Mary Kiesau Community Fellowship Fund

Natural history education, especially place-based education that gives people a direct connection with and knowledge of the places in which they live, is more important now than ever before. – Mary Kiesau

Mary Kiesau was a remarkable naturalist, educator, and photographer. Many people have been touched by her passion for the flora and fauna of the Methow, and many homes are graced with her photographs. The Mary Kiesau Community Fellowship Fund was created in her honor. Through this fund, the spirit of Mary will live on in the form of creative and educational projects dreamed up by fellowship recipients. The fund supports the independent projects of artists, photographers, naturalists, and naturalist educators working to further their own creativity, professional development, and the community’s connection to the land, art, and each other.

2022 Recipients

We are pleased to announce the 2022 Mary Kiesau Community Fellowship recipients!

The second year of this wonderful opportunity generated numerous inspiring proposals and the review committee thoroughly enjoyed reading about the creative visions of each applicant. Rosalee de la Foret, Methow Valley naturalist and herbalist, and Suze Woolf, Seattle based visual artist, will each receive a $1,000 award in support of their projects.

Rosalee intends to create a naturalist storybook/coloring book that is based on the beings and seasons of the Methow Valley. She is the author of several successful books including Wild Remedies, How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine.

Suze Woolf plans to spend some time in the Methow this summer as a visiting artist, where she will continue two bodies of climate related work. She creates large portraits of individual burned trees and artist books made from bark-beetle-damaged wood and bark. For more about her work, check out www.suzewoolf-fineart.com.

Eligibility and application

The application process for the 2023 Mary Kiesau Community Fellowship Fund will open in late 2022. Details on 2023 awards and how to apply will be posted on this page.

Artists, photographers, naturalists, and naturalist educators are invited to apply for the Fellowship. These funds are designed to support your “field” work and ultimately the creation of artistic works and knowledge that can be shared with your community.

Mary Kiesau was a woman of extraordinary energy and drive. This fellowship will fund projects that honor Mary’s legacy and align with her values and artistic passions:

  • Living in harmony and balance with the earth and its finite resources.
  • Being observant, interested in, and connected with the natural world in order to gain a deep appreciation for the place one calls home.
  • Helping to create a strong, resilient, and enlightened community that is composed of the Methow flora, fauna, and people.

Before applying, we recommend spending time reviewing Mary’s work and values at her website: mountainkindnaturalist.com.

  • Applicants must be 18 years or older, and not a student for the duration of the application period and project.
  • Applicants should demonstrate a connection to the Methow Valley as a resident (full-time or part-time), visiting artist, or researcher doing field work in the Methow Valley or vicinity.
  • Applicants must be generative, individual artists, photographers, and/or naturalists (Curators, organizers, producers, research groups, and artist teams are not eligible).
  • Applicants must be a US resident.

2021 RECIPIENTS