U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — Environmental Protection Agency — Ciudad Soil & Water Conservation District 

Joint Press Release

For Release: Feb. 1, 2024

Contact: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Al Barrus, al_barrus@fws.gov; (505) 328-2583: 

Environmental Protection Agency Region 6: Nelly Smith, Smith.Nelly@epa.gov 

Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District: Astrid Mooney, astrid@ciudadswcd.org 

Federal Funds Granted for Albuquerque Artist Residency for Urban Waters Resource Awareness 

As part of a Biden-Harris Administration Executive Order on promoting the arts the Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday a new Artist-in-Residence Program in collaboration with the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Albuquerque is one of six cities chosen for the inaugural artist residency program. The residency is planned to last for 18 months, during which time the artist would design murals and signage near public waterways to boost engagement, awareness, and connection to urban waterways. 

Of the six cities selected, Albuquerque is the only non-coastal urban center. It was selected because of the robust Albuquerque/Middle Rio Grande Urban Waters Partnership. The Partnership facilitates coordination among non-profits, educational institutions, other community-led groups, federal agencies, state and local government, and municipalities to integrate efforts at a local level. 

The Albuquerque residency will be administered primarily by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in the South Valley, Ciudad Soil and Water Conservation District, EPA, and NEA.

-FWS-