Art

Welcome! The galleries and studio at Cedar North are shared spaces. They’re probably messy, but we like it that way - it means things are happening. We invite people to come to the farm to teach and think and create, usually on topics surrounding ecology, food, climate change, sustainability, and the future. 

Our dream is to make this place into a reservoir of knowledge. By shaping the landscape through daily chores, big ideas, and collaborative projects, we leave behind patterns recording the things we’ve learned while working to create a thriving and productive farm ecosystem. If we all picked up and left, the place would still be a farm. If you come upon the place and study the shape of the land, composition of the soil, locations of the plants, and habits of the animals, you learn the behaviors of the system. Just by paying attention to the well-being of the plants and creatures in this place, you can teach yourself the techniques it takes to keep the place alive. And by practicing every day, the place will thrive.

But, we’re living at a time of slow violence, of preventable crisis, of irreversible change. Because of the impact of energy sources we collectively choose over and over and over again, we are making communities all around the world unlivable. As land disappears into the rising oceans, rivers run dry, and economies built on resources of the past collapse, the poorest and the richest alike will more and more frequently be displaced from their homes. Climate migrations have already begun, and will no doubt continue.

Because of our temperate climate, abundant space, and plentiful resources, our little place in Northern Michigan is poised to become a place of refuge for displaced people, plants, and animals. So then, how do we best adapt to our new reality? How do we take note of the change as we witness the transformation? How do we share in the grief of what we’ve lost? How do we make room for new niches in the landscape? How do we celebrate the culture of displaced communities? How do we best welcome the newcomers? Honestly, we don’t know. So we continue to care for the land as mindfully as we can, invite artists to explore the questions we don’t yet know how to answer, and welcome you to share in the journey.