Filmmakers Mary Albert and Steve Albert have made natural history movies focused on California’s Central Coast for the past twenty years. Their subjects range from the behavior of the tiny California reef perch, micrometrus aurora (showing at Hokkaido University’s Natural History Museum in Japan) to the story of Ed Ricketts’ scientific system (screened at the Smithsonian’s Natural History Museum in Washington DC). Their films offer a distinct visual expression that interprets the natural world for audiences. To see an example of their existing work please visit thegreattidepool.org.

When asked about their experience with the Big Basin Art About, Mary shared: "It was an incredible weekend in the woods -- the opportunity to be part of the re-imagining of Big Basin, to feel like we are contributing to the future vision of California State Parks, along with an amazing collection of artists, naturalists, advocates, teachers, stewards, leaders, thinkers, musicians, cooks... surrounded by redwoods bursting back to life -- it kind of blew my mind!"

Michael is a photographer and digital painter originally from Boulder Creek California. Michael is passionate about capturing the movement of water through photography and painting. Often, with the use of available technology, Michael will create unique time-lapse videos of his digital paintings coming to life on screen.

Learn more about Michael and his work. 

Adrienne Defendi is an artist whose work explores the cyclical, the ephemeral, and the fragility of life. Her lifelong interests in memory and myth, narrative and nostalgia inform her photographic expression and artistic process. Employing different mediums, from analog to alternative processes and various printmaking techniques, her practice charts elements of loss and ritual, and the boundless possibilities within reiteration and experimentation.

When asked about her experience at the Art About, Adrienne shared: "This experience was absolutely beautiful and exceeded my expectations. It was wonderful to meet you all, be present in the woods, and get a deeper understanding of the park and its present and future directions of the park. Having so many conversations with such a variety of people was so interesting and inspiring. I look forward to returning to Big Basin to observe the ongoing changes. I will experiment with a number of visual applications (cyanotype, slides, projection) as my artwork develops, and will continue to document cycles of mending, restoration, burns, and regeneration. I also look forward to connecting with all the "Art Aboutists" as we develop our work and create a varied collective vision."

Laura is a self-taught art quilter. After raising three children in rural Mendocino County and retiring from her beloved profession as a teacher of the visually impaired, she moved to Ukiah (“into town” as they say) and started to put her long neglected college art background to use. Though her early training was primarily in painting, she was never especially good at it and discovered that she could have a lot more fun and success creating images with collaged fabric. She shows her work across the US in SAQA (Studio Art Quilt Associates) and other art quilt shows and teaches art quilting on the west coast. Her work has been published in numerous quilting magazines and books, plus in a few documentary videos. 

When asked about her experience, Laura shared: "This was a truly amazing adventure. I think the folks who put it together did an excellent job with every aspect. And I’m (pleasantly) overwhelmed with way too many ideas for art that I want to create as a result of the experience. It was wonderful to get to meet and share ideas with the other artists as well as the park staff and guests. I think we have launched something REALLY good. Having made these wonderful connections with the other artists and Park staff, I really look forward to hopefully regular Zoom “meetings” so we can share ideas and images of our progress as we dig into our art. I also hope we can manage at least one more personal get-together in the middle of our timeline… maybe at some indoor venue in the Santa Cruz area."

Bay Area artist Linda Gass is best known for her intricately stitched paintings about climate change, water, and land use. She works in textiles, land art installations, glass, and public art. Recipient of the prestigious Fleishhacker Eureka Fellowship Award, her work has been exhibited nationally and internationally including at the Museum of Craft and Design, Oakland Museum, Bellevue Art Museum, and the US Embassy in Moscow, and is in the collections of the International Quilt Museum, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, UCSF Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, and San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles. Linda maintains a studio at The Alameda Artworks in San Jose and when she’s not making art or championing environmental causes, you can find her backpacking, camping, and hiking in the wilderness areas of the West where she finds much of the inspiration for her work. 

When asked about her experience at the Big Basin Art About, Linda shared: "The experience exceeded my expectations. It was so thoughtfully planned, and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting everyone. The structure of the event made it easy to connect with others and it felt welcoming and inclusive. At times I felt overwhelmed by the impact of the fire on the park, the loss of dense vegetation and shade, and the amount of work that needs to be done to make the park fully accessible again, yet those feelings were tempered by the exuberant regrowth occurring, reminding me that nature will be fine without us." 

