SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By EMNRD
| The Energy, Minerals and National Resources Department State Parks Division announces that an original artwork entitled “Stream of Life” by artist Cathy Haight was recently installed at the Cerrillos Hills State Park Visitor Center. The fine art batik was selected by a local committee of community members and purchased using eligible funds through New Mexico Arts and the Art in Public Places Program. The artwork depicts New Mexico life and the value we place on water.
“’Stream of Life’ is based on a place in New Mexico, but I wanted to portray a universal image of flowing water in a place far from crowds. I feel that water as a healing and life- giving force is an important source of hope for us all. The colors in real life inspired me to try to create a serene place that is enlivened by reflections, shadows, and depth in the stream. The medium of batik (using wax to resist dye on cloth) is perfect for creating the surface textures of the rocks and tree bark,” said artist Cathy Haight.
Cathy Haight was born in Washington, DC, and grew up near the badlands of North Dakota. She acknowledges she feels most comfortable in wide open spaces. She finds inspiration from hiking in New Mexico, where she has lived for more than 35 years. Haight studied journalism with minors in art and sociology, and has worked in oil painting, batik, plein air painting, and jewelry making. She has taken extensive art workshops and continued her studies in Indonesia under batik master Bambang Oetoro on the island of Java, where she learned techniques that she still uses. She has been featured in many solo and group exhibitions throughout New Mexico. Several of her works have been purchased by the State’s Art in Public Places Program.
New Mexico Arts, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the state arts agency. New Mexico Arts administers the state’s One Percent for Public Art program, awards grants to nonprofit organizations for arts and cultural programs in their communities across the state, and provides technical assistance and educational opportunities for organizations, artists, and arts educators throughout New Mexico.
New Mexico Arts’ Art in Public Places Program was established by the New Mexico State Legislature in 1986, to administer 1% of capital outlay funds for the acquisition of public art. New Mexico Arts facilitates the sale of artwork for public spaces with purchase initiatives, site-specific commission projects, and temporary installations that offer in-depth community engagement and artist development. The Art in Public Places Program enriches New Mexico communities through innovative and diverse public art. |
