Sarah Kavage

GARDEN OF WATER AND WIND Plain, Wisconsin It has been such an honor to be part of the 2022 Farm / Art DTour. For the past 2 weeks @jtothechong and I have been welcomed into this small rural community and living the country life, making art at the edge of a hay field, staying in the Sprecher farmhouse, feeding Charlie the cat (who shall remain untamed), and eating all of the corn, tomatoes and cheese that Wisconsin serves up! The piece itself is a whole journey, all about country living - at the edge between the cultivated and the wild. Huge thanks to Ji Sun Chong @jtothechong and Hannah Taylor @hannahtaylorstudio for their braiding prowess, and for making my most ambitious plans a reality. It was so lovely to be creating with both of you 🌾💚 And thanks to Stuart who took the drone photo and @casbah3d for, well, just being an awesome and talented friend and conspirator 😍 If you are anywhere close by the Driftless area of Wisconsin, come and check it out! The DTour runs until October 10 and is full of amazing art, performances, and other food and agricultural related events. Check out @wormfarm_institute and @fermentationdtour for more info! #ecologicalart #ecoart #grass #field #naturalmaterials #braiding #womenswork #dtour #wisconsin #driftless

WINTER RIVER REPORT // I’ve spent a lot of time along the Duwamish River over the years but until this year, not in the winter. News flash: it’s cold and wet and muddy (and also glorious, wild, and alive). These living willow sculptures along the riverbank were created with the excellent assistance and companionship of @angryputti 🙏🏼 This is all part of the restoration of Riverton Creek which I’ve posted about before here. The creek was daylighted at its junction with the river last summer, replacing a flap gate that had restricted salmon passage up the creek. This stretch of the Green River Trail is a charming spot for a walk, paddle, or bike ride. The links in my bio have more info about the various artworks and how to find them. Willow loves water and riverbanks, and plays an important ecological role in preventing erosion and creating habitat. All of the willow was wild harvested from various locations within a mile or two of Riverton Creek. During a dark, sad winter it felt so good to come down to the river and witness the rhythms of water, light, plants, and animals. We faced short days, King tides, tsunamis, floods, rain and more rain - and for the most part everything held together (we lost one small basket in the aftermath of the tsunami). I spent most days dressed like a fisher person and came home covered in mud. It felt playful and childlike - complete with getting in trouble for getting our truck dirty and smelly. 😆 Willow symbolizes new life, spring and rebirth and this work will continue to change and surprise us, hopefully for years to come. The cat shaped bench was not intentional; perhaps Miso (RIP) was still making her presence known. Working with willow also makes me think about Briar Bates (also RIP), who created a lot of living willow artwork, including a piece for @duwamish_revealed Love to @zverinadotcom @indiansummervintage @xeroxorexerox @msmehmehmehha for making the trip to see them! Also thanks to all the folks along the trail who stopped to chat, introduced themselves, and made us feel welcomed ❤️ Photo #1 by @angryputti and #4 by @driftless_photographer 🙏🏼📷

Hi everybody, Thrilled to invite you to Once Wild River, opening this Saturday! Timothy White Eagle (currently serving as the Duwamish River Artist in Residence) has created and commissioned this beautiful and immersive exhibition of photography, sound, and material tracing memory, toxicity, healing, and the life that refuses to disappear. It's an honor to be included in this group of artists, and such a special opportunity to reflect on my relationship with the river in a new way. Making this work was an ongoing surprise, sometimes frustrating and sometimes delightful. It united various aspects of my practice while revealing new threads of ideas. The work changed as I was making it and will continue to do so throughout the exhibition. Please come and take a look! At Mini Mart City Park, May 9 – June 21 Opening Reception Saturday May 9, 4–8pm Artist Panel moderated by C. Davida Ingram on Thursday May 21st 6pm-8pm Artists in the show include: Timothy White Eagle @timothy.whiteeagle Adrain Chesser Epiphany Couch - @epiphany_couch_art Laura C. Wright - @dyepharm Sarah Kavage @kavasar Crystal Cortez @crystalquaretz Mini-Mart City Park - @minimartcitypark Puget Sound Partnership @pspartnership Once, the river ran wild. And maybe… it still does.

