Getting everyone together -Maria Lopez Vazquez -Landscape Architecture 2026

These past weeks have been inspiring. 

I helped support the workshop in developing protocols and strategies for binational emergency response for Mexican decision-makers. 

Government officials from different levels, non-profit organizations, and additional local stakeholders participated in a workshop to develop best practices for responding to emergencies involving flooding and landslides in the nearby urban canyons.

Listening to every work table conversation was exciting. People identified issues and informed one another with their expertise on how conditions could be improved. It was nice to humanize government officials, doing their best to collaborate and understand issues they were unaware of. 

Due to my language skills, I felt very appreciated and able to contribute. Besides my boss, I am the only one on the team who speaks fluent Spanish. I had met many participants before and was able to address questions and concerns about the activities.

Tijuana River Action Month (TRAM) is in September and is dedicated to action and advocacy with the community and local partners. It was great to support and facilitate the first meeting, where we identified what possible events to host, who the partners are, and how we are going to engage the community on both sides of the border. 

The second meeting is approaching, and I’m eager to hear what activities the partners have in mind.

The Grand Brainstorming – Alex Hogue, BRDD Illustration 2026

Hello! I’m super excited to update! Over the past couple of weeks, I have gotten into a good rhythm with The Grand Adventure; I’ve learned a lot more about the organization and its various programs, and I’ve been brainstorming what form my project should really take!

I’ve made quite a few smaller illustrations over the past weeks and explored visual communication related to my interests in scientific illustration, but I haven’t quite felt like my work was as impactful as I wanted it to be. So, I’ve started really thinking about the organization’s program and what might make a tangible impact in the program and the children’s experience. What has really stuck out to me is the impact that can be made through the act of art making itself…  

The in-person programming hasn’t quite begun yet for the summer, but “Boundless” has been in full swing. Boundless is the virtual pediatric program with interactive patient-directed experiences and flexible programming that support children who are unable to travel due to ongoing cancer treatment. This program involves partnering with various local organizations based in Jackson Hole and Yellowstone such as the National Elk Refuge, Avalanche Dogs, The National Museum of Wildlife Art, and much more. For kids who may be “bound” to their hospital room or home due to treatment, this program is incredibly accessible.

However, even though this program is quite engaging with the interactive staff who guide the children through the virtual experience, there are certainly limitations to this virtual format, and I’ve been brainstorming ways to make this program more interactive and hands-on for the kids. Inspired by one of the children who spontaneously decided to create an illustration of the wildlife during one of the Boundless sessions (see pic in my last post), I’ve come up with the idea to create some sort of coloring book that relates to the Wyoming landscape and topics of the programming. I think art can be a powerful tool, and this way, the children can engage with the program more actively and even continue to engage with it once a session is over!

Another exciting thing I was able to be a part of was celebrating one of the kid’s final cancer treatments! I was able to meet her on the Boundless sessions, and she has been a part of The Grand Adventure programs for the past couple of years. It was so exciting to see the impact that this program has had on her and the network of people in the organization who care about her and have supported her throughout the years. To celebrate the end of her treatment, she chose her favorite organization to do a special celebratory program just for her! She chose the Teton Raptor Center, which makes sense because she knows so much about raptors!! (meanwhile I didn’t even know what a raptor technically was before this… but it is a bird of prey, like hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls) Anyway, I once again learned so much! But to celebrate, I made a little raptor illustration for her, which she loved – again art can make an impact.  

I look forward to continuing being a part of The Grand Adventure this summer and working to bring art to their amazing programs!! I will be traveling to the mountains for the in-person program– Inspiration Point– this week, and I look forward to updating with everything I see and do and exploring how this might shape the work I create in the future!

Touching Ground in Ghana – Denzel Amoah, MLA Landscape Architecture 2024.

