Below is a selection of the community postcard art submissions we have received for the Spirit of the Land exhibition, celebrating our Nevada public lands to the south of Las Vegas. The postcards will also be displayed at the Searchlight Community Center, Laughlin Library Gallery, and Barrick Museum of Art.
The final community postcard submissions are currently being added to this page. For more information about the Spirit of the Land exhibition, click here.
Lindsey Ingram. Night Image. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: As we headed toward Searchlight after an adventure-filled day, we couldn't help but pull the car over and set up the tripods for one last shot. Coming from the city, it's not often we are able to experience the wonder of a wide sky filled with such a brilliant display of stars.
Alan O’Neill. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo was taken on one of the backcountry roads on the east side of the Highland Range. This is a rugged volcanic landscape with colorful rock formations, oak thickets, and a wide variety of cactus species. What is striking to me is the delicate ground cover of spring wildflowers against this strikingly rugged terrain.
Joy Fire. Safe. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: My primary medium as an artist is forged metal, which I use to make functional art objects. After I forge a new object I bring it out to the desert to photograph it in film. I have tried doing this in other places, but nothing works quite like this desert. The spirit of the land teaches me and guides me. I am honored to listen.
Jason Hadley. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The old building is in Searchlight, North-West of the Gas Station. It is one of the old prospector's houses. The history of the town is quite fascinating as the remnants left behind are reminders of the perseverance of those times.
Alan O’Neill. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo was taken at about milepost 8 on the Walking Box Ranch Road. The view highlights the rich diversity of the Mojave Desert landscape with the Joshua Trees, Yuccas, Cholla Cactus, and unique grasslands. This area contains the only stands of diverse C4 perennial grasslands west of the Colorado River, a subtropical grassland that is normally found in the Sonoran Desert uplands in Arizona and Mexico.
Kyle Larson. El Dorado Valley. Oil Painting.
Artist’s Statement: The land glistened in the sunlight as the approaching clouds brought the promise of water to El Dorado Valley. Every opportunity to be alongside the beauty of this land is a gift.
Kyle Larson. Spirit Mountain. Oil Painting.
Artist’s Statement: Avi Kwa’ Ame rises tall and shines bright over its surrounding lands. To me, Spirit Mountain is an icon symbolizing the diverse plants, the special animals, the beautiful cultures, and the sacred significance found within the land it overlooks.
Rachael Bennett. Bypass. Poem.
Artist’s Statement: This poem draws from the metaphor "the map is not the territory," which illustrates the differences between the actual world and our understanding of the world. It references the celestial bodies, the earthly bodies, the roadways, and the heart of the Avi Kwa Ame region.
Alan O’Neill. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo was taken on New Years Day on a hike to the top of Spirit Mountain. There were four of us and we observed this intense pink/ruby stream of energy extending from Spirit Mountain directly towards the Dead Mountains to the south. Both sites are very sacred holy sites to the 10 Yuman speaking tribes and are tied to their creation story, cosmology, and well-being. The experience brought tears to our eyes and we still talk about it to this day.
MIchael Clemson. The Entrance to Mystery Ranch. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Using a vintage Argus C3 film camera I capture the feel of historical photographs. Photographing modern and familiar settings lets us connect with the place and time the historical photographs depict and better understand the unique history of Southern Nevada.
MIchael Clemson. Looking East, with Sunlight Glowing Through Cholla Cactus. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Using a vintage Argus C3 film camera I capture the feel of historical photographs. Photographing modern and familiar settings lets us connect with the place and time the historical photographs depict and better understand the unique history of Southern Nevada.
MIchael Clemson. Looking West Across the Valley. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Using a vintage Argus C3 film camera I capture the feel of historical photographs. Photographing modern and familiar settings lets us connect with the place and time the historical photographs depict and better understand the unique history of Southern Nevada.
Ben Miller. Spirit Mountain. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I was at Searchlight's graveyard that day, then driving I encountered the coming storm at Spirit Mountain.
Mystery Ranch Collective. Video snapshot.
Artist’s Statement: Last year we set up cameras at our pond to see what animals were coming by for a drink. The badgers are everyone's favorite -- straight out of a children's story.
