Fires of Change is an NEA-funded art exhibition at the Coconino Center for the Arts. The exhibition explores, through the eyes of artists, the increase in severity, size and number of wildfires in the Southwest and their impact on the land.

A celebratory reception is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, as part of the Flagstaff Festival of Science. There will be a pre-reception Artists’ Talk at 5pm with Kathleen Brennan (Taos, NM), and Craig Goodworth (Portland, OR). The reception and gallery will be open 6-8pm. There will be live music, food, and all of the participating artists in attendance.

<– See the sidebar at left for a full listing of Fires of Change events.

Still from ‘The Matter of Life & Death’ by Kathleen Brennan

The exhibition opens alongside Jewel Gallery exhibition Starlight, featuring the night sky photography of Stan Honda.

About the Speakers

Kathleen Brennan (pictured) began her journey of photography at the early age of 10 when she received her first polaroid camera. A native of NJ, she completed her degree in Photography from the Universtiy of New Mexico in the 70’s. Brennan was born in 1955 in Newark, New Jersey. She currently resides in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico.

Craig Goodworth is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice lies on the boundary between landscapes of theology and poetics. Working in drawing, installation, performance and poetry, core themes in his art are the experience/idea of the body, and place. Goodworth holds master’s degrees in sustainable communities and fine art and has received Fellowships in art and writing as well as serving as an artist-in-residence in various contexts. Currently he is doing research under a Fulbright Grant on a project addressing ancestry and land in the Slovak Republic.

Fires of Change

The participating artists were invited for their unique perspectives, experience and talent. In order to show art in the exhibition, the artists had to participate in a Fire Science Bootcamp, spending a week in the forests of Northern Arizona in late 2014. A team of top-notch fire scientists provided the eleven invited artists education and training on the impact of wildfire in Northern Arizona in preparation for the September 2015 exhibition.

The exhibition is curated by Flagstaff installation artist Shawn Skabelund.

The eleven Fires of Change artists are:

• Kathleen Brennan of Taos, NM: photography
• David Chorlton of Phoenix, AZ: poetry
• Julie Comnick of Prescott, AZ: painting and installation
• Bryan David Griffith of Flagstaff, AZ: photography
• Craig Goodworth of Newberg, OR: sculpture, drawing, installation, performance and prose
• Jennifer Gunlock of Los Angeles, CA: mixed media drawings
• Saskia Jorda of Scottsdale, AZ: installation and performance
• Helen Padilla of Flagstaff, AZ: painting
• Bonnie Peterson of Michigan: textiles and topographic maps
• Katharina Roth of Sedona, AZ: ceramics
• Steven Yazzie of Phoenix, AZ: video/film, painting, drawing, performance and installation environments

Learn more about Fires of Change

Most of the art in Fires of Change will not be seen until the exhibition opens, but below is a preview of some art that has been created by our artists. Click on an thumbnail for a larger image.