Out of the ground-truthing experience, Last Stands team member and artist Mara Menahan has created a series of paintings of found objects from the islands of Southeast Alaska.

The objects are categorized by color—showing the human and more-than-human all together on the same page and challenging traditional western taxonomy. The paintings grew out of the joy and heartbreak of two summers spent alongside Elsa and Natalie, bushwhacking through old growth forests, crawling through clear-cuts, swimming in cold water, eating wild salmon, blueberries and chanterelles, listening to Swainson’s and Hermit thrushes, and having conversations with lots and lots of strangers.

This work was supported by the community of Tenakee Springs on Chichagof Island, the writer-activist Kathleen Dean Moore as well as the supporters of the Last Stands Project. Thank you.  

Learn more about the paintings and upcoming events on Mara’s website: https://maramenahan.xyz/