Exhibition news

Rest and Recharge in Nature

By Megan Donahue

The world is noisy. In an environment saturated with constant alerts, urgent headlines, and an unrelenting stream of information, our nervous systems are rarely given time to settle. While some messages truly demand our immediate action, many linger as ambient noise, subtly shaping our thoughts, elevating stress, and eroding our capacity for presence and rest.

So what can we do about it?

Rest and Recharge: Practicing Radical Self Care in an Uncertain World is a new exhibition at Brushwood exploring this question. The exhibition acknowledges the quiet toll of the noise overload and offers a gentle counterbalance. Through visual art, space, and silence, Rest and Recharge creates an environment that encourages slowing down, tuning inward, and reconnecting with rhythms that sustain us rather than deplete us.

Over forty artists are featured in the exhibition, exploring rest not as withdrawal or passivity, but as an active, necessary practice—one rooted in attention, care, and renewal.

Rest is essential for humans to thrive. In addition to healthy sleep, downtime, and exercise, spending time in nature significantly reduces stress. A 2019 study found that just 20 minutes connecting with nature can help lower stress hormone levels. Research has shown “evidence that contact with nature is associated with increases in happiness, subjective well-being, positive affect, positive social interactions, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life, as well as decreases in mental distress.”

The artists of Rest and Recharge understand this vital link between nature and rejuvenation.

Artists Explore Nature as a Source of Calm

“Immersion in nature can bring peace and calm to otherwise anxious thoughts and feelings. When I walk through a garden or a forest or stand near a waterfall, I feel a connection and a feeling of belonging to something larger than myself. My awareness shifts. It helps me find perspective. The constant change and renewal inherent in nature reminds me that I am also changing and renewing in sometimes subtle, but significant ways. I can breathe a little deeper. My senses are awakened and I feel renewed. My paintings reference natural surroundings that metaphorically represent state of mind.”

–Joan Ackerman-Zimny

Image: Promise, by Joan Ackerman-Zimny
Media: Oil paint

“I create works on paper drawn from my personal nature library, built through time spent outdoors and close observation. When a pinecone or stone, a bone or shell catches my attention, I experience a moment of discovery—an immediate sense of joy and quiet amazement that slows me down and invites presence. In an uncertain world, fear can easily dominate our inner lives. For me, returning to nature and to art is a way of resisting that pull. Joyful observation becomes grounding: studying color, texture, form, and cast shadow allows focus to replace anxiety. Each finished work feels like a small but meaningful victory—proof that attention, curiosity, and care still matter. Inspired by Claude Monet, who continued painting through World War I and described his work as ‘the only way I have of taking part in the victory,’ my own practice similarly chooses creation over fear. By sharing these moments of discovery, I hope the work offers steadiness and reassurance—a reminder that attention to the natural world can restore balance, clarity, and peace.”
–Margarete de Soleil

Image:Owl Feather, by Margarete de Soleil

Media: Ink and watercolor on Arches paper

“Being in natural surroundings is the ultimate way to rest and recharge. Getting away from computers, TV’s and other devices is balm for the over-stimulated mind. Challenge yourself by walking, sitting or even laying down to let wind, sun and temperature play their part in rejuvenating and elevating mind and spirit.”
-Carol Luc

Image: Get Lost, by Carol Luc
Media: Photo

Rest and Recharge is on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods through April 5.

learn more about the exhibition

Meet Katherine Lampert

Katherine Lampert received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and an MFA from Northwestern University. She has exhibited internationally, with a recent solo show at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago. Lampert has been an Artist In Residence at the Cooper Union, a Community Artist In Residence at the Hyde Park Art Center, and received two fellowships from the Vermont Studio Center. She is also the recipient of a Full University Fellowship and a Teaching Fellowship from the Graduate School at Northwestern University, a City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, and a pARTners of Jackson Hole Grant. Her work has been featured in a number of publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Hyperallergic, and Michigan Avenue Magazine, among others.

See Katherine’s art on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods March 1 – 28, 2026.

*Unstudied*, by Katherine Lampert
Media: Oil based enamel on canvas

Katherine’s Artist Statement

“When I paint, I allow myself to get lost in the process. I welcome uncertainty, an antidote to the necessity of knowing and controlling so much in everyday life. Our experience is so often mediated by technology—filtered through screens, images, and digital representations. Painting forces me to slow down, take time to observe, and ultimately experience a more direct, unfiltered connection to the natural world.

