For Immediate Release
October 6, 2015
Contact: Monica Mahoney
Phone: 760.366.5440Email: monica@mojavedesertlandtrust.org

“ARTISTS FOR THE MONUMENTS”- ARTISTS JOIN FORCES WITH THE MOJAVE DESERT LAND TRUST TO SAVE CRITICAL DESERT HABITATS                       

“The California desert is my home and a vast and phenomenal space that inspires contemplation, new ideas, and innovative research that LEADS to mitigating the ENVIRONMENTAL challenges we face today.” - Sant Khalsa, artist 

Joshua Tree, CA—Visual and performing artists and cultural leaders have joined forces with the Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT)  as “Artists For the Monuments” to support the designation of three new national monuments in the California Desert. The pairing of arts and conservation leaders signals a vigorous grassroots movement for Senator Feinstein’s ongoing California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act and her most recent letter urging President Obama to utilize the 1906 Antiquities Act to designate the Sand to Snow, Mojave Trails and Castle Mountains as national monuments. The three proposed monuments are located in Southern California between the major population centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The desert lands face pressures from these growing urban areas as well as large-scale mining interests and utility-scale solar and wind energy production.

Southern California is recognized as a global arts mecca with numerous artists living and working in the deserts surrounding the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Many arts and culture leaders are members of the Mojave Desert Land Trust and support a balanced approach to recreation and land use for all generations to come. Danielle Segura, Executive Director of the Mojave Desert Land Trust notes, “Our members and supporters are diverse and span numerous professions and backgrounds, including the arts. They are invested in the protection of our treasured desert lands. Monument status will ensure that MDLT’s commitment to protecting the extraordinary and one-of-a-kind resources in the Mojave Desert is secure and that opportunities such as critical scientific discovery, wildlife connectivity and uninterrupted landscape vistas to enjoy will remain intact.”

Artists who live and work in areas adjacent to the proposed national monuments are vocal about the importance of the designation. Some have adapted their entire lifestyles around the unique constraints and attributes of desert living which informs their artmaking, while others have dedicated their entire careers to research and education about the California Desert.

Sant Khalsa, Artist, Professor of Art Emeritus and Founding Faculty of the Water Resources Institute at California State University, San Bernardino has studied the desert for over three decades. She says, “The California Desert is my home and a vast and phenomenal space that inspires contemplation, new ideas, and innovative research that leads to mitigating the environmental challenges we face today.” Khalsa’s photographic artwork is largely about water issues, with a specific focus on raising awareness about water scarcity and land use along the Santa Ana River. The Santa Ana River originates in the San Gorgonio Wilderness, part of the proposed Sand to Snow National Monument. “It is critically important that we preserve these fragile desert ecosystems, ensuring that we and future generations will benefit through personal experiences and connection with these magnificent landscapes.”

Like Khalsa, artists working in other mediums support the monuments campaign. Phillip K. Smith III, is a Light Artist trained as an architect. He works directly with light and the environment. He directs an active studio at the eastern edge of the Mojave Desert in Indio, CA and is recognized internationally for his use of light in his sculptures. He says, “Often I am asked if I would be creating the work I do if I didn’t live in the California Desert. The answer quite simply is NO. Every day I am surrounded by the endless natural phenomena of the expansive desert. Over the course of a day at my studio and while hiking, I watch the mountains shift from purple to orange to rust brown to yellow. These daily desert experiences guide my artistic practice. Protection of these landscapes is essential to my life’s work.” Smith III gained international recognition for his project called Lucid Stead, where he re-purposed a former homesteading shack in Joshua Tree, CA into a sculpture of light and mirrors. His project brought greater awareness about the beauty of desert to national and international audiences.

Artists have long contributed to America’s patriotic history by raising public awareness about the environment, notably in the legacy of the American conservation movement that began with westward expansion in the 1800s. Joshua Tree-based artist Kim Stringfellow, Director of The Mojave Project and 2015 Guggenheim Fellow says, “As an artist and educator, I know that the California Desert feeds my imagination and the creativity of many artists. After all, artists and scientists who depicted the West in the 1800s helped spur the establishment of our National Parks System and the Antiquities Act. We can continue that legacy today by supporting the call for new national monument designations in the California Desert.”

These are a few of the many artists and cultural leaders who reside in or at the edges of the three desert regions under consideration for monument status. They are linked to the legacy of American land conservation and agree that monument status would provide long-term protections for more than one million acres of desert landscapes. These areas hold significant biological, cultural and historical significance including distinct Joshua Tree forests, native wildflowers, cactus gardens and herds of bighorn sheep.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust is pleased to have a diverse spectrum of supporters including the creative community and art aficionados. Over 300 have already signed-on to the Artists For The Monuments Letter. Monica Mahoney, Director of Education and Public Engagement at MDLT invites the greater arts community to get involved saying “Artists are essential to bringing ideas to life. They are creative problem solvers and can be a major force in mobilizing change through their work. This is an excellent opportunity to be heard.” MDLT encourages artists working in all mediums to  lend their voices of support by co-signing the Artists For The Monuments Letter. The letter offers an opportunity to add a personalized statement for us to include in the campaign.

The Mojave Desert Land Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the Mojave Desert ecosystem and its scenic and cultural resource values through acquisition, land stewardship and strategic partnerships. Since 2006 the organization has protected over 55,000 acres of desert land. MDLT is a partner in the Campaign for the California Desert, a coalition of conservation groups, community leaders and businesses dedicated to protecting our desert landscapes, celebrated both for their contributions to America’s natural and cultural heritage and to the regional economy. For more information, visit www.mojavedesertlandtrust.org and the Campaign for the California Desert. Follow on Twitter and like the campaign on Facebook.