Searchlight Gold Beam

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ABOUT ISSUE 2: DREAMS & VISIONS

This year, as we celebrate the first anniversary of Avi Kwa Ame National Monument, we are sharing this region’s fascinating historical dreams, highlighting its local mythic wonders, and exploring the natural world and our local communities. We investigate these topics with the idea that every living being exists with its own set of experiences and perceptions that make its vision of the universe unique from ours. 

The style inspiration of this issue comes from the pre-printing press era of hand-written and illustrated books. During this time in European history, stories were illuminated by beautiful drawings and paintings, mystical symbols, medicinal plants, visual humor, and fanciful creatures, which lent a dreamlike quality to the pages. It was expensive to handwrite a book, and the information contained within was considered precious and important. We believe that the stories of this place are also precious and important, and merit the same treatment.

The 15th century was also a time of exploration, which means its imagery can sometimes be associated with colonialism, especially due to the fact that many European-based nature and cultural symbols continued to be used in America in later centuries, despite the fact that the same plants and animals were not present here. Our vision was to use what was useful in the structures of the medieval book, but to update the imagery to celebrate pride in our place, our time, our landscape, and our communities.

Twelve local illustrators and youth from the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe have filled these pageswith colorful desert scenes, native plants and animals, and Mojave geometric designs to de-light the eye and illuminate our dreams of Southern Nevada. We hope you enjoy every detail.

Cheers!

Kim Garrison Means, Steve Radosevich
Editors, Searchlight Gold Beam