Scheduled for September 18 ­ to 21, 2008, the fourth annual Gila River Festival is an opportunity to celebrate our beloved Gila River as a source of inspiration.

The theme for the festival brings together experts and laypersons, artists and scientists from many disciplines, to converge on the topic of the Gila River as experienced through creative expression. We will bridge the arts and sciences through workshops and activities, such as rock art, nature writing, field sketching, song writing, performance and photography. The festival includes intensive workshops co-led by artists and scientists, a keynote speaker, lectures, hikes, kayak trips, and performance over a four-day period.

The Gila River Festival is a community-based event that explores the role of the Gila River in our hearts and minds, and the interconnectedness of all of its communities of life. The festival will foster a body of multidisciplinary work sourced from a common touchstone -- the Gila River. While not all who participate will be artists, per se, the purpose of the festival will be to honor and awaken individual creative expression.

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Thursday September 19

NATIVE PLANT DYES
with weaver Hosana Eilert 10 am – 4 pm; The Nature Conservancy’s Lichty Center at Gila River Farm, Cliff
SUGGESTED AGES = 14 +
This workshop, led by weaver Hosana Eilert (www.hosanaeilert.com) and a member of the Gila Native Plant Society, will include a native plant walk and demonstration of natural plant materials to be used in a hands-on dyeing and beginning-weaving project. Hosana will utilize primitive dyeing techniques around a fire. REGISTRATION FEE = $45

ROCK ART OF THE LOWER BOX
with Anthony Howell, photographer and rock art specialist
9 am – 4 pm; Gila Lower Box, access via Red Rock;
SUGGESTED AGES = 14 +
Transportation provided. Meet at the Silver City Visitor Center at 8:45 am.
This moderate hike in the Lower Box area of the Gila River, led by photographer Anthony Howell, will feature a sojourn in the walled canyons of the Gila River as it flows through the Chihuahuan Desert. Anthony will discuss how the river played a vital role in the existence of the historic Apache, and pre-historic Jornada, Mogollon and Archaic cultures. He will reference visible archaeological remains, as appropriate. Please wear sturdy shoes, hat, and sunscreen; bring water and a lunch. REGISTRATION FEE = $20

DREAMS OF ANGELS AND DUST STORMS: AN EVENING ON THE RIO GILA IN 1848
Keynote Address
by art historian Gray Sweeney, Arizona State University
7 pm - 9 pm; Silco Theater, Silver City
The keynote address will feature art historian Gray Sweeney in a discussion of the role of art in the settling of the Southwest. This evening lecture will vividly depict how survey artists of the US-Mexico Boundary Survey, led by literary scholar and artist John Russell Bartlett, utilized artistic renderings of the desert landscape of the Southwest to lure Easterners out in an effort to settle the land. Boundary surveyors catalogued the plant and animal species of the Gila River due to its role as the official US-Mexico boundary—after the Mexican War and before the Gadsden Purchase. Works by Bartlett, Henry Cheever Pratt and Seth Eastman will be highlighted. Exhibitors located in the lobby before and after the program. Held in conjunction with the Mimbres Region Arts Council Evening with the Artist Series. SUGGESTED DONATION = $5

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Friday – September 19

HIKE AT THE GILA RIVER FARM
with Mike Fugagli, naturalist & ornithologist
8 am – 10 am; The Nature Conservancy’s Gila River Farm, Cliff;
ALL AGES
Tour TNC’s Gila River Farm and learn about the history and future of restoration in the Cliff-Gila valley. Mike will guide participants in an exploration of the role of wetlands in a healthy river. Bring water and dress appropriately. Consider staying for the wetlands planting party (see page 3) and put your newfound knowledge to work! REGISTRATION FEE = $5


WETLANDS RESTORATION PLANTING PARTY
with Martha Schumann, TNC Southwest NM Field Representative
10 am – noon; The Nature Conservancy’s Gila River Farm, Cliff ;
ALL AGES
Help create wetland habitat at the Gila River Farm by planting riparian species along the edge of the Farm’s newest pond. Please dress appropriately; bring water, gloves, and a lunch. FREE

BEHIND-THE-SCENES MIMBRES POTTERY TOUR
with Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison, WNMU Museum Director & archaeologist
2:30 pm – 4 pm; Western New Mexico University Museum, Silver City
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
Housed on the campus of Western New Mexico University, the WNMU Museum houses one of the world’s most complete and comprehensive collections of Mimbres pottery, basketry, and other artifacts, in the Eisele Collection of Prehistoric Southwestern Pottery and Artifacts. The collection offers a stunning glimpse into the artistic and cultural life of the region’s inhabitants 1000 years ago. Join museum director Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison for a rare, behind-thescenes look at the museum’s complete collection. REGISTRATION FEE = $15