My work is tactile, built from materials such as stained paper and translucent glazes of oil-based enamel. Through layering, scraping, and excavation, I create surfaces shaped as much by chance as by intention—echoing the natural forces that transform the environment. The resulting surfaces are meditative, evoking spaces that shift between the real and the imagined.”

Image: Katherine Lampert at work.

Artist of the Month Events

March 28
10:00 am – 3:00 pm | Free
Open Art Workshop with Katherine Lampert

Open Art Workshop is open to anyone who wants to make something in any area of visual arts and crafts, from the experienced artist looking for a community of others to work with, to the complete novice who just wants to try something out in a low pressure environment, or the family looking for a fun kids’ activity to fill their afternoon – this workshop is for you!

Image: Drift by Katherine Lampert
Media:Oil based enamel on canvas

A Joyful Black History Month Celebration at Brushwood Center

On February 22, 2026 the community gathered at Brushwood Center for a beautiful and inspiring Black History Month event.

Joyful! A Celebration of Black History Month, is a concert curated by singer Angela Walker, accompanied by a culinary experience by chef Jeffrey Williams.

Angela Walker sings, photo by InLife Photography

“Let Out Your Joy”

The program of musical selections by Angela, Patrick A. Pearson, and Tranelle Duffie traced the history of the African American experience and reflected on the role of music in the community. The audience clapped, sang, and cheered as Angela, Patrick, and Tranelle guided them through spirituals and gospel songs, from enslavement to the Civil Rights Movement to the modern day.

“The music was wonderful and the spirit was beautiful,” said one audience member.

Angela M. Walker is a U.S. Navy Veteran, musician, motivational speaker, community navigator, and Veterans’ advocate. She holds a master’s degree in Education and Inner City Studies from Northeastern Illinois University. She has taught at the City Colleges of Chicago and worked as a Veterans Service Officer Representative for the
State of Illinois, as well as a marketing consultant and health navigator. She is the founder of The Brave Project.

Angela Walker smiles while Patrick A. Pearson sings and plays the keyboard

In addition to her advocacy, Angela offers calming presence and grief support in hospice and hospital settings and promotes expressive therapy and positive psychology through her presentations. She performs as a songstress year-round for local and national Veteran service organizations, civic groups, and private events.

Angela says,”I think when you immerse yourself in the arts, you just lose yourself a little bit, but it also gives you time to meditate and think about the things that are important to you and to think about those inner dreams that need to come out… I’m able to express myself. And when you express yourself, you can let out your pain. You can let out your questions, you can let out your joy. It comes out and you share it with others. And then in turn, the audience shares their joy with you. And I can see that when I’m performing, I can see when people are being receptive to the music and
the songs.”

Angela Walker speaks while Tranelle Duffy plays the keyboard

“This Food is Love”

In the kitchen, Jeffrey Williams of From Hood to Table presented a hands-on demonstration about significant foods in African American culture, explaining the culinary history as well as the recipes. With a little help from participants, he prepared fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, greens with smoked meat, cornbread dressing, and cornbread.

Jeffrey Williams in the Brushwood kitchen, with a large bowl of cornbread, ingredients, and a baking pan.

Jeffery is a Chicago-raised private chef, and Waukegan urban farming and sustainability teacher focused on solving the
food crisis throughout urban landscapes. After six years of supporting and coaching high school students, he found peace and a safe space in his backyard during the pandemic. He connected his passions for cooking and gardening and founded From Hood To Table. He aims to prioritize access to the best and freshest food by teaching communities how to
grow and use what they have to make compost and organic inputs. He intends to build a bridge to the past and connect Black and Brown communities to a more sustainable and flourishing lifestyle.

Jeff Williams guides participants making cornbread dressing

Thank you to Angela, Patrick, Tranelle, and Jeffrey for creating such a special day at Brushwood!

inside Brushwood

The Work is Love: Showing Love to Our Community Programs Team

By Ashley Cullen-Williams

I have to admit something—teamwork hasn’t always been my thing. In the past, I didn’t have strong teams around me. I didn’t experience collaboration as something life-giving. If I’m honest, I resisted it. I thought it slowed things down. I thought it made things messy. I thought it required more energy than it returned.

Then I came to Brushwood.

And something changed.

Walking the trails, watching the trees through the seasons, has changed how I understand connection.

A forest does not rush its becoming. It honors cycles.