Hickmet Sydney Loe. Altered Cacti Three. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I'm so pleased to submit the attached image, inspired by the beautiful and rugged cacti found at Searchlight Mystery Ranch. The day I visited the ranch, the cactus was aglow in afternoon sunlight. The original photograph was altered using software, rendering the cacti into an all-over pattern found in the imagination of nature.
Martha Radosevich. Cholla Sunset. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: It really did look like this!
Jason Hadley. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The final image I captured while walking around Lake Mohave. I saw a Turkey Vulture circling for a place to land and took this photo just as it descended onto the hard packed hillside.
Cara Garcia. Avi Kwa Ame. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: 'Every day we do our part to make your face a work of art.' Burma Shave.
October 2016 Mystery Ranch, Searchlight NV"
Jim Stanger. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: What a fascinating area full of transitions; from high to low, from green to brown, from wide to narrow. I'm not surprised indigenous peoples found it special enough to leave petroglyphs there.
Jim Stanger. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: What a fascinating area full of transitions; from high to low, from green to brown, from wide to narrow. I'm not surprised indigenous peoples found it special enough to leave petroglyphs there.
Jim Stanger. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: What a fascinating area full of transitions; from high to low, from green to brown, from wide to narrow. I'm not surprised indigenous peoples found it special enough to leave petroglyphs there.
Jason Hadley. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The Landscape photo was taken just outside of Searchlight, heading towards Cottonwood Cove on Lake Mohave. The beauty of the flat land, flourishing with several types of cacti giving rise to the dramatic rocky mountain in the distance is what drew my attention.
Rachel Hillberg. Mystery Ranch Landscape. Watercolor.
Artist’s Statement: The Desert lands surrounding the town of Searchlight are like no other landscape I've experienced. For those willing to be still, look and listen, this desert is the most alive place imaginable, and season by season, year by year, it is never the same place twice. This is a meditative watercolor sketch created during a visit to Searchlight Mystery Ranch while taking in the beauty of the surrounding hills.
Beverly Neas. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo was taken at historic railroad pass trail. I chose this photo for the way the light comes in the tunnel and the beauty of how the rocks are shaped.
Jeff Hill. People of the Tall Pines. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: At the top of the Hualapai Mountains there is a massive hedgehog cactus. Hualapai means People of the Tall Pines in the Hualapai language.
Beverly Neas. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo was taken at Nelson, April 2020, during the pandemic lockdown. Wild flowers were in full bloom and spectacular to see.
Kim Garrison Means. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: One of my favorite parts of living here is watching the sky change throughout the day and year. The light is always dancing through the cholla -- the sky is painting the land in golden swaths of color.
Rachel Hillberg. Curiosities I. Cyanotype.
Artist’s Statement: The Desert lands surrounding the town of Searchlight reveal many mysteries: a myriad of tiny flowers, creatures, crystals and relics of old mining camps. A meditative cyanotype study composed of gifts from the desert area around Searchlight Mystery Ranch: bones, quartz crystals and bits of cholla and dried plant matter along with with my own wisdom teeth, representing the human element when we include ourselves in the desert wildlife.
Rachel Hillberg. Curiosities II. Cyanotype.
Artist’s Statement: Arrangements made with dried plants and bones from Mystery Ranch, dried native plants and birds feet found in my own garden in California, and vintage bottles I've collected that remind me of the traces of historic searchlight minors as found in the mine tailings and other trash-made-treasures found near the mines
Jym Davis. Desert Spirits 1. Mixed media (photographs, paint, staples, on wood).
Artist’s Statement: I’ve always been enchanted by the solitude and silence of the desert. Visiting the proposed Avi Kwa Ame monument was a beautiful experience, and I’ve been drawing from that creative well ever since. In fact, an entire series of animal masks and collages emerged from my time there.
Jym Davis. Desert Spirits 2. Mixed media (photographs, paint, staples, on wood).
Artist’s Statement: I’ve always been enchanted by the solitude and silence of the desert. Visiting the proposed Avi Kwa Ame monument was a beautiful experience, and I’ve been drawing from that creative well ever since. In fact, an entire series of animal masks and collages emerged from my time there.
New City Farmers. New City Farmers. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Not only is the El Dorado Valley fun to explore and hike in, it also makes for an excellent band photo (even if we are a goofy lot!)
