Signal Fire

We're thinking back to last summer and this storied mural created by 2021 Tinderbox Resident Gabriel Barrera . Barrera's storytelling style weaves together the entangled lives of prairie plants like trillium, camas lily, white yarrow, and yampah; animals like the Oregon Vesper Sparrow; and people like Barrera's friend Amber Ball (of Dakubetede, Shasta, Modoc, and Klamath ancestry) who is featured prominently in this mural.

In Barrera's own words he shares that: "Vesper Meadow is one little piece of Amber’s ancestral land. I wanted to incorporate Amber into the mural as a tribute to her and to honor the connection she has to her ancestral land."

We love how this work, called "Trillium" will live on at Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve, , transforming an old cow barn into a space that remembers a past while envisioning a future of multi-species kinship, land-based reciprocity, and Indigenous representation.

This project was done in partnership with Vesper Meadow Education Program and the Schneider Art Museum,, for their 2021 Art Beyond festival. Learn more about Barrera's work, in his own words, on the Vesper Meadow blog here: bit.ly/3vqvohu

Hi, everyone! I'm Renée Rhodes (she/her) , Signal Fire's new Interim Program Coordinator. I'm very honored to be here, to collaboratively steward this next phase of Signal Fire's growth. My first experience with Signal Fire was on a 2015 Outpost trip, on an old logging road in the Mt. Hood Wilderness, during the magic of a meteor shower (the Perseids). That trip was really a catalyst for me and set me on a path of making environmental education and environmental justice a bigger part of my life. These days, I identify as an artist, gardener, and cultural worker. I have 15 years of experience developing and supporting creative programs at colleges and arts-based non-profits and 5 years of experience with ecological restoration and urban farming. I live in San Francisco, two miles from the Pacific Ocean. I am really happy to be working with Signal Fire.
If you have any questions or want to connect DM me here.

Hello Signal Fire Community! We're still here and emerging from many months of dormancy. We've started a process of transformation & organizational reflection. In 2022, our Board, Guides & new Interim Program Coordinator will be digging deep and actively working towards new ways to solidify Signal Fire as a resilient and just organizational entity. Learn more about our winter updates here: bit.ly/3INInNC

Love what you read here? Join us for our second installation of Finding Oasis on Thursday, 3/25 at 6:30 PST.

How Signal Fire Holds Space for BIPOC to Connect to Their Roots — Ragtag Magazine Historic and modern systems have affected Indigenous and Black experiences, separating the people from each other and their land—“stolen land, stolen people.” In this article, Bia speaks with Aviva McClure about the importance of BIPOC-identifying individuals reconnecting with both land and pe...

ScenicG will be embedded at Vesper Meadow as our 2021 Tinderbox Artist in Residence. The artwork created at this residency will be on display at Vesper Meadow as part of the Art Beyond outdoor art festival this summer, organized by Schneider Art Museum. This partnership exists at the intersection of multiple artist communities, regional social justice initiatives, and decolonized environmental stewardship showcasing the capacity of interdisciplinary coalition building across the Rogue Valley.

Originally from Southern California, Gabriel Barrera is a Mexican American/Xicano visual artist living in Southern Oregon. He works in various mediums including traditional art methods, multimedia and graphics. His artwork is rooted in social justice, advocacy, and youth mentorship. Gabriel received a BFA from Pratt Institute and has worked for over 20 years as a scenic artist in theaters such as South Coast Repertory, Oregon Shakespeare Festival and numerous colleges. He currently operates ScenicG, a visual art and design company providing services in art/design, workshops, consultation, facilitation and mentorship.

“We are excited to collaborate with Gabriel, because with his art, he brings a lens of social justice and will be able to portray the complex relationships between people and land over time,” says Jeanine Moy, Director of the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve Vesper Meadow. Located 30 minutes east of Ashland and 45 minutes west of Klamath Falls, Vesper Meadow is a rare highland meadow prioritizing native food plant cultivation and ecological values through partnership with scientists, Tribes, artists, educators, and other community leaders. Learn more at www.vespermeadow.org.

Announcing our 2021 Tinderbox Artist in Residence: ScenicG at Vesper Meadow! We are so grateful to work with these wonderful partners and support creative coalition building in the Rogue Valley. Let's go!

Tinderbox Artist in Residence - Signal Fire Signal fire helps build the cultural value of the natural world by connecting artists to our remaining wild places.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Erica Alexia Ledesma's artist talk last night! It has been such a privilege to run 2020 Tinderbox with Erica and Rogue Climate, thanks to you both for the adaptiveness, creative approaches, and abundant energy you brought to this project. We are so grateful for our time together. Thank you!
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Tinderbox 2021 partner organization and artist announcement coming next week! Stay tuned.

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Please join us March 9, 6pm for Erica Alexia Led's virtual artist talk! Bring refreshments as we Zoom into the artist's studio, learn about her time in residence at Rogue Climate and announce our 2021 Tinderbox Residency partner and artist!

Tinderbox Artist Talk with Erica Alexia Ledesma - Signal Fire Signal fire helps build the cultural value of the natural world by connecting artists to our remaining wild places.