EIGHT FIRES CREATIVE CAMP

Field Notes: Tending to Fire in the Tetons

Some of the most important art infrastructure in Wyoming doesn't look like infrastructure at all. It looks like ten artists camping together for five days at the foot of the Tetons.

This June, ALCES Community Works was proud to support artist scholarships for Eight Fires Creative Camp, a five-day retreat founded and directed by—the incredible—ceramic artist Alice Pang that brings artists together to make, learn, and live alongside one another in Grand Teton National Park.

What makes Eight Fires remarkable is its structure: there are no hired instructors and no hierarchy of expertise. Built on a peer-education model, every artist arrives with something to teach and something to learn. Over five days, participants trade skills — block printing, plein air painting, natural dyeing — alongside group hikes, creative exercises, and a collaborative piece made by everyone's hands. As one participant put it: "The collective care of each person really made this experience."

The scholarships exist because time and money are the two things working artists are most often asked to spend and least often given. ALCES's support helped fund sliding-scale scholarships so that cost wasn't the thing standing between an artist and five days in the mountains. The artists said it plainly in their own words afterward:

"This made my experience worry-free and made me feel like my presence was valued. I wouldn't have been able to participate otherwise."

"That was helpful and allowed me to afford the time off to attend."

And what happens when that barrier comes down is the whole point:

"I did not consider myself an 'artist' before camp, but now I am overflowing with ideas and inspiration for how to tap into my creativity and contribute to the community."

"I appreciated how diverse and queer this group was. I felt at home."

Feeling at home — in a group, in a practice, in a landscape — is the work. Our deep thanks to Alice Pang for building this gathering with such care, and to the artists who showed up for one another. Eight fires, and everyone warmed by them.

Parnters: Alice Pang, Eight Fires Creative Camp