project spotlight:
Our lab, in conjunction with the University of Idaho's Prichard Art Gallery, is excited to host visual works for our online exhibition series, Stories of Fire. Part I: GROUND TRUTHS opened April 3, 2023 and Part II: FUEL LOADING opened September 23, 2023.
FUEL LOADING showcases creative works that reckon with the accumulations of fuels in the Pacific Northwest and surrounding regions. These works engage a broad conception of fuel loading to measure the weights, densities and arrangements of fuels across ecological, social and material landscapes. They celebrate the dynamic potential of fire, while also pressing on the build-ups, sparks and residues that contribute to flammability. They attend to the fuels themselves and ask how fire and justice converge.
As visitors to our site navigate through their work online, they also get a chance to learn more about these Stories of Fire artists: their inspirations, their intentions, and their interactions with their environments.
Our central premise is that the tools of the humanities and arts—especially those related to storytelling, representation, emotions, and communication—are important complements to scientific knowledge and can help develop novel approaches to environmental issues. We use the creativity generated through interdisciplinary and community-based approaches to partner with diverse communities on pragmatic projects that work toward more just, sustainable, and equitable futures, focusing especially on issues such as public land use, wildland fire and fire management, and the causes and effects of climate change.
our primary goal
who we are
The Confluence Lab engages in creative interdisciplinary research projects that bring together scholars in the arts, humanities, and sciences, together with community members, to engage in environmental issues impacting rural communities.
thanks to our research partners & affliates:
