AUGUST 28 - JANUARY 31
The Gallery @ Hotel Willa
& Greater Taos County
Disturbance is a new interdisciplinary project by The Paseo Project, Del Fuego, and the Forest Stewards Guild, that brings artists, scientists, and community members together to examine wildfire as both a destabilizing force and a generative ecological process. With The PASEO Biennial returning in 2027, Disturbance unfolds as this year’s program of research, creation, and public engagement, culminating in a community exhibition opening August 28, 2026, and continuing through the fall.
Wildfire is rapidly reshaping ecosystems and communities across Northern New Mexico, the Southwest, and beyond. Once an integral cycle of renewal, fire has become increasingly destructive due to climate change, forest mismanagement, and expanding human settlement in fire-prone landscapes. Disturbance resists simplified narratives of catastrophe, instead inviting artists and audiences to grapple with fire as a complex system—one that holds grief, adaptation, resilience, and transformation in tension.
The project began with an open call that brought together a cohort of artists working across disciplines. Selected artists will participate in a Northern New Mexico–based Fire Ecology Boot Camp, a formative, research-driven convening that paired artists with fire practitioners, ecologists, land stewards, and community knowledge holders. Through shared learning, field visits to burn scars and post-fire landscapes, and sustained dialogue, the boot camp established a common foundation from which new creative work could emerge.
Following this immersive experience, artists will return to their home studios to develop new works responding to the ecological, cultural, and emotional dimensions of wildfire. These projects—ranging from installation and sculpture to media-based and participatory works—will be brought together for the public opening of Disturbance on August 28, 2026, launching a multi-month exhibition and program series in Taos.
Throughout the fall, Disturbance will continue to unfold through community-centered programming, including artist-led workshops, public conversations, youth-focused engagements, educational partnerships, and additional events designed to invite reflection, dialogue, and shared learning. These components position Disturbance as a living platform—one that asks how we understand change, how we live with fire, and how creative practice can help communities navigate an uncertain, climate-altered future.
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Anonymous, Tom Rogers, Janet Webb, Happy Price, Andrea Szekeres, Bob & Linda Warning, Romy Colonius, Elizabeth Crittenden Palacios, Kristin Swim, Viviette Hunt, Santiago Vaca, Erika Zetty, J3 Fund, Ria Burnett, Liz Gilbert, Sheree Livney.
Crown Fire Level: Town of Taos, Taos County, National Forest Foundation, LOR Foundation, Southwest Fire Science Consortium, New Mexico Association of Counties
Surface Fire: Taos Community Foundation, Revolt Gallery, NM Arts, Taos Ski Valley, Hotel Willa
Ground Fire: The Nusenda Foundation, Chevron , Paradise Power Company
Kindling: KNCE True Taos Radio, Taos Net / Brownrice
Partners:
Twirl, Taos Center For the Arts, Joint Fire Science Program, Taos Soil & Water Conservation District, Village of Questa, New Mexico State Forestry Division, LEAP, UNM-Taos, Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, Wild and Scenic Rivers/BLM · US Forest Service, Peñasco Theater, San Jose' De Garcia Church, Taos Soil & Water Conservation District, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, True Kids 1, La Merced de Santo Tomás Apóstol del Río de Las Trampas, Oregon State University Extension Service, Taos Historic Museums, Harwood Museum of Art, Couse-Sharp Historic Site, UNM Taos.
Special Thank You to:
Kathleen Brennan, Sayer Danforth, Nate Cordova, Cecilia Shields, Gerorge Allalunis, Angie Krall, Grace Powell, Wilbert Rodriguez, PechaKucha Taos, The Gonzales, Garcia and Santistevan Families, Scott Sutton, c marquez, Mark Wagner, Claire Cote, Lee Akins, Arielle Christian, Lynne Robinson, Doug Davis, Jackie Sayet
Educational Partners and Schools:
Twirl, Taos Charter School, Arroyos Del Norte Elementary School, Anansi Charter School, Taos Academy, Penasco Independent School District, Roots and Wings Community School, Taos Integrated School of the Arts, Enos Elementary School, Ranchos Elementary School, Taos High School, Taos Public Library, Taos Behavioral Health, Questa Independent School District, Taos International School, Red River Valley Elementary School, Taos Day School, Oo-Oo-Nah Art & Cultural Center. Imagine Children’s Museum, Embudo Valley Library. Collaborative Teacher’s Institute
KNCE radio-
Live remote
@ the Opening Reception
Meet the artists and scientists…
Join the Disturbance
-
Disturbance Days: September
September 19 & 20 | 10 AM–5 PM
Youth Disturbance Art: The High Road Art Tour
Peñasco TheatreExplore a soundscape of Disturbance, with a youth art show, a bioweb, and hands-on family activities.