This Monday officially marks the third week I have been in Accra, Ghana working in partnership with the Ghanaian Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM) and it has been an interesting journey so far. I landed in Accra the night of June 8th and was greeted by a relative who I hadn’t seen since I was much younger. After this reunion I was taken to Achimota, the peri-urban area of Accra that I would be stationed in for the summer. 

This first week was one in which I felt myself begin to acclimate to what it means to be an Accra local. This meant adjusting my relationship to time in terms of both recovering from jet-lag as well as coming to terms with what locals call GMT (Ghanaman Time). Different from the Greenwich Mean Time Zone allocation, Ghanaman Time refers to how lateness is typical and to be expected. I found this frustrating at first but also came to terms with the fact that I should not be imposing my Western relationship with time and promptness onto others.

Outside of my very much needed adjustment period, the first week consisted of not only meeting with the GYEM team and getting an understanding of what the summer would look like but also exploring the many different parts of Accra. 

Being a part of the operations at GYEM has been an insightful experience so far. GYEM is really active in local climate and pollution advocacy efforts and being able to experience the gravity of their work firsthand was empowering. I was able to attend two major climate and pollution events that GYEM had been a part of. The event titled “Kokuromotie for Climate Awards and Climate for Peace Dialogue took place at the British Council located in Accra near its National Theatre. This event consisted of a discussion panel of different experts and community stakeholders ranging from artists to ecologists. The event was followed by a speech given by Joshua Alabi, a member of former President Mahama’s cabinet, about climate change and the futurity of Ghana. The second conference, Climate Ghana Conference 2024, took place later that weekend at the Accra World Trade Center in which similar discussions regarding climate action took place. One major difference between this CGC 2024 and Kokuromotie was that there were more community organizations present which allowed me to gain an understanding for the wide array of different types of climate change based organizations in Accra. 

Outside of working with GYEM and adjusting to the local GMT, Accra has been a wonderful city and I have been enjoying connecting with the local artists and designers.

The Welcome Week and Beyond-Maria Lopez Vazquez -Landscape Architecture 2026

As a Maharam Fellow with the Tijuana River National Estuary Research Reserve (TRNERR), I hit the ground running. 

After a great intro-briefing meeting with my Mentor, Ana Xochitl Eguarte, the Binational Liaison for TRNERR, I was up to date on the multiple projects and activities on the radar for the next couple of weeks.

One of the first events I attended was a think tank on binational education led by a California Assembly member. I was happily surprised by the efforts and incentives local institutions, private and public alike, are setting up to facilitate transborder education. They acknowledge the rich tapestry of experiences coming out of the region and want to promote and facilitate it. 

In my second week, I witnessed the culmination of years of collaborations with different non-profits to create recycled products sourced from local waste. This project was featured in the 2024 San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital. 

This week, I am turning a technical trash characterization report into a readable and user-friendly document that everyone can understand. The trash that is affecting the Estuary is the same kind that can be upcycled into these amazing products. This flyer is geared towards raising awareness in the community.  

It has been an amazing start. I’ve met many people who love the San Diego -Tijuana region and are working on improving it, it’s all about collaboration from different fields, and It’s comforting and inspiring.

The Grand Beginning – Alex Hogue, BRDD Illustration 2026

Happy Summer! I am super excited to write about my initial experiences working with The Grand Adventure this summer! 

The Grand Adventure is a non-profit that offers a variety of in-person and virtual programs and support for pediatric and adult cancer survivors in the beautiful natural environment of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. To begin my experience, I have been meeting with the wonderful staff and organizers of organization, and I was able to attend the most recent session of the Boundless program, a virtual interactive program for pediatric cancer patients who are unable to travel or leave the hospital. This program is a way for all patients to be included in the immersive environment of the Grand Teton National Park! Each session is a unique experience in collaboration with one particular aspect of the amazing wildlife and nature in Yellowstone. The session I attended was hosted by the National Elk Refuge. Led by Kari, the Education and Outreach Coordinator, we walked through the elk refuge and saw so much incredible wildlife and nature! It was incredibly engaging, and I too learned so much that I didn’t know before! 

