Signal Fire provides opportunities for artists of all disciplines to engage in the natural world.
We bring artists to the farthest stretches of our remaining wild and open places, crafting experiences that instill self-reliance and catalyze new creative energy.

We utilize public lands to advocate for the access to— and protection of— these places in order to enrich and sustain society.

Signal Fire was formed in 2008 in response to the urban demand on working artists. Thus far we have hosted filmmakers, writers, visual artists, musicians, and creative agitators.
To catch up on our past projects, visit the Archive page.

Signal Fire Organizers:
       













Amy Harwood (far left), co-founder:
Amy has been involved in forest conservation and public lands advocacy since 1998. She served as the Program Director at Bark, a watchdog group for Mt. Hood National Forest for five years. She has led hundreds of hikes and backpacking trips, educating people on the threats that face our ancient forests. In addition, she has developed and led trainings for activists to learn how to engage in public land decision-making and continues to help Bark's efforts to hold federal land agencies accountable to environmental laws. She is currently on staff with the Center for Biological Diversity, based in Tucson, AZ.

Ryan Pierce (center left), co-founder:
Ryan is an artist whose work draws on ecological theories to portray possible futures. He exhibits internationally, and has received recognition from the Joan Mitchell Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Art in America, Art Papers, and residencies at Caldera, Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, and LKV in Norway. Ryan also contributes essays on art and politics to regional publications. He is a life-long backpacker, a volunteer hike leader for Bark, and is a certified Wilderness First Responder. www.ryanpierce.net

Daniela Molnar (center right), trip leader:
As an art director, designer, illustrator, artist, and art educator, Daniela communicates information and makes images concerning the intersection of art and science / culture and nature. She is a full time professor at the Pacific Northwest College of Art, where she teaches illustration, drawing, critical theory, and design. She is also art director for The Bear Deluxe Magazine, a journal that explores environmental issues through the arts. Before landing in these roles, she studied scientific illustration and spent years traipsing around several continents and mountain ranges with a backpack, a hand lens and wide eyes. danielamolnar.com

Kimo Nelson (far right), trip leader:
Kimo is a painter and wilderness enthusiast whose extensive backcountry experiences provide the foundation for his artistic investigation. He examines our connections to nature through expressions of consciousness. Zen Buddhism, the writings of Jacque Ranciere, and the study of geology all contribute to this investigation. In addition to painting Kimo has worked as a professional river guide for Colorado River & Trail Expeditions in the Colorado Plateau in Grand Canyon and Canyonlands National Parks, Glacier Bay National Park in Southeast Alaska and the Tatshenshini Wilderness in British Columbia. He studied painting and environmental studies at Lewis & Clark College, painting at the Oregon College of Art & Craft, and is currently completing his Masters in Fine Arts at the Rhode Island School of Design. www.kimonelson.com