Signal Fire Expands Unique Wilderness Programs

Signal Fire has announced its sixth year of wilderness expeditions and residencies, open to artists of all disciplines. As well, the innovative Portland-based arts organization announced Wide Open Studios, a new program offering wilderness trips geared towards college art students.

Started by visual artist, Ryan Pierce and environmental activist, Amy Harwood in 2008, Signal Fire has included over 100 participants in the past five years. Signal Fire trips involve immersion in the natural world, challenging artists to rethink their creative processes in the context of a wild landscape. Signal Fire programs take place on public land, highlighting the potential of this important resource, and fostering a creative community dedicated to its protection.

In the fall of 2012 Signal Fire led its first trip outside of Oregon, traveling by canoe down the Green River. In an effort to expose artists to more landscapes, the organization has begun to expand and lead trips throughout the western United States while maintaining its connection to Oregon’s rich public land resource. Participants in 2013 will travel through landscapes in Montana, New Mexico and California.

For more information on Signal Fire’s 2013 events and trips read on or visit www.signalfirearts.org.

2013 CALENDAR

Golden Hours Backpacking Trip
April 7-13, 2013
Gila Wilderness, New Mexico

The Gila is the ancestral home of the Mimbres and Chiricahua Apache, and the world’s first federally-protected Wilderness Area. Eight artists will hike together, enjoying hot springs and discovering the rich cultural history and biological diversity of the world’s first wilderness area.

Alpen Glow Backpacking Trip
August 10-17, 2013
Mt. Hood, Oregon

The best of both worlds: four days of backpacking through the lush wilderness of Mt. Hood National Forest, followed by four days of easy camping with wall tent studios, visiting artists, and time to create. This year’s Back-Post will emphasize the role of writing as a generative tool for other disciplines.

Outpost Residency
Session 1: August 18-24
Session 2: August 26- September 1
Mt. Hood, Oregon

Signal Fire’s flagship program, Outpost, provides four artists at a time with an immersive residency on public lands. Each summer we bring selected artists out to the forest and provide them with food, maps, battery power, and a magnificent 12x12 canvas wall tent for work and sleep space.

Afloat The Breaks Canoe Trip
September 7-15, 2013
Upper Missouri River, Montana
Signal Fire’s second annual canoe expedition will float the Upper Missouri, a land shaped by wind, water, and human conflict. Our group of twelve artists will use the waterway as both a means of travel and a nexus for interpreting a complex and dramatic landscape.

Applications for programs are open until January 31, 2013. The online application process is free and open to artists regardless of creative discipline or past outdoor experience.