Learn more about Linda and her work.

Nicky Gaston is a local visual artist, graphic designer, and wood carver who lives in Boulder Creek, California. Nicky works to design impactful visuals that grow and enhance brands and their identities. As a designer, Nicky seeks to solve problems, inform and captivate consumers through a strategic design process.

For Nicky, design is more than a job, it’s a long-lived passion. Nicky lives to be creative and continue growing his knowledge while sharpening his skillset. His skillset as a designer includes print & web design, packaging design, apparel design, illustration, social media content, and photography. Nicky is currently working on two unique art pieces for the Big Basin Art About including a documentary film showcasing the experience and a hand-carved sign to be displayed in the Big Basin Interpretive Center.

Learn more about Nicky and his work. 

Andres Gonzalez is a visual artist based in Vallejo, California. He has published two books, Some(W)Here in 2012, and American Origami in 2019 which won the Light Work Photo Book Award, and was shortlisted for the Paris Photo - Aperture Book Awards.

He has received recognition from the Pulitzer Center, the Alexia Foundation, and is a Fulbright Fellow. His work has been exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Stiftung Reinbeckhallen in Berlin, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, where he collaborated with the Columbia College theater department and members from Tectonic Theater Project on a theatrical adaption of American Origami.

Learn more Andres and his work. 

Tucker Gorman is a designer, builder, woodworker, sculptor, and inventor living in Boulder Creek. He is originally from Maine, where he studied environmental science and studio art at Colby College. He moved to California in 2014 in search of adventure and creative opportunities. His professional work includes treehouses, custom furniture, footbridges, and toy design. Tucker's interests and inspirations include his baby daughter, nature walks, timber framing, play structures, and the nuances of trees and wood. 

When asked about his experience at the Big Basin Art About, Tucker shared: "I’m so happy and honored to be part of the program. I felt that going into the event but now it’s an even stronger feeling." 

Learn more about Tucker and his work. 

Patrick Hart is an artist living in Los Angeles. His music has received press in The Guardian, Billboard, The Sunday Times, Spin, and USA Today. His commissioned compositions have been performed on stage in nine countries. His art and installation work co-opts familiar tools of corporate communication to critically explore themes of capitalist ambition, AI, surveillance, and the “consumer family.” Patrick has composed original score for over ten feature films, including ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries The U, Broke, and The U Part 2, and HBO’s 537 Votes. He has scored commercials for McDonalds, Microsoft, Best Buy, Google and Nike, among others. As a graphic/motion designer, past clients include the University of Toronto, UCLA, University of California Santa Cruz, and the City of Miami Beach. Patrick has a Master’s in music composition from McGill University and a Bachelor’s from the University of Miami. 

When asked about his experience on the Big Basin Art About, Patrick shared: "I'd say 50% artist residency, 50% summer camp (in a good way!). It was a nice mix of interacting with the other artists, all of whom were interesting and kind, and organized activities, which were a terrific source of information and inspiration. I could sense the excitement among all the interpreters around the reimagining of the park, and everyone was super knowledgeable and helpful. I enjoyed hearing everyone's perspective on the past and future of the park, and it made me want to incorporate these ideas into what I make."

Learn more about Patrick and his work.

Frans Lanting has been hailed as one of the great photographers of our time.  His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world.  A recent project, "Bay of Life" showcases the rich biodiversity of the Monterey Bay Area in the context of human occupation and environmental impacts ranging from Native Americans to Spanish colonizers and American settlers to the present day. Learn more about Frans and his work. 

Robin Lasser is a Professor of Art at San Jose State University. She produces photographs, video, site-specific installations, and public art dealing with public health, environmental issues, and social justice. Lasser often works in a collaborative mode with other artists, writers, students, public agencies, community organizations, and international coalitions to produce public art and promote public dialogue. Lasser is a Eureka Fellow, awarded by the Fleishhacker Foundation.

Lasser exhibits her work nationally and internationally. Recent exhibitions include installations at museums such as: Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, San Jose´ Museum of Art, National Gallery of Modern Art Bangalore India, the Museum of Goa India, Exploratorium Observation Gallery in San Francisco, Kohler Museum of Art, The Metenkov Museum of Photography, Yekaterinburg, Russia, The Recoleta Cultural Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and The Caixa Cultural Center in Rio De Janeiro.

