In the spring of 2026, I developed a river quilting activity for a guest appearance at WFRI’s Southwest Climate and Studio Art field course. I later adapted and taught this activity with fellow artist and river scientist Emily Iskin at Sagebrush Collaborative (Boise, ID) and again at Moab Arts Center.

During the workshop, we talk about river ecology and processes, basic watercolor techniques, and do an art activity focused on connections between the different elements of a river ecosystem. To get a variety of colors and textures, each participant makes a painting highlighting one part of a riverscape (ie. fish, sediment, riparian plants). The paintings get cut into triangles and folks trade pieces while discussing the relationship between the different parts of the ecosystem. The triangles then get rearranged into unique quilt collages.