There is a season for planting, a season for growth, a season for shedding, and a season for stillness. Still beneath every visible change, the roots remain intertwined. Nutrients are shared. Protection is offered. The system sustains itself because it is connected.

No tree thrives alone.

That is what I’ve witnessed in our Community Programs staff.

Like winter roots below frozen ground, much of their work happens unseen—planning, adapting, checking in, preparing, supporting one another when the days feel long. In spring, their ideas bloom into programs that welcome young people and families to explore creativity. In summer, they hold space for growth and joy outdoors. In fall, they harvest lessons learned and plant seeds for what’s next.

There is a rhythm to it.

A trust in the process.

A willingness to show up for each season without ego.

And this feels like Brushwood’s season.

A season to anchor in our mission.

A season to intervene when the community needs call us forward.

A season to convene partners and neighbors around a mutual purpose.

A season to model what healing, justice, and environmental connection can look like in practice.

A season to support—steadily, consistently, with care.

Our Community Programs staff embody this season. They are rooted enough to anchor. Courageous enough to intervene. Open enough to convene. Clear enough to model. Steady enough to support.

They have changed my understanding of teamwork. Healthy collaboration does not drain you—it fortifies you. It makes you more resilient in harsh climates. It assures that when one branch bends, the forest still stands.

This February, as we talk about love, I’m thinking about love as commitment. Love as consistency. Love as collective flourishing.

To our Community Programs staff: Abbey, Jess K, Jess R, and Eddie, thank you for being interconnected. Thank you for capturing our story; committing to people; creating transformative experiences; and always being curious with care!

Thank you for tending the soil even when no one is watching.

Thank you for helping this community not only survive its seasons but flourish through them.

As bell hooks reminds us, “Love is an action, never simply a feeling.”

And your work is love in action.

When the Land Speaks on the World’s Biggest Stage: Super Bowl Reflections

By Ashley Cullen-Williams

Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance wasn’t just a musical moment — it was a reminder that land holds memory.

The imagery of sugarcane fields immediately evoked the Caribbean’s colonial past. Sugar cane is not a neutral crop. It represents forced labor, extraction, and economies built through enslavement and exploitation. By centering this landscape on one of the world’s biggest stages, Bad Bunny invited viewers to sit with the reality that culture and wealth are often rooted in histories of land and labor.

One of the most striking choices was that the “plants” on the field weren’t props at all — they were people. Human bodies became the landscape. What could have been a limitation turned into a powerful metaphor: the land has always been shaped, worked, and sustained by people. Nature is not separate from humanity — it is inseparable from it.

Layered into the performance were visible power lines and infrastructure — subtle, but intentional. The grid represents modern dependence, extraction, and control: who gets power, who loses it, and whose land is sacrificed to sustain systems far away. These lines cut through natural landscapes just as colonial and industrial systems have long disrupted Indigenous and island ecosystems.

Together, the sugar cane, the people-as-land, and the power grid told a fuller story. Land is farmed. People are used. Energy is extracted. And yet — culture survives. Community persists. Joy and resistance still take up space.

At Brushwood, we understand land as a teacher. This performance echoed that truth. When people are treated as props, the land suffers. When land is overexploited, people suffer too. Healing — ecological, cultural, and communal — begins when we remember that people, land, and power are deeply connected.

Meet Jerry Loza

Jerry Loza is an artist who served four years in the Marines after attending Whitney Young High School in Chicago. After his military service, Jerry returned to the Chicago area. He says, “I’m a firm believer in the healing nature of art. I love teaching digital art to help pass along this coping skill.”

You may recognize Jerry’s work from At Ease in Nature, Brushwood’s annual art exhibition featuring Veteran and military community artists, where he has exhibited several times. Jerry also displays his work around the community at galleries and art fairs.

See Jerry’s art on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods February 1 – 28, 2026.

Through the Fire, by Jerry Loza — *Through the Fire*, by Jerry Loza
Media: Digital

Jerry’s Artist Statement

“I always was a pencil and pen artist but stopped many years ago. I started drawing digitally in 2018, but during the COVID lock down I was completing a drawing a week. I’m involved in multiple Veteran art groups. My primary muse is my city, Chicago, but I’ve also
tapped into my heritage and my military background for inspiration.”

Image: Jerry Loza pictured with his work at an art fair.

Artist of the Month Events

A digital drawing of Buckingham Fountain at night.