September 26 & 27 | 10 AM–5 PM
Youth Disturbance Art: The High Road Art Tour
Peñasco TheatreExplore a soundscape of Disturbance, with a youth art show, a bioweb, and hands-on family activities.
Saturday, September 26 | 9–11 AM
Tierra Común: Land, Community and Change in Northern New Mexico
San José de Garcia Church, Las Trampas and surrounding forestA half-day tour highlighting how the art, architecture, and forests surrounding Las Trampas reveal centuries of evolving—and sometimes fraught—relationships between people and the landscape.
Saturday, September 26 | 10 AM–2 PM
“The Machine of Disturbance”
Chamisal Ancianos CenterA pop-up exhibit inspired by post-fire ecological monitoring reveals the beauty, abundance, and medicine that emerge through disturbance.
Saturday, September 26 | 2–7 PM
Burnt Earth Exhibition
Amole CanyonExperience ceramic art pieces in the forest, featuring works by local artists and curated by Lee Akins.
September 28–October 6 | 9 AM–5 PM Daily
Burnt Earth @ UNM–Taos Klauer Campus
UNM–Taos Klauer CampusThe exhibition continues at UNM’s Fine Art Department Gallery. Ceramic art by local artists, curated by Lee Akins.
Thurs. Oct 1, 4-7pm
Opening Reception: Burnt Earth @ UNM Taos Klauer Campus -
Disturbance Days: October
Thursday, October 1 | 4–7 PM
Opening Reception: Burnt Earth @ UNM–Taos Klauer Campus
UNM–Taos Klauer CampusThe exhibition continues at UNM’s Fine Art Department Gallery. Ceramic art by local artists, curated by Lee Akins.
Thursday, October 1 | 10 AM–1 PM
STEAM Day: Disturbance, A Forest in Motion: A Youth Art + Ecology Event
Stables Gallery @ The Taos Center for the ArtsSTEAM workshops and hands-on activities for local classroom students.
Friday, October 2 | 5–8 PM
Opening Reception: Disturbance, A Forest in Motion: A Youth Art + Ecology Event
Stables Gallery, Taos Center for the ArtsExplore an exhibition of student artwork from schools across Northern New Mexico, creating a large-scale immersive installation.
Friday–Sunday, October 2–4
Disturbance, A Forest in Motion: A Youth Art + Ecology Event
Stables Gallery, Taos Center for the ArtsHours: Friday, 5–8 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM–5 PM
Disturbance: A Forest in Motion is a youth art and ecology event exploring fire ecology, forests, and stewardship through art.
The Paseo Project Disturbance team, in collaboration with Twirl, brings together student artwork from schools across Northern New Mexico to create a large-scale immersive installation.
Friday, October 2 | 6–9 PM
Opening Reception: Deconstructing Smokey
TCA’s Community RoomArt exhibition showcasing the origins and legacy of the “Only You” campaign.
October 2–4 | 11 AM–6 PM
Deconstructing Smokey
TCA’s Community RoomAn art exhibition showcasing the origins and legacy of the “Only You” campaign, which taught generations to fear all fire while displacing pre-American notions of nature and our place in it.
Saturday, October 3 | 10 AM–3 PM
Bedrock to Bark: Landscape Change and Deep Time
Fieldtrip caravan begins and ends at Juan I. Gonzales Ag CenterJoin a fieldtrip caravan to see Taos’ landscapes through deep time, connecting geology, forest change, art, and today’s ecological disturbances. RSVP here: https://forms.gle/eF7BaDzk2vYsG5pFA
Saturday, October 3 | 11 AM–1 PM
The Medicine of Disturbance
TwirlA pop-up exhibit inspired by post-fire ecological monitoring reveals the beauty, abundance, and medicine that emerge through disturbance.
Saturday, October 3 | 4 PM
Gallery Artist Talk: “The Medicine of Disturbance”
The Gallery @ Hotel WillaA collaborative artist talk with Margaret Garcia, creator of The Medicine of Disturbance, and Disturbance artist Erika Osborne.
-
Disturbance Days: November
Saturday, November 7 | 10 AM–5 PM
Disturbance Day: Questa
Wild Rivers Visitors Center near CerroExplore the Disturbance in Questa. Day-long event with exhibitions, talks, family fun activities, and food. Landscape artwork by Scott Sutton, live displays and interactive exhibits by “The Pigment Hunter,” chalk art activities with Mark Lewis Wagner.
Saturday, November 7 | 10 AM–5 PM
“The Medicine of Disturbance” Exhibition Trailer Onsite
Wild Rivers Visitors Center near CerroA pop-up exhibit inspired by post-fire ecological monitoring reveals the beauty, abundance, and medicine that emerge through disturbance.