Just a few fun facts I learned:

1. Almost all animals, including bears, love to snack on dandelions!
2. While the majority of bird species have vibrantly colored males in contrast to “duller” females, both male and female geese look nearly identical in coloring due to the fact that they “co-parent” the young geese.
3. The National Elk Refuge gets between 5,000 and 8,000 elk during the winter months! But, during the summer months, they see much fewer because the elk prefer to stay high up in the mountains where it is safer from predators and much cooler.

While we didn’t see any elk during the session, we did see a variety of native birds, many adorable ground squirrels, and so much gorgeous natural scenery. I was also able to meet some of the children, and I was incredibly impressed with all of their insightful questions about the Elk Refuge. 

I feel like this was a wonderful introduction to what The Grand Adventure is all about, and I look forward to being involved in more of the programs and learning more in the upcoming months!

I am also beginning to work on some illustrations! I have been meeting with Bree and Stacey (two of the primary coordinators of the non-profit), and we discussed the importance of capturing the mission and values of the programs through illustrations and visuals since photographs can’t capture the essence of their programs. (Photographs can also not often even be used due to HIPPA restrictions.) Especially for an audience of children, but even for adults too, visuals can be a powerful means of providing an understanding of the program that paragraphs cannot. To begin my work, I will create a visual that captures the Boundless Program based on my experience attending. I am also super excited to create a celebratory illustration for one of the children who is finishing up her cancer treatment soon!

I look forward to sharing what I work on in the coming weeks!

Wrapping Up – Henry Ding BArch 2026

My months of gathering, conversations, and research has led to my final design deliverable! I’m designing, writing, and curating a digital collection! Based on the themes of “The Queer Home”, I’m designing a book to be published in The ArQuives digital library as well as set to be displayed physically later at the end of the year! An incredible opportunity that has become a true passion project of the last few months.

The collection will entail three sections based on: placemaking, domesticity, and forgotten narratives. After processing and transcribing my interviews I went to straight to work on the collection’s visuals. The aforementioned sections will be accompanied by photographs that I’ve gathered through archival digitization and fieldwork throughout Toronto. These will also be accompanied by self-made designs and architectural visualizations. The goal is to reframe a period of Toronto’s queer history from the 1970s-90s through the perspective of home and architecture. The alternative and revolutionary lives lived by thousands of queer people in Toronto has been inspiring to study, and I’m excited to help spread that spirit in further. Below I’ve attached some excerpts of two spreads for my section on domesticity!

The process of putting together this work has been tough. I had never realized a book could be so much work! Besides archival categorization and research, digital design programs, writing/transcribing, I also have to worry about copyright and sourcing! I’ve grown an immense amount of respect for anyone who has to do any of this work professionally. It has definitely been a community effort and I’m so thankful to the archival, library, and research staff at The ArQuives and several friends that have helped me review and check my writing and designs—I write this book on the backs on so many people who have made groundbreaking research before me.

Below are some pictures of my everyday work at the end of this fellowship! Spot my fun little work corners that I would set up in the deepest, darkest corners of The ArQuives’ libraries!

And that’s really all for now! My next post with my finished book will be my final sign-off! So super excited!

Change is Imminent: Fabrication In The Final Weeks | Samuel Aguirre | MFA Furniture Design ’24

We are in it. Deep in the fabrication process and all the hurdles that come with it. There is not one shop where all the work is taking place. There is not one supplier providing all the materials. There is not one location with all the tools we need. The fabrication process has been a series of hurdles, surprises, uh-ohs, and a couple ‘WOAH, didn’t see that coming”. The only constant would be the 500 board feet of donated redwood, myself the artist/fabricator, and the support of What Cheer Flower Farm Leadership. For this I am grateful.

