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Meg G Freÿermuth 🎨

@megfreyermuth

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Las Cruces, New Mexico, US
• visual artist • writer • musician • radio dj •
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Next week, on Tuesday April 22 2025 (the 55th Earth Day), the Doña Ana Board of County Commissioners will officially approve an extension for my loan of this piece to the Doña Ana County Government Center. If you have any interest in attending a government meeting, it begins at 9 am. Your attendance would be greatly appreciated. 💚

I made this piece, "Leap: It is unchanging yet trembles sweetly", from September-November 2008, during my second to last semester of college. I first had visions of making a piece like this after going to LA with other art students in May 2008 thru an awarded travel scholarship. A Kara Walker retrospective at the Hammer Museum had a particular effect on me: how she filled large rounded spaces with her continuous paper silhouettes based on massive trauma, grief & pain got me thinking about bigger possibilities for my work. Ultimately, this piece too came from a well of pain & grief. Someone who told me to always follow my dreams, stand up for myself & never give up passed away in these mountains in 2006, & suddenly I couldn't look at them without feeling fear & sadness. Working through my fear & grief to make this, & working to get it shown in a variety of spaces, & then giving it up, in a sense, under a loan to a public space....it was all a big risk, a big leap into the unknown. As the end-date for the original 10-year loan approached earlier this year, I found myself having anxiety attacks about it daily because I didn't want this piece to come down. I've also struggled with imposter syndrome for several years, making me question whether the public cares for my work at all. But I worked though it, overcoming fear once again, because I want this piece to be accessible to the public. I know that art helps us grieve & learn & makes us better people, strengthening communities. I am grateful that the County government & management agree that public art & rights to free expression benefit our community. As the current president tries to destroy our rights, we must exercise them 100-fold. This is just one way I know how to do that.

#art #artwork #visualart #painting #pain #publicart #organmountains #freedomofexpression #artmatters taken in Doña Ana County Government Center by @megfreyermuth

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6

a year ago

Last month, I was featured on the front page of the Albuquerque Journal in this lovely article by one of the best journalists in New Mexico, Algernon D'Ammassa. It's about how I used grief to create a large 10-panel painting of the Organ Mountains, which is now public art. It took me some time to post about it here for several reasons, one being simply more grief. The same day this article was printed, I received the terrible news that my cat Billy has cancer. This diagnosis & his needed care have resulted in me putting a lot of things off and also spending very little time on any social media. That being said, as this article is on my mind today a mere 5 weeks after publication, it's as good a time as any to make the post I've been wanting to make about this feature. The link to it is in my bio, please do give it a read.

One of the reasons I made this piece in multiple panels is because I wanted to show that the story doesn't end at the edge of a canvas. The same is true for grief; the story doesn't end there. Beauty and joy can be manifested from our losses. I have been asking myself for the last 6 years, "what do I do with all this grief I've collected?" While it seems to grow like a cancer in my life, the answer is always in front of me in my work. Art helps us through tough times, for both creators & consumers. Here's to all the creators still doing the hard work of making real, physical human-made art & wondering if anyone still cares in this digital AI-crazed nonsense of a world: I know for a fact there are many who still care. Real art made by real people matters & makes our lives better & is not made in vain. Making something, whether it comes from despair or joy, is such a special gift to the world. Thanks for all you do as creators to make the world a better place.

#art #artmatters #publicart #newmexico #newmexicoart #newmexicoartist #lascruces #lascrucesart #lascrucesartist #albuquerquejournal #fuckAI #makeart #visualart #visualartist #paint #paintings #supportlivingartists #buyartfromartists #linkinbio #megfreyermuth #supporthumanartists #supportartists taken in Las Cruces, New Mexico by @megfreyermuth

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a year ago

This is a sketch I made in February 2018 depicting Mt. Cristo Rey, a mountain that sits by the Rio Grande where we've imposed the US-Mexico border. While most of it is in New Mexico, a significant portion sits also in Mexico. It is also an important landmark & destination for many Texas residents. Pilgrimages are taken up the mountain frequently. Beyond ourselves, this mountain is a crucial wildlife corridor because--contrary to the ignorance of Border Patrol goons--hundreds of species live here & rely on it to migrate since border wall is already blocking large portions of our desert ecosystem. This place is ecologically, spiritually & historically important to our area yet it is constantly embattled by the cruel militarized border policies imposed by the US government. In May 2019, a chunk of border wall illegally went up here (thanks to Steve Bannon fundraising for it), and all construction was done without proper permitting. It's a garish sight, accompanied by bright lights for nighttime, appearing like a deep dark scar going partway up the mountain. I was there on Valentine's Day, and I noticed construction machinery in the area & fresh scars on the land while ducks landed at what's left of the river. The next day, I learned that the DHS secretary waived environmental laws to allow the wall to go completely across the mountain, and they have already started blasting parts of the mountain.

