Bock Award Search

   The Rationale for the award is as follows:
   Approved by the ARARA Board, March 10, 2006

   Created by the American Rock Art Research Association Board, and    named in honor of Frank and A. J. Bock, first recipients of the    Klaus Wellmann Memorial Award and indefatigable supporters of    ARARA. Frank and A. J. were two of the co-founders of ARARA,    Frank served as editor of La Pintura for the first 20 years of    ARARA's existence and was editor (or co-editor) of 13 volumes of    American Indian Rock Art. A. J. served ARARA as    Secretary/Treasurer for the first 18 years, and currently serves as    Archivist. Together they recorded and organized volunteers to help    record many rock art sites across the Western USA.

The ARARA Board may present the Frank & A. J. Bock Award for Extraordinary Achievement from time to time to candidates with extraordinary achievements over their lifetime in the fields of rock art studies, documentation, education, conservation, and outreach. This award differs from the Wellman Award in that it is a lifetime award that does not necessarily recognize service to ARARA or need to be awarded to an ARARA member. While similar to the CAP Award, it goes farther by expanding the criteria to include such items as education and public outreach. This new award provides another opportunity for ARARA to recognize individuals and/or entities that have worked over an extended period of time doing a wide range of rock art related services in addition to conservation and preservation.

Nominations with at least five letters of recommendation may be sent to the ARARA Awards Chair at any time for consideration, but must arrive at least two months prior to the annual conference or they may not receive consideration until the next year. Send nominations to:

Janet Lever-Wood, Awards Chair
12200 Rd. 32
Mancos Co 81328
blueglyph [at] centurytel [dot] net

Past recipients include:
* 2009: Don Weaver
* 2008: Alanah Woody
* 2007: no award
* 2006: Jim Zintgraff

The first Frank & A. J. Bock Extraordinary Achievement Award was awarded posthumously to Jim Zintgraff for his work with Texas rock art.

The Zintgraff award proclamation reads as follows:

Whereas Jim Zintgraff has been passionate about preserving Lower Pecos Region rock art for over half a century,

Whereas his professional photographs of the Lower Pecos Rock Art were the impetus for The Witte Museum Rock Art of the Lower Pecos Exhibit and Harry Schafer's 1986 book Ancient Texans. In this book Jim wrote, I set out to preserve the remains of these ancient drawings on film. To date, I have exposed many thousands of negatives in order to have as complete a record of this art as possible. Many of the caves are now below the waters of the Amistad Reservoir, completed in 1968, and the resultant humidity is deteriorating many more.

Whereas Jim Zintgraff personally copied the deteriorating slides during the 1958-1969 Amistad years at the Texas Memorial Museum, and then graciously allowed his personal early photographic record to be used for making comparisons of current condition of the rock art at Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site where researchers documented changes in spalling and insect damage.

Whereas Jim Zintgraff was instrumental in establishing the Rock Art Foundation in 1991 with the mission of:

1. Educating public and private sectors about the endangered status of rock art in Texas,

2. Restoration and preservation research,

3. Acquiring endangered sites for transfer to agencies capable of ensuring their integrity,

4. Continuing to locate and document previously unrecorded sites,

5. Fostering harmonious relations with land owners for site management / protection and supervised visitation, and

6. Archiving photographic collections.

Whereas Jim Zintgraff initiated the very successful multi-year Lewis Canyon recording project in which archaeologist, Dr. Solveig Turpin led volunteers on a scientific recordation and excavation to understand the extent of the site and motifs present. Volunteers, ably organized by Terry and Kathleen Burgess, recorded over 1000 elements. Importantly, Jim and the Foundation supported publishing the results to aid others in the understanding of these rare petroglyphs of the Lower Pecos.

Whereas Jim Zintgraff tirelessly and enthusiastically led educational trips to many rock art sites, including some on private property by working closely with landowners to encourage preservation, gave innumerable lectures, provided museums with rock art exhibits, and in general served as an ambassador of Texas Rock Art,

Whereas under his leadership, the Rock Art Foundation has grown to over 900 members and thereby helps spread the education and preservation message to a wide audience,

Whereas Jim Zintgraff and the Rock Art Foundation Volunteers donate innumerable hours to Texas Parks and Wildlife as The Friends of Seminole Canyon,

And, whereas Jim Zintgraff's efforts in fundraising allowed the Rock Art Foundation to continue its day-to-day operations while maintaining the Galloway White Shaman Preserve, and to fund special projects such as the Lewis Canyon Recording and the educational CD-ROM on the Rock Art of the Lower Pecos which was distributed throughout the Texas school system as a learning aid to children,

Be it here Resolved that Jim Zintgraff and the Rock Art Foundation Volunteers be awarded the first Frank & A. J. Bock Award for Extraordinary Achievement from the American Rock Art Research Association at the Annual Conference in Bluff, Utah, May 21, 2006.