Saturday, November 7 | 10 AM–5 PM
Disturbance, A Forest in Motion: A Youth Art + Ecology Event – Questa Edition
Wild Rivers Visitors Center near CerroImmerse yourself in an exhibition inviting the public to experience forest disturbance and renewal through the eyes of students from Alta Vista, Roots & Wings, and Red River Valley Charter Schools.
Saturday, November 7 | 12–1 PM
Shifting Mosaics: Ellis Margolis and Manny Lopez, with Special Guests
Wild Rivers Visitors Center near CerroResearchers and local voices describe centuries of ecological and human influence on the Rio Grande del Norte, revealing a landscape shaped by disturbance, adaptation, and enduring relationships.
Saturday, November 7 | 12–1 PM
Lunch Provided
Free lunch provided by the Friends of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument.
Saturday, November 7 | 2–4 PM
Voces de Nuestro País: Fire Stories
Wild Rivers Visitors Center near CerroA community Story Gathering featuring local voices, experiences, and culture with fire, marking 30 years since the Hondo Fire, with Claire Coté. Bring your story!
-
Disturbance Days: December
Saturday, December 12 | 10 AM, Noon & 2 PM
Descanso
Martínez HaciendaPublic gatherings in which participants share stories and objects to remember the things we’ve lost because of climate change, and find community in moving forward.
Saturday, December 12 | 4 PM
Disturbance Artist & Scientist Talk
The Gallery @ Hotel WillaParticipating artists and scientists will be in the gallery sharing perspectives on the work, the project, and the future of our forests.
Saturday, December 12 | 5–9 PM
Disturbance @ Bon Fires on Bent Street
Bent StreetWe’ll be making a Disturbance at Bon Fires on Bent. Join us for conversation, art-making, and some surprises.
Sunday, December 13 | 5–6:30 PM
The Long Burn: Life in the Fire-Altered Southwest
Bataan HallWildfire changes landscapes in days. Recovery unfolds over decades. This panel discussion will cover the logistical and emotional challenges of adapting to an increasingly fire-shaped region.
-
Disturbance Days: January
Saturday, January 30 | 2 PM
Disturbance Artist & Scientist Talk
The Gallery @ Hotel WillaParticipating artists and scientists will be in the gallery sharing perspectives on the work, the project, and the future of our forests.
Saturday, January 30 | 4–8 PM
Closing Reception: Disturbance: The Art and Ecology of Change
The Gallery @ Hotel WillaClosing weekend celebrations honoring the artwork and community. Property-wide activations, family-friendly activities, and food.
-
Opening Weekend
Friday, August 28, 2026
5 - 10 PM
Opening Reception
The Gallery @ Hotel Willa , 233 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM
Art Exhibition featuring the eleven participating artists. Food, family activities, music, storytelling, outdoor installations, and screening of Disturbance mini-documentary. FreeSaturday, August 29, 2026
9:30 - 11 AM
Coffee with Disturbance Artists & Scientists
The Gallery @ Hotel Willa , 233 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NMMeet the people behind the work. The Disturbance Team, Artists, and Scientists will be on site.
*
11 - 1 PM
Disturbance at Twirl Taos STEAM Saturday at Twirl: Fire, Forests & the Future!
225 Cam De La Placita, Taos, NMDisturbance Art and Ecology workshop exploring wildfire, forest ecology, and regeneration through hands-on activities with scientists, artists, and wildland fire specialists. Families will experiment, create, and discover how fire shapes our forests. All ages welcome!
*
11 - 3 PM
Disturbance Field Trips
Carson National Forest, El Valle Burn Scar
Join us in the forest. Disturbance artists and scientists provided walking tours, talks, and activites for the entire family. Bring a picnic lunch and water.*
3 - 5 PM
"Look Up" Artist Workshop
The Gallery @ Hotel Willa , 233 Paseo del Pueblo Sur, Taos, NM
“Look Up” a community art project to nurture appreciation of ephemerality and resilience, with c marquezSunday, August 30, 2026
5 PM
Pecha Kucha Night: Disturbance Edition
7K Studios, 36 Espinoza Rd, Ranchos De Taos
4pm doors open, 5pm showtime, after party DJ with tours of 7k, food by Aceq and Drinks by Rolling Still
Disturbance: Youth Education is a STEAM-based arts education initiative engaging approximately 25 fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms across Questa, Taos, Ranchos, Taos Pueblo, Lama, Red River, Talpa, and Peñasco. Led by The Paseo Project in partnership with Twirl, the program invites students to explore fire ecology, disturbance science, storytelling, and creative expression through hands-on workshops that integrate science and art.
