In November 2021 a nomadic interpretative kiosk embarked on a journey around Great Salt Lake and Colorado River Watersheds visiting places of ecological, hydrological, and cultural significance. Rather than presenting those who encounter it with a didactic statement such as “You are here”, the kiosk invites inquiry-based participation with the prompt “Where are you?” and artmaking supplies. Following in the footsteps of research-creation projects, place-based education methods, subversive mimicry artwork, and community-based countermapping projects, the kiosk’s purpose is to facilitate a deeper sense of place within participants.
As of December 2022, the nomadic kiosk has engaged over 700 participants with their own senses of place. It has led countermapping lessons with K-6 youth, spent 3 weeks in-residence at Antelope Island State Park, conversed with scientists at the Great Salt Lake Issues Forum, and made pop-up stops at several trailheads & parks.
This project is funded by the University of Utah College of Fine Arts Graduate Research Excellence Fellowship, with additional support from Salt Lake City Arts Council, and made possible through partnerships with FRIENDS of Great Salt Lake and Antelope Island State Park.
Doug Tolman 