VISIBILITY THROUGH ART

I had the opportunity to create this piece for a very special project . It was created in collaboration with the Nevada City Rancheria Nisenan Tribe guided by CHIRP's Visibility Through Art (VTA) Initiative. This intentional and informed collaboration includes hours of consultation with the Tribe and each year a theme is produced to best address their visibility needs. VTA is intended to generate Cultural awareness and build understanding about the Nisenan through art.

My painting is titled 'The Before Time' and it highlights the immense amount of Flora and fauna that were lost or depleted right here in our region, and the forever changed landscape that the gold rush - ‘the great destruction’ - left in its wake.

The Nisenan people lived harmoniously for thousands of years on this land, and it took just a couple of generations to strip so much of that natural environment . Here, Nevada City sits at the top of the painting - dark & foreboding - the landscape buried below like the roots of a tree exposing all that was lost: herds of wild elk, coyote, rattlesnakes and condors - a time before - but also featured are the Sierra Buttes, large ponderosa, black oak, mugwort & service berries which were all of great significance to the Nisenan people. My intention was to create a dream-like piece showing an alternate universe - of the time before.

"The Before Time", 20x20" Acrylic and stain on wood, 2022