BOERNE, Texas—Hill Country-area artists and landowners are invited to join together to promote conservation of the region’s natural resources during “Art and Conservation: Our Hidden Treasures,” a collaboration between the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm and the Hill Country Council for the Arts.
“Art and Conservation: Our Hidden Treasures” is a biennial project that gives artists access to private lands where they spend time over the course of one year gaining inspiration for artwork that conveys the importance of protecting the Texas Hill Country’s land, water, plants and wildlife. The project culminates every other spring in an art exhibition and sale.
During the spring of 2014, artists will be juried into the Art and Conservation project by submitting a digital image of an original artwork inspired by a public natural area in the Texas Hill Country. Artists who are selected by jury will be entered in a lottery for assignments to private properties, where they will have a chance learn about and be inspired by the land during the summer and fall of 2014 and the winter and spring of 2015. The entry fee for artists is $35.
The owners or land managers of those private properties will agree to provide the artists with access to their land and work with them to select times and locations acceptable to both.
Artists and landowners can find details about participating and download applications on the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm’s and Hill Country Council for the Arts’ respective websites at http://www.cibolo.org or http://www.hccarts.org, or by calling the CNC at (830) 249-4616.
“’Art and Conservation’ promotes works of art that focus on our local natural resources by giving artists special access to private land and encouraging work inspired by local public lands, such as parks and along Texas back roads,” said Doris Perez, president of the Hill Country Council for the Arts as well as operations manager for the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm.
“The ‘hidden treasures’ in the name of this project refers to the fact that some of the astonishingly beautiful and unique features of the Texas Hill Country are hidden away on private property. Others are often overlooked as we pursue our busy lives.”
During the exhibition and sale in 2015, artworks will be entered in a competition, with cash awards presented to winning artists.Awards will include best of show, $1,000; two honorable mentions, $100 and $75; and a “people’s choice” award, selected by visitors to the exhibition, $250. All artworks in the exhibit will be for sale, with 30 percent of the artists’ proceeds earned from sales benefitting outdoor education and citizen science programs at the Cibolo Nature Center & Farm.
The non-profit Cibolo Nature Center & Farm is located on 160 acres of natural lands at Boerne City Park off Hwy. 46 just west of the Kendall County Fairgrounds. The mission of the CNC is conservation of natural resources through education and stewardship. Call (830) 249-4616 or visithttp://www.cibolo.org.
The mission of the non-profit Hill Country Council for the Arts is to develop and sustain an environment that supports and promotes awareness, appreciation, education and access to all the Arts in Kendall County and the Texas Hill Country. Visit http://www.hccarts.org.