ENVISION ARTIST STATEMENT
Flagstaff is home to towering pines and flickering aspens,
to bugling elk and yelping coyotes, all beneath a dark,
starry sky. But Flagstaff is also home to wildfires and floods,
which are growing more severe as humans alter the
landscape and climate. Our population is booming, but our
water supply is limited. Not everyone has profited equally
from the real estate boom. Housing remains out of reach
for many. Demand for more housing risks paving over the
very meadows that make Flagstaff beautiful. Can we
prosper economically, while preserving our unique
landscape and creative community?
At the center of Envision, a cloud of aspen leaves rises from
a shadow of charcoal and stone gathered from recent fire
and flood sites. Each is leaf is preserved in beeswax. The
pattern is not a simple grid: different alignments will snap
into view with different viewing angles.
Community members are invited to make an aspen leaf
rubbing, labeled with their concern (carbon on white
paper) or dream (silver on black paper) for Flagstaff’s
future. The installation will grow every hour as I add these
rubbings to the walls.
Can our community transcend the threats we face, adapt,
and form new connections, just as aspens spring new
shoots from their roots when a tree dies in a fire?
This project would not be possible without the support of
the following sponsors, hosts, collaborators, and
volunteers:
Coconino High School Welding Program and Students (pictured)
City of Flagstaff
City of Flagstaff BBB Revenues
Nackard Pepsi
Creative Flagstaff
ARTx
Michael Handforth
Tasha Miller Griffith
Mare Schumacher
Ann Miller
Rick Miller
Luis Fernandez
Amanda Kapp
Creative Flagstaff Staff and Volunteers
Open Doors: Art in Action at the Episcopal Church of
Flagstaff