Moscow Contemporary Exhibit Dates: April 8–May 31, 2025
“Finding Fire’s Form” opens on April 8 with an afternoon artist talk by Sasha Michelle White at 2 pm and followed in the evening by a reception for both artists from 6-8 pm. The exhibit will be on view until May 31, 2025.
“Finding Fire’s Form” is two artists’ exploration of what landscape fire creates. From the charred typologies of tree stumps, to the dye colors of fire-adapted shrubs, to the rhythms of wildland firefighting, this exhibition celebrates the complexities of loss, protection, renewal, and resistance that constitute our fire-prone landscapes. Grounded in Oregon’s 2021 Bootleg fire, the photographs, residues, and textiles from White and Robinson provoke contemplation of the legacies of landscapes that are both ecological and social. They weave an intimacy that is neither diagnostic nor prescriptive but invites a collective (re)visioning of our futures with fire.
“Not many years ago, we would have thought fire had relevance for very specific areas. As we’ve seen recently, impactful fires are happening in every region of the country. Learning to live with fire is a necessity, not an option.” Says MosCo executive director, Roger Rowley.
Sasha Michelle White is an artist and interdisciplinary researcher who engages the material ecologies of the Pacific Northwest’s fire-prone landscapes. Her current research focuses on the dyes, medicines, and life histories of fire-adapted shrubs and how these articulate a long-term social relationship with fire. Her work involves practices that include drawings, garments, poems, and performances. She is particularly interested in how commonplace notions of fire can be expanded through the forms—both social and ecological—that are generated by fire. Sasha studied printmaking and book arts at Bowdoin College, Maine College of Art, and Cranbrook Academy of Art. In 2021, Sasha earned a master’s degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Oregon. While there she helped found the Fuel Ladder art research group. She is currently a Mellon Foundation predoctoral fellow at the University of Idaho working on her PhD with the interdisciplinary Confluence Lab. For the Lab she has initiated the Artists-In-Fire residency program.
Michelle Robinson is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Los Angeles. She studied environmental design, animation, and visualization at Texas A&M University, producing short films shown at the Walker Art Center, the Dallas Museum of Art, and The AFI National Video Festival. She has been an artist and supervisor with Walt Disney Animation Studios for 31 years, most recently serving as Head of Characters on the Oscar-winning Encanto. In 2019, Michelle completed her MFA in Visual Art at the New Hampshire Institute of Art. Her work has been published in Fiber Art Now, Precog, Frames, and the book Desert Forest, produced by the Museum of Art and History in Lancaster, CA. She has been awarded residencies with the Joshua Tree Center for Photographic Arts, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, PLAYA, and Oak Spring Garden Foundation. She is currently co-curating an exhibition about the Los Angeles River for the summer of 2025 at Shatto Gallery.
MosCo continues its journey to create a premier artist-run arts organization for the region. MosCo is one of the only a few organizations to operate in a commercial mall. Adapting to changing circumstances, MosCo continues to deliver exquisite arts and arts educational experiences.
Since August 1, 2021, Moscow Contemporary (MosCo), an Idaho 501c3 nonprofit has been growing into the best gallery in Idaho.
For more information:
Roger Rowley
Website: www.moscowcontemporary.org
