Watershed Artist in Residence

The mission of Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) is to protect, manage and improve the water resources of the District. Through the Watershed Artist in Residence Program, CRWD integrates art and artists into our projects and programs to help us achieve our mission by creating connections between water resource managers, engineers, community partners and residents, resulting in more clean water projects and actions. This interdisciplinary and socially engaged art approach impacts how we think about problems and create solutions.

The Watershed Artist in Residence (AiR) helps shape CRWD’s projects and programs by providing artistic and creative perspectives as part of an interdisciplinary team, facilitating Art + Water community workshops at CRWD’s Watershed Learning Center in collaboration with other local artists and mentoring an Early Career Artist.

Watershed Artist in Residence: Sarah Peters

Sarah Peters is CRWD’s Watershed Artist in Residence (AiR). Sarah helps shape our projects and programs by providing artistic and creative perspectives as part of an interdisciplinary team, facilitating Art + Water community workshops at CRWD’s Watershed Learning Center in collaboration with other local artists, and mentoring an Early Career Artist.

Sarah is a visual artist, bookmaker, writer, event organizer, curator, former non-profit executive director, and novice kayaker. She created The Floating Library, a public art project with a collection of artist books displayed on a custom-built raft with bookshelves for paddlers in city lakes to access via canoe or kayak. Sarah also built and led Northern Lights.mn, a now closed local arts non-profit that produced the all-night, multidisciplinary arts festival Northern Spark. You can learn more about Sarah in the link below.

The Watershed Artist-in-Residence (AiR) for Capitol Region Watershed District (CRWD) was launched in 2010 as a shared role with Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District (RWMWD). The collaboration was initiated by the planning process for the Green Line Light Rail, an 11-mile route that connects the downtowns of Saint Paul and Minneapolis located along University Avenue in CRWD. Public Art Saint Paul, a local non-profit working to place artists in leading roles to shape public spaces, improve city systems, and deepen civic engagement, facilitated this Watershed Artist-in-Residence model inspired by their City Artist-in-Residence model.

Artist Cliff Garten’s lecture on “The Expressive Potential of the Watershed” kicked off this work. Subsequently, Public Art Saint Paul convened a workshop that engaged a broad cross-section of water quality experts, environmentalists, social scientists, and artists. Artist and former CRWD Board Manager Seitu Jones was a key advocate in creating the AiR position at CRWD.

Learn more about the history of the Watershed AiR program at the link below.

Maricella Xiong is CRWD’s Watershed Early Career Artist. They work closely with Sarah Peters, our Watershed Artist in Residence, to develop community-engaged Art + Water Workshops.

Maricella is also CRWD’s Community Engagement Coordinator. They organize and facilitate the District’s presence at community events, lead CRWD’s youth engagement initiatives, and support Smart Salting Workshops.

Maricella is a paper maker, book binder, poet, circle keeper, and meditation practitioner. Beyond art, they have experience and passion in the topics of intergenerational relations, restorative justice, wholistic healing, and contemplative environmental education.

Early Career Artist Background

CRWD created the Early Career Artist position to help the District achieve its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion goals. The Artist-in-Residence (AiR) is responsible for supporting and mentoring the Early Career Artist.

The AiR will share experiences as a mid-career artist and arts administrator working in a constellation of community and public engagement, social issues and participatory practices with the Early Career Artist through meetings, workshops, and events.

Sarah (AiR) and Maricella (Early Career Artist) will work with staff to create a framework for the Early Career mentorship as a component of the Artist-in-Residence role going forward.

Christine Baeumler served as CRWD’s first Watershed AiR from 2010 through 2022. During her tenure at CRWD Christine consulted on projects and programs of the District and offered ways that art could help us communicate our mission to protect, manage and improve our water resources. She was instrumental in developing the on-site art at our new building, including the water wildlife sidewalk stamps and exploration game, Mississippi River watershed iron pour, a moving sculpture using Trout Brook Interceptor monitoring data, an etched glass privacy wall with designs from a commissioned painting, and the pocket park interactive display. Christine also helped develop CRWD’s Field Guide to Working with Artists.