CHAIRS: Andrea Polli and Susan Latham

SciArt Santa Fe, in conjunction with Leonardo / International Society for the Arts, Sciences and Technology, present “In Place: Representing Environmental Racism on Tribal Lands and Communities of Color,” a Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous (LASER). Featuring artist Will Wilson and artist-scientist Valerie Rangel in conversation with writer-curator Alicia Inez Guzmán, this webinar will examine the legacy of extractive industries and resource exploitation in New Mexico. Delving into the implications of such industries and what paths lie ahead for remediation, the panel will also look at the role of aesthetics in representing environmental devastation and imagining new futures beyond crisis. 

This is the first in SciArt Santa Fe’s three-part series, in which diverse humanities scholars, artists, and scientists consider regional land-use histories and ethics of place. Upcoming webinars in the series include “In Place: The Aesthetics of Placemaking through Land-based Practices,” Jun 24, 2021, 5:30 PMMST, and “In Place: Ecologies of Sound in the Southwest,” Aug 19, 2021, 5:30 PM MST. This series is made possible with the generous support of the New Mexico Humanities Council.

Title: “In Place: Representing Environmental Racism on Tribal Lands and Communities of Color”

Date: February 25, 2021 ,Time: 5:30 PM MST, Find your timezone HERE  

Location: Zoom session online — registered participants will receive a link via email.

Admission: Free. Donations accepted. 

Registration/ more information: http://sciartsantafe.org

*LASER will be offered in English with Spanish translations  

Valerie Rangel is an alumna of the University of New Mexico, where she earned a Bachelor of University Studies that carried a concentration in Freshwater studies and Cultural Anthropology, and a graduate degree from the Master of Community Regional Planning (MCRP) program where she majored in Natural Resources & Environmental Planning concentrating coursework in Indigenous Planning with a minor in Public Health. Her book  “Environmental Justice in New Mexico: Counting Coup” presents stories of strife and struggle in the war to protect the integrity of natural systems, rights to religious freedom, and the continuation of traditional customs. Recent positions have included Fiscal Sponsorship & Community Outreach Coordinator for the New Mexico Foundation, Technical Assistant on Health Impact Assessments for New Mexico’s Health Equity Partnership, and, currently, Community Outreach Manager for the New Mexico Environmental Law Center.

Will Wilson’s art projects center around the continuation and transformation of customary indigenous cultural practice. He is a Diné photographer and trans-customary artist who spent his formative years living in the Navajo Nation. Wilson studied photography, sculpture, and art history at the University of New Mexico (MFA, Photography, 2002) and Oberlin College (BA, Studio Art and Art History, 1993).  In 2007, Wilson won the Native American Fine Art Fellowship from the Eiteljorg Museum, in 2010 the Joan Mitchell Foundation Award for Sculpture, and in 2016 the Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant for Photography. Wilson has held visiting professorships at the Institute of American Indian Arts (1999-2000), Oberlin College (2000-01), and the University of Arizona (2006-08). In 2017, Wilson’s received the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. His work is exhibited and collected nationally and internationally and currently on display at the University of Texas, Austin’s Visual Arts Center in an exhibition entitled Will Wilson, AIR/SURVEY. Wilson is Program Head of Photography, Santa Fe Community College. His work can be viewed at willwilson.photoshelter.com

Originally from Truchas, New Mexico, Alicia Inez Guzmán currently lives and works in Santa Fe. Her writing focuses on Indigenous and Chicanx art practices and histories of land use in the Southwest. A 2017 recipient of an Andy Warhol Foundation Creative Capital Arts Writers Grant for her website Tierra Firme Projects, she is also the producer of Unsettled, a podcast about how communities in New Mexico continue to grapple with colonization. Guzmán holds a BAFA from the University of New Mexico in Art History and an MA and PhD in Visual and Cultural Studies from the University of Rochester. 

Contacts

Amy Pilling (505) 600-1150, apillingnm@gmail.com

Alicia Guzman, (585) 571-8680, alicia.inez.guzman@gmail.com 

SPONSORS:

About LEONARDO/LASER Talks 

The Leonardo/ISAST LASERs are a program of international gatherings that bring artists, scientists, humanists and technologists together for informal presentations, performances and conversations with the wider public. The mission of the LASERs is to encourage contribution to the cultural environment of a region by fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and opportunities for community building to over 40 cities around the world. To learn more about how our LASER Hosts and to visit a LASER near you please visit our website. @lasertalks

About SciArt Santa Fe

SciArt Santa Fe, 501(c)3, creates public programming bridging the arts, sciences, and technology for practitioners, students, and the general public, creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration and the exchange of ideas. SciArt Santa Fe programming advocates for sustainable environmental practices, local and global scientific and artistic literacy, technological equity, and freedom of thought and imagination.  Sciartsantafe.org

About New Mexico Humanities Council

NMHC supports public programs in New Mexico communities that inspire inclusive conversations that strengthen our civil society and celebrate diverse human experiences. Since 1972, the New Mexico Humanities Council (NMHC) has sought to engage New Mexicans with history, culture, and diverse humanities topics through Council-conducted public programs and grant funding for special projects. https://nmhumanities.org