Welcome to the Latest News from Artists with Ecology (AWE) — where we share updates on our ongoing projects, collaborations, and community outreach. This space highlights the meaningful work our team is doing to connect art, ecology, and community action.
Why Support Mural Art? ~ Murals & the Innovative ArtsWalk Award ~ Fall 2025
DescriptionIn this conversation, we explore why mural art matters – to our neighborhoods, our ecosystems, and our sense of belonging. We share the story behind Olympia’s Innovative ArtsWalk Award and how it supports bold, creative public art that brings people together and reflects the living spirit of place. Murals are
It’s the New Year! Why not learn to Draw or Refine Your Skills!
Creating something your mind has imagined would be quite a beautiful way to express yourself, don’t you agree?
Silent Auction Happening Now!
https://givebutter.com/c/XkCGe9 Ever wanted to own a large, meaningful piece of art? Bid on original mural panels created live at Olympia Arts Walk, theme Human Nature. Each one is unique – supporting the artists, our community, and the creative spirit connecting us all!
Honoring a Legendary Man: Chief Leschi in Bronze
The very first project that helped spark the vision for Artists With Ecology (AWE) was a powerful act of remembrance. Local multi-media artist Christopher Gerber was provided funding to create a bronze sculpture honoring Chief Leschi, a legendary leader of the Nisqually people. The project not only celebrates Chief Leschi’s
Another Grant supporting AWE!
We are excited to share that we are a recipient of a Community Accelerator Grant funded by https://www.facebook.com/AllenPhilanthropies/ Allen Family Philanthropies and awarded by https://www.facebook.com/ArtsFundSeattle/ ArtsFund! This gift will accelerate our organization’s efforts in developing our internal structure as an arts, ecological and cultural organization as well as expand our
Mural Announcement!
This September Artists With Ecology, powered by Shunpike, with a matching funds grant from the Inspire Olympia Community Impact Grant, is beginning a new mural with artist Andra Wilbur-Sigo. Infinite Relations – a 60 foot long mural reflecting the infinite connections between Squaxin culture and the unique environment they have
Andrea M. Wilbur-Sigo
Andrea Wilbur-Sigo, a member of the Squaxin Island Tribe and the SteChess family, is the first known Native woman carver in a long line of Coast Salish master carvers. Based in Shelton, Washington, her artistry spans beadwork, bentwood boxes, weaving, blankets, and large-scale carvings such as welcome figures and house
Christopher Gerber
Christopher Gerber is a multidisciplinary artist and the founder of Artists With Ecology (AWE). His work spans painting, sculpture, murals, installations, and immersive environments, often inspired by the dynamic textures and living layers of nature. For Christopher, art is more than decoration — each piece is created as a talisman,
Amanda Lux
Amanda Lux is an artist, educator, and healer whose work bridges creativity, spirituality, and personal transformation. Through painting, writing, and teaching, she explores the interplay of energy, dreams, and embodied practice, inviting others into deeper connection with themselves and the world around them. Founder of the Elevation Hive Center for
Austin Davis
Austin Davis is a mixed media artist based in Washington whose work spans realism, impressionism, sign painting, tattooing, murals, and contemporary art. Born in Albuquerque in 1995 to a military family, Austin’s upbringing—marked by frequent moves and a multicultural background—shaped his unique perspective on American life and fueled the development
Carrie Ziegler
Inspiring. Collaborative. Action. Carrie Ziegler is an artist, speaker, and community engagement expert who harnesses the collective power of art to drive social and environmental transformation. Through her Art in Action projects, she partners with communities, schools, and organizations to blend creativity with pressing issues, inspiring participation and lasting change.
D33Light
D33Light infuses light and positivity into life through art, drawing on experiences with travel, dance, yoga, and traditional Indian culture. Working in mixed media and public installations, their recent work centers on social and climate justice, with a focus on representing BIPOC individuals. As a South-Asian immigrant and parent of
AWE Receives Arts Walk Innovation Award!
We are honored to announce that A Sense of AWE: Human Nature – Mural Exposition has been recognized with an Arts Walk Innovation Award from the City of Olympia. The Purpose of the AwardThe Arts Walk Innovation Awards celebrate projects that bring fresh ideas, creativity, and deeper community engagement to
Mural Exposition at Arts Walk
AWE is excited to be a part of Olympia Arts walk …. A Sense of AWE: Human Nature – Mural Exposition Dates: October 3–4, 2025Location: 222 Columbia ~ Room 103 (Olympia Center) Experience art in motion!During Olympia’s Arts Walk weekend, A Sense of AWE: Human Nature – Mural Exposition will
New Logo!
The A.W.E. logo, designed by Nisqually artist Kyle Sanchez, and Christopher Gerber, brings together powerful symbolism from Norse mythology, Coast Salish design, and ecological philosophy. At the heart of the design are two ravens, inspired by Huginn and Muninn, the mythic birds of Odin who embody knowledge and facts (left
Noisy Waters Mural Festival was a Blast of Art (not just water)!
