Rock Art - A personal expression that became a public art project
Rock Art - A personal expression that became a public art projectIn the 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 months later with 130+ volunteers the project is complete.
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 months later with 130+ volunteers the project is complete.
THANK YOU to all the volunteers and donors that made this public rock art come to life
Thank you to 130 Volunteers that helped haul buckets of rocks and place them to create 25 animals, the NMSU logo, a Zia design, double hearts and a rose for the Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.
Thank you to the people that hauled Rocks, roofing tiles, and crushed glass from the Las Cruces Recycle Center one bucket at a time.
Thank you to the Donors, who gave money to offset the expenses of $7,000.
12 truck loads of rock (13 tons) ranged in price from $400. to $700.
10 rolls of Landscape Fabric covered over half an acre of the hill.
60 bags of cement to fill the hollow roofing tiles.
Thank you to the people that hauled Rocks, roofing tiles, and crushed glass from the Las Cruces Recycle Center one bucket at a time.
Thank you to the Donors, who gave money to offset the expenses of $7,000.
12 truck loads of rock (13 tons) ranged in price from $400. to $700.
10 rolls of Landscape Fabric covered over half an acre of the hill.
60 bags of cement to fill the hollow roofing tiles.
The new location is ideal in many ways:
1. It is on NMSU property and under their protection, which should curb any future vandalism that 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 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. You can walk or drive to see it.
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 Oct 2023, when we were starting. Google Earth will eventually update the image.
2. The hill has been covered with landscape - weed barrier cloth. This will maintain a cleaner look with proper weed control. The hill is 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. You can walk or drive to see it.
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 Oct 2023, when we were starting. Google Earth will eventually update the image.
ORIGINAL PROPOSAL DRAWING
VIEW FROM GOOGLE EARTH
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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. .
Two images of the Cougar show the changes in proportions from different view points.
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Site is .57 acres 165' x 190'
Art is composed of rocks, crushed glass, roofing tiles and broken pottery.
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Oct 9 2022 Clearing the hill
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Oct 11 2022 Laying ground fabric
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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
tORO rOCK - gAMBEL qUAIL A THANK YOU FOR TONS OF DONATED ROCKS |
lAS cRUCES pOLICE dEPT
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Below are PHOTOS the original art on the Tortugas dam.
They have all been removed from the dam and used to create larger images at the NMSU golf course.
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