The Rare & The Ancient - Defending the ITR through Art

Wildsight Golden is launching a collaborative, educational art display celebrating the Interior Temperate Rainforest (ITR) — one of the rarest ecosystems on Earth located in British Columbia's backyard. This project aims to deepen public understanding of the local ITR ecosystem, highlighting not only old-growth trees, but the full web of flora, fauna, and fungi that make this rainforest thrive. Through art, the organization hopes to spark curiosity, learning, and conversation about what makes this ecosystem unique and what's at stake.

Artists working in any medium or format are welcome to apply, including painting, drawing, photography, 3D and sculptural work, mixed media, spoken word poetry, music and sound, and digital or experimental forms. There are no size or format restrictions, and both emerging and established artists are equally encouraged to apply.

Each selected artist will receive a $150 honorarium. The artwork will be part of an educational display grounded in science and place. Each piece will be accompanied by a short scientific statement connecting the work to current research and local ecological knowledge. Artists are encouraged to explore any aspect of the Interior Temperate Rainforest, with suggested themes including caribou and snow, lichens as lifelines, inland rainforest species, hanging moss ecosystems, tree diversity, carbon storage, fungal networks, soundscapes, time and scale, fragmentation and resilience, and human relationships to the ITR.

If artwork is sold, proceeds are divided as follows: 40% to the Art Gallery of Golden, 20% to Wildsight Golden, and 40% to the artist. Artists may also choose to donate their piece, forgo the honorarium, or designate all proceeds to Wildsight Golden. The exhibition will be displayed August 14 – September 12 at the Art Gallery of Golden in Golden, British Columbia.