Eligibility Requirements
About The Northeastern New Mexico Arts Alliance
Trails, Trains and Treasures - The Art of Northeastern New Mexico: Eligibility, Guide, and Maps Information
The Northeastern New Mexico Arts Alliance (NENMAA) is collaborating with artisans to create a guide with maps featuring rural arts destinations in Northeastern New Mexico. The guide will increase awareness of and bring the market to New Mexico’s rich and exciting variety of artists, historic buildings used as art spaces, galleries, cooperatives, and nonprofit organizations. We hope to invite visitors to the places where rural artists create, nurture and display handcrafted work, thereby increasing income opportunities for all Northeastern New Mexicans who work in or with the arts and bringing economic activity to artists’ communities.
We seek rural artists and craftspeople to include on the maps. In addition, we want to include historic buildings used as art spaces. We want to add places where art traditions and techniques are taught and demonstrated. Galleries and cooperatives are also welcome.
The guide will delineate a number of rural arts loop trails, which will direct the traveler to studios, schools, galleries, and shops along each route. It will be distributed at state visitors’ centers and chambers of commerce in all regions of the state; throughNew Mexico Arts, the New Mexico Tourism Department and the New Mexico Economic Development Department; on websites; at participating businesses; and by regional volunteers. Out of state marketing will depend upon the available budget.
Arts Trails Funding
The arts trails project to put New Mexico artists on the map ands bring the market to them is made possible by recurring special appropriations for which we may apply annually, from the state Legislature and Governor Bill Richardson, and is part of the governor’s economic development initiatives for rural New Mexico. As such, funding for the arts trails is targeted at rural New Mexico communities. Additional funding will be sought from Lodger’s Tax in various communities and private and foundation funding. Additionally, Annual dues for member participation will apply, however we will take great care to keep participation accessible.
Eligibility Criteria
- Artists’ studios, galleries, cooperatives, museums, theaters, and other sites physically located in the Northeastern corner of New Mexico where arts-related activity is a significant component of the enterprise.
- Sites must demonstrate a commitment to marketing work by New Mexico artists. Sites that only carry USA-made products will be given priority.
- Sites must be capable of servicing customers and completing monetary transactions. Credit card processing capability is recommended.
- Sites must have dependable hours. The required minimum is four hours per day for two days per week. Hours for the site will be listed as either open year round or open seasonally with days and hours stated. Sites may additionally be open by appointment, with visitors urged to call ahead.
- Sites must have signage readable from the road, including the arts trails logo/signs. Road and driveway access must be possible with conventional vehicle, and there should be adequate parking. The building and grounds must be safe for visitors. Sites are encouraged to carry adequate liability insurance and work towards access for people with disabilities.
- Sites must have a separate exterior door to the studio or place of business.
- NENMAA reserves the right to determine a site’s eligibility and reporting requirements for destinations featured in the 2008 arts trails guide. Reported data will enable us to track economic benefits and support further trail development. All data will be kept strictly confidential.
- Acceptance as a site will be dependent upon a visit to evaluate each destination for safety, liability issues, accessibility, and readiness for business.
- New Mexico Arts complies with all local, state and federal laws and regulations concerning civil and human rights and must assure that programs, grants and employment practices are free of any discrimination based on race, color, national origin, disability, sex or age.
Listings
Sites are entitled to:
- One located position on the map in the New Mexico arts trails guide with one site name, one site address, one telephone number, one email address, and one website address.
- A site listing with description and brief directions, as well as similar listing with photos on NENMAA’s website.
EDUCATION AND PUBLICITY
Education and collaboration
We hope that participants will consider including demonstrations, hands-on learning, and other educational experiences. We also hope that you will think about ways that you can collaborate - i.e. by including handmade items in co-ops or including other artists in your studios.
Site locations of the arts trails are limited. Not everyone will have an appropriate situation to welcome visitors to their own site. A site that is open to the public involves time, financial and emotional commitments. Please consider cooperating with other artists or marketing your work through galleries, cooperatives, art centers, art/co-ops, markets and other multi-artist arts trails sites.
Publicity
NENMAA will ensure distribution of the maps with assistance from the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, Economic Development Department, and Tourism Department. We also encourage artists and businesses to distribute maps in public settings in your local area such as hotels and bookstores, and to have maps on hand at your site.
