For Immediate Release
May 9, 2016
Contact: Shauna Tucker, Mojave Desert Land Trust
Phone: 760.366.5440
Email: shauna@mojavedesertlandtrust.org

Joshua Tree, CA— On Thursday May 26 – from Noon to 1:00 pm The Mojave Desert Land Trust welcomes the public to enjoy its final brown bag lunch lecture of the season with Steve Rieman and Frederick Fulmer, celebrated artists and long-time advocates for the California Desert. The artists will engage the community in a discussion about how the desert inspires their work and the mission behind the Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR) program, which helps create the next generation of desert ambassadors through hosting artists from across the globe.

Mr. Rieman will begin the presentation with a discussion about his 1980s design of the iconic MDLT headquarters building (former Hanna’s Nursery) and how the kinetic sculpture he recently donated and installed in the MDLT entry garden is inspired by over thirty years of living in the Mojave Desert ecosystem.

In 1987 Steve Rieman completed the design of the former Hanna’s Nursery Building, using sustainable design methods. The siting of his contemporary sculpture “From the Land of Rocks and Poison, Daniel Quinn Series, 2013” on the very grounds he designed over 28 years ago represents the past coming together with the present and a shared vision for the future – aligned with the essence of MDLT’s mission to promote and inspire creative ways of protecting and connecting with the desert for generations to come.

Mr. Rieman’s sculpture at MDLT joins many of his works that adorn gardens across the California Desert as well as in public and private collections internationally, with a large body of public works in the Coachella Valley, the Morongo Basin, and San Diego and Los Angeles counties. Rieman is currently working on a major commission for the City of Menifee. Proceeds from the sale of the MDLT sculpture will benefit MDLT’s conservation programs.A long-time advocate for desert conservation, Mr. Rieman and his wife Ruth Rieman help to create the next generation of desert ambassadors by making desert-inspired works and hosting artists from all over the world. In an op-ed published on December 16, 2016 in the Press Enterprise, the couple writes in favor of the arts as a vehicle for strong desert protections: “As an internationally collected artist and advocates for artists and their work, our backgrounds give us insight into what we have to lose. When we relocated from Orange County to the high desert more than 36 years ago, it was like entering another world. We noted the expansive sky, the changing seasons, and the abundant wildlife adapted to the challenges of a dry and harsh climate. Walking in Pipes Wash for more than three decades, we noticed that our footprints are significant and our impact cannot be denied. This kind of immersion in the wide-open, rural landscape here gives us a unique perspective about what it means to be responsible citizens in the Mojave Desert.”

To ensure the next generation of visual and performing artists have access to this unique and fragile desert heritage, the Riemans’ work closely with Frederick Fulmer to support the Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR) program.  Mr. Fulmer, Executive Director of the JTHAR program and visual artist with a regional, national and international exhibition record, organizes a seven-week desert immersion for artists who come from all walks of life and from all corners of the world. As Board Member of the Palm Springs Arts Council and owner of the Joshua Tree Art Gallery in Joshua Tree, California, Mr. Fulmer brings dynamic opportunities for fellow artists to practice in the desert.  Mr. Fulmer will expand on how the desert inspires his work and the importance of connecting to the natural environment through the arts. He will close the talk by introducing the 2016 incoming JTHAR artist residents and engage them in a discussion about how they envision the desert becoming an integral part of their residency.

Together, Mr. Fulmer and Mr. Rieman ensure that visiting artists take the knowledge they gained during their residency home to their own communities, and help to create new desert ambassadors who spread the word through their art practices about the importance of protecting the desert.

Please join MDLT in welcoming Frederick Fulmer and Steve Rieman for a lively conversation about the relationship between art and the land.

Bring a lunch. Beverages provided. Please RSVP to Monica Mahoney, Director of Education and Public Engagement monica@mojavedesertlandtrust.org or call (760) 366-5440 to reserve a seat.

Please direct inquiries about purchasing Steve Rieman’s sculpture to Monica Mahoney, as well.

Mojave Desert Land Trust Center for Conservation Initiatives
60124 29 Palms Hwy • Joshua Tree, CA 92252 • 760-366-544

visit www.mojavedesertlandtrust.org
www.riemansculpture.com
http://www.fredart.net/
http://www.jthar.com/