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2008 Muskwa-Kechika Artist Camp: August 7th -14th
The M-K Artist Camp, now in its third year, seeks to raise awareness of the values of the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and to allow artists working in a wide variety of disciplines (ie visual art, writing, photography, video, music) to broaden their individual perceptions of nature and wilderness. The artwork created is being exhibited in galleries and online.
Writing on the Ridge gratefully acknowledges the support of Arts Now, the Spirit of BC program, the BC Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts for their support of the M-K Artist Camps and Shows.
2008 Participating Artists
 Sherry Coffey currently lives in Athabasca, Alberta. She received her MA in Creative Writing from the University of New Brunswick. In 2006, an excerpt of her novel manuscript, “A Pattern of Walking,” was awarded the Writers Federation of New Brunswick’s Richards Prize. She has two poems forthcoming in Room Magazine.
Chantel is a visual artist living in Fort St. John, BC.
 Living with rescued North American wildlife - bears, wolves, cougars, coyotes, badgers, buffalo and more, Susan uses this unique opportunity to deepen and share her understandings of wild animals, with the goal of forging a richer relationship between these wonderful creatures and humans. A writer, naturalist, psychologist and educator, she has taught at universities around the world, worked in maximum security prisons, directed a Nature Conservancy Preserve, and lived in remote corners of Nepal, the Mid and Far East, the Northwest Territories and the Amazon rainforest. Her goal is always to see through other’s eyes as a way to enhance understanding between cultures, peoples and species.
She founded Earthfire Institute in order to lend her voice to wildlife. Her writings appear in regional magazines and newspapers and on the Earthfire website. Her conservation writings focus on the Yellowstone to Yukon Wildlife Corridor, as Earthfire is located at the southern end of this 2000 mile long corridor.
 Geneen is a visual artist whose preferred medium is oils though she is
attending a workshop in watercolour with artist Tom Lynch June 27-29, 2008. Geneen is locally known in Mannville for her murals and her commercial and commissioned work. She has contributed to several art shows in the Mannville district.
 For the last five years, photographer and sculptor Kit Fast has focused his attention on the birds that inhabit the Canadian West. Recently, he has pursued images that express the diversity of life found within the landscape of the Peace River Region of British Columbia and Alberta. The birds he photographs are resident to the Peace Region, but many regard the extent of their home to stretch from Alaska to Central and South America.
Kit's work was recently exhibited at the Dawson Creek Art Gallery. Images from that show can be viewed at www.peacephotographics.com/kisk
 Jacqueline (pictured here with Paint) grew up on a farm in Northern BC beside the Skeena River. Currently residing in Gibsons BC, she is writing her dissertation on women’s poetry in Northern BC (featuring Donna Kane, Si Transken, & Gillian Wigmore and a few others). She is pursuing a PhD in English @ SFU. She has 5 children, 1 dog, 2 cats, 2 twin pygmy goats, and Maisie the pony. Published in literary journals including The Fiddlehead and The Antigonish Review, Jacqueline has finished a 60 page long poem sequence on her ancestors/family (prompted by some thought provoking daguerreotypes her uncle sent her) and is working on a collection of farm/family/nature poems and is way looking forward to the Artist's Camp.
 Artist and soopolallie ice cream maker extraordinaire, Cynthia Jeff is an artist originally from Williams Lake, now living in Fort St. John.
 Co-organizer of the M-K Artist Camp, Donna Kane's second book of poetry, Erratic, was published in 2007. She is currently completing a degree through the Writing Program at UVic.
 Wyatt is a growing artist. His current preferred medium is non-toxic washable markers which he applies to unconventional surfaces like carpets, tables and body parts - hands and cheeks. He is also an accomplished spoken syllable artist.
 Tim Lilburn is a poet, essayist, and the author of seven books of poetry. He has received the Governor General's Award in Literature, the Canadian Authors Association Award, and the Saskatchewan Book of the Year Award. Lilburn's work has been translated into French, Chinese, Serbian, and Polish. He is currently at work on a new collection of essays, tentatively entitled Going Home: a Philosophical Poetics.
Helen Marzolf is an artist, arts administrator and curator. Currently Director of Open Space, an artist-run centre in Victoria BC, Helen was Director of Regina’s Dunlop Art Gallery 1991-2001. She has taught at the University of Saskatchewan and University of Victoria.
 Host of the M-K Artist Camps, Wayne Sawchuk is a photographer and conservationist who has been guiding in the Muskwa-Kechika for over 20 years. In 2006, Wayne received a Canadian Environment Award for his work to protect this wilderness area.
Cherie Valentina Stocken is from the Cree/Ojibway First Nations. She is also English, French and German. Stocken's work deals with issues of cultural convergence and the individual identity. She has received her BFA from the University of British Columbia and has screened both nationally and internationally. Some venues include imagineNATIVE Film and Media Arts Festival (Toronto), Images Festival (Toronto), and Dreamspeakers International Aboriginal Film and Television Festival (Edmonton). She has exhibited at venues such as The Alternator Gallery for Contemporary Art, Carleton University Art Gallery, and The Art Gallery of Calgary. She received the CanWest Global Centre for the Artists' Video Award and the Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Purchase Award. Her work can be found in the University of British Columbia-Okanagan, Queen's University, and the University of Oklahoma art collections. It is Cherie’s goal to continue to inspire social change throughout her art career.
For a glimpse into past camps, visit Northword Magazine to read 2007 participating artist Sheila Peter's wonderful account of the week.
 You can also read about the 2006 artist camp in the inaugural issue of Lake: a journal of arts and environment.
 Photo: A painting by Cranbrook artist and 2007 M-K Artist Camp participant
Ann Jones.
 Photo: Host Wayne Sawchuk leading his horses in the M-K
2008 M-K Naturalist Camp: August 14th -21st
(downloadable application form available below)
The Muskwa-Kechika Naturalist Camps seek to raise awareness of the values of the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area and to allow naturalists to broaden their knowledge of the land, water, plants, and animals critical to the ecosystem of the Muskwa-Kechika.
In 2007, the first Muskwa-Kechika Naturalist Camp was held. The camp was hosted by Wayne Sawchuk, a photographer and conservationist who has been conducting guiding trips into the Muskwa-Kechika since 1985. Through his work with industry and wilderness organizations, Wayne has been instrumental in creating the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area, which today serves as a model for remaining wilderness areas in other parts of the world.
The 2008 camp will be led by well known naturalist, author, and radio host Dick Cannings.
Click here to listen to an interview with Ben Gadd, conducted and filmed by participant Mike Boronowski at the 2007 Muskwa-Kechika Naturalist Camp.
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