This summer has been a lesson in the art of pivot. To accept the surprise around every corner and adapt to find the best path forward. I’m not your typical graduate student, in that I’m a little more “experienced”. I’ve been around the sun a few more times… I’ve lived through change and have grown because of it. And even with all the experience and mental preparation, change can still blindside. It takes time to recalibrate, shift focus, and move forward. To properly recalibrate is to accept the inevitable surprise is a part of the process. Sometimes it takes a moment to remember that. To change my expectations is to change my attitude toward a situation. And it’s attitude that dictates if a hurdle is a source of stress and anxiety, an opportunity, or simply a bump in the road. Sometimes two steps back and one forward. Other times one step back and two forward. But always a lesson to be found.

As the artist, and having spent countless hours handling the material, I inevitably have a relationship with these redwood objects, and would be at fault if they didn’t exude some emotional response. For me, these flowers represent the lessons learned: patience, the importance of a strong team and collaboration, remembering it’s ok to ask for help, and accepting defeat as part of moving forward.

Over the next couple of weeks we will finish the work. And on the Fall Equinox we will erect a few 8′-12′ solid redwood flowers. We will invite the community to celebrate the close of the season. We will acknowledge the highlights of the year and stir excitement for all that’s to come. For these flowers, this moment of celebration will mark the beginning of the next chapter for this redwood. Over time these wooden flowers will come to represent what they are asked to represent. It is not in their power to tell the world why they are here. But for the community to slowly impress their desires and needs over time. As the artist I look forward to watching that happen. As a community member, I look forward to being a part of it.

Archiving 12 years of struggle, Aya Abdallah, MFA Digital + Media ’24

Hello! As the end of my internship approaches, I’ve been fully immersed in the preparation for the upcoming exhibition on Kafala over the past few weeks. As promised, here are some details on the work we’ve been doing:

The primary objective of the archival exhibition is to provide visitors with a comprehensive understanding of the Kafala system, its impact on migrant workers, and the changes it has undergone over the past 12 years. The exhibition seeks to shed light on both the challenges and progress made in the realm of labor rights, immigration policies, and social discourse surrounding Kafala. 

Being the only artist/architect in the organization definitely elevated my role and responsibilities in the making of the exhibition. I wasn’t assigned specific tasks in particular; instead, there existed a sense of mutual trust and a welcoming atmosphere from the staff. My work began with creating a 3D model of the space, a method I use for its effectiveness in visually conveying any potential concepts. Subsequently, my focus shifted to researching exhibitions that revolved around similar themes. I documented my findings and shared these insights with the team.

Along with the team of migrant workers and ARM staff, we came up with several curatorial ideas and themes for the exhibition, of which we discussed and narrowed down to the following conceptual framework. The iterative nature of our discussions and the collaborative spirit within the team led to a refined and resonant curatorial concept that encapsulated the multifaceted stories and perspectives of migrant workers.

A DISTANT PAST
Taking a speculative approach, the exhibition is set in the future, a time where Kafala ceases to exist. All items in the exhibition are considered ‘artifacts’ from ‘a dark time’. The idea is to highlight the absurdity and violence of a system that continues to exist. To mirror it to struggles that are deemed as “a thing of the past”. The exhibition takes its format as a journey starting from arrival to departure. Throughout the exhibit, a story unfolds of a migrant worker’s struggle against a system of exploitation.

That’s all for now! Keep an eye out for more details about the work and my Maharam experience.
– Aya

The Last Weeks, THE ZINE ZONE!! and Signing off :,) -Carin Carrion BFA Illustration 2025

Hi everyone! So, my last two weeks here have been busy yet once again very exciting! In the beginning of last week, I checked in with my supervisor and during our conversation the topic of artist housing came up. Ian my supervisor had told me about my coworker Ebon who had past experience in artist housing in Portland, so around the middle of last week I was able to schedule a meeting with Ebon to interview zim on zir experience and thoughts.

