, RAP will be hosting two projects between October 2025 and June 2026, with each project receiving a $3,000 honorarium, as well as marketing support and liability insurance.

How to Apply: Artists are invited to complete an online application form on the RPC’s website. General guidelines, as well as detailed maps of the sites available for installation, can be found on the website as well.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: September 4th, 2025

Learn More & Apply