2015: THE FUTURE WILD

Signal Fire celebrates 51 years of the Wilderness Act with journeys into wild places deemed suitable for preservation that have not yet been protected under this landmark legislation. Three sessions of the Outpost Residency, three expeditions, and three Wide Open Studios courses all engage with the question of what qualifies a wilderness and what this designation symbolizes.

As we explore each landscape through reading, dialogue, and physical immersion we’ll confront the triumphant yet troubled history of wilderness, parse its practical applications from its philosophical origins, and look to frame a future wild that embodies both a radical vision of land management and is unafraid to answer tough questions about the shortcomings of the American environmental ethic.

To discuss the wilderness we’ll go where wildness dwells. Join us where the trail fades away...