Lindsey Ingram. Day Image. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I was blown away by the sheer expanse of the land that surrounded us. Standing on top of a small hill with rocky, uninhabited land stretching out in every direction, it's hard not to feel a natural invitation to quiet contemplation.
Leland Means. Gang in Jeep. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Exploring backroads with friends in our Willy's jeep is a blast. Stay safe -- stay on the trail.
Joy Fire. Hurin’s Chair 1. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: My primary medium as an artist is forged metal, which I use to make functional art objects. After I forge a new object I bring it out to the desert to photograph it in film. I have tried doing this in other places, but nothing works quite like this desert. The spirit of the land teaches me and guides me. I am honored to listen.
Joy Fire. Hurin’s Chair 2. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: My primary medium as an artist is forged metal, which I use to make functional art objects. After I forge a new object I bring it out to the desert to photograph it in film. I have tried doing this in other places, but nothing works quite like this desert. The spirit of the land teaches me and guides me. I am honored to listen.
Cindy Jackson. Lake Mead Will Rise Again (2022). Oil on board.
Artist’s Statement: This painting represents my hope for continued water in the desert. I love life here and hope that we will solve our water crisis.
Grace Palermo. Wee Thump Monitoring. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: One of my favorite things is bringing other people to wild lands that I love, like Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, and remembering how I felt being there for the first time.
Grace Palermo. Wee Thump Camping. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Sunset from Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, with Spirit Mountain in the distance.
Patty Mayne. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Free shopping! A history of original Searchlight families - Dishware, rings, canned oysters, medicine bottles, springs, tools, barbed wire, perfume bottles, liquor bottles - all smashed and dumped for us to find.
Julian Kilker. Actor Series 3. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: For my project to highlight "actors" in the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, I used a scrim to explore its flora. I was intrigued by how this huge Joshua Tree transformed into a flat silhouette as the sun set. To explore the balance between its daytime and night personas, I placed my scrim within the tree’s branches to illuminate it from within.
Julian Kilker. Actor Series 1. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: My connection with the Mojave is strongest at night, when our senses can appreciate it in ways not possible in harsh daylight. This photo series uses a scrim to highlight "actors" in the Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, part of the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. Here, a human portrait appears to emerge from a young Joshua Tree.
Julian Kilker. Actor Series 2. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo series uses a scrim to highlight "actors" in the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. I find the Mojave’s transformation from daylight to twilight particularly inspiring. As shadows race across Wee Thump Joshua Tree Wilderness, my partner lofts a scrim as if to X-ray this Joshua Tree.
Maria Volborth. Snake. Digital Graphic.
Artist’s Statement: These playful images were done on my computer from a photo I took from within the Avi Kwa Ame and Wee Thump area.
Maria Volborth. Beetle. Digital Graphic.
Artist’s Statement: These playful images were done on my computer from a photo I took from within the Avi Kwa Ame and Wee Thump area.
Sonya Wilson. Roach Dry Lake. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I chose these three images because these places are something special and I have spent time in each with important people in my life who also treasure our local history and the natural world. They remind me of the beauty and austerity of our desert home and the wide open skies.
Sonya Wilson. Spirit Mountain-Bridge Canyon Wilderness. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I chose these three images because these places are something special and I have spent time in each with important people in my life who also treasure our local history and the natural world. They remind me of the beauty and austerity of our desert home and the wide open skies.
Maria Volborth. Lichen. Digital Graphic.
Artist’s Statement: These playful images were done on my computer from a photo I took from within the Avi Kwa Ame and Wee Thump area.
Judy Bundorf. Harris Hawk. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Harris Hawk surveying his domain. These beautiful raptors hunt in family groups.
Judy Bundorf. Yucca in Bud. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Mojave yucca preparing to bloom.
Angela Brommel. Catallus #7 as Her Answer From Valley of Fire. Poem.
Artist’s Statement: A modernization of a poem by Catullus, beginning at Valley of Fire and ending with a memory in Searchlight, this is a love poem for the Mojave and the beloved.
Kathleen McMurray. Desert Quilt.
Artist’s Statement: The images on this quilt were made using the desert sun and objects found under that very sun.
