Public Art
Mariposa Creek Parkway Signs
In the fall of 2024, Abby Miller and I were commissioned to do the art and design for three panels at the Mariposa Creek Parkway.
The Mariposa Creek, the creek that runs through our town, has been through a huge restoration process these last three years. Through a series of cultural burns and thousands of native plant plantings (thanks to the efforts of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation Pollinators and the Sierra Foothill Conservancy), this stretch of land has become more ecologically rich and vibrant. Beavers even returned to make their home here! This project is an artistic interpretation of this work, a celebration of the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation’s culture and values, and a guide to some significant native plants and animals of the area.
This project was a collaboration with the Sierra Foothill Conservancy, Mariposa County, and the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, and it was funded by the California Wildlife Conservation Board.
Abby and I deeply studied the Mariposa Creek for weeks and completed more than 140 paintings/drawings to compose these signs. The graphic design is done by me.
This parkway is currently open to the public for walking (on the trail only, as they are still establishing new plants), and there are plans for a playground and a park. It’s been wonderful to be a small part of this larger project that has been a dream in this county for at least 40 years.
Gather and Protect
Huṭṭamehnəthoy ho’’ay ‘Okōoyuthoy
A collaborative installation by Abby Miller and Anna Friedland
“Gather and Protect” or “Huṭṭamehnəthoy ho’’ay ‘Okōoyuthoy” were created collaboratively by Anna Friedland and Abby Miller, with input from the community. These panels, installed on the exterior doors of the Midpines Community Hall and the YARTS bus shelter, explore the concept of stewardship in Midpines through a celebration of the flora and fauna that call this place home. The inclusion of Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation (SSMN) basketry patterns, along with plants and animals of cultural significance to the SSMN, is an acknowledgement of the Miwuk tribe’s original and ongoing role as stewards of Midpines. Plants used in Miwuk basketry, and gathered for food and medicine, appear alongside animals who are woven into the stories of Miwuk ancestors. They are seen growing and thriving alongside other species that can be observed in and around the riparian corridor of Bear Creek, and in the oak and pine forest that comprise this landscape. These panels serve as a reminder that the way forward for our community involves collaboration, mutual respect, and reverence for all who live here and contribute to the stewardship of this incredible place.
“Since time immemorial the Southern Sierra Miwuk have lived alongside the plant and animal relatives that call these mountains home. For generations, the Miwuk have stewarded this part of Mother Earth, learning from all of the relations the responsibilities of caring and living in balance with all of the creator’s creations. Acting as guardians to defend all of the sacred. In the Miwuk way of life, we do not see ourselves as separate from the environment but as an organism within the ecosystem. To live a life for something greater than our individual desires is what it means to be Miwuk, to care for the earth is to care for the plants, animals, and ourselves.”
-Aanthony Lerma
Abby and I created a guide to all the plant and animal species included in these works. The guide not only includes the common and Latin names, but also the Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation names, when applicable.
Click here to download this guide.
Gather and Protect is a part of the Working Lands, Working Artists project from Mariposa County and the Mariposa Arts Council, funded by an NEA Our Town grant. Thank you to our community for all your helpful public feedback. Thank you Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation for your feedback, recommendations, information, and language support. Thank you Mariposa Arts Council for this opportunity.
Yosemite National Park Camp 4 Sign
January 2018
Collaborated with Yosemite Park staff, graphically designed
72 inches X 36 inches park sign, and created custom illustrations.