Ecological Reciprocity: Archiving Cycles of Nature

Inspired by Robin Wall Kimmerer, we reflect on our co-existence in nature and look at each species asking “what is your gift?” As the Equinox brings transition, how can we be inspired by our ecological neighbors as we tune inwards this Fall season? In this workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to reflect on creative prompts and create an offering to their future selves using pen, paper, and the surroundings of Brower Park.

By centering circular thinking, Alison Beshai and Shannon Lai will lead a workshop that emphasizes artistic expression and language as our human gifts, and together utilize them to investigate our cyclical nature, embracing shedding.

Creative expressions will be digitally archived on-site and later mailed to attendees during Winter, a time of conservation and contemplation.

This is our second workshop as part of an annual series centred around the seasons. Scans pictured are from our Summer Solstice workshop: Archiving Our Creative Offerings. 

What’s Included: 

• Writing prompts & resources
• Pens
• Paper and envelopes
• Postage
• Flatbed scanner

What to Bring:

• Thoughts, objects, photos, and words that you’d like to integrate into your offering. What does a fallen leaf remind you of? The spirit of the wind? The burying of an acorn?
• Water, whatever you need to feel comfortable on a crisp autumnal afternoon, and a friend

About Facilitators:

Alison Beshai is an artist and producer whose work is rooted in memory. Through her practice she has reclaimed the flatbed scanner as an artistic medium, pushing beyond documentation and into experimentation and collaboration. As the Founder of Resource Library, she is passionate about archiving, collective resources, and independent learning.

Shannon Lai is a multidisciplinary artist, farmer, and producer whose practice centers community building as both method and outcome. Approaching art-making as a site of cultural memory and ecological and human interdependence, her works often integrate organic materials, found objects, and collaborative processes.

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