LEAP: Land, Experience and Art of Place. I started LEAP because I want to take the professional leap as an artist to explore with others the richness and diversity of the ecology, geology, archeology, cultures and communities of the place where I live, walk, hike and work.

LEAP is an experimental, interdisciplinary, artist-driven initiative and networking hub, connecting artists with practitioners in other fields through  classes, expeditions and events. The initiative seeks to deepen our appreciation and understanding of and relationship to and our environment and our human and non-human neighbors; to increase our commitment to protecting these places and relationships and fostering
creative responses and expressions of them in contemporary art and culture. 

The fist LEAP event, NeoRio 2009, took place on October 17, 2009 at the Wild Rivers Recreation Area in Questa, New Mexico. The event was hosted by the Bureau of Land Management’s Taos Field Office and organized in collaboration with the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance and other cosponsors.

NeoRio 2009 featured “water artist”, Basia Irland and her innovative project, Reseeding/Receding which led us on a hike down to the Rio to launch her carved icebooks embedded with local riparian seeds into the waters. The event also included presentations from John Bailey, recreation director of the BLM Taos Field Office, Ester Garcia, chairwoman of the board of directors of the San Antonio Del Rio Colorado Land Grant, and Craig Chapman events coordinator for the NMWA. The day concluded with a potluck and campfire on the rim and music with Justin Dean and Mark Dudrow.

See www.leapsite.org for more info.