Dropping in to say hellloooooo Seattle NORTH END! I'll be up in Lake City this weekend doing a free workshop at the Lake City Beach: N 130th & the Burke Gilman Trail / Riviera Place Friday - Sun Oct 10 11 & 12, 12-6 pm each day Just drop in, rain or shine. We'll be working with tule reed, cattail, and sedges harvested from the Thornton Creek Water Quality Channel, a portion of Thornton Creek that was daylighted and planted with wetland plants to restore habitat and filter stormwater from Northgate. The plants grow so well that every year the amazing crew at Dirt Corps has to cut them back in order for water to continue to flow. For the past 2 summers I've joined the crew on this hot, muggy, waterlogged job in order to harvest some of the wetland plants for artistic puposes. We'll be making simple forms that will be installed right next to the Lake City Beach, along the stairway that is newly planted with beneficial plants. I've been inspired by the harvest moon this week. If you haven't seen it, it should still be out tonight, almost full! What is it saying to you? This workshop is funded by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture @seaofficeofarts and created in partnership with @thedirtcorps and @thorntoncreekalliance . A huge thanks to @asterrosa for all the support she has given this work ❤️🌿

WALK DON’T RUN - SATURDAY, SEPT 20 2-4 PM. Friends! @indiansummervintage and I request your presence at Walk Don’t Run this Saturday - we are one of dozens of art and performance projects taking place on this 5K walk through downtown Seattle. Come and sit down at this dining room set that I carved based on Adria’s dream, tell us about your labors of love, and we’ll give you a manicure to commemorate the conversation. Tickets are free, but you’ll need to register at walkdontrun-sea.org ———————————————————— This topic came up again and again as I spent sunny summer mornings working on this piece, seemingly endless hours (and I’m not done yet 😬), assisted by cats, sweeping up wood shavings and tending to all the cramps, cuts and callouses along the way. Artists are not known for doing things the easy way, knowingly putting in far too many hours than something “is worth” in order to achieve what’s in your head. And then there are the ordinary day to day labors - the beautiful dinner plate arrangement, offering an arm to an elder. Because you love someone and want them to feel cared for. At the same time, this caring can be taken advantage of financially, ignored, unseen, or taken for granted. What is fair compensation for labors of love? What systems and ideals do they uphold? —————————————————————— @angryputti and my man RobZ both contributed their own labors of love in support of our vision, and @philippepirrip is in the thick of it now, bringing WDR to life. While we all need to get paid, it means so much to me to be surrounded by people who are also doing things for the love instead of billing every second like a lawyer. Thanks ya’ll ❤️🥰

land art 👠💅🏻🧹 at @silvanacardell @kavasar Terra: Bodies & Territories @schuylkillcenter

“there is always a dialogue going with the site, the materials, the weather, and that shapes what you are able to do... I want the audience to feel like they have walked into some ritual of matriarchal life in progress.”
-Sarah Kavage @kavasar TERRA: Bodies & Territories is a work of experimental dance theater choreographed by Silvana Cardell, performed in the forest at the Schuylkill Center, with a multi-generational ensemble of dancers. Click the link in our bio to purchase tickets for the performances on June 13, 14, 15 and 20, 21, 22. Major support for TERRA has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage (@pewcenterarts ), with additional support from Georgian Court University, and the 2025 Creative Sector Flex Fund, a program by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. Photos by @taprootphotography

Hi friends, it’s been awhile, been doing a lot of trying to stay positive and not panic, not because what’s happening isn’t panic worthy, but because panicking is not helpful. Here’s what I’ve been turning my focus towards (you may have seen some hints in other posts). I hope you are all doing OK. When choreographer Silvana Cardell approached me last year to design sets and props for her latest production, TERRA: Bodies and Territories, about the many intersections between women’s bodies and nature, it felt like a perfect fit. It’ll be happening outdoors at the Schuylkill Center @schuylkillcenter in Philadelphia June 13-15 and 20-22 - the link in my bio has info and tickets. For months now I’ve been dreaming about how this piece might unfold and learning how to be part of a dance production, alongside @silvanacardell blankazizka @devinarne @vasi_vasinyc 2-3-4) To kick it all off @angryputti and I made a massive prototype that not only helped to work out a bunch of logistical questions but made a timely refresh to King Tide Orchestra & a tribute to the Duwamish River before leaving for Philly. As always, my man RobZ (now found over at bluesky) helped to secure the load and keep it weird. 5-6-7) Once on site, our crew of @jtothechong @bdhowell45 and myself made 2 more of these woven tree / dress / trumpet wearables. I am used to natural forces as collaborators. But moving bodies is new! 🤩😭😍 8-9) This was also the utterly perfect opportunity / time to scale up the wood carving that I’ve been noodling around with for the past year or two. #8 = The Remains of the Matriarchy and #9 = Exit Interview (still in progress, but huge shout out to Matt, Andrew, JiSun and Brenda for standing her upright, it was a feat of teamwork and ingenuity to maneuver an 18’ tall pair of wooden legs) 10) For those able / inclined towards small type, “Caliban and the Witch” by Silvia Federici (highly recommend) is a potent reminder of why this work exists. I feel very lucky to be part of a stellar team, to have been given a lot of support and creative freedom, and to witness these ideas brought to life in movement. Expect this performance to be fuel for the road ahead ❤️ Go!