Michael Webber-Hill. Acrylic painting.
Artist’s Statement: This is a view of Spirit Mountain from the water tower at the end of Nevada Street in Searchlight. On certain days the sun peeks through the clouds and illuminates the peaks.
Angela Brommel. Mojave in July. Poem.
Artist’s Statement: Relocating to the desert from the Midwest, it took some time for me to see what was here instead of what I was missing from the landscape of my childhood. Poet Mary Oliver wrote that "attention is the beginning of devotion." One July I decided that if I was to make and love my home in Nevada, paying attention to what is here was the path. Written in one draft, "Mojave in July" reminds me to pay attention and to live fully.
Sonya Wilson. Walking Box Ranch. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I chose these three images because these places are something special and I have spent time in each with important people in my life who also treasure our local history and the natural world. They remind me of the beauty and austerity of our desert home and the wide open skies.
Rod Hemken. Days Gone By. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I call this photograph of the Searchlight Water Tank and Crescent Peak “Days Gone By” as it depicts Searchlight’s rich and aging history over the last 100+ years.
Rod Hemken. Days Gone By 2. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I call this photograph of the Colton Mine Head Frame “Days Gone By” as it depicts Searchlight’s rich and aging history over the last 100+ years.
Bertha E. Gutierrez. Granite Mountain. Watercolor, ink.
Artist’s Statement: This watercolor is of a portion of the Newberry Mountains, from a photo taken during one of my visits to the area. I like how the granite mountains seem to glow.
Bertha E. Gutierrez. Joshua Trees. Watercolor, ink.
Artist’s Statement: This is a watercolor + ink drawing of a photo I took looking up a Joshua Tree at near the Wee Thump Joshua Tree wilderness in the proposed lands of the Avi Kwa Ame National Monument. The trees in that Joshua Tree forest are larger than any I've seen, and seem so ancient and wise. There's not many Joshua Trees in the world that you can look up to like the ones in and around the Wee Thump.
Naida Osline. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The end-stage yuccas of the Mojave make me see things: elders, aliens, ghosts, shamans, kings, queens, warriors, victims, seekers, migrants, all silently moving through the desert.
Naida Osline. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The end-stage yuccas of the Mojave make me see things: elders, aliens, ghosts, shamans, kings, queens, warriors, victims, seekers, migrants, all silently moving through the desert.
Naida Osline. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The end-stage yuccas of the Mojave make me see things: elders, aliens, ghosts, shamans, kings, queens, warriors, victims, seekers, migrants, all silently moving through the desert.
Elicia Aslin-hummel. Collage, watercolor.
Artist’s Statement: Mojave cycle of life. Crow listens and looks on, rain falls intermittently, I ponder our place in this place, time moves on.
Tyler Stallings. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: A lone settlement situated in the caldera of an ancient, extinct volcano, within the proposed Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, which is a larger refuge for the co-existence of humans, non-human animals, plants and non-living matter.
Rod Hemken. Dancing with the Gods. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photograph is called “Dancing with the Gods” because the clouds appeared to be “dancing” around the peaks of the Castle Mountains on a cold and crisp winter morning.
Ben Miller. Crescent Peak. Photograph.
Ben Miller. Summer Moon. Photograph.
Carin Agiman. Lichen Series 4. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I am continually stunned by the lichen found on the boulders in Searchlight, Nevada. Brilliant colors, patterns, and textures---intricate worlds as mysterious and breathtaking as the galaxies above.
Carin Agiman. Lichen Series 3. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I am continually stunned by the lichen found on the boulders in Searchlight, Nevada. Brilliant colors, patterns, and textures---intricate worlds as mysterious and breathtaking as the galaxies above.
Carin Agiman. Lichen Series 5. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I am continually stunned by the lichen found on the boulders in Searchlight, Nevada. Brilliant colors, patterns, and textures---intricate worlds as mysterious and breathtaking as the galaxies above.
Quindo Miller. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Learning from the desert, there is humor in isolation and a longing for connectedness. I saw that feeling in these yuccas.
Quindo Miller. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This is a photo of just one side of Avi Kwa Ame. What fascinates me about Avi Kwa Ame is its many faces; always changing in different depths and different light.
