Faith Purvey
OMO artist-as-organizer
Faith Purvey is an interdisciplinary artist and educator, working in the realms of pedagogy and public engagement to bring people closer to wilderness and each other. Her work is community-driven, collaborative, site-responsive and temporary, but also takes various other forms such as modular sculpture, painting, photography, and video. Fascinated by notions of habitation, urban infrastructure, transience, and wildness many of Faith’s projects are developed in collaboration with groups such as hiking clubs, schools, Girl Scouts, the National Park Service and civic entities.
As lead artist of Organ Monument Oratory, Faith Purvey conceives of and executes all related programs. Wearing many hats and working in collaboration, she writes grants, builds sculpture, teaches kids, engages in dialogue, and loves getting into the mountains.
Shaunna Foster
Collaborator
Shaunna Foster is originally from Alaska, but has been in Las Cruces since 1997. She is an artist and outdoor enthusiast, having been a hiking guide for 15 years both locally and in many U.S National Parks. Foster’s art practice includes making recycled sculpture, cartooning, developing murals with community, and etching repurposed old metal signs with highly detailed renderings of local animal species. Foster worked for the City as a recreation leader for 15 years and is active in search and rescue, on both the Organ Mountain Technical Rescue Squad and Doña Ana County Search and Rescue. She is currently Senior Library Assistant at Brannigan Library and serves as a private hiking guide.
Basically, Shaunna is amazing.
Ben Gabriel
Friends of the OMDP, executive director (-2017)
Since 2014 Ben Gabriel has been the Executive Director of the Friends of Organ Mountains Desert Peaks. Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks seeks to enrich the Las Cruces community and diverse cultures through advocacy, conservation and restoration of the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument as a premier example of America’s National Conservation Lands. Ben holds a degree in Outdoor Recreation from Ohio University and a Masters in Higher Education Administration from New Mexico State University. He enjoys hiking, rock climbing, biking, and spending time with family.
Maria Ehlers
Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest
Girl Scouts is a values-based, informal educational program with activities in six grade levels to meet girls’ developmental, educational, emotional and social needs and interests. Girl Scouts offers activities in a variety of interests for today’s girls, such as math, science, the arts, technology, the outdoors, people and cultures, contemporary issues, and individual well-being. Activities include more than half of the 40 Developmental Assets identified by the Search Institute as keys to a child’s healthy development and well-being.
Carrie Hamblen
Chief Executive Officer
Las Cruces Green Chamber of Commerce
The mission of the LCGGC is to promote socially and environmentally responsible businesses and to build a vibrant and successful local economy based on the Triple Bottom Line. Their members believe that investing in people; protecting air, land and water; and promoting profit through sustainable business practices will build a thriving community for today and for generations to come.
Hamblen currently serves as New Mexico State Senator for District 38.
Many people have supported and helped shape Organ Monument Oratory. Special thanks to:
Meg Freyermuth, Rene Romo, Chris Bardey, Saba Wear, Lucas Herndon, Irene Oliver-Lewis, Eric Shack, Martin Goetz, Raul and Tauna Dorn, Olin Calk, Yvette Lopez, Cassandra Lockwood, McKinney Briske, Stephanie Abdon, and everyone who cares for the Organ Mountains.