COMMUNITY PERFORMANCE
7 pm – 9 pm; Silco Theater, Silver City
The opening performance for the Gila River Festival involves more than two-dozen community members in the culmination of more than two months of preparation. Blending musicians, poets, dancers, puppeteers, and actors, the performance explores the Gila River’s role as an inspiration through performance art. While the performance begins with a theme and general script, the performance evolves through the summer and comes to reflect the interests and talents of the community members who participate. It will take place at the historic Silco Theater in downtown Silver City. Exhibitors located in the lobby before and after the program. FREE

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Saturday – September 20

DSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
with Michael Berman, wildlands photographer
8 am – 2 pm; Location TBD; SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
Join wildlands photographer and 2008 Guggenheim Fellow, Michael Berman (www.fragmentedimages.com), for this workshop geared towards photographers of all skill levels. Participants will start the morning with a talk on landscape photography and then head to the river to make some pictures. This field workshop will provide an opportunity to learn photographic techniques for capturing the subtle landscape of the Gila River. Co-led by naturalist Mike Fugagli. Please dress appropriately; bring water and a lunch. REGISTRATION FEE = $75.

KAYAK TRIP DOWN THE GILA
with Far-Flung Adventures
9 am – 2 pm; Meeting location – TBD;
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
Participants will paddle inflatable kayaks on a 1.5-2 mile section of the Gila River in the Cliff-Gila Valley, visiting recovering riparian areas and river diversions. Although previous river experience is not necessary, all should be in good physical condition for several short carries. Leaders/interpreters are Todd Schulke of the Center for Biological Diversity and Steve Harris of Far-Flung Adventures. Participants should bring: hat; sunglasses with retainer strap; shorts; short-sleeved shirt; sneakers, booties or water shoes (with sandals a distant second choice); 1-2 liters of water; lunch and snacks; sunscreen; and a lightweight shelled jacket in case of weather. Limited space available. REGISTRATION FEE = $25

RAPTOR VIEWING IN RED ROCK
with Mike C. Neal, Research Biologist
9 am – 4 pm; Red Rock, NM;
SUGGESTED AGES = 14 +
Transportation provided. Meet at the Silver City Visitor Center at 8:45 am.
This field-going trip (light hiking and scanning for birds) will focus on the conservation, natural history, approaching/viewing/photographing of the Gila River ecosystem’s inspiring avian predators. Participants will also learn about citizen science opportunities offered in the region by HawkWatch International (www.hawkwatch.org). Some optics will be available, but participants should bring their own binoculars or spotting scopes. Please dress appropriately and bring a brown bag lunch. REGISTRATION FEE = $20


NATURE WRITING
with Sharman Apt Russell, author
9 am - noon; The Nature Conservancy’s Lichty Center at Gila River Farm, Cliff
SUGGESTED AGES = 14 +
This creative writing workshop will begin with the importance of nature writing to the culture and literature of the Southwest. Building on the participants’ relationship to the Gila River, we will explore our place in the natural world through the act of writing. The workshop will include a discussion of the themes of American nature writing, from the oral traditions of Native Americans to the historical writings of Thoreau and Mary Austin to the diverse and multicultural work of contemporary Southwestern authors—as well as the role of nature writing in the twenty-first century. Participants will spend some time on their own creative work and consider how writing (poetry, personal essay, or fiction) can enhance an appreciation of nature and influence beliefs and behavior. REGISTRATION FEE = $25

PLEIN AIR PAINTING ON THE GILA
with Sandy Urban
7 am – 2 pm; The Nature Conservancy’s Gila River Farm, Cliff;
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
This riverside course is designed for all levels of students, including professionals who wish to take their painting skills to the next stage. Sandy will give demos at points during the day, and give students time to paint during the best light of the day to capture the essence of the Gila. Sandy will focus on principles of successful painting: light/dark patterns, shapes and values, color temperature, problem solving, and how to capture the effects of light, atmosphere and mood with the medium of paint. Students must have all their own outdoor painting equipment, and can plan to finish their painting on location in one sitting. Material list mailed upon registration. REGISTRATION FEE = $60

SHARING THE INSPIRATION
Community art show
10 am – 4 pm; Silco Theater Lobby, Silver City
Community artists, including students, have been selected to share their work, connected by a common theme: The Gila River as a Source of Inspiration.

