FutureWilder at the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove
My work in this three-person show (Oct 1-31, 2025) was supported by an Alberta Foundation for the Arts Visual Arts and New Media Individual project grant.
For the colour woodcuts in this exhibition I chose to several endemic flowering plant species from different natural areas around where I live, to highlight biodiversity, the beauty of these flora, their ecological significance and resilience, and the conservation of natural areas. I carved and printed these works using the water-based Japanese-style woodcut printmaking (mokuhanga) that I studied in Echizen, Japan. I displayed both the prints and carved woodblocks.
The large, 5-foot-long black-and-white woodcut in this show is of a twisted and gnarled old willow tree in our yard that my children have played on and around for many years. I love it’s endless winding branches, the habitat it provides for many lichens and mosses, birds and insects, deer and mammals, and the fact that it still blooms each spring, despite appearing mostly dead.
Introduction to FutureWilder Collective
FutureWilder is an Alberta-based gathering of three interdisciplinary artists who began collaborating in 2024: Lisa Matthias, Kelly Andres, and Brie Adkins. Brought together by shared interests in rural practice, ecology, and community engagement, as well as motherhood and caregiving, the artists recognized the value of combining their independent voices in conversation.
The collective emerged through ongoing dialogue and planning, much of it online, leading to their first collaborative project: an exhibition with the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove in October 2025, in the city’s new civic centre gallery.
As FutureWilder takes shape, the artists remain open to where the collective might lead, whether through exhibitions, community projects, or other forms of collaboration. This inaugural exhibition reflects both their individual practices and their shared commitment to exploring the intersections of art, ecology, and community.
