News Release

Black Rock Art Gallery Opening of The Changing Desert Ecology 

News Release Date: October 9, 2024

Contact: Alison Shoup

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif.– Joshua Tree National Park management is pleased to announce a new art exhibition by Fall 2023 Artist in Residence, Jim Weaver. The Changing Desert Ecology explores the intersection of landscape imagery and scientific inquiry. Through his residency, Jim has created a series of relief prints that offer an interpretation of the evolving ecological dynamics of the Mojave Desert. By integrating data on fossil fuel consumption, increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide, and historical fire extent, he creates a visual representation of the invisible forces shaping the environment. As these elements converge in the present moment, the work deepens into a reflection on both his personal response and humanity's broader reaction to climate manipulation. It provokes essential questions: How do we engage with what remains? What are our true concerns? And, crucially, are we doing enough?  
  
Now based in Oklahoma City, Jim Weaver grew up in upstate New York. His interest in nature and the outdoors led to a long career in environmental restoration, following degrees in forestry and engineering.  Along the way, he began tooling leather. Jim learned and used traditional western-style techniques to depict historical events, as well as social and environmental commentary.  Lately, he has developed techniques to use tooled leather as a printmaking matrix, bringing a unique set of marks to paper. His work has been shown in regional, national, and international exhibitions. Joshua Tree was his third national park residency.  
  
The exhibition will run from October 18, 2024, until January 5, 2025, at the Black Rock Art Gallery in the Black Rock Nature Center, located at 9800 Black Rock Canyon Rd, Yucca Valley, CA 92284. There will be an opening reception on Friday October 18, 2024, from 5pm to 7pm. The building is open 7 days a week, 8am – 11am, 12pm-4pm, entrance is free.