I made several other sketches of Mt. Cristo Rey 8 years ago (one resulted in an original which has been sold), but this one was influenced by a dream in which I was painting a similar scene. When I came back to it this week after hearing the bad news of new border wall construction, it looked profound & almost like a premonition. The thing is, one doesn't need to be psychic to know how this area is treated & mistreated; it can be witnessed on a map or in person quite easily, and it's been going on for decades. The pain brought upon this location is in plain sight.

#art #visualart #paint #sketch #thisistheborder taken in Mount Cristo Rey by @megfreyermuth

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8 months ago

"Bishops At Night"
Watercolor on paper
April 2025 - January 2026
~5½" × 7"
Now available to purchase at the link in my bio.

This piece came from a coffee-stained sketch I drew last April, after committing this sight to memory during a drive home from El Paso. I was watching this cloud that seemed to be in conversation with the land below, which included a peak south of the Organ Mountains called Bishop's Cap. It is a prominent sight to the east on the drive to & from El Paso. As a kid, I would often get sad on this drive because there is a lot of land degradation/erosion in the area from a barrage of construction + suburban sprawl, as well as a lot of litter. Add to this the intense militarization of the border area, and it was all something that on the surface was not a pretty sight for me. It felt like not enough people valued this place for its inherent beauty. I have always seen beauty in this land when too many see just a drab desert to abuse, but I too had to learn to focus on, appreciate and share this beauty. It is a constant practice, committing scenes like this to memory or paper, putting time & energy into repeatedly observing & sharing what matters to me about this place. I can't always make a sketch or even take a photo, and I know all-too-well how precious & fleeting memory can be. Words cannot encompass the kind of gratitude I feel to be able to do this work. How do you appreciate, preserve, remember & share something when you can't take a photo? What we have now will not always be here; let's not take this for granted.

#art #painting #watercolor #visualart #supportartists by @megfreyermuth

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8 months ago

"Fire Moon"
Oil on paper
October 2017
Now available in my online shop, link in bio!

Here is another moon painting I made in 2017, which was recently added into my online shop. When the moon turns this color, it is both awe-inspiring and upsetting: a red or orange moon means there is a lot of particulate matter in the air. In the western US, a color this strong typically signifies that fire smoke is in the air, something that can occur almost year round now. This painting depicts what I call a fire moon rising over the southern Organ Mountains earlier that summer in 2017. Although my work will sometimes focus on moments of perceived beauty, it is important to remember: not all that is beautiful is good.

Thank you for showing your support for my work, which is real art made by a real living person.

#art #visualart #painting #oilpainting #supportartists by @megfreyermuth

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8 months ago

"Full Moon Where The Sun Sets Last"
Watercolor on paper
2017
Available in my online shop; link in bio.

This watercolor was based off a March 2012 sketch I made of the full moon rising over Mt. Tukuhnikivatz in southeast Utah. I've made several artworks inspired by this mountain, whose name essentially translates to "where the sun sets last." It reminds me of how the naming of places can impact our connection to them. I hope you all can take some time to enjoy another full moon rising this weekend, from wherever you are. 🌝

Thank you for supporting real living artists making real tangible art.

# by @megfreyermuth

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8 months ago

"Blow Your Blues Away"
Oil on panel
12"×12"
April 2016
Now available in my online shop; link in bio!

This painting was about me trying to find inspiration and even joy in something I deeply dislike: a windy day. This is the energy I'm bringing into this new year. It's a struggle everyday to be positive but I've come to the realization that I have to work on this in order to survive. Thanks everyone for being here.

If you are interested in purchasing something from my shop but have questions or don't want to pay through the shop, please contact me! Use the code LCLOCAL at checkout for free shipping if you can pick up your order!

#art #visualart #painting #oilpainting #supportlivingartists by @megfreyermuth

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9 months ago

September 12, 2025, marked 11 years since my Billy kitty showed up in my life. Unfortunately, I had to say goodbye to him several weeks before that date so he could be freed from his pain. Cancer rapidly spread through his jaw and it just wasn't something that could be improved while also improving his quality of life. I found what I thought was swelling in his jaw at the end of May; by July 7 we learned it was a cancerous mass & it was growing rapidly. There was literally no time to even try any positive interventions to try to turn things around. Billy was here for me through so much with loving comfort. He loved all people, and he loved to play fight & cuddle with all kitties. He was rambling about the Las Cruces Mesquite barrio on September 12, 2014, when he hopped into my friend's window & watched me with his big eyes as I broke down my drumset after a jam session. My friend asked me to take him home, offering to help pay for his initial vet needs, while he stared at just me the whole time. Thus he got loaded into my truck along with the drums, safely in a borrowed crate from my friend. He was always a bit of an outlaw to me, but one with a big heart just like I had read at the time about Billy The Kid. I used to play & sing my own arrangement of this Dylan song to him. He was a very good boy all the time and I'll miss him forever. Hug your pets multiple times a day for Billy. by @megfreyermuth

