In early 2006, Lois Manno and a group of fellow volunteers approached the Carlsbad Caverns Guadalupe Mountains Association with an ambitious idea. They proposed to mount a major art exhibit at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. CCGMA's Executive Director was intrigued by the idea, and agreed to partner with the Cavern Arts Project (CAP). The superintendent of Carlsbad Caverns was equally interested in the idea, and offered the park's fine art resources for the exhibit. This included some major works of art from the park's collection, including 25 original photographic prints by Ansel Adams. Shot in the early 1930s, these prints have rarely been seen by the public. In addition, a series of paintings by noted Santa Fe modernist Will Shuster are included in the collection. These paintings have been in storage for the past 30 years.
The goal of the Cavern Arts Project will be to combine these historic works from the park's collection with photographs and other works of art from contemporary artists who have been inspired by the caverns. The exhibit title will be "Underground Visions: Carlsbad Caverns Through The Artist's Eye.
CAP will be working with CCGMA and the National Park Service to mount this art exhibit in the Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center in mid-2008, concurrent with the reopening of the visitor center after it is completely remodeled. In addition, there are other exciting ancillary projects in the works:
• A full-color exhibit catalog
• A traveling exhibit with reproductions of major works from the main exhibit
• A documentary DVD about the exhibit and artists at Carlsbad Caverns
This project will be funded through grants, corporate sponsorship, and individual gifts. If you would like to make a donation to the Cavern Arts Project, or would like more information, please contact us at 505.995.8475, or email cavernartsproject@comcast.net.
1606 Young Street • Santa Fe, NM 87505 • 505.995.8475 cavernartsproject@comcast.net www.cavernartsproject.org
Disclaimer: The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the U.S. Government. Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute their endorsement by the U.S. Government.