Someone pick up my jaw from off the forest floor because I’m in awe of everything you see here! If watching @kavasar carve art out of trees wasn’t magical enough, I also had the privilege of observing @silvanacardell create her vision with woodland dancers! Thank you Mae @schuylkillcenter for trusting me to photograph these rehearsals for TERRA: bodies and territories. I can’t wait to see this immersive performance in a few weeks. #terrabodiesandterritories #phillyevents #forestperformance #dancers #dancerehearsal #sculpture #art #dreamjob #trees #philadephia #mainlinephotographer #phillyphotographer #rednails #immersiveexperience

Looking back at an exciting day on April 12, artist Sarah Kavage began weaving the first willow dress for TERRA: Bodies and Territories—a living sculpture crafted from willow and wild vines that merges body and land into one rooted form. These dresses are part of a series of sculptural elements emerging in the forest as we prepare for our June performances. Huge thanks to @paulameninato for capturing this moment from above—her stunning drone footage reveals the quiet transformation of the landscape as art, movement, and nature begin to intertwine. Performances: June 13–15 & 20–22 @schuylkillcenter Tickets: $30 – available now at schuylkillcenter.org #TERRAbodies #Ecofeminism #DanceTheater #SiteSpecificPerformance #SarahKavage #WillowDress #PaulaMeninato #DroneArt #SilvanaCardell #PhiladelphiaDance #LandArt #SchuylkillCenter #ImmersivePerformance #WomenAndNature #artinnature @pewcenterarts

On site rehearsals have started for TERRA: Bodies & Territories! TERRA is a work of experimental dance theater by Silvana Cardell, set in a forest with a multi-generational ensemble of women and femme dancers ranging in age from 7-70. Performed within the forest of the Schuylkill Center, this immersive, multi-sensory performance is laden in kinetic, theatrical, and sonic experiences of dance, sound and land-based visual art. TERRA will be performed outdoors at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education on June 13, 14, 15 and 20, 21, 22. Thanks to Michelle Smith for the stunning photos of this rehearsal. Tickets can be purchased at the link in our bio. Major support for TERRA has been provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage ( @pewcenterarts ), with additional support from Georgian Court University, and the 2025 Creative Sector Flex Fund, a program by the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Hi there friends, I hope you are doing OK these days! Here’s a thing! Sunday Nov 24th from 11-3 I’ll be leading a FREE living willow furniture building workshop at the Mini Mart City Park @minimartcitypark in Georgetown, assisted by the @angryputti Come on out! No need to RSVP, just show up, dress for the weather and maybe bring some gloves or a snack or something. You can just watch and take notes and there will also be plenty of opportunities to get hands on if you want to. All are welcome, *especially* those who think they are not made for woodworking or carpentry. I am one of you. The whole measure twice, fussing over 32nds and 64ths sort of carpentry can be intimidating and personally makes my head spin a little. This is NOT THAT. A lot of it is improvised and many cuts and joins are made on-site, by eyeballing it. It’s rustic, simple, resourceful and welcoming to folks of all skill levels. We will go over tool ID, basics and use. The benches we make will hopefully take root and grow up alongside the Mini Mart and provide a bit of dreamy shade for future bench sitters. Pics 1-4 are from a bench along the Duwamish River in Tukwila, which was sadly taken out by a beaver. Pics 5-7 are from Cobb’s Creek Park in Philadelphia. Thanks to assistants @noah_latty , Hannah and @angryputti for their help with these. And as to the current situation in which we find ourselves, not that y’all need or want my advice, and not that I have any to give, but in the rest of the pics I give you the glorious defiance of fall trees, the dogged persistence of the salmon swimming upstream, and the comfort and hilarious badassedness of cats. #ecologialart #hillbillyfurniture #willow #ecoart #livingfurniture