The beauty and inspiration of Maine's coastal wetlands soon could be hanging on a wall near you.

Twenty-seven plein-air painters will be creating outdoor scenes at wildlife sanctuaries this weekend, during Maine Audubon's second annual Brush with Nature event. The public is encouraged to come watch the artists capture breathtaking scenes from the state's salt marshes, coastal forests, freshwater ponds and more.

Jenn Schmitt, strategic audience engagement manager for Maine Audubon, said visitors can enjoy the outdoors and take some of it home, too.

"We have eight beautiful sanctuaries, and we want people to visit them," Schmitt urged. "Maine is known for its beauty and for its art, and so we thought, Why not invite artists to come to the sanctuaries and paint and then have a fundraiser and auction off the artwork afterwards?"

Art from the Brush with Nature event will be available for online bidding Sept. 18, with in-person live and silent auctions for selected paintings on Sept. 29. Proceeds will benefit Maine Audubon's education, conservation and advocacy programs.

Schmitt noted in addition to watching the artists at work, members of the public are invited to create their own works -- paintings, poetry, drawings, movement -- during their visit. Docents will provide mini-journals, pencils, and ideas for nature sketching. She added the event is designed to introduce Audubon's sanctuaries to people who may think they are only for research.

"It's another access point into what we do for some people who may say they're not science-focused," Schmitt explained. "But there's a lot of ways to be involved with nature and conservation that aren't necessarily directly science related."

An upcoming event in Raleigh hosted in part by William Peace University aims to bring hip-hop arts culture to North Carolina's college students.

The Hip Hop Higher Ed Symposium includes breakout sessions led by local and national scholars, artists and emcees. Executive Director of Aspire2Higher Personal and Professional Development Consulting, Stephanie Reed is the symposium's creator.

She explained that, while most people might be familiar with hip hop as a music genre, it's more recently been analyzed from an academic and cultural standpoint.

"Looking at some of the anthropological components of the culture itself," said Reed, "and really studying how the culture has impacted and informs the lives of many different types of people."

Hosted by radio DJ Miriam Tolbert of Carolina Waves, the symposium will delve into hip hop's role as a vehicle for education, its relationship to racial justice, and it's impact on different communities.

Tickets can be reserved online.

Reed encouraged those who aren't consumers of hip hop to join the community event.

"People - even if they aren't necessarily true, hip hop fans - should come for the educational component and the community organizing and community engagement piece," said Reed. "And I think they'll find value in just discussing and fellowshipping with other North Carolinians."

Across the nation, more educators are using hip hop culture in the classroom to help students explore society, race, geography, politics, and other topics.




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To kick off Earth Month in April, a Bay Area event called the Regenerative Gala will promote the concepts of ethical consumerism and fashion and art as a vehicle for change.

The event's fashion show rejects so-called "fast fashion" which produces clothes in sweatshops, often made from petroleum-based synthetic fabrics.

Joelle Provost, a low-impact painter whose works will be featured, said the focus is on natural fabrics produced on farms avoiding pesticides, rejuvenating the soil, and paying a living wage.

"So a lot of small brands are saying, let's source our textiles from the farmers so that we know that the ecosystems are being supported on those small farms," Provost explained. "It's all about small-batch fabrics."

The art auction will feature works promoting a healthy environment and the fight against climate change. The gala takes place on April 1 at the Piedmont Center for the Arts near Oakland.

Julian Adon Alexander, another featured artist, will offer paintings raising awareness about the lack of green space in urban neighborhoods of color.

"I just think exposure to new ideas is really the point of art," Alexander noted. "I don't think it necessarily solves problems, it just introduces something into somebody's mind."

The food at the event will emphasize low-waste, local products. The organizers say the idea is to inspire people to use their lifestyle and purchasing power to live in harmony with the earth rather than plunder its natural resources. Proceeds will benefit the Agrarian Trust, a nonprofit supporting land access for the next generation of farmers.


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Winter is here, leaving many older South Dakotans vulnerable to social isolation. But a growing body of research, as well as opportunities, shows these individuals can improve their quality of life through creativity.

A study published shortly before the pandemic found that participating in community choirs can be a solution for reducing loneliness and increasing interest in life among older adults. And senior advocates have said it can go beyond music, with simple arts and crafts projects serving as creative outlets.

Lindsey Holmquest, associate state director for community outreach at AARP South Dakota, said they all tie together to reflect how beneficial these hobbies can be.

"Studies suggest that participating in art programs can improve physical and mental health by engaging the creative part of your brain," she said, "and that reduces stress, it improves resilience."

She stressed that it doesn't have to be something that requires a lot of talent, time or money. AARP tries to foster that approach through its "Art Together" sessions, with a statewide virtual event scheduled for Dec. 12. The registration deadline is midnight this coming Monday. Participants are asked to pay $10, and the materials will be mailed to them.

Outside of a specific program, Holmquest said the simple approach to arts and crafts can come in multiple forms.

"Finding some coloring books, or some watercolor paints, [it] makes you think in a different way, makes you see in a different perspective," she said.

And if you participate in an organized group or event, Holmquest said not only does it help to reduce loneliness, but can also make it easier to try something new when engaging with others, either virtually or in person. AARP South Dakota's sessions include guidance from local artists.