Maryhill Museum of Art

Purpose: Serving as Centers of Community Engagement In 2002, the American Farmland Trust approached the Maryhill Museum of Art with a proposal for an art exhibition about agriculture. Maryhill itself began as an agricultural endeavor and still has agricultural enterprises on its 6,000 acres; however, few of the surrounding agricultural/rural neighbors visit the museum, participate in programs, or see the museum as important in their lives. The museum has a long tradition of working with regional emerging artists to present contemporary work, so the idea of working with contemporary artists on such a project was appealing. In this project, designed to explore the issues and concerns of the modern American farmer, 12 artists will spend time with 12 farmers on their farms, learning how the farmers use sustainable agricultural practices to survive and thrive in their increasingly environmentally and economically stressful world. As the culmination of the project, the artists will create works of art for an exhibition at Maryhill. The exhibition will reach both urban and rural populations of the Pacific Northwest, as well as the museum's local agricultural communities, and will include related programs.