US Native and Indigenous Artists Purchase Initiative

The Art in Public Places program seeks to diversify New Mexico's public art collection by purchasing artwork from Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native artists in all stages of their careers. All visual arts media in all genres suitable for interior or exterior display will be considered for purchase. Artwork must be durable, permanent, low-maintenance and in compliance with ADA guidelines upon installation.

The project is open to Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native artists who reside in the United States as well as galleries in the U.S. who sell the work of Native Artists. Galleries may submit qualifications on behalf of any artist represented by the gallery, regardless of the artist's residency, so long as the artist identifies as a member of a Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaska Native tribe or community. Artwork will be purchased for publicly accessible buildings throughout the State of New Mexico with a specific emphasis on sites in New Mexico's 19 pueblos and the Navajo Nation. Facilities include amphitheaters, animal shelters, community centers, courthouses, educational institutions, fire stations, healthcare facilities, recreation complexes, rest areas, and senior centers.

Project amounts range from $1,000 to $50,000 all-inclusive. Purchase contracts will be limited to a $1,000 minimum per piece. The price is all-inclusive of materials, labor, insurance, taxes, commissions, fees, delivery, installation, travel, museum quality framing under Plexiglas, security-hangers, pedestals for three-dimensional works, Plexiglas bonnets for small three-dimensional works, project plaques, and written and professional photographic documentation. Large exterior three-dimensional work prices should include site preparation and foundation. Submissions must include an artist statement (2000 character limit), current resume or curriculum vitae, and up to three images of previously completed work currently available for purchase with complete citations including title, media, dimensions, price, year of completion, and description. Only one application per artist will be considered. A Submission Review Committee will score applications, and Regional Buying Committees will select artwork for purchase. Multiple artwork selection meetings will be conducted statewide over approximately two years. Artwork included in the final pool is not a guarantee of sale. If a submitted piece is sold through another venue, the artist or representative must notify New Mexico Arts immediately. Artwork installed must be the same piece selected; substitutions and price fluctuations are not allowed after the submission deadline.