Collection 4 THE NORTH

I spent July up in
Alaska working
on an art project
with the
National Park
Service. I spent
the month in
Katmai National
Park backpacking,
tagging along
with park rangers,
flying around, and
making art.
It was such a wonderful month! The project was
really challenging because soon after getting there,
I realized that no artwork I’d make would possibly
do justice to that place. I ended up deciding to try to
focus on the human experience of a person being in
the park and what that is like. This helped me be able
to process a little easier, and I did my best to make
something worthwhile.
Katmai is remote and even getting there was a
challenge. I flew to Anchorage, then took a plane to
the small town of King Salmon, just outside of park
limits. There are no roads going into the park, so my
only way in was to fly in a small bush plane that the
National Park Service uses. We flew to the tiny peopled
center of Katmai called Brooks Camp. This is the
only place in the 6,395 square-mile park with structures
and more than a couple people. We landed, and
stayed in the plane while a grizzly bear strolled the
beach by our plane.
I saw at least one grizzly bear almost everyday I
was there. Many times, I‘d be walking alone in the
woods when I‘d spot one and have to get out of the
way. I didn‘t have bear spray or a gun, but would
instead call out at the bear and face it. There was no
use in running or hiding. The bears tend to not engage
you if you stand your ground. Katmai has the most
concentrated grizzly bear population of anywhere
in the world. In July, a large group of bears head to
Brooks Falls where I would often go to observe them.
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