A New Chapter of Art for Wild Places Begins
What happens when wildlife art meets primitive skills? When ancient wisdom collides with modern conservation? Let me introduce you to Between the Rivers Gathering, an inspiring community where art, ancestral skills, and land stewardship come together.
This will be my second time attending the gathering, and the experience I had last year is something I carry with me always. There’s something deeply grounding about stepping away from the modern world and into a space where everything is made by hand, stories are shared under the stars, and learning flows between generations.
The first time I entered the meadow, I witnessed people dressed head to toe in fur and buckskin, sharing stories about spending the past month in the Okanogan, surviving off of only Stone Age implements. Between the quiet reverence and playful eccentricity, this gathering is like stepping into another world, where the wild still hums beneath your feet and creativity is a way of life.
What Is Art for Wild Places
Art for Wild Places is my newest project, an evolving series that pairs each conservation story with an original painting. When the artwork sells, the proceeds directly support the organization behind the story.
Every piece is rooted in conversation, place, and purpose. It’s art made not just for beauty, but to give back to the wild.
Introducing: Between the Rivers Gathering
This spring, I’ll be collaborating with Between the Rivers Gathering, the flagship program of Bridges to the Past. Held each year in a quiet meadow, this week-long event brings people together to learn, share, and reconnect through ancestral skills.
At its heart, Between the Rivers is a living classroom... like an outdoor university rooted in experience, relationship, and the land itself. Dozens of instructors from across the country come together to teach hands-on skills that have been passed down through generations. On the first day, teachers post their class offerings and availability, and participants map out their own schedule for the week. It’s an open invitation to explore, create, and learn by doing.
Skills are shared person to person, around fires, under trees, at workbenches and looms, guided by the natural rhythms of the day.
Here’s just a glimpse at some of the things that may be offered:
- Archery & Bow Making
- Basketry
- Blacksmithing
- Buckskin & Fur Tanning
- Friction Fire
- Flintknapping
- Wild Edibles & Medicinals
- Pottery
- Shelter Building
- Campcraft
- Navigation
- Cordage, Weaving & Fibers
- Weapons & Tools
- Woodworking
- Kids' Programming
- …and much more.
In the fall, their smaller event, FallCamp, continues the learning in a more intimate setting.
Below are the items I made at Between the Rivers last year.
Why This Collaboration Matters
As Patrick Farneman, one of the gathering’s founders, shared with me:
“I think we’re hardwired for the old ways of life. To stare into a campfire for hours in the evening and swap stories. That’s where we find our way back to what it means to be human.”
This work isn’t necessarily about nostalgia or survival, but about connecting to our ancient blueprints and remembering what it means to be human.
“The basic skills that are common to humankind—creating shelter, making fire, cooking food—these are vital. If we learn them again, we break free from a society that wants to sell us everything prepackaged.”
Land as Teacher
In addition to building a beautiful community, Bridges to the Past is working hard to honor the land itself. They’ve planted trees on the gathering grounds, knowing that someday future generations will sit beneath them to learn. It’s not just education. It’s stewardship in action.
As Patrick says:
“Just get outside. Our natural environment isn’t in a box, no matter what it’s made of. People would benefit from spending more time outdoors and learning to be comfortable in it. It’s not something to be afraid of.”
What’s Next
Next week, I’ll be heading into this experience with an open heart and empty sketchbook, ready to soak in all the stories, skills, and sparks of connection. While I won’t be sharing much in real time, you can expect a follow-up blog post and painting soon after. I’ll be taking it all in, letting it settle, and then bringing you along for the ride through words, paint, and the wild energy that always finds its way back to the canvas.
Want to Learn More
Between the Rivers Gathering
betweentheriversgathering.com
FallCamp takes place in October
fallcamp.net
Whether or not you can attend, the invitation stands. Step outside, touch the earth, learn something new. The wild isn’t something to fear. It’s home.