Quindo Miller. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This is a photo of our current trailer in the desert. It reminds me to be proud of the future we have yet to build together among these ancient trees.
Kimberly Miller. A Soft Escape (2022). Watercolor, ink, and linocut on paper.
Artist’s Statement: Kimberly Miller (she/her) is a visual artist, writer, former theatre maker, and long time arts administrator. Through mixed media, linocut, watercolor, and text her work explores themes of memory, nature, and mental health. This image depicts the Joshua Tree common to Southern Nevada and expresses the connection and peace I feel in the outdoors. I remember as a child feeling that the outdoors was a sacred place - but learning that god only really existed between the stucco walls we visited every Sunday. My adulthood has been dedicated to reconnecting to the truths I found when I was younger outdoors.
Kimberly Miller. A Simple Altar (2022). Watercolor, ink, and linocut on paper.
Artist’s Statement: Kimberly Miller (she/her) is a visual artist, writer, former theatre maker, and long time arts administrator. Through mixed media, linocut, watercolor, and text her work explores themes of memory, nature, and mental health. This image depicts the Yucca Moth common to Southern Nevada and expresses the connection and peace I feel in the outdoors. I remember as a child feeling that the outdoors was a sacred place - but learning that god only really existed between the stucco walls we visited every Sunday. My adulthood has been dedicated to reconnecting to the truths I found when I was younger outdoors.
“Ranch Hand Jim” Woody. Night Demons. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Trail cameras reveal a candid and secret world of mysterious night beasts indulging in all manner of behavior.
Julie Rodriguez. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Taken January 22, 2022 during a volunteer clean up at Christmas tree pass road organized by Friends of Nevada Wilderness.
Casey Griffin. Smoky Kaleidoscope Wishes. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This photo was captured looking out to “Spirit Mountain” (also known as Christmas Tree Pass). The rainbow was so amazingly vibrant it felt like I would literally be able to grab the pot of gold! I love when I get to witness nature’s beauty unfolding right in front of my very own eyes!
Erin Sladek. Looking Back From the Shoreline. Oil on paper.
Artist’s Statement: An alien Salt Cedar surrounded by native grasses and splashes of Desert Marigolds.
Erin Sladek. Moody. Oil on paper.
Artist’s Statement: Awash in the vibrant colors of the Mojave desert.
Erin Slade. Standing at Attention. Oil on paper.
Artist’s Statement: Gray-green Beavertail cactus set against the warm sandy soil of the Mojave desert.
Brooke Feder. One Who Will Remember. Photograph.
Brooke Feder. Rooted, They Drink the Wind. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I am interested in the gentle and unexpected interactions between the human world and the natural one. When I stop to breathe, I see the mirroring, playfulness and reflection. In the rich desert landscape nurtured by Spirit Mountain / Avi Kwa Ame, we find ourselves encircled by so much history, these fragments of moments are abundant and mesmerizing.
Brooke Feder. Bent-Rusted Invites Elder to Dance. Photograph.
Christopher Reitmaier. Chollawood. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This image depicts cholla wood photographed in Searchlight, Nevada.
Christopher Reitmaier. Apricity. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This image depicts aMojave fringe-toed lizard photographed in Searchlight, Nevada.
Christopher Reitmaier. Kinds of Water 2. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: This image is from the series “kinds of water” and depicts the shores of Lake Mojave from Cottonwood Cove.
Isabella Seltenreich. Pastel and lead pencil on paper.
Artist’s Statement: I love all the animals and magic in the desert. Snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, and all the rocks are a few things.
Isabella Seltenreich. Lead and colored pencils on paper.
Artist’s Statement: I love all the animals and magic in the desert. Snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, and all the rocks are a few things.
Isabella Seltenreich. Lead and colored pencils on paper.
Artist’s Statement: I love all the animals and magic in the desert. Snakes, scorpions, tarantulas, and all the rocks are a few things.
Wayne Bundorf. Ladder-backed Woodpecker. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Ladder-backed woodpecker, taken at our desert house near Searchlight.
Wayne Bundorf. Spirit Mountain. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Spirit Mountain, taken from the Searchlight Airport, with sign from National Trust for Historic Preservation in the foreground.
