Las Cruces, NM: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Friends of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument are pleased to announce the selection of Emmitt Booher, a resident of Las Cruces and avid photographer, as this year’s Artist-in-Residence (AiR).
The AiR Program utilizes the artist’s unique skills to depict the historic, cultural, geologic, and plant and wildlife features of the Monument, helping to generate a deeper understanding of the Monument’s significant resource values.
From May 1-31, 2016, Booher will be travelling throughout the Monument, capturing images through his lens and personal experience. In addition, he will develop and conduct a community project to connect the public to BLM’s National Conservation Lands and the 497,330-acre Monument.
Asked about his selection to the AiR Program, Booher said, "It is an honor to be named the 2016 AiR for the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. I look forward to representing the Monument’s rich legacy through my photographs, and building public awareness for its majestic beauty."
“We are very proud of the AiR Program, and the connection it has on our local communities,” said Ben Gabriel, Executive Director of the Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks. “The selected artist is able to effectively capture the imagery of the BLM’s National Conservation Lands through his specific medium, and share it with the public,” said Gabriel.
Excited about the AiR selection, BLM Las Cruces District Manager Bill Childress said, “I look forward to the images Emmitt Booher will capture, and the interaction he’ll have with the public to share the unique characteristics and opportunities the Monument has to offer.”
The Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument was established on May 21, 2014, and contains some of the west’s most iconic landscapes in the Organ, Robledo, Sierra de las Uvas, Doña Ana, and Potrillo Mountains. In collaboration with the Friends, the BLM Las Cruces District manages the Monument to maintain and enhance the resources for current and future generations.