Gabrielle Whisler

"Walking With Water: Illustrating Stories from the Coon Creek Watershed," 6/8-24 (reception 1-3 pm, 6/8).

media release: These paintings are Gabrielle's contributions to the "Learning to Make Running Water Walk" Oral Narrative Project. This project is a collaboration between the Coon Creek Community Watershed Council (CCCWC), faculty, undergraduates, and graduate students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Oral History Program. It was initiated in response to the chronic and accelerating floods in the Coon Creek Watershed and surrounding communities.

By gathering stories at the Coon Valley Conservation Club, as well as in homes, farms, and fields across the watershed, the Oral Narrative Project aimed to learn from the experiences and expertise of past and present residents. Their goals were to build on the watershed’s history of conservation leadership, understand current practices, concerns, and hopes, support the development of a Coon Creek Watershed Plan, and foster a sense of community around shared stories.

The illustrations in this zine series, titled "Walking With Water: Stories from the Coon Creek Watershed," are based on the Oral Narrative Project. Colored in bright blue ink, the stories come alive through the characters, patterns, and symbols of the watershed. These images form a visual tapestry that depicts the lives of people in the beautiful Driftless Area landscape, showcasing the convergence of their stories.

Gabrielle Whisler’s art explores wonder, using lines, patterns, and vibrant colors. With a keen focus on folk art that celebrates community, land and water, she draws inspiration from her home within the Midwest, making it a central theme in her work. Gabrielle is an interdisciplinary artist with a primary focus on painting and holds a Bachelor of Science in Biological Systems Engineering from UW-Madison. In addition to her scientific background, she has actively immersed herself in the arts on campus, participating in group science art exhibitions such as "Life As We Don’t Know It" and "FLOW."