The Chris Burkard event was a night full of beautiful music, breathtaking images, and a palpable feeling of community. Today we have a recap of the event, lots of photos, some recognitions, and upcoming opportunities. This post is jam-packed, so be sure to read to the end!
First, sharing with us a bit of her experience from this extraordinary evening is Track A mom, Rachel Low.
It was so great to see such a full house at the Chris Burkard event! As a new SLOCA parent, this was my first volunteer gig, so I lucked out!
I had seen Under an Arctic Sky dozens of times before, but I still wanted to see it again and hear Chris talk about the back story and where the inspiration came from. Not to mention I wanted to hang out with other outdoor adventure photography enthusiasts.
{Event Photos by Sage Theule}
I had been to Iceland a couple of times and had an absolute obsession with the landscape, so I was a huge fan of Chris’ photographs of Iceland.
We bought the film as soon as it was available, and I watched it many many times while nursing my then newborn twins, vicariously adventuring back to the beautiful landscape of Iceland and watching the northern lights with those crazy surfer kooks! I can still feel their stoke after watching it again and it still inspires me to jump in the cold ocean or go back to Iceland to feel the cold wind in my face.
I loved how he talked about how films and photography can allow us to appreciate the beauty of nature and wild places, but he also aimed to connect it to a story and create relationships with those along for the journey. I believe experiencing extreme natural elements, getting vulnerable, getting out of your comfort zone, and feeling that stoke is really where magic can happen, and where you can feel most alive. I think it’s so important to get out and explore nature and create your own relationship with it, which in turn inspires us and makes us feel a responsibility to protect it.
Also, I just wanted to give a shout out to the Burkard family for supporting his work! You guys are so inspiring!
Thank you, Rachel, for recounting for us the impact this night had on you. And thank you for volunteering!!!
Call of the Wild
Before the main event, SLOCA sponsored an art exhibition titled Call of the Wild and it was intended to pay homage to the raw, untamed, uncontainable aspects of nature, wilderness, and the environment. SLO county artists and photographers were invited to submit their work for a juried one-night, pop up exhibition to be on display at the Performing Arts Center lobby during the Chirs Burkard event. Many exceptional pieces were submitted. A huge thanks to Jenny Ashley for coordinating this event!
Call of the Wild Photo Contest Winners:
Now for some fun opportunities…
- Orchestra Novo is offering a free concert Wednesday, March 11th at Cuesta College. “Journey through time and space with this musical delight of sight and sound.” SLOCA parent, the talented Inga Swearingen, will be performing as well. Don’t forget there is no school on March 11th