Ebon’s artist housing experience specifically was with a place called Milepost 5 during the time frame of July 2019 and November 2020. Milepost 5 was initially presented as an affordable housing space for artist to live and work, however by the time Ebon had arrived the priorities of the housing became more capitalistically focused instead of prioritizing artists. There was also a shift in property management after Milepost 5 was no longer politically backed by Sam Adams who has previously been a mayor of Portland. Ebon recounted to me the various concerning experiences ze observed and lived through during zir time there. Not only was there the concerning presence of asbestos in the building but there was also the limited facilities available to the residents at Milepost 5 such as having one micro fridge instead of a full fridge in each common area per floor when it was not common for a majority of resident to have a kitchen space in their home. Facilities gradually became less attended to which also included the security of the building which in result would have unhoused people or people in crisis entering the building and setting up camp there or being disruptive and creating a potentially unsafe environment to live in. During Ebon’s time there during the summer there were wildfires which lead to Portland’s air quality being very poor but being indoors at Milepost 5 would not be enough as Ebon recount how ze had to close zirself in zir bathroom with a covering over the lower doorway crack for a semblance of breathable air due to the windows in zir housing being so poor they would no close properly. Ebon told me how ze and other residents of Milepost 5 at the time had collectively banded together to bring their complaints to owners and property management however the communities concerns and needs where not being taken in and problems where still unsolved. This would then lead residents to leave, apply for rental assistance to find a new place. Eventually Ebon would leave as well in late 2020, but zir experience does further highlight the need for affordable housing, but also housing which the integrity of the building in terms of its goals and mission is maintained. From what Ebon disclosed to me from what ze learned from residents who had been at Milepost 5 during the beginning of its initial establishment, the housing had been well maintained, affordable artist housing but once there was no longer political backing and changes in building ownership the mission was no longer a priority. Ebon expressed how if a project like Milepost 5 where to every happen again there needed to be a consistent politically backing, committee made up by residents which could have a say in the maintenance of the building and if the property ownership where to change.

On the note of community assistance, last week I had finalized the designs for the Q Center’s Career Closet and Marsha P Fund logos YAY! Thanks to the learning experience that was formatting Apple the Crow to a printable vector file I was able to do the same with both logos to leave for my coworkers in case they needed to print the logos on anything in the future. Finalizing these logos in the aftermath of Apple the Crow allowed me to consider a lot of things when I got to the final design and coloring process. For example, there would be only so make colors I could make the logo with as if the logo ever where to be printed there would be a limit to about 16 colors to reasonably print, there was also the aspect of linework were I have to consider linework that was too thin would not guarantee it being printed. I really got to get my hands pretty dirty with Photoshop and a little bit with Illustrator during this internship and it make me really happy to have used these new deepened skills for community projects. Before and during my internship my coworkers expressed how having a logo for these projects, especially with the Marsha P. Fund would be really helpful in providing the community with a visual to bring more attention to them and in turn more support.

Now for my next and pretty much final order business was the ZINE ZONE!!! Before my internship had started, I had found out the Q Center had a library for the community I really wanted to see in what ways I could incorporate my excitement for zines and the means it can connect the artist community together from a LGBTQIA+ hub that is the Q Center. However, with management changes holding a zine event became not much of a feasible option so PLAN B! I talked with my coworker Julie, and I found out we had a couple of zines which we didn’t quite know where to organize to, so we decided on a pretty spacious shelf in the corner of the library, and I got to crafting. I made my proposal last week and got approval to create a post for Q Center social media for zine donations! With the crafting paper we had in the office I also made a silly sign for the ZINE ZOONEE!! Yeah, that pretty wraps up everything. I’ve been coordinating with artist for picking up their gallery artworks and I’ve also been getting inquires on if another gallery show like this will happen again which was a bit hard for me to give an answer for. Neverless I do think from the positive community reception of the gallery I have hope more community galleries will happen in the future!

During my time at the Q Center, I saw the many ways it provides a safe space for the community to come together and the constant potential it has to continue growing. I feel very honored to have worked in a space such as the Q Center this summer and the opportunities I had to learn and grow with it. Anyway, this is Carin signing off and I wish you all a happy Friday! 🙂