October brought a flurry of special programs including the highly anticipated Wildfire + Water: Artists and Scientists Collaborating for Change Residency. After a year of planning and coordinating, a combination of artists, writers, scientists, landowner collaborators and environmental agency workers joined us for an immersive residency focusing on the biggest environmental challenges in this area, wildfire and water. Read full participant list and biographies here…
The ten day residency intensive included a share of current creative work and research, presentations on local environmental concerns and remediation efforts, field excursions and on-site learning activities, collaborative conversations and discussions, the beginnings of creative projects and planning for the culminating Community Art and Science Symposium to be held at PLAYA on April 27, 2024.
The artists were selected by a panel of professional artists and curators and the scientists and agency partners were indiviually selected and invited to share their local knowledge and research focusing on wildfire and dwindling water.
Wildfire has plagued the Summer Lake area and most of Oregon and the surrounding states, while the Chewaucan/Abert watershed is suffering from a drought that directly impacts the migratory birds that find refuge and nourishment from the area. How do we share stories of change and best practices to create new advocates and support for environmental change? How does PLAYA create a space to share critical information and research in a way that educates the community in a spirit of collaboration and dialogue?
These are the questions we are investigating as we plan for the Community Art + Science Symposium in April. Through art exhibits, educational activities, creative experiences and a keynote address from Kathleen Dean Moore, the event with celebrate art and science with a focus on wildfire and water. The all-day event will be held on the PLAYA campus and will be free and open to the public. Save Saturday, April 27, 2024 on your calendar and plan to join us for this fun, family-friendly community event. More information to follow soon!
A special thank you to our supporters for funding this residency and community learning symposium.
