New Mexico: 2023 New Mexico Arts Artist Residency

Awardees of the 2023 New Mexico Arts Artist Residency DezBaa’ and David Henderson (left) and Dakota Mace (right). Photo courtesy of New Mexico Arts

New Mexico Arts recently announced the 2023 New Mexico Arts Artist Residency program awardees. The project will hold two artist residencies at the Bosque Redondo Memorial Historical Site. The Bosque Redondo Memorial Historic Site, located in Fort Sumner, New Mexico, is a historically significant venue. The site is dedicated to preserving the history of the Diné (Navajo) and Ndé (Mescalero Apache) peoples, who were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands to live there between 1863 and 1868. In 2005, the New Mexico State Monuments Division and the Museum of New Mexico, with support from the Diné and Ndé communities, created the Bosque Redondo Memorial. The site has since been designated as a National Historic Landmark and serves as a memorial to thousands of Diné and Ndé ancestors who suffered and died during the tragic series of events.

This year’s artist residencies at the memorial are particularly significant, as they mark the 160th anniversary of the Diné and Ndé internment at Bosque Redondo. The residencies aim to provide a unique opportunity for artists to engage with history and culture while creating works of art inspired by the site’s rich heritage.

DezBaa’, an accomplished film artist, and her father, David Henderson, were awarded their first artist residency, taking place from March 26 to May 6. At the conclusion of the residency, they will premiere a documentary featuring Henderson’s journey of self-discovery, as well as a series of interviews with staff and historians at Bosque Redondo. The second residency, slated from May 13 – June 24, features Dakota Mace, a Diné artist whose works draw from the history of her Diné heritage, exploring the themes of family lineage, community and identity. Mace will be presenting a multidisciplinary installation from an ongoing project titled Dahodiyinii (sacred places) that focuses on the importance of land and place.

The residencies will be held over a period of six weeks and will provide artists with lodging, materials and a stipend. One of the key features of the residency is an emphasis on community engagement. Artists must create new work with a public component that reflects the cultural landscape of the state. The resident artists also will be encouraged to explore the local community, interact with other artists, and find creative ways to bring contemporary awareness to the historic site. The residency program can support artists of all disciplines, including visual arts, literary arts and performing arts, and is open to both emerging and established artists.

For more information about the project, contact New Mexico Arts Grants Program Coordinator Maggie Hanley.