an ongoing project born from the ashes of the Oct 2017 fires
This body of work is meant to be a narrative platform for the farmers of Sonoma County. Though I have very little personal experience working land, I have always felt deeply connected to nature as a sense of place. As a California native, I think it was inevitable I made my way to this side of the Golden Gate to seek out my roots as an artist. When the fires swept through so rapidly taking homes, livestock, and land, I was overwhelmed with the stories shared as I volunteered in the evacuation centers throughout Sonoma County. For nearly a week, in this uneasy, fragile limbo of being, I experienced the strength of this community: it’s tight connection to the land through its farmers. Farmers came to the rescue delivering fresh produce, food trucks catered to the various encampments and shelters, shuttling real nutrients when people need nourishment the most. It was an army of open hearts and open hands. When the fires were finally extinguished, and the dust from the guards leaving their posts had settled, I saw a way to use my skills as an artist to continue helping this cause. All eyes are on Sonoma County as we enter an age of climate chaos with more wildfires in California’s future. I would like to direct as much of that attention as possible to the local farmers aiming to rebuild with sustainable practices at the forefront. These farmers should be celebrated for their accomplishments in pursuing a kinder more holistic future for the health of community, and of generations to come. Their work should be visible and traceable beyond the farm stand shelves. The issues circling the future of CA agriculture are those of the survival of a way of life. I believe this is worth protecting and showing.
“There is immense power when a group of people with similar interests gets together to work toward the same goals.” ― Idowu Koyenikan, Wealth for All: Living a Life of Success at the Edge of Your Ability”
