Join us for a Wilderness Retreat in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to explore the relationship between Art and Conservation. The Retreat will feature Alaska composer John Luther Adams and Canadian painter Don Weir. The artists will discuss the conservation work they have done during their lives and the connection they have with the Arctic Refuge, and how their relationships with wild landscapes have affected the art they create. This Art and Conservation Retreat will be a benefit for conservation groups working to protect the Arctic Refuge.
The Marsh Fork Canning is a remote river in northern Alaska that flows from the Philip Smith and Franklin Mountains, traversing several tundra ecosystems on its way to the Beaufort Sea. The river forms the western boundary of the Arctic Refuge. In its upper reaches, the land is designated wilderness. Here is a place where one gains an appreciation for wildness--the sense that the land and its inhabitants have been here for millennia without interference from humans. The region is home to two caribou herds: the Porcupine and Central Arctic herds. In the recent past, a small herd of muskoxen centered its activities around a unique warm springs on the Canning River. Grizzly bears, wolves, wolverines, and foxes also inhabit the area.
We will set up a base camp surrounded by the Franklin and Philip Smith mountains and take day hikes into the valleys surrounding the river valley. The artists will conduct a series of discussions during the hikes, and amidst our spectacular outdoor setting, about the importance of protecting wild spaces and how that dynamic has impacted the art they have created during their lives. John Luther Adams was active in the passage of the historic Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and his dedication to the preservation of the Arctic Refuge continues. Don WeirÕs conservation work was undertaken in the wilderness watersheds that straddle the Alaska-British Columbia border.
Discussions offer conservation perspectives in the 27-year campaign to protect the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as permanent Wilderness. One of our goals in organizing this expedition is to raise consciousness on the issues affecting the North and to support environmental organizations working to protect Alaska's Arctic. The artists are donating their time and any profits from the Retreat will be donated to the Northern Alaska Environmental Center. The option of a float down the Canning is open for those who wish to explore the Refuge to a greater degree.
About the Artists: John Luther Adams is an internationally renowned composer. He has ten published CDs and his compositions are performed on stages around the world. For the past 30 years John has made his home in Fairbanks, where he creates his music overlooking a broad valley in the boreal forest. A United States Artists fellow, JohnÕs music has been described by the Village Voice as Ō beautiful, shimmering, vast, luminous É and ecstatic.Ķ His Dark Waves was recently performed in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. This year his music will be performed in Latvia, Denmark, Italy and numerous locations throughout the US.
John and his wife Cindy played an important part in the early years of the struggle to secure protection for the Arctic Refuge and their work with the Northern Alaska Environmental Center, the Alaska Conservation Foundation and other groups were key to the ongoing success that has, up to now, protected the Refuge from intrusions by the oil and gas Industry. John still acts as counsel for the activists who work on the struggle to protect the Refuge.
For more information on JohnÕs work as a composer please view his website at www.johnlutheradams.com.
Don Weir's painting style is defined by broad areas of color with a focus on capturing unique light effects on the dramatic northern landscape. Don was born and raised in the U.S. but has lived in Canada since the mid-1970s. He began painting while teaching school on a native reserve in northern British Columbia. He presently lives and works out of the remote and spectacular community of Atlin (where Never Cry Wolf was filmed), in the extreme northwestern tip of BC. DonÕs work is shown regularly at the Well Street gallery in Fairbanks, Alaska and his work is represented in collections in the U.S. and Canada. The Bunnell Street Gallery in Homer, Alaska is hosting a solo exhibition of Don's work in June 2008.
In 1995, Don left his studio and helped initiate a campaign to help protect the Taku River valley. He helped found the Taku Wilderness Association that was formed to prevent a road intrusion into the Taku by a mining project which threatened to open up the whole Taku River valley to industrial development. The work on the Taku campaign eventually culminated in the creation of the Transboundary Watershed Alliance ( now known as Rivers Without Borders www.riverswithoutborders.org) in 1999. Don served as the first Executive Director for the organization.
For more information on DonÕs work you can view his website at www.donweir.com.
During this 8-day workshop, participants will camp in portable tents in an area of striking scenery. With 24 hours of daylight, you will have an opportunity to hike, sketch, photograph, explore, and work with a man who has spend decades interpreting the fragile and elusive light of the Arctic landscape. You may choose to bring a canvas, sketchbooks, etc., and the painting medium of your choice, to create your own pieces throughout the week, all under the wise tutelage of an experienced painter. If you are not a painter, our daily forays on the land reveal the intricacies of this arctic ecosystem.
Our journey begins with a spectacular bush plane flight over the Brooks Range and the 19.2-million acre Arctic Refuge en route to our location nestled in the mountains. At trip's end you will have the option to stay on for an extra 5 days to float the Canning River. Contact us for more details.