February 28
10:00 am – 3:00 pm | Free
Open Art Workshop with Jerry Loza

Image: Buckingham Fountain by Jerry Loza
Media: Digital

a forest bathing invitation

Embrace Winter

By Jess Rodriguez

Jess Rodriguez is the Coalition Building Manager at Brushwood Center, and a certified forest bathing guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Bathing.

Forest bathing is an opportunity to remember our intrinsic connection to nature. Inspired by the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, forest bathing is a guided experience that works to mend the relationships humans have with themselves, the concept of time, their communities, and with the more than human world. It is a practice focused on remembering reciprocity.

To help you embrace winter and connect with nature, we offer this forest bathing invitation this season. You can experiment with this invitation wherever you are, but we especially welcome you to try it at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods.

People in winter clothes walk along a path towards Brushwood Center. There is snow on the ground, and most of the trees are leafless. The sky is grey, but bright.

Take 10-15 minutes to wander out into winter.

As you wander, take a moment to settle into the present by slowly turning to your senses.

What does winter sound like?

What does winter feel like on the parts of your body that are exposed?

How does the air of winter feel within your nostrils as you breathe in deeply?

Does the air feel different on your tongue if you breathe in deeply through your mouth?

As you settle in, what would it be like to notice what winter looks like?

What different signs of life might you notice persisting through winter?

What signs of life might you add to winter?

Take your time to move at a pace that is slower than usual and notice all that winter might have to offer.

Meet Polly Greathouse

Polly Greathouse is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the vitality and interconnectedness of the natural world.

Trained in painting, drawing, and photography at the University of Illinois, she began her career in animation and interface design, helping pioneer early mobile user interfaces before returning to fine art. Her paintings in oil on paper, inks, multimedia, and water media combine fluid, watercolor-like transparencies with bold, gestural strokes and layered impasto.

Polly also integrates photography and digital tools into her practice, expanding her painterly vocabulary. Influenced by Sumi-e techniques and abstract expressionism, her compositions evoke ecosystems in motion—shaped by shifting light, weather, and seasonal cycles. Rather than a single focal point, her work offers immersive landscapes that mirror the experience of being in nature, where everything is alive and interconnected.

See Polly’s art on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods January 3 – 31, 2026.

*Aerie Lounge, Fenway Victory Gardens,* by Polly Greathouse
Media: Oil on paper

Polly’s Artist Statement

“I paint natural environments from various regions, but most often observe, honor, and celebrate the landscapes of Illinois where I live and work. My art reflects the expressive, ever-changing motions of ecosystems. A consistent element in my work is the absence of a single focal point—much like the experience of being in nature, where wind, sunlight, water, and terrain shift dynamically. I aim to capture fleeting impressions: the posture of a plant, the motion of a bird, the awesome presence of wind or light. These glimpses seed a memory of the moment—one I’m grateful to witness, breathe in, and translate through artistic impressions.”

Image: Twelve Pots, Fenway Victory Gardens, by Polly Greathouse
Media: Oil on paper

Artist of the Month Events

January 31
10:00 am – 3:00 pm | Free
Open Art Workshop with Polly Greathouse

Image: Red-wing blackbirds, Independence Grove by Polly Greathouse
Media: Charcoal sketch

The Brushwood Top 10: 2025

By Catherine Game

2025 was a big year for Brushwood Center!

Looking back, it’s hard to narrow down our most significant moments, as there are so many thanks to the Brushwood team, our community, and our supporters. The Brushwood Top 10 is an annual tradition that we are always happy to share, so the whole staff came together to choose the following incredible moments of 2025.

Thanks to our supporters for making these moments at Brushwood possible. We can’t wait to make more moments of impact with you in 2026!

1. Celestial Forest Bathing

Abbey Castro, Communications Coordinator

Brushwood partnered with Reciprocal Forest Bathing to provide free opportunities throughout the year for the community to mindfully connect with nature, in English and Spanish.

Jess Rodriguez, Coalition Building Manager and Forest Therapy Guide, leads a Forest Bathing session.

2. Celebrating the 42nd Annual Smith Nature Symposium Youth Environmental Leadership Awardees

Ashley Cullen-Williams, Senior Program Director

This year, we were thrilled to honor Robin Wall Kimmerer at the Smith Nature Symposium Awards. We celebrated the work of future environmental justice leaders, Ja’Harmony Johnson and Victor Hinojosa, two exemplary young leaders.

