Creative Waters: arts-based engagement
The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District has partnered with artists to create innovative outreach and engagement programs for more than a decade. This work is inspired in part by Discovery Point land donor Barbara Kaerwer, local art professor, historian, and collector; Barbara recognized the deep connection between art and nature and the important role creativity plays in helping people understand and appreciate the environment.
Creative Waters brings artists and community members together to explore the watershed through creative expression. Through artist-led workshops, community art projects, and hands-on experiences, the district uses art as a powerful tool for connection, learning, and engagement. These programs invite participants to discover local water systems, deepen their relationship with the natural environment, and gain a greater understanding of the district’s work. By making complex environmental topics accessible and meaningful, Creative Waters builds public awareness, strengthens connections across the watershed, and inspires a deeper appreciation for the waters that connect us all.
Current Community Art Series
Weaving Water: Indigo and Fiber Workshop for All
Artist and botanist Sarah Nassif brings her Weaving Water workshop to different events this summer. Weaving Water is a participatory art experience that invites people to explore their relationship with water, nature, and one another through fiber arts. Using local water and organic indigo, participants dye fabric, spin fiber, and contribute their own patterns to a collective woven piece. No experience is necessary. Through hands-on creativity and collaboration, Weaving Water highlights the connections between people, water systems, and the natural world, creating space for reflection, learning, and community building.
Upcoming Events:
July 11, 2026 7a-12p Richfield Farmer’s Market- Veterans Park (6335 Portland Ave S, Richfield)
August 13, 2026 4-7p Unity in the Community- Richfield Band Shell (636 E. 66th Street, Richfield)
August 25, 2026 5-7p Adam’s Hill Pond- (7200 Washburn Ave Richfield)
Keep an eye out for more pop-up Weaving Water Workshops on our events page or by joining our newsletter.
Past Community Art Series
Gyotaku Goldfish Printing
Artist Kim Boustead led a hands-on workshop exploring the history and techniques of Gyotaku, the traditional Japanese art of fish printing. Participants had the opportunity to create their own fish prints. NMCWD staff talked with participants about our fisheries management work, including efforts to protect local lakes by managing invasive species like goldfish and common carp.
Writing Nature Nearby
This program created by artist and writer Amber D Stoner led participants in how to use writing prompts to look closer, to interact with nature, and to write freely on the page. Her programs helped participants deepen their sense of place and strengthen their relationship to nature nearby. Using writing prompts, they discovered stories and connections to nature and each other. Objectives:
-to raise awareness of nature around us
-to interact with nature with mindfulness and wonder, using all our senses
-to write freely about those experiences and share our stories
-to connect, however briefly, to nature and to each other
Ojibwa Block Prints
Participants created a hand-pulled Ojibwa Woodland Art Style block print with Ojibwa artist Gordon Coons. Prints were created from Gordon Coons’ linoleum blocks used for printing.
Tiny Boat Making
Artist Brenda Bell Brown led participants in building tiny boats with plant materials gathered from the shores of Nine Mile Creek. While building, everybody shared water stories and connections they had with the creek or lakes.
Putting Down Roots: A Community Fiber-Art Project
Putting Down Roots was an eco-art exhibit of plants that benefit clean water and pollinators. In 2016, community members and staff from both NMCWD and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization created flowers and animals out of yarn and other fibers. Some of the flowers showed the long roots of MN native plants, which soak up water and hold soil in place. Learn More
Check our upcoming events page for an up to date list of programs.
Photo Contest
The Nine Mile Creek Watershed District invites photographers of all skill levels to participate in our 2026 Photo Contest. Every other year, the district collects images from across the watershed for inclusion in its biannual photo calendar.
We are seeking horizontal-format photographs that capture the beauty and diversity of the watershed throughout the year. Eligible subjects include Nine Mile Creek, local lakes, wetlands, wildlife, native plants, landscapes, and other natural features found within the watershed.
Photos taken within the past five years may be submitted, provided they were captured within the Nine Mile Creek Watershed District. Photos must be in horizontal format to be eligible for the photo contest.
The 2027 calendar is in production and will be mailed out and distributed to select locations around the watershed in December 2026. Visit our Photo Contest page for more details.
Questions?
Contact Carrie Bush, Communications and Public Engagement Manager, at 952.529.2751 or cbush@ninemilecreek.org