Basia Irland Papers
Collection
Identifier: MSS-996-BC
Scope and Content
The collection documents some of Basia Irland’s water-related projects. The bulk of the material relates to A Gathering of Waters: Río Grande, Source to Sea, which focuses on the plight of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo as it flows from its source in the Colorado mountains through New Mexico, and then forms the border between Texas and Mexico. Dia del Rio and other celebratory events are documented in the collection. Materials also relate to Irland’s “Water Library" book project.
Desert rainwater harvesting projects (at the University of New Mexico and Isleta Pueblo among other places) are recorded in the collection. Pollution (Calaveras River (CA), Point Hope (Ontario), Hudson River, (NY), parasites, salt, and other water related topics are covered in the collection, as is the “holiness" of water historically and internationally.
Photographs, printed materials, and video recordings comprise the bulk of the collection. Publications by Basia Irland have been catalogued into the CSWR book collection.
Desert rainwater harvesting projects (at the University of New Mexico and Isleta Pueblo among other places) are recorded in the collection. Pollution (Calaveras River (CA), Point Hope (Ontario), Hudson River, (NY), parasites, salt, and other water related topics are covered in the collection, as is the “holiness" of water historically and internationally.
Photographs, printed materials, and video recordings comprise the bulk of the collection. Publications by Basia Irland have been catalogued into the CSWR book collection.
Dates
- 1975-2004
- Majority of material found within 1996-2004
Language of Materials
English
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.
Biographical Information
Basia Irland is an author, poet, sculptor, installation artist, and creator of international water projects. She earned her BFA at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1968) and her MFA from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is Professor Emerita at the University of New Mexico Department of Art and Art History, where she established the Arts and Ecology Program.
Irland works on projects with scholars from diverse backgrounds and with communities around the world. Projects include building rainwater harvesting systems and fostering dialogue between communities along the entire length of rivers (as in her A Gathering of Waters: Río Grande, Source to Sea project). She has filmed and produced water documentaries; sculpted hand-carved ice books embedded with native riparian seeds; and has created waterborne disease awareness projects around the world.
Irland’s publications include River Reciprocity (Salient Seedling Press, 1996), Water Library (University of New Mexico Press, 2007), and Reading the River: The Ecological Activist Art of Basia Irland (edited with Museum De Domijnen, 2017). Irland is a Fulbright Scholar. She writes a blog for National Geographic about international rivers. She lectures and exhibits extensively.
Source: Basia Irland website.
Irland works on projects with scholars from diverse backgrounds and with communities around the world. Projects include building rainwater harvesting systems and fostering dialogue between communities along the entire length of rivers (as in her A Gathering of Waters: Río Grande, Source to Sea project). She has filmed and produced water documentaries; sculpted hand-carved ice books embedded with native riparian seeds; and has created waterborne disease awareness projects around the world.
Irland’s publications include River Reciprocity (Salient Seedling Press, 1996), Water Library (University of New Mexico Press, 2007), and Reading the River: The Ecological Activist Art of Basia Irland (edited with Museum De Domijnen, 2017). Irland is a Fulbright Scholar. She writes a blog for National Geographic about international rivers. She lectures and exhibits extensively.
Source: Basia Irland website.
Extent
2 boxes
Abstract
The collection documents some of Basia Irland’s water-related projects. The bulk of the material relates to A Gathering of Waters: Rio Grande, Source to Sea, focusing on the plight of the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo from its source in the Colorado mountains, through New Mexico, and forming the border between Texas and Mexico.
Separated Material
The following publications by Basia Irland have been transferred to CSWR book collections:
- A Gathering of Waters: Rio Grande, Source to Sea. (DVD) 2004
- Clandestine Calaveras. University of the Pacific, Stockton CA, (Audio CD and postcards) 2004
- River Reciprocity. Albuquerque, NM, Salient Seedling Press, 1996
- Water Cycle. Riverdale, Maryland: Pyramid Atlantic Press, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Borowsky Center for Publication Arts, The University of the Arts. Funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. 1996.
Processing Information
Inquire with reference staff for access to an unprocessed addition (January 2021) of 2 boxes, B3-4B. A detailed inventory of the addition (created by Basia Irland) is available in Box 1, Folder 61 of the collection.
- A gathering of waters: Rio Grande, source to the sea
- Mural painting and decoration
- Photographs
- Rio Grande (Colo.-Mexico and Tex.) -- Environmental aspects
- Rivers -- Environmental aspects
- Slides (Photography)
- Water -- Pollution
- Water harvesting
- Water in art
- Water resources development -- Environmental aspects -- Rio Grande Valley (Colo.-Mexico and Tex.)
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Basia Irland Papers, 1975-2004
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- B. Silbergleit
- Date
- © 2018
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
cswrref@unm.edu