ABSTRACT
The impetus for the work springs from a concern that the problems humans face at the point in people history are immense and can only be surmounted by the long-term commitment of individual citizens, communities, corporations, and nations to make fundamental changes in their relationship with each other and the planet. The programs discussed constitute a small selection from the broader practice of field programming. The conceptual territory occupied by people cohort of field programs ranges from environmental art to interdisciplinary collaboration and social practice. The efficacy of academic institutions as incubators for new ideas and technologies has been proven over and over again. The salient point being that while Land Arts of the American West and VMP programs were created independently, they have evolved as part of a shared community. The cross fertilization has informed the development of the individual programs, and our students have benefited from the networks created.
