ALASKA – Voices of the Wilderness is a unique program that matches artists with wilderness specialists to visit areas throughout Alaska. I was an artist-in-residence with the USDA Forest Service twice—first in 2016 in Tracy Arm-Ford’s Terror Wilderness and again in 2022 in the Nellie Juan-College Fiord Wilderness Study Area. Participating in this program allowed me to work alongside wilderness rangers to clean up beaches, monitor high-use areas, conduct solitude surveys and connect with tourists, locals and a K-12 teacher’s program. I also had ample time to sketch, paint, listen and learn.

Looking back, I see how these opportunities continue to shape my approach to public land stewardship through art. As someone who grew up in the Boreal Forests of Fairbanks, Alaska, Voices of the Wilderness is responsible for introducing me to the movement of tides, the smells of salty air and wet rainforests, and a whole new soundscape of waves, bird chatter and wind moving through giant cedar, spruce and hemlock trees.

One of my most enduring memories is the haunting experience of painting tidewater glaciers as icebergs calved and floated out to sea in my periphery. The rapid and sustained retreat of tidewater glaciers in Alaska is a striking reminder of the impacts of climate change. As glaciers throughout Alaska continue to melt, the ecosystems they are part of are responding to shifts in coastal vegetation patterns, marine habitat, freshwater inputs, ocean acidification and sea-level rise.

Creating art on location is a way to tune in, listen and translate the stories of these rapidly changing landscapes. As I continue to develop a painting practice rooted in curiosity and firsthand connections, I am grateful for the gift of time and logistical support to visit these special places.

I would like to thank Barbara Lydon and Tim Lydon, Chugach National Forest and Ellen Ray, as well as Sean Reilly, Chrissy Post and Kevin Hood, Tongass National Forest, for their support.