2023
Walking Along the Watershed with Sterling Wells and Melissa von Mayrhauser
Co-presented by the Armory and Fulcrum Arts, join artist Sterling Wells and freshwater ecologist Melissa von Mayrhauser for a walk along the Arroyo Seco and Flint Wash, two streams that are part of the Los Angeles River. This event is free and open to everyone, but RSVPs are required.
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Location: We will meet at Hahamongna Watershed Park, located at 4550 Oak Grove Drive in Pasadena, and will congregate at the picnic tables by the restrooms. Then, we’ll walk around the Devil's Gate Dam on the Arroyo Seco and the Flint Canyon Wash Trail.
Time: The walk will be from 9 to 10:30 AM, but we encourage you to arrive starting at 8:00 AM to meet the speakers, enjoy coffee and pastries, and listen to the birds!
Additional Details: Refreshments will be provided. Make sure to wear comfortable walking shoes, bring sunscreen, and water. Please be advised that photographs will be taken at this event.
What to Expect
Along the walk, Sterling and Melissa will discuss their experiences of wading into this river and its many contradictions (both natural and unnatural, otherworldly and part of us, forgotten and beloved, constrained and omnipresent, knowable and unknowable, cultural and ecological). Melissa will ask Sterling questions about the inspiration for his paintings in this area and throughout the watershed. They will talk with the group about the wildlife that they observe and about the deeper meanings of the river for all of us. Sterling and Melissa will stop at regular intervals to discuss impressions with the group.
About the Presenters
Sterling paints the LA River within its waters, including Flint Canyon Wash, which he painted near the location of the walk, and Infructescence, which is currently on view in our current exhibition Plein Air. Melissa researches the ecological communities of the LA River watershed, including birds and bugs. Sterling and Melissa are constantly seeking to connect with this river and the life that it supports through observation and documentation, both artistic and scientific. In each case, they are seeking to understand the river as a changing and dynamic being and an idea that reflects parts of who we are as a society. Neither of them seek to romanticize the river, but to view it as it is.