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a year ago

This month marks 10 years since I served as the inaugural Artist-In-Residence for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. I helped found this program & have formed relationships with many of the artists that followed (which was one of the reasons a young local artist who painted the mountains was chosen as the first). I have gladly made myself available to this role even if not everyone is interested in working with me. The AIR program is crucial to understanding & promoting the importance of public lands. Public lands establishments lacking in any arts programs suffer for it; I've witnessed it. Creative interpretation is vital to our lives just like these lands are, so we should invest in artists. I maintain so much gratitude for being able to lead the way for this program, regardless of who recognizes it now or in the future. This residency improved my work & my life, and I know it also helped our community & visitors to our lovely Monument gain a multi-faceted appreciation for protecting these lands for all to enjoy. September is probably my favorite month here, even if it can still get hot. The angle of the sunlight, all kinds of flowers & grasses blooming thanks to monsoon rains, the vibrant colors that come out and pop in the desert like nowhere else.... if we don't invest in artists to help us capture, celebrate, understand and remember these moments in this place, we will certainly suffer for it.

"Organ Effigy"
A portrait of Organ Peak
Oil on panel
12" × 12"
September-October 2015
SOLD

#art #artist #artwork #artistinresidence #visualart #visualartist #publiclands #organmountains #OMDP #paint #painting #painter #pleinair #oilpaint #oilpainting #newmexico #newmexicoart #newmexicoartist #lascruces #lascrucesart #megfreyermuth #lascrucesartist #supportartists #supportlocalartists #supportlivingartists #buyart #buyartfromartists #landscapepaintingnow taken in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument by @megfreyermuth

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a year ago

10 years ago today, I was approached at an art show opening by the then-director for Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument (OMDPNM) & asked if I wanted to be the first Artist-In-Residence for OMDPNM. I gratefully accepted the request & went on to complete the inaugural residency in September 2015. This piece was one of three pieces I had on display at that show, a group show celebrating the Organ Mountains & the one-year anniversary of the designation of OMDPNM.

This drawing, like much of my work, came from a difficult moment in my life. Several years before, I had awoken from stress nightmares at 5 am & couldn't go back to sleep. I walked onto my front porch & saw the day's first light approaching from behind the Organs. I grabbed my sketchbook, took notes of my observations, & a few years later completed this piece based on those sketches. Walking out to see the sunrise behind these mountains helped me feel at ease during what was probably an anxiety attack. They've done this for me throughout my life. These mountains help us find perspective, humility & healing. They deserve our protection. This Monument is now under threat by trump yet again even though we already fought against & won his first attempt to reduce OMDPNM. Now he wants to remove the protections that monument designation is supposed to provide. This threatens our local economy & even threatens programs like the artist residency. This month, as we celebrate 11 years of our Monument, we need to GET LOUD in support of the protections that Monument designation is intended to provide. I too must constantly remind myself to turn my despair into action, like I did when I made this piece; if we don't act, we will lose so much.

Image info:
"The Wisest Sunrise"
Charcoal & conté on paper
March 2015
~26" × 34"
Archivally framed
Available to purchase; SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY PLEASE!!

#art #artist #draw #drawing #charcoaldrawing #arte #kunst #artista #southwestart #womanartist #newmexicoartist #newmexicoart #newmexico #nmtrue #lascruces #lascrucesart #lascrucesartist #organmountains #supportartists #supportlivingartists #visualart #visualartist #megfreyermuth #protectpubliclands taken in Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument by @megfreyermuth

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a year ago

"A Kind Of Peace"
2011
Oil on panel
16" × 20"
SOLD

Here's a rarely-shared winter scene I made years ago based on somewhere in the Gila National Forest. I'm hoping you all can have a peaceful winter, we certainly all deserve peace. It's all around if we look for it, embrace it, share it. This is one way I know how to share peace. Happy Winter Solstice 💙
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#art #artist #artwork #originalart #paint #painting #painter #oilpaint #oilpainting #landscapepainting #landscapepainter #landscapepaintingnow #artista #arte #kunst #contemporaryartist #contemporaryart #fineart #professionalartist #womanartist #newmexicoartist #lascrucesartist #lascrucesart #newmexico #newmexicoart #newmexicotrue #nmarts #supportlivingartists #buyartfromartists #peace taken in Gila Wilderness, New Mexico by @megfreyermuth

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2 years ago

"West"
Watercolor on paper
November 2010
Not available for purchase

I haven't shared this piece much because it's so personal, and I gave it to a friend after they suffered a huge loss. But I feel ready to share it now; it's one of my favorite watercolors that I've made. It depicts the Sierra de Juárez in México as seen from the Organ Mountains near my home. The border area is so beautiful, and I am trying so hard to focus on that beyond all the noise.... This is such a beautiful place to be.
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#art #artist #artwork #originalart #watercolor #watercolorart #watercolorpainting #arte #kunst #landscapeart #landscapepainting #borderartist #borderart #thisistheborder #juarez #fineart #contemporaryart #contemporaryartist #desertart #southwestart #newmexicoart #newmexico #newmexicoartist #newmexicotrue #mexico #megfreyermuth #lascrucesartist #lascrucesart #visualart #visualartist taken in Organ Mountains, New Mexico by @megfreyermuth

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2 years ago