GILA RIVER MURAL DEDICATION & RECEPTION
11 am ribbon-cutting; Yankie & Bullard, downtown Silver City
Join city officials, artists, conservationists, youth muralists, and the Mimbres Region Arts Council for the unveiling of the Gila River mural at the intersection of Bullard and Yankie Streets. Brief remarks followed by a reception. Refreshments will be served. Join NM Game & Fish staff for hands-on family activities.

GALLERY TOUR
in downtown Silver City
Visit downtown galleries to view works inspired by the Gila River. 2 – 5 pm. See brochure for details and locations.

PREMONITIONS PHOTOGRAPHY OF MICHAEL BERMAN
5 pm – 7 pm; Blue Dome Gallery, 307 N. Texas St., Silver City
This art show will feature the work of landscape photographer and 2008 Guggenheim Fellow Michael Berman. Artist reception will be held at the Blue Dome Gallery in downtown Silver City.

DANCE FOR THE RIO GILA
7 pm – 10 pm; Isaac’s Bar & Grill, corner of Bullard & Broadway, Silver City
Come out for an evening of fun and music to benefit conservation efforts for the Gila River. Hear the winning songs from this year’s songwriting contest, and boogie to the sounds of Edie & the Silver Blue Roots. Must be 21 years of age or older to enter. SUGGESTED DONATION = $10

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Sunday – September 21

BIRDS OF LAKE ROBERTS
with David Beatty, SWNM Audubon Board Member.
8 am – 2 pm; Lake Roberts, NM
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults. Transportation provided.
Meet at the Silver City Visitor Center at 7:45 am.
This birding trip, suitable for beginning and intermediate birders, will focus on lakeside and riparian birds during the height of Fall migration. Most of the walking will be on flat terrain. Please dress appropriately; bring water and a bagged lunch. REGISTRATION FEE = $20

FIELD SKETCHING
with Judith Meyer, multimedia artist
9 am – 1 pm; The Nature Conservancy’s Lichty Center at Gila River Farm, Cliff
SUGGESTED AGES = 14 +
This riverside workshop will feature journal making and field sketching techniques. Participants will have the opportunity to make their own journals and learn techniques to capture observations of the Gila River environment. Please wear sturdy shoes, hat, and sunscreen; bring water and a lunch. REGISTRATION FEE = $40

KAYAK TRIP DOWN THE GILA
with Far-Flung Adventures
9 am – 2 pm; Meeting location – TBD;
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
Participants will paddle inflatable kayaks on a 1.5-2 mile section of the Gila River in the Cliff-Gila Valley, visiting recovering riparian areas and river diversions. Although previous river experience is not necessary, all should be in good physical condition for several short carries. Leaders/interpreters are Todd Schulke of the Center for Biological Diversity and Steve Harris of Far-Flung Adventures. Participants should bring: hat; sunglasses with retainer strap; shorts; short-sleeved shirt; sneakers, booties or water shoes (with sandals a distant second choice); 1-2 liters of water; lunch and snacks; sunscreen; and a lightweight shelled jacket in case of weather. Limited space available. REGISTRATION FEE = $25

PHOTOGRAPHING WITH A VIEW CAMERA
with Michael Berman, wildlands photographer
10 am – 4 pm; Location TBD;
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
Join wildlands photographer and 2008 Guggenheim Fellow Michael Berman (www.fragmentedimages.com) for this field workshop for the dedicated view camera photographer who is interested in landscape photography. We will start the morning looking at Michael Berman’s beautiful large prints, and then head out to photograph along the Gila River. Berman will share his insight and techniques into how to refine and make better photographs with a view camera. REGISTRATION FEE = $75


FROM MUD PIES TO MIMBRES POTS
with the Gila Conservation Education Center
1 pm – 3:30 pm; Begins & ends at Silco Theater, Silver City;
SUGGESTED AGES = Kids
Look for clues on a hike through modern day Silver City to see how nature inspired the making and designing of Mimbres pots 1000 years ago. Curious kids aged 6 & up can join leaders from the Gila Conservation Education Center and the National Park Service for a nature hike and hands-on activities along Big Ditch Park. Anyone 5 years or younger must be accompanied by an adult. The adventure begins and ends at the Silco Theater. Dress appropriately for the weather and (potentially messy) art projects. FREE, REGISTRATION REQUIRED

MIMBRES ICONOGRAPHY SLIDESHOW
with Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison, WNMU Museum Director & archaeologist
2 pm – 3:30 pm; Silco Theater, Silver City
SUGGESTED AGES = Adults
This event will feature a slideshow presentation of Mimbres iconography from Western New Mexico University Museum’s famous Eisele Collection of Mimbres painted pottery. Dr. Cynthia Ann Bettison will explore how the Gila River environment influenced the art of the Mimbres potters. SUGGESTED DONATION = $5 at the door.