Bridging art, science and community forestry
| Authors: | Julie Capito-Hernández, Lindsay K. Campbell, Erika Svendsen, David Maddox |
| Year: | 2025 |
| Type: | Magazines or Trade Publications |
| Station: | Northern Research Station |
| Source: | City Trees |
Abstract
NaturePLACE Collaborative Arts Program, formerly known as the Urban Field Station Collaborative Arts Program, is a virtual, place-based artist residency program hosted by the USDA Forest Service in partnership with The Nature of Cities. The program aims to foster collaborations between land managers, artists, and scientists, cross-cut disciplinary approaches to Place, Landscapes, Arts, Creativity, and Ecologies, and curate events and public programs that mix science and art into public conversations.
A key element of the program is that it is not a commission for work, but a call to engage in the relationship-building process between practitioners, scientists, and artists. By focusing on the process, pressure to create a product is alleviated and artists can focus on co-production and exploration of novel ideas to address the problems at hand. Since 2016, the program has been facilitating collaborations across the globe with six cohorts, and plans to launch a seventh cohort in summer 2025.