Big Basin Art About
“The Big Basin Art About was inspired by Arts in California Parks, an historic project of California State Parks to utilize the unique talents of artists to interpret our state’s most precious public outdoor spaces to stimulate visitor engagement in new ways with our natural and cultural resources.
In 2023, 18 regional artists were selected for the first guided backpacking trip in Big Basin since the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire. Afterwards, they created an art piece in their chosen medium that reflected on their history with and hopes for the park. These pieces were displayed publicly at Art in the Park: Big Basin on June 15, 2024 and will be on loan to local institutions in Santa Cruz County through 2025. “
-Big Basin Art About
Art About Backpacking Trip
June 3-4, 2023
My journey as an Art Aboutist began in June, 2023. I spent the weekend with fellow artists, interpreters, park historians, and the Director of California State Parks, Armando Quintero. Gathered around the campfire, we were joined by members of the local indigenous community, and connected over meaningful conversation about fire ecology, community, and sustainability. The relationships I built and the experiences I took away guided my art making over the months that followed.
My Redwood Loop is an interactive map of Big Basin's most accessible trail and highlights several established landmarks along the route. The map is designed to be incomplete and offers several blank spaces to draw in three new landmarks. Thus, visitors are encouraged to intentionally engage with the landscape to document their experience and complete their map. This map allows one to customize their park experience while integrating artmaking through creative expression.
My goal for this project is to foster a connection between parkgoers and Big Basin and encourage them to explore their relationship with the earth. This map needed to be inclusive to Spanish speakers so they would leave with a sense of ownership of Big Basin because when people feel that they belong, their behavior changes to reflect that. Ultimately, these spaces belong to all of us, and it's our responsibility to care for our natural resources. However, it's unlikely that we'll be inspired to do so without a relationship with Mother Nature.
Bilingual Wayfinding
Bilingual Wayfinding Map, silk screen print, 2024
I chose a screen printing method for this project because of its roots in the distribution of ideas. Distributable pamphlets connect to the need for advocacy in favor of ecological preservation. Hand-printing each map is a laborious but meditative process for me as the artist. I feel my effort and care are infused into the work and create a relationship with every person who picks up a map. This project is beyond a temporary art experience because it's a physical memory that goes home with each park visitor. This project approaches the art object as an opportunity to build community and propagate ideas about the co-ownership of natural resources.
On June 15, 2024, the Art About finished art pieces were displayed in Big Basin at Art in the Park, a well-attended and well-received special event for the public. I hosted a screen-printing workshop where visitors were invited to print a wayfinding map in English or Spanish.
