Working Lands, Working Artists

Sarah Fitzsimons, “Field Sketches” – 2018, Farm/Art DTour, Fermentation Fest. Reesdburg, WI.


Leveraging Art and Design to Support Sustainable Agriculture Planning in Mariposa County

Mariposa County and the Mariposa County Arts Council have been awarded an Our Town grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to work with artists to develop creative placemaking projects and artistic interventions that support the County’s Agriculture and Working Lands Conservation Plan (AWLCP). 

Specifically, the Arts Council and the Planning Department would like to work with regional social practice artists to develop 2-5 creative placemaking projects that interpret, respond to, and engage with public comments received during the ongoing AWLCP planning process.

The Mariposa County Planning Department and the Arts Council asked interested regional social practice artists, culture bearers and designers to submit a letter of intent (LOI) that succinctly outlines a proposed project. These proposals are current being reviewed by a panel consisting of members of the AWLCP Planning team. Those who submitted successful LOIs will be invited to work with the planning team to refine and develop their proposed projects with the goal of sharing them with the public on May 5th in Hornitos, California as a satellite event of the Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s dedication of the Hornitos Ranch.

This project directly aligns with several recommendations in Mariposa County’s Creative Placemaking Strategy

  • February 10-March 3, 2023 – Artist Submit LOI to Arts Council
  • March 6-9, 2023 – LOI Reviewed by members of the AWLCP planning team
  • March 10, 2023 – Selected proposals announced
  • March 13-17, 2023 – AWLCP Planning team work with selected artist to refine project
  • May 5, 2023 – Projects presented to public in Hornitos, CA

This project was open to California based artists working the fields of visual, media, traditional, music, theatre, literature, and interdisciplinary arts, 18 years or older. Artists were able to request between $1,000 – $10,000 for a project through one LOI.


Questions?

Contact Cara Goger, goger@mariposaartscouncil.org and/or Adam Burns, burns@mariposaartscouncil.org