| About Nanda | |
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I am a fine artist and have a background in both therapy and education. For the last several years I worked in setting up home school and charter school education programs. I like building bridges between the districts and the alternative approaches to education. I also really enjoy helping create a local place based educational option for young people outside of the school system. My particular interest has been in celebrating nature through performance art. I find that the stories and images created by members of the community for a performance are far more resonant and effective than simply conservation work or theater on their own. The combination of theater and working in nature inspires people to consider and protect the natural work more from their heart and more locally. It is very hard to convince people that nature has an ecological imagination unless they have a more direct relationship with nature or come from a tradition where nature has a story that both speaks to us and guides our relationship to her. But combining the arts, sciences and service in performance gives the community the opportunity to combine its efforts and discover the voice of nature more clearly in their efforts to portray the story of a river or migrating birds or whatever the theme is and the need might be directed towards in helping the wilderness. I formed a group—the Theater of Restoration—as a vehicle to help young people have a voice in their community through performance art and creative expression and wove this into their home school education. I have produced two films; Billy and The Journey of the Essential Child–A Talk by Edith Sullwold. Both of these films are based on the work I did with Turning Point, a group for children and parents facing serious illness. The first film is about a young man who helped other children who had cancer and the second is about a Jungian mentor who helped direct this group over a few years in a house in California with a large garden for the children. I illustrate for journals and magazines focused on the environment. I have written articles on art therapy and sand tray therapy. I self publisheded the books; Bringing Nature to Life—The Use of Performance Art in Environmental Restoration and Riverworks—Performance and Community Art for RIvers. I created these guides as useful and accessible tools for anyone that would like to do a place-based performance. Presently I reside in the Gila Valley in southern New Mexico and I spend part of the year in the North Fork Valley in Paonia, Colorado. I have been involved in setting up the first annual Gila River Festival. I have kept a log and journal for four years on the process of moving to the valley and an ongoing series of photographs and shrines of the birds and themes I find inherent in the landscape. Professional Resumé (PDF) Contact Information: |
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