Wayne Bundorf. Turkey Vultures. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: A pair of turkey vultures. They arrive in April and stay until October, cleaning up the desert and are very impressive with a wingspan of over five feet. Really happy they aren’t having to dodge the blades of wind turbines.
Julie Futoran-Ulsted. Bird Seed. Digital Art.
Artist’s Statement: This piece was inspired by all the birds that exist here in the desert. During the pandemic I started to more closely note of all the birds around me. In discovering their activities, I noted that many of them were eating small seeds on the ground, I decided to help them out by buying some bird seed and feeding them on a regular basis. It was a fun and easy activity I could do with my eight year old daughter while feeling more connected to nature at the same time.
Julie Futoran-Ulsted. Quail in the Desert. Digital Art.
Artist’s Statement: This piece was inspired by all the socialite quail we have roaming the land around our homes and public spaces. Seeing these groups pass by my window and encountering them on my morning walks is always something I look forward to!
Julie Futoran-Ulsted. Botanical Desert Blooms. Digital Art.
Artist’s Statement: This piece was inspired by my first spring here in the desert. I was taken aback by all the beautiful blooms that sprouted out of the formerly wilted plants. Now the plants were plump with water and displaying their radiance in full color! I couldn’t help but to try and capture this beauty in my own way.
Jim Boone. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: T. Rex guarding the gate to Spirit Mountain (photo from high on the standard route to the summit of Spirit Mountain looking northeast)
Jim Boone. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: One-inch diameter PVC pipes trap and kill native bees — knock ‘em down, knock ‘em all down! (photo from the desert flats looking east towards Spirit Mountain)
Kim Garrison Means. Tree Portraits: Catclaw. Gouache and ink on paper.
Artist’s Statement: his is one of my favorite trees in our area – it’s so friendly! Also known as “Wait a Minute Bush,” because the tree’s claws tend to hold you up when you walk past. Its thorns are vicious, but in late spring its leaves are delicate and its flowers are sweet and buzzing with bees.
Alex Volborth. Granite Forms #1. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Alex Volborth was an artist and geologist who lived in Nelson for over 50 years. He was drawn to exploring the Spirit Mountain area because of its unusual and ancient granite formations, and he photographed many of these. His acclaimed photography has been shown in the U.S. and Europe, where his images of Spirit Mountain never fail to impress.
Alex Volborth. Granite Forms #2. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Alex Volborth was an artist and geologist who lived in Nelson for over 50 years. He was drawn to exploring the Spirit Mountain area because of its unusual and ancient granite formations, and he photographed many of these. His acclaimed photography has been shown in the U.S. and Europe, where his images of Spirit Mountain never fail to impress.
Jim Boone. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Avi Kwa Ame for as far as the eye can see (photo from the summit of Spirit Mountain looking west)
Luke Seltenreich. Marker on paper.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is beautiful because the ground and mountains remind me of one of my favorite colors orange.
Luke Seltenreich. Marker on paper.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is beautiful because the ground and mountains remind me of one of my favorite colors orange.
Luke Seltenreich. Marker and crayon on paper.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is beautiful because the ground and mountains remind me of one of my favorite colors orange.
Paula Jacoby-Garrett. Digital Artwork.
Artist’s Statement: I love the Avi Kwa Ame area - the solitude, colors, shapes, textures - they intrigue me and keep me coming back for more.
Paula Jacoby-Garrett. Digital Artwork.
Artist’s Statement: I love the Avi Kwa Ame area - the solitude, colors, shapes, textures - they intrigue me and keep me coming back for more.
Paula Jacoby-Garrett. Digital Artwork.
Artist’s Statement: I love the Avi Kwa Ame area - the solitude, colors, shapes, textures - they intrigue me and keep me coming back for more.
Maria Cavazos. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Photos are shot on 35mm. No Photoshop. Connecting with the Earth & capturing it's beauty. Knowing Spirit is with me as I walk this land.
Maria Cavazos. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Photos are shot on 35mm. No Photoshop. Connecting with the Earth & capturing it's beauty. Knowing Spirit is with me as I walk this land.
Maria Cavazos. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Photos are shot on 35mm. No Photoshop. Connecting with the Earth & capturing it's beauty. Knowing Spirit is with me as I walk this land. The way the sky looks like a symbol is by accident, but one of my favorite images I've had the chance to capture.