Youth Environmental Leadership Awardees Victor and Ja’Harmony with Robin Wall Kimmerer at Chicago Botanic Garden

3. The Community Leadership Roundtable: In the Field

Angela Ramirez, Administrative Coordinator

This year, the Community Leadership Roundtable took a new form: Environmental Justice and Healing bus tours to some of the most relevant sites in Waukegan. Watch the short film by Videographer-in-Residence, Kateryna Sazonova.

The morning bus tour group of Brushwood partners, Board members, and participants at Yeomen Creek Landfill.

**4. The At Ease in Nature Exhibition**

Jes Klinge, Veteran Programs Specialist

The November art exhibition, At Ease in Nature featured artwork created during our 2025 At Ease programs, as well as work inspired by experiences in nature from members of the Military Community. This year’s exhibition highlighted the diversity that can be found in nature and in the armed forces, making each stronger than they would be without it.

Dante Plata, Army Veteran, with his photography pieces at the At Ease in Nature opening.

5. Expansion of the TIERRA Program

Jess Rodriguez, Building Coalition Manager

TIERRA (Transforming Internal Experiences for Resilience and Restoration through Acceptance) is a first-of-its-kind, nature-based mental health intervention. This year, it expanded beyond its pilot phase to new organizations in Lake County, and 17 new Community Health Workers were certified in the program.

The Accelerator team celebrating with the certified promotoras group.

6. Before Dreams Are The Last Place We Find You: Lydia Cheshewalla

Julia Kemerer, Director of Arts and Administration

Brushwood welcomed Osage ephemeral artist Lydia Cheshewalla for a solo exhibition of the work created during her residency at the Center for Humans & Nature.

Lydia Cheshewalla gives an artist talk on her collaborative process with nature during the exhibition opening.

7. The Hunter Family Foundation gift to name The Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza

Mirja Spooner Haffner, Director of Development

In April, Brushwood received a transformative gift of $2.5 million from the Hunter Family Foundation to create The Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza, in support of Brushwood Center’s comprehensive campaign to expand programs and renovate our building at Ryerson Woods, Activate: A Campaign for Investment in Community.

Rendering of the future Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza by Serena Sturm Architects.

8. The Release of Flourish

Parker Nelson, Director of Public Programs and Music

This fall, Ensemble-in-Residence Black Moon Trio released a new album with Brushwood called Flourish, featuring our 2025 Smith Nature Symposium Honoree, Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Parker Nelson with Trisha Steele from Prairie Circle Unitarian Universalist Congregation
receiving a copy of the Flourish album.

9. Supporting Youth and Families with NEST Packs

Eddie Flores, Youth Education Coordinator

Created in response to families’ fear of going outside due to ICE activity, Brushwood’s NEST Packs are designed to nurture connection, curiosity, and community by providing families with Nature Exploring Safety Tools backpacks that make outdoor exploration both accessible and affirming.

Staff members Abbey Castro, Jes Klinge, Eddie Flores, and Ashley Cullen – Williams pack NEST packs at Brushwood.

10. Growing the Team

Catherine Game, Executive Director

Brushwood Center welcomed Ashley Cullen-Williams as our new Senior Program Director this summer. Ashley is a passionate and licensed mental health advocate and social-emotional learning expert, and has already had transformative impact in her new role at Brushwood. Learn more about Ashley’s story through her video.

Ashley Cullen-Williams confers with the Community Programs Team

And I have a bonus top moment, as I grew the “team” in an additional way. My family and I welcomed baby Emerald, born on Earth Day of this year!

Emerald has already enjoyed touring Brushwood exhibitions and perusing the Nature-Inspired Holiday Market, and she can’t wait for ¡Hola! Wiggleworms!

We wish you the best in 2026!

REFLECTION BY BRUSHWOOD SENIOR PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Lake County Community Convening

By Ashley Cullen-Williams

The Lake County Community Foundation Cross-Sector Coordinated Calls bring together partners from across Lake County — nonprofits, local governments, health systems, schools, and community leaders — to share real-time updates, resources, and strategies that support community safety and stability during moments of heightened risk and ICE raids.

These calls are flexible and open to all. Participants can join as capacity allows people to share information, access support, or simply stay informed. The space serves as a central hub for accurate information, communication, and regional strategy, helping ensure that our community stays connected and coordinated.

