relationships to land
To curate work for the [Placeholder: Living Precariously] exhibition in 2023, the 2024 senior cohort of Photography at the California State University of California, we took a series of trips (total of ten) around the Greater Sacramento Area and Bay Area, seeking different people’s relationships to land. These are the photos I took at each location.
09.01.2023 — Oak Park Eggery, Sacramento, CA
3525 44th St, Sacramento, CA 95871
An urban chicken coup and composting operation made for community upcycling, disposal of food scraps, and access to fresh food in an area that would be classified as a “food desert.” As members of the neighborhood left their food scraps to feed the chickens, they were able to pick up fresh eggs in return. (Unfortunately, since visiting in September of 2023, the Oak Park Eggery has permanently closed.)
09.15.2023 — Native Plant Nursery | University of California, Sacramento
A garden grown on campus whose products are contributed to the California State University of Sacramento’s student food pantry, along with other resources available to the students.
09.15.2023 — Arboretum | University of California, Sacramento
With Taylor Akner, a student volunteer, as our guide through the Arboretum, we learned about its origin and the management (or lack there of) over the years, as opposed to other universities. There, the 2024 seniors also participated in an art activity known as “plant painting.”
09.22.2023 — Locke & West Sacramento | California Delta
The town of Locke was one of the first Asian-American settlements. While we walked around, Dylan Chapple, our guide, explained the importance of the Delta to water supply for the entire state of California. It is one of the most complicated water systems in existence. In West Sac, we stood on a levee that has been failing for some time, and, therefore, a second levee was built behind it in order to protect the pocket neighborhood nearby. There, flora and fauna has grown and flourished in the space in between the old and new levees.
09.29.2023 — Presidio Field Station | San Francisco, CA
Crissy Fields / Presidio Tunnel Tops | California National Park
201 Fort Mason, SF, CA 94123 | (415).516.3000
The Presidio Field Station is an interactive “museum,” inviting guests to explore everything they have to offer, as an introduction to building a relationship & connection to land and place through a fun learning experience.
https://www.parksconservancy.org/services/field-station-presidio-tunnel-tops
09.29.2023 — Exploratorium, Observatory Gallery | San Francisco, CA
Pier 15 (Embarcadero at Green Street), SF, CA 94111 | (415).528.4444
At the Exploratorium, we walked around the bay observation gallery & terrace, and interacted with the museum artifacts. Meanwhile, our guide, Senior Artist, Susan Schwartzenberg, educated us about how the city of San Francisco was built, how drastically the coastline has changed, and more about the effects of those alterations over the last two-hundred-plus years.
10.06.2023 — Cache Creek Conservancy & Nature Preserve | Woodland, CA
34199 Country Road 20, Woodland, CA 95695 | (530).661.1070
At Cache Creek, we had the opportunity to listen to indigenous people talk about their personal and cultural relationships to the land which we stood upon. It was one thing to learn about the American and world history in school via textbooks or videos, but it is an entirely different experience and realization when you are listening to someone tell their story —the story of their community, their culture— especially when you are physically at the location they are talking about.
10.20.2023 — Cosumnes River Preserve | Galt, CA
13501 Franklin Blvd., Galt, CA 95632
First was a canoeing trip along the river, where we held a brief moment of silence to focus on the natural sounds around the group as we headed back to the shore. Afterwards, on a walk near the river, we saw multiple different species, such as birds, insects, and more on the wetlands.
10.27.2023 — Bohart Museum of Entomology | University of California, Davis
One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 | (530).752.1011
At the Bohart Museum, we were able to view their insect archives. There, we learned about the importance of insects, how they contribute to our ecosystem, no matter how large or small. Some students were given the option to hold stick bugs, and we all photographed some drawers from the archives.
10.27.2023 — Student Farm | University of California, Davis
For the final trip, we visited the UC Davis Student Farm. Here, Emmanuel Momoh told us his story —his experience moving from Nigeria to the U.S.— and the different plants he is growing at the farm, such as authentic Nigerian foods, and what is known as the African Food Basket Project.