Laura Cunningham. Nocturne-Starlight. Oil on panel.
Artist’s Statement: Mojave National Preserve by Pinto Mountain. Painted en plein air.
Laura Cunningham. Resting Springs Range Desert. Oil on panel.
Artist’s Statement: Plein air oil sketch of Resting Springs Range near Tecopa, CA.
Judy Bundorf. Joshua Tree Getting Ready to Bloom. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Joshua Tree getting ready to bloom. When conditions are right, both the yucca and Joshua trees bloom profusely.
Kash Seltenreich. Crayon and marker on paper.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is special and has a lot of cool things to see. I like all the Joshua Trees and pointy cactus because their spikes help protect them and animals live and hang out in them.
Kash Seltenreich. Marker on paper.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is special and has a lot of cool things to see. I like all the Joshua Trees and pointy cactus because their spikes help protect them and animals live and hang out in them.
Kash Seltenreich. Marker on paper.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is special and has a lot of cool things to see. I like all the Joshua Trees and pointy cactus because their spikes help protect them and animals live and hang out in them.
Mike Hill. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: A desert plant growing between glass insulators at Mystery Ranch.
Mike Hill. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Sunset in Avi Kwa Ame.
Mike Hill. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Mojave Yucca 2.
Patty Mayne. Diamonds at Dusk. Photograph.
Artist’s Description: Broken glass bottles in blue, green, brown, white & purple shine like desert diamonds when the sun goes down. I think of the tin cans & glass as historic garbage!
Nancy Good. Draped in Desert Spirit. Digital Artwork and Collage.
Artist’s Statement: So often, I hear people say they hate snakes (even the "good" ones, such as the gopher snake in this photo), with no appreciation of their importance to the environments in which they live. This composited image is an homage to the grace and spirit of this beautiful being.
Patty Mayne. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: “Pedro” depicts the importance of donkeys in Searchlight’s mining heritage.
Nancy Ko. Encountering Spirit. Acrylic, colored pencil, digital.
Artist’s Statement: While walking in Avi Kwa Ame, I found a quartz crystal beneath a Joshua Tree. Pondering this gift from the land and how the Joshua Tree itself may morph into rock someday, I recall the creation story of the Yuman speaking tribes, for whom this land is sacred and central to their cosmology: this land teaches us how to die, and thus, how to live.
Matthew Douglas Gierisch. Curious Lizard. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Sometimes the wildlife is just as curious about us as we are of them. This lizard and I enjoy hiking the same trail. Early afternoon, late October. The Mystery Ranch, Searchlight NV
Matthew Douglas Gierisch. Spider’s Burrow. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: "Under a cloudy blue desert sky, above a spider’s burrow in late July. The Mystery Ranch, Searchlight NV
Matthew Douglas Gierisch. Ring-tailed Cat. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Luck came our way when we spotted a Ring-Tailed Cat passing through. High noon, early October. The Mystery Cabin, Searchlight NV
Kay Leigh Farley. Red Rock. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The desert shifts with the weather. Returning to well trodden paths during fleeting moments of rain and snow can reveal fresh ways of looking and interacting with the land. Snow especially hides the vibrancy of rocks and allows for plants, mountains, and canyons to rise to prominence.
Kay Leigh Farley. Proceedings. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: While the desert may appear inhospitable, every year thousands of birds sojourn in our wetlands on their journey south. I managed to sneak a picture of two avians gossiping by a pond.
Kay Leigh Farley. Calico Basin. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The desert is a diverse display of patterns and textures. Within a single hike through the terrain you find polka dots, stripes, ripples, and waves.
Alex Volborth. Geologic Map.
Artist’s Statement: Alex Volborth was an artist and geologist who lived in Nelson for over 50 years. He spent a decade studying the Newberry Mountain range in order to produce this map for the University of Nevada, Reno and the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology. He appreciated the beauty and wonders of this area and would have been happy to see so much interest in its preservation.
Ben Miller. Joshua Tree Forest 164. Photograph.
Artist's Statement: When I left that morning, it was snowing and by the time I got to the summit the snow was gone, leaving an inversion layer that took my breath away.
