In October 2023, Kentucky Natural Lands Trust (KNLT) was able to return to hosting our annual artists’ retreat. This was the first gathering of its kind since the global pandemic and the 2022 flood that decimated parts of Eastern Kentucky. The retreats offer an immersive experiential weekend of learning in the wildlands of Central Appalachia. Since 2015, more than 160 artists have attended a retreat and engaged in our work. This group, known as the Pine Mountain Collective, includes members from Appalachia, throughout Kentucky and around the United States.
“It’s hard for me to put into words how beautiful Pine Mountain is…Blanton Forest, an old growth forest in Harlan County, took my breath away …Thank you, KNLT for giving me the opportunity to rediscover the beauty of the region and getting the chance to meet fellow artists who I now call friends.”
~ Lacy Hale, Whitesburg-based artist & 2023 attendee.
The fall retreat was made possible with funding from Snowy Owl Foundation.
Art and conservation are powerful partners. We welcome this new group of artists into the Pine Mountain Collective. We were honored to have the following individuals participate:
- Austyn Gaffney, writer website
- Carrie Green, poet website
- Anna Gregory, woodworks & visual artists website
- Lacy Hale, visual artists, muralist & printmaker website
- Jo Mackby, photographer, musician, dancer & UK professor Instagram
- Joe Manning, musician & writer website
- Braylyn Resko Stewart, muralist & painter
- oSha Cowley-Shireman, Director of Policy & Development for philanthropist Christina Lee Brown
- Scott Whiddon, musician, writer & Transy professor website
- Isaac Fosl-van Wyke (Lou) – musician & puppeteer bandcamp
KNLT Board & Staff:
- Zoé Strecker, KNLT Board Member, visual artists & Transylvania University professor website
- Rebecca Allan, KNLT Board Member & painter website
- Roy Crawford, KNLT Director Emeritus
- Greg Abernathy, KNLT Director & illustrator
- Derrick Lindsay, KNLT Conservation Coordinator
About Kentucky Natural Lands Trust
KNLT is a nationally accredited nonprofit working to protect biodiverse and climate resilient landscapes in ways that benefit communities. Through partnerships with individuals, nonprofits, government agencies and businesses, KNLT has protected more than 57,000 acres of wildlands throughout Kentucky and Central Appalachia.
For more information on how you can help KNLT protect wildlands, sign up now to receive our monthly newsletter. SUBSCRIBE
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