Young Oregon artists express fire trauma in ‘For Love of Nature’ exhibit
By Janet Eastman | The Oregonian/OregonLive
The “For Love of Nature” project, which calls for environmental stewardship, was produced by Anima Mundi Productions and Rogue Climate under the mentorship of artist and educator Adrian Chavez.
The artists work in a variety of media, from acrylic paint to origami paper, and have a common history: all were affected by the wind-driven 2020 Almeda fire.
The blaze roared north from Ashland through Talent and Phoenix to Medford, destroying about 2,600 structures and forever changing lives.
Ethan Gans-Morse, co-founder of the Ashland-based Anima Mundi Productions, said their fire experiences set these participants apart. But he noted that other young people around the world “have equally valid and equally unique concerns and traumas caused by our changing climate.”
Susie Garcia, the Rogue Valley coordinator with climate justice nonprofit Rogue Climate, said teenagers feel unheard and disregarded by adults in their lives.
Creative projects give students the satisfaction of expressing themselves and making their environmental concerns obvious, Garcia said. Seeing something new come to life provides a sense of agency, she added.
