Rock Art - A personal expression that became a public art project
In January of 2017, I started walking along the earthen dam on the Northeast side of Las Cruces bordering the University Golf Course. A beautiful peaceful walk with many animals for entertainment, hawks, roadrunners, lizards, rabbits, coyotes, butterflies, dragonflies and more. I noticed that on the side of the path there was a row of small rocks that someone had placed as a border. Each day it grew a little longer.
Inspired by the line of rocks, I started creating rock images of animals.
As I worked on the rock art, it grew into large murals that filled the side of the dam. 5 years later, the Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) informed me that the dam was being expanded and the art would have to go. It wasn't supposed to be there in the first place but they appreciated its beauty and gave me a year to move the hundred tons or more of rock to a new location.
With help from volunteers and permission from the University, the rocks were all moved to the hill in front of the NMSU golf clubhouse. 17 month later with 130+ volunteers the project is complete!Thank you to everyone that helped haul buckets of rocks and place them to create 26 animals, the NMSU logo, a Zia design, double hearts and a rose for the Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Rocks, roofing tiles, and crushed glass from the Las Cruces Recycle Center were for this public art project.
Inspired by the line of rocks, I started creating rock images of animals.
As I worked on the rock art, it grew into large murals that filled the side of the dam. 5 years later, the Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID) informed me that the dam was being expanded and the art would have to go. It wasn't supposed to be there in the first place but they appreciated its beauty and gave me a year to move the hundred tons or more of rock to a new location.
With help from volunteers and permission from the University, the rocks were all moved to the hill in front of the NMSU golf clubhouse. 17 month later with 130+ volunteers the project is complete!Thank you to everyone that helped haul buckets of rocks and place them to create 26 animals, the NMSU logo, a Zia design, double hearts and a rose for the Tiger Swallowtail butterfly. Rocks, roofing tiles, and crushed glass from the Las Cruces Recycle Center were for this public art project.
Donations helped greatly. There were about $6000. in donations and the expenses were about $7000. One truck load of rock (13 tons) ranged in price from $400. to $700. depending on the type of rock. 10 truck loads, plus all the rock recovered from the Tortugas dam were used to make the new designs.
If you are interested in support of this project the Donate button will be active until we meet the goal.
Thanks to everyone that donated.
If you are interested in support of this project the Donate button will be active until we meet the goal.
Thanks to everyone that donated.
MORE NEWS ABOUT MOVING THE ROCK ART
The new location is ideal in many ways:
1. It is on NMSU property and under their protection, which should curb any future vandalism which was a problem at the dam.
2. The hill has been covered with landscape weed barrier cloth. This will maintain a cleaner look with proper weed control. The hill is .57 acres - Art is 165 ft. high x 190 ft. wide. (Visualize over half a 300 ft. football field)
3. The rock are will help with the erosion problems on that location.
4. The location will be more accessible to the public and will be enjoyed by more people. People can drive to see it and stay in their cars if they want.
The best view of the larger animals is at the front doors of the NMSU golf clubhouse
The smaller animals best view is along the road in front of the art. The site can be seen from Google Earth although the current images are from a year earlier when we were starting. Updated images will be in the future. I check once a month to see.
1. It is on NMSU property and under their protection, which should curb any future vandalism which was a problem at the dam.
2. The hill has been covered with landscape weed barrier cloth. This will maintain a cleaner look with proper weed control. The hill is .57 acres - Art is 165 ft. high x 190 ft. wide. (Visualize over half a 300 ft. football field)
3. The rock are will help with the erosion problems on that location.
4. The location will be more accessible to the public and will be enjoyed by more people. People can drive to see it and stay in their cars if they want.
The best view of the larger animals is at the front doors of the NMSU golf clubhouse
The smaller animals best view is along the road in front of the art. The site can be seen from Google Earth although the current images are from a year earlier when we were starting. Updated images will be in the future. I check once a month to see.
There were many changes in the plan as I worked with the larger scale and a different slope to the land. All the animals had to be larger and elongated vertically so that they were proportioned correctly at the view from the NMSU clubhouse doors.
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Oct 29, 2022 Starting the NMSU logo and placing rocks to hold the fabric down.
July 11 2023
Drone photo Aug 23, 2023
Drone photo Nov 23, 2023
Drone photo Dec 27, 2023
Drone photo Feb 7, 2024
Drone photo Aug 7,2024
images of the rocks art from tortugas dam near the golf course
toro rock donated many tons of rock to the tortugas art project
As a Thank You to Toro Rock for tons of rock donated for the art, I designed and built a rock art design that is in front of their office in Organ, NM
Toro Rock provided a prepared site, landscape fabric and helpers. Their favorite animals were Quail.
Toro Rock provided a prepared site, landscape fabric and helpers. Their favorite animals were Quail.
Las Cruces Police Department LOGO
I was asked to design a rock art for Las Cruces Police Department to honor an officer that was killed in the line of duty.
Rock was donated from Toro Rock and landscape from a neighbor. 22 Officers and other volunteers helped. The 50 ft long
45 ft tall rock art was completed in 5 hours. The sand bags are from a simpler arrangement and were replaced with the new rock art design. LCPD CARES
Rock was donated from Toro Rock and landscape from a neighbor. 22 Officers and other volunteers helped. The 50 ft long
45 ft tall rock art was completed in 5 hours. The sand bags are from a simpler arrangement and were replaced with the new rock art design. LCPD CARES