Exhibit by Russell Brausch

Not So Far Away explores America’s complex relationship with fire through painting, burning, drawing, and textiles.

Lobby & Weaver Room
September 12 – January 30, 2026

Reception

Artist reception during the Art Walk on Friday, September 12th from 5:00-8:00pm.

Artist Statement

A century of fire suppression, the loss of Indigenous cultural burning, and climate change have created today’s wildfire crisis. It is not a matter of if a fire will come, but when. Federal land employees work tirelessly with little progress, caught between containing fires and restoring damaged landscapes.

As hotter, drier climates push fire back into the land through both destruction and controlled burns, my creative process seeks to illuminate this complex history. Through painting, burning, drawing, and textiles, I open different entry points into the wildfire conversation. My research expands on acknowledging and redefining America’s relationship with fire.

Artist Bio

Russell Brausch is an interdisciplinary artist focusing his work on forest conservation, specifically wildfire. He grew up on the coast of Maine and Colorado, offering him stark contrasts between what landscape is. Time spent in the mountains and forests, has forged a passion for both understanding the natural processes of nature and the ways to preserve it. He received his MFA from Montana State University and most of the work on display was included in his Master’s Thesis Exhibition, Only You.