Learn more about Robin and her work by visiting her websites at www.RobinLasser.com, www.MigratoryCultures.com, and www.DressTents.com 

Melody Joy Overstreet is a poet, artist, printer, weaver, and community educator. Her work has been exhibited locally as well as internationally and has also been featured in numerous publications inclusive of Loam Magazine, Seed Broadcast, The Freshwater Review, and The Philosopher. She is a recipient of a Peace Studio Fellowship for her work at the intersection of art, teaching, and land stewardship.

When asked about her experience with the Art About, Melody shared: "The Art About has inspired me to think deeply about my interrelationship with place."  

Learn more about Melody and her work. 

Samantha Saldana is a lens-based interdisciplinary artist whose scholarship explores community social justice issues, identity, family relationships, and intersectionality. Saldana is a graduate of the Visual and Public Art Dept. at CSUMB and is currently an MFA candidate in the Photography Program at San Jose State University. Saldana's work engages accessibility to arts education, advocacy, and mentorship opportunities.

Learn more about Samantha and her work. 

Chris Sícat is a Bay Area artist and educator. Sícat’s sculptures highlight natural objects as a platform for performance-based art making. Sícat obsessively and meticulously covers pieces of minimally sculpted redwood with graphite using hundreds and or thousands of pencils per piece. Applying several layers of graphite per sculpture, the natural wood develops a silver sheen ultimately giving the piece a new optical presence.

Sícat has exhibited his works internationally at Paper Gallery, London U.K., Gallery Lara, Tokyo Japan, and Intramuros Museum, Manila, Philippines. And has shown locally at de Saisset Museum, Palo Alto Art Center, Southern Exposure, and Intersection for the Arts in the Bay Area. He is represented by K. imperial Fine Arts in San Francisco.

Learn more about Chris and his work.

Tina Fuller Somers is a multi-disciplinary artist who combines her passion for art, nature, and science to create unique and inspiring works. With a BA in Painting and a Master’s Certification in Science Illustration, Tina has developed a diverse skill set that allows her to tackle a wide range of projects with confidence and creativity through her business, Hawk & Hammer Creative Studio. From field guides to woodblock prints and murals, she brings a distinctive perspective to her art that reflects her deep respect and appreciation for the natural world. As a mother and nature lover born and raised in Santa Cruz, Tina is driven by a desire to share her art with others and to promote a deeper connection to the world around us.

To see more of her work, check out www.hawkandhammer.com or follow @hawkandhammergram 

Cynthia Siegel creates figurative sculpture that celebrates the human connection to the natural world. She believes profoundly in the inseparability of man and nature and strives to express this belief in her work. Siegel reveres the beauty that comes from the passage of time, and the struggle to survive and adapt. Her imagery and process of meditative mark-making are fueled by a love of storytelling, anthropology, anatomical structure, and natural history.

Siegel exhibits her sculpture, pottery, and works on paper internationally, receiving awards at the Taiwan Ceramics Biennale and the Cheongju International Craft Biennale. Her work is part of many public and private collections and is included in such publications as Ceramics Now, Ceramics Today, Ceramic Art and Perception, and 500 Figures in Clay. A 2014-2015 Fulbright-Nehru Scholar to India, Siegel has presented lectures and workshops in India, Israel, Taiwan, China, New Zealand, and the U.S. Recent residencies include the Yingge Ceramics Museum in Taiwan, Changchun International Ceramics Gallery in China, and the Sanskriti Foundation in India. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and her MFA from San Jose State University, and she taught for many years in the ceramics departments of Cabrillo College and Foothill College. Siegel lives and works in Santa Cruz, CA. 

Learn more about Cynthia and her work. 

Donna has been illustrating, printing, and binding artist books in limited editions, and as one-of-a-kind art objects for over 45 years. Much of her work is inspired by my love for the beauty and power of nature. Her books are held in collections around the world, including the British Library, UC Berkeley Library, and the National Gallery of Australia. 

When asked about her experience, Donna shared: "I was impressed by the park’s focus of looking at the best ways to have a lighter footprint, to increase equitable access to the park, its dedication to understanding the science of the ecological processes, and its desire to make it relevant for all of our different cultures. There is such an opportunity to address so many things now that the park is basically starting over after the fire." 

Learn more about Donna and her work.