The Disturbance Education Program
DISTURBANCE A Forest In Motion: A Youth Art and Ecology Event: a four-day community engagement and education event and immersive art installation created by up to 600 students
The Disturbance 2026 Cohort
Artists:
Scientists:
Jose M. Iniguez
Flagstaff, Arizona
Andrea E Thode
Flagstaff, Arizona
Serra Hoagland
Missoula, Montana
Ellis Q. Margolis
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Matthew Hurteau
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Camille Stevens-Rumann
Fort Collins, Colorado
Disturbance is developed in 2026 as The Paseo Project prepares for the return of the PASEO Festival in a biennial format beginning in 2027, marking a year of deep inquiry, experimentation, and expanded public engagement.
Bootcamp Weekend
In April, the cohort gathered in Taos for an immersive three-day Fire Ecology Boot Camp, visiting burn scars and post-fire landscapes across Northern New Mexico while engaging in conversations around fire history, climate change, land stewardship, adaptation, and ecological transformation.
-
The first day of the Disturbance Boot Camp focused on introductions, relationship building, and establishing a shared understanding of wildfire history in Northern New Mexico. Artists and scientists gathered at The Gallery @ Hotel Willa before traveling into the Carson National Forest to visit the La Jara Prescribed Burn, a recently managed low-severity fire site near Taos. Through field observation, walking discussions, and presentations led by fire ecologists Serra Hoagland and Ellis Margolis, participants explored how fire historically functioned as a natural and recurring part of Southwestern forest ecosystems. The day emphasized listening, shared language, and direct engagement with the landscape as the foundation for the collaborative work ahead.
-
Humans, Climate, and Forests
Day two examined the increasing intensity and complexity of wildfire in a changing climate. The cohort visited two dramatically different burn sites: the 2023 El Valle Fire and areas impacted by the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire near Serpent Lake. Discussions led by fire ecologists Andi Thode and Matthew Hurteau focused on forest management, climate stress, post-fire recovery, and the growing challenges facing Southwestern ecosystems. Standing within recently burned landscapes, participants reflected on the ecological and emotional dimensions of disturbance while considering how communities adapt to large-scale environmental change.
-
Navigating Disturbance Together
The final full day of boot camp focused on resilience, adaptation, and the evolving relationship between people and fire. Participants traveled to the Hondito Fire site, where land managers allowed a naturally ignited fire to burn under monitored conditions as part of a long-term strategy to restore healthier forest systems. Presentations by Camille Stevens-Rumann and Pepe Iniguez explored how ecosystems may resist, recover from, or transition through disturbance over time. The day also included conversations about fire management practices, lived experience, and the realities of working within increasingly unpredictable landscapes.
WHY DISTURBANCE?
In ecology, disturbances are relatively discrete events (things like fires, floods and insect outbreaks) that disrupt the condition of an ecosystem and necessitate recovery and restructuring. Disturbances remove species and alter habitats — often with suddenness and severity. But they are also part of natural cycles that serve to promote new growth and maintain balance.
As the climate changes, disturbances are changing, and are often becoming more intense. In the Southwest think bigger, hotter wildfires or longer, more severe droughts.
While these impacts create instability in ecological and human social systems, they also create opportunities for reorganization — particularly reorganization that leads to, or favors, change towards structures more compatible with emerging climatic realities.
The goal of DISTURBANCE is to acknowledge that our previous relationship with our environment is ill-matched to new conditions and stressors. By pairing leading forest scientists with selected artists (key communicators of social, political and cultural issues), the project will explore disturbances’ past and future role in our ecosystems, and introduce new thinking about how both natural and human systems can adapt to these changes.
RESOURCES:
https://www.taoscountywildfire.org/
Soil And Water Conservation District:
https://taosswcd-nm.gov/
The Paseo Project
The Paseo Project is a Taos-based arts nonprofit that transforms public space through immersive, participatory art experiences. Since 2014, Paseo has hosted international artists, fostered community dialogue, and created programs that connect art, environment, and education. Disturbance builds on this legacy by expanding into interdisciplinary collaborations that address some of the most urgent issues facing our communities today.
Del Fuego
Del Fuego began in 2024 as a single event in Taos designed to expand the conversation around wildfire beyond agencies and experts. It has since evolved to include a variety of creative programming from diverse contributors intended to promote curiosity, nuance and open dialogue regarding the effects of wildfire on land, life, and community in northern New Mexico.
Forest Stewards Guild
Founded in New Mexico 31 years ago, the Forest Stewards Guild is a national non-profit that practices and promotes stewardship to forge a healthy future for people and forests. Our work spans hands-on forest management, research, policy, collaboration, and workforce training, all aimed at helping forests and the communities that depend on them adapt, thrive, and endure.