Art + Conservation
Conservation protects nature, which can inspire art.
Art, in turn, can advocate for conservation.
Conserving the Heart of Idaho
Art can convey messages too complicated to capture with just words. Art can not only tell a story, but inspire! Through PLT’s Conserving the Heart of Idaho project we combine art and conservation to bring awareness of PLT and land conservation, add beauty to our community and spark conversations.
Each Spring an Artist is selected to paint the BIG HEART in the theme of “Conserving the Heart of Idaho.” The finished heart is revealed at the annual Conservation Day BBQ in June, and then the heart moves to different locations throughout the summer and fall months, finally being auctioned off at the February SweetHEART Party & Auction.
Artist in Residence
PLT’s Artist in Residence program provides the opportunity for the selected Artist to pursue their particular art form in the dynamic setting of the PLT conservation area of West Central Idaho. The artist agrees to tell the story and mission of the Land Trust through artistic mediums and the Land Trust agrees to promote the Artist.
The goal of the program is to further the public’s understanding of the significance of PLT, inspire appreciation of the resources it preserves, raise awareness of the benefits of protecting lands, and promote conservation among residents and visitors.
PLT seeks to partner with artists across the visual arts mediums: painters, photographers, sculptors, videographers and more are invited to collaborate.
Previous Artist in Residence: Mary Arnold
“I am a western Fauvist artist living and working in Boise and McCall, Idaho, fascinated with geology and in representing the land and inhabitants of the west.
Fauvism seeks to separate color from its descriptive, representational purpose and allow it to exist on the canvas as an independent element without having to be true to the natural world.
Although I work in many mediums and also design and create murals, my primary medium is oil painting and my goal in my art is to emphasize humanity’s connection to nature and carrying a message of land and animal conservation through my art.”
