The 2021 Peatland Project included many arts-based activities and programs that brought peatlands to the hearts and minds of all.

Bunnell Street Arts Center was delighted to collaborate with Homer Drawdown and the Pratt Museum to present art programs  which elevate the importance of peatlands for planetary sustainability. Art for Peat included a residency, an exhibit and a mural project. ‍

Art for Peat Artist in Residence 2021:

Artist in Residence Sheryl Maree Reily spent two weeks in mid-June and mid-September exploring, documenting and interpreting peatlands in the Homer area through photographic research and documentation, interviews and community engagement. More information about Sheryl’s residency. ‍

Art for Peat Community Exhibit at the Pratt:

As part of our end-of-season Peatland Celebration event, the Art for Peat exhibition at the Pratt Museum highlighted the social and cultural importance of peatlands. Art for Peat included a new installation of conceptual art and videos by Artist in Residence, Sheryl Maree Reily and an exhibition of paintings, drawings, photographs by Alaska artists including Monica O'Keefe, Carla Cope, Deland Anderson,  Kathy Smith, Asia Freeman, Amy Komar, Kim Terpening, Brian Adams, Oceana Wills, Jo Going, Coowe Walker and Kim McNett.

The Peatlands Murals at the Homer Airport Terminal

‍Selected artist Kim McNett designed a three-panel mural installed on the interior walls of the Homer Airport Terminal in fall 2023. The Peatlands Mural is both scientifically accurate and creatively imagined to commemorate our community’s stewardship of these treasured habitats and their incredible value in carbon storage and climate stability.

This public art installation was made possible by Homer Drawdown climate solution community and was supported in part by a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award, awarded to Kim McNett in 2022-2023. Community partners of Homer Drawdown and The Peatlands Mural are Bunnell Street Art Center, the City of Homer, the Kachemak Bay Conservation Society, Kachemak Heritage Land Trust and the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, and the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies, and Cook Inletkeeper.

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