Kim Garrison Means. No Dumping. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: I’ve always enjoyed our incredible views, and the solitude and quiet the desert brings. What I don’t enjoy is when we residents have to clean up the messes of people who don’t respect the land. What am I, your mom? Our desert is not a wasteland – please leave your waste in the trashcan. Thanks.
Mikayla Whitmore. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Sunset over the desert.
Mikayla Whitmore. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Some garland littered on a cactus near Spirit Mountain on Christmas Tree Pass.
Mikayla Whitmore. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: A silhouette of Castle Mountains.
Leland Means. Duo of Forms. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: One of the things that interests me about this desert is how the plant forms are so sculptural. Some of the most magnificent of these forms are the blooms of the Joshua Tree, especially in a super bloom year.
Shannon Salter. Wee Thump Friends. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Two Joshua trees are growing together in the Wee Thump Wilderness---I'll love you for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more!
Harri & Magdalena Scholz. Species. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Tarantula looking for mates in early November 2019, Mystery Ranch.
Andreas Peiffer. Mojave Desert. Photo-ensemble.
Artist’s Statement: Mojave Desert is sculpture.
Paul Jackson, Jr.
Artist’s Statement: Mastamho, brought human beings to the Northern end of Mojave lands, he heaped up dirt to make the sacred site of Spirit Mountain (AVI KWA AME).
Barbro Scholz. Explorer’s Light-Space in Mojave Desert 1. Performance.
Artist’s Statement: Bright during the day, deep dark when the sun is down. Mojave. The wearable light-space created an intangible space, shaped by Joshua trees, Cholla cactus and crisp ground. Peaceful noise in the rural shelter of Mojave Desert.
Barbro Scholz. Explorer’s Light-Space in Mojave Desert 2. Performance.
Artist’s Statement: Now I am here. All by myself? This is my space.
Light is strong, it is going to keep the wild animals away. Cactus looks soft in warm light. Light shapes the body, the body shapes the light. Light shapes space. The body shapes the light space.
Steve Radosevich. Animal Architecture #1. Photo-ensemble.
Artist’s Statement: These images document some of my explorations into how different kinds of animals make their homes here, and how their building methods also influence the look of the larger landscape. I’m fascinated by how pack rats use cholla cactus as insulation and defense, spiders make silk walls, ant colonies form perfectly round crater entrances, and desert tortoise holes are shaped like desert tortoises. It is also interesting how these animals choose their locations and use the materials available for their houses.
Steve Radosevich. Animal Architecture #2. Photo-ensemble.
Artist’s Statement: These images document some of my explorations into how different kinds of animals make their homes here, and how their building methods also influence the look of the larger landscape. I’m fascinated by how pack rats use cholla cactus as insulation and defense, spiders make silk walls, ant colonies form perfectly round crater entrances, and desert tortoise holes are shaped like desert tortoises. It is also interesting how these animals choose their locations and use the materials available for their houses.
Steve Radosevich. Animal Architecture #3. Photo-ensemble.
Artist’s Statement: These images document some of my explorations into how different kinds of animals make their homes here, and how their building methods also influence the look of the larger landscape. I’m fascinated by how pack rats use cholla cactus as insulation and defense, spiders make silk walls, ant colonies form perfectly round crater entrances, and desert tortoise holes are shaped like desert tortoises. It is also interesting how these animals choose their locations and use the materials available for their houses.
Paul Jackson, Jr. HAQUEAMP AVI (Where the battle took place). Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: The End (NYAMAMK), The Needles peaks is the gateway to the land of sand where Mojaves go when they leave this world to the shadow land or spirit world after cremation.
Krystal Montijo. Photograph.
Artist’s Statement: Attached is a picture of my two daughters and my niece, members of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe. They are dressed in their Mojave regalia which reflects the beauty and traditions of their culture.
Paul Jackson, Jr. Avi Kwa Ame (Spirit Mountain).
Artist’s Statement: The Beginning, (NYAM KUMANEN) Mojave peoples birthplace. Spirit Mountain was and continues to be one of the most (if not the most) important landmarks in Mojave territory. It is the site of many events in ancient times. Mojaves believed that the souls of men and women went there in their dreams to visit and obtain crucial information about their roles in life.