I have opened and closed each session with a grounding moment and brief reflection that connects our present challenges to lessons and strengths from the past. This practice helps root the call in healing, dignity, and shared purpose.

At the heart of this effort is a commitment to protecting the safety, dignity, and stability of all Lake County residents — physically, emotionally, and economically — especially in times of uncertainty or danger.

Here are my October welcome remarks:

The First Welcome shared on October 23, 2025

Good morning everyone —

To our nonprofit leaders, our government partners, our educators, and every community member here — welcome.

Your presence today means something. It means that even in times of fear, you chose connection. Even in times of division, you chose community.And even when our people are being targeted, detained, and displaced — you chose courage.

Because right now, we are living in a season of fear. ICE raids. Deportations. Families separated in the middle of the night. Children are growing up afraid to call this land home.

But for many of us grounded in the Black experience — we’ve known this kind of terror before. We know what it means to have your existence criminalized, your family torn apart, and your humanity questioned. And yet, our ancestors showed us that fear can never silence a people rooted in love and liberation.

In the 1960s, young organizers created the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee — SNCC.

They weren’t just marching — they were teaching. They trained local people to register voters, taught strategy, and built “freedom schools” where political education became the pathway to power.

Lesson one: When we understand how power works, we learn how to change it. Education is the first act of freedom.Then came the Black Panther Party. They didn’t wait for systems to save them — they created what their people needed. Free breakfast programs. Community health clinics. Legal aid. They turned compassion into infrastructure.

Lesson two: Liberation isn’t charity — it’s self-determination. When systems fail, we build what we need with dignity and love. And both movements — SNCC and the Panthers — built coalitions. They worked alongside Latino, Indigenous, Asian, and poor white organizers because they understood — no one is free until everyone is free.

Lesson three: Solidarity is our greatest protection. Fear isolates; community liberates.

Those lessons still live here — in our work, in our neighborhoods, and in this very room.

Educate for Liberation.

Create spaces where people can learn their rights, study systems, and imagine new ones. Political education must be part of every program.
Build What We Need.

Food security, healing spaces, youth employment, housing — when we build for ourselves, we move from survival to sovereignty.
Heal as We Organize.

The revolution must include rest, art, therapy, and joy — because collective care is a form of resistance.
Protect and Empower Our Youth.

Just as SNCC trusted young voices, we must let our youth lead — not someday, but today.
Build Real Power Together.

Nonprofits, government, and community — we must share power, not just tables. Collaboration means shared accountability, shared vision, and shared humanity.

So today, we gather not in despair — but in defiance of it. We come from people who were watched and followed — but never broken. We come from movements that fed children when the state would not. We come from organizers who risked everything to make freedom a living word. If the Black Panthers could build clinics when hospitals refused us, if SNCC could teach democracy under threat,then surely we can build belonging in the face of ICE and injustice.

Because fear is how systems control us. But community — real, organized, loving community — that’s how we win.

So welcome, family.

Welcome to a gathering of courage. Welcome to the continuation of a long, sacred struggle. And welcome to the work of building the beloved community — one act of truth, one table of unity, one generation of freedom at a time.

Let’s get to work.

Author: Megan Donahue

Rest and Recharge in Nature

Artists Explore Nature as a Source of Calm

Meet Katherine Lampert

Katherine’s Artist Statement

Artist of the Month Events

A Joyful Black History Month Celebration at Brushwood Center

“Let Out Your Joy”

“This Food is Love”

The Work is Love: Showing Love to Our Community Programs Team

When the Land Speaks on the World’s Biggest Stage: Super Bowl Reflections

Meet Jerry Loza

Jerry’s Artist Statement

Artist of the Month Events

Embrace Winter

Meet Polly Greathouse

Polly’s Artist Statement

Artist of the Month Events

The Brushwood Top 10: 2025

1. Celestial Forest Bathing

2. Celebrating the 42nd Annual Smith Nature Symposium Youth Environmental Leadership Awardees

3. The Community Leadership Roundtable: In the Field

**4. The At Ease in Nature Exhibition**

5. Expansion of the TIERRA Program

6. Before Dreams Are The Last Place We Find You: Lydia Cheshewalla

7. The Hunter Family Foundation gift to name The Maxine M. Hunter Performance Plaza

8. The Release of Flourish

9. Supporting Youth and Families with NEST Packs

10. Growing the Team

Lake County Community Convening

The First Welcome shared on October 23, 2025

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