Compass Roses: Maps by Artists

Compass Roses: Maps by Artists is a public art project inviting visual, literary, and performing artists to create maps that interpret Albuquerque and the region. The project originated in Pittsburgh in 2020 and is expanding to new communities. A total of thirty artists will participate: fifteen will be selected through an open call process, and each of those fifteen will invite an additional artist to participate. All thirty artists will be compensated equally at $300.00 each.

Artists are invited to interpret the idea of a map and place in any way they wish. Maps can contain readily recognizable places, imaginary ones, aspirational places, or those that have been forgotten or are unfamiliar, as long as they are grounded in Albuquerque and the region in some way. Maps must be reproducible as 8.5 x 11 inch photocopies and can be created in any digital or physical format, presented as one or two-sided, black and white or color. The maps will be available free to the public on the project website and displayed in a community exhibition at the South Broadway Cultural Center Gallery. All maps will be added to the City of Albuquerque Public Art Collection.

Eligibility is open to all visual, literary, and performing artists who live or work in the Greater Albuquerque area and are at least 18 years of age. Proof of New Mexico tax identification may be required. Application materials include a resume or biographical statement (up to three pages), links to artist website(s), up to 5 work samples (JPG images or PDF documents up to ten pages), and a 150-word statement of intent describing a proposed map and/or interest in the project. The application deadline is January 9, 2021 at 11:59 PM MST. Finalists will be notified January 30, 2021, with maps due in March 2021 and exhibition opening in April 2021.