How can art be a tool for protecting the places we love? How can creativity help us see the natural world – and the memories it holds – more clearly?
Join poet, artist, and ecological thinker Daniela Naomi Molnar for an inspiring exploration of the deep connections between art, ecology, and activism. In this visually rich presentation, Molnar will share how her artistic process is grounded – quite literally – in the Earth itself. Using pigments made from plants, bones, stones, rainwater, glacial melt, and other natural materials gathered during her wild travels, Molnar creates paintings, poems, and installations that reflect the site-specific beauty and resilience of the places we call home.
We will explore:
- How pigments made from the land become palettes of place
- Ways that art can express ecological truths that science alone cannot
- How creative work can serve conservation, community, and action
- The emotional and sensory power of art in connecting people to the natural world.
Whether you’re deeply involved in the arts or simply curious about how creativity intersects with your values, this presentation will offer new ways to engage with the natural world – and deepen your connection to it.
Trained in science and art, Molnar brings a unique background. She’s the founder of the Art & Ecology Program at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, a former Art Director for Scientific American and helped found the Signal Fire artist residency. A longtime Portland resident and advocate for wild landscapes, her work is rooted in the ecology and spirit of the Pacific Northwest.
Escape for a bit and come away with a renewed sense of how art can serve as a powerful ally in protecting what we love.
We will be raffling off a copy of Oregon’s Ancient Forests: A Hiking Guide and one of our new “Let Nature Live. Let Nature Last” t-shirts. Tickets are $5 and are an optional purchase below. Raffle tickets not only help us continue these Wednesday presentations but also support our work safeguarding Oregon’s wildlands, wildlife, and waters.
