While Mary Ann Redding, curator of photography at the Palace of the Governors, hopes that drilling never happens at the Galisteo Basin, she's glad that there is a portfolio of artistic photographs that document just how the Galisteo Basin looks now.

From Jan. 23 to March 7, Photo-Eye Gallery in Santa Fe had an exhibit of photographs by 27 photographers who took photographs of the Galisteo Basin. The exhibit was meant to express the opposition that many locals feel over possible plans by Tecton Energy to drill for oil in the Galisteo Basin.

"It was probably our most attended opening we've ever had," said Anne Kelly, associate director at the Photo-Eye Gallery. "We had probably about 500 or 600 people — maybe even more. We had a lot of people coming through — more than the people who generally attend art exhibits."

Three portfolios of the photographs were created and put up for sale and most recently the McCune Foundation and Verve Gallery teamed up and purchased one to donate to the Palace of the Governors.

A portion of the proceeds went toward nonprofits that are fighting to stop the efforts to drill in that area, including Drilling Santa Fe, the New Mexico Environmental Law Center and the Oil and Gas Accountability Project.

"The photographers donated their time and donated their visions ... to really respond to the plan to drill at the Galisteo Basin," Redding said. "If there is ever drilling for gas and water, they're recording a moment in time before the basin is altered forever. That's why it's really important that it's here in the photo archives at the Palace of the Governors."

Redding said it will become an important historical document.

"History didn't stop in 1950," Redding said. "History is happening now and it's important to collect for the future."

The project was started by Photo-Eye Gallery's director, Rixon Reed, who contacted several photographers who lived in the Galisteo Basin to contribute something to the project.

"To stop the potential destruction of the Galisteo Basin, they came together as a community," Redding said.

Although the photographs are no longer being exhibited at the gallery, anyone who is interested can visit the Web site of the photo project, www.galisteobasinphotoproject.com, to see them.

ON THE WEB

u www.galisteobasinphoto
project.com

Contact Ana Maria Trujillo at 986-3084 or atrujillo@sfnewmexican.com.