What a great opportunity to participate by volunteering to help Paper Whale to set up the Noisy Waters Festival in Bellingham, Washington this past weekend. The Lummi word Xwot’qom (similar to Whatcom) ~ translates to noisy or roaring waters to describe the priorly existent Whatcom Creek waterfalls that flowed with
A.W.E. Mission
We don’t just create art—we reclaim connection. Let’s get real: we’re not going to create a thriving future by using the same thinking and systems that got us here. That’s why we do things differently—merging art, design, science, and creative action to inspire community stewardship and deep connection with the
Meeting the Artists doing Chief Leschi Mural
Today I met the artists that will collaborate on the mural of Cheif Leschi downtown on the YMCA in Olympia, WA. It was a hot day so as we walked from various locations viewing murals, we made sure to find the side of the street where there was shade. Most
About the Chief Leschi Mural
Artists in Collaboration: Nisqually Youth Supporting Artists: Christopher Gerber & Kyle Sanchez “Leschi Learning Legacy” an acrylic mural honors Chief Leschi, a courageous Nisqually leader who stood for Native rights and sovereignty during the Puget Sound Indian War. This artwork celebrates his enduring legacy of resistance, justice, and the preservation
Fall Arts Walk Infinite Relations Mural
One of the murals that will be created from funds received by Inspire Olympia Grant funding will be: Plant Relations – this 100 foot long mural will illustrate local plants and their uses important to Squaxin culture: past and future. The location is in the TJ Potter Alley in the
Floating Wetlands in Action: Chicago’s Mile-Long River Habitat Project
In Chicago, a mile-long stretch of the river is being revitalized through floating wetland modules that bring nature back to an urban waterway. These structures improve water quality, support pollinators, and create visible green space in the heart of the city—an inspiring example of what we are proposing for the
Floating Wetlands in Action: The Duwamish Biobarges Project
Along the industrialized Duwamish River in Seattle, the UW Green Futures Lab collaborated with community groups to create modular “biobarges” planted with native species. These floating wetlands filter pollutants, improve water quality, and provide essential habitat for salmon and other wildlife—much like what we are proposing for the Deschutes River
Floating Wetlands in Action: Green Lake’s Innovative Restoration Project
The Friends of Green Lake have launched a pilot project to improve water quality and habitat through the installation of floating wetlands—much like what we are proposing for the Deschutes River and Estuary. These constructed islands, planted with native vegetation, help absorb excess nutrients, reduce algae growth, and provide shelter
From Bellingham to Olympia: Mural Contest Inspiration in the Making
I’m Marie Poland, and this weekend I’m volunteering at the Paper Whale Muddy Waters Festival in Bellingham—diving into their mural contest to see firsthand what makes it vibrant and successful. With years of experience in event production and organizing, I’m gathering ideas, tips, and creative sparks to bring back to
Floating Islands Intern: Restoring the Salish Sea
This project builds on earlier work by Christopher Gerber, (founder of A.W.E.) who first explored the potential for Coast Salish-inspired floating wetlands at The Evergreen State College. His initial vision surmised that anchored, crescent-shaped islands could improve water quality, support habitat, and carry deep cultural meaning. As part of her
A.W.E. Awarded Inspire Olympia Funds
Artists with Ecology is thrilled to announce that it is one of 60 local recipients of funding through Inspire Olympia. Inspire Olympia is a voter-approved initiative that dedicates a portion of Olympia’s sales tax to local nonprofit organizations offering arts, sciences, heritage, and cultural programs and experiences for the public in Olympia
Life is Water Story Pole Calls Orcas to Olympia
This week of June 2025 here along the Salish Sea on the West side of the bay downtown Olympia, a story pole ~ Life is Water, created by artist Taylor Krise from the Squaxin Island tribe was installed at the West Bay Park. The carving underscores how vital clean water
Orca Whale Dreaming says Olympia is Cool…and…
Less than one year ago I was in Bali on a work training adventure. My dreams there were incredibly potent. A little more background first…as I have traveled Internationally for the past few years, I have wondered about my home in the Pacific NW and scratched my head numerous times
McGill and Roloff, Isla de Umunnum
Isla de Umunnum (Island of the Hummingbirds) is an environmental art work, designed and built by Heather McGill and John Roloff for the California Arts Commission’s Art in Public Buildings Program.[Read Full Article] A land reclamation project creating a native habitat and sanctuary for hummingbirds, Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, Moss
Mel Chin, Revival Field
Revival Field began as a conceptual artwork with the intent to sculpt a site’s ecology. 1993 marked a successful conclusion to the first phase of this collaborative effort. The initial experiment, located at Pig’s Eye Landfill, a State Superfund site in St. Paul, Minnesota, was a replicated field test using special
Transforming Polluted Spaces Through Reclamation Art
Reclamation art, also called “ecovention,” is the art of rehabilitating polluted spaces or abandoned industrial areas. It is often associated with land art, however, the works of this movement offer ecological rehabilitation and also help foster the connection between people and their natural environment. -Artsper Magazine, 10 Feb 2021 [Read
Patricia Johanson, Reimagining Infrastructure
Municipal flood basin for Dallas’s “Fair Park Lagoon” by Patricia Johanson, 1981 “Although the sculptural structures may look “aesthetic,” they are actually deployed to prevent shoreline erosion by breaking up wave action, simultaneously creating paths for people and microhabitats for fish, turtles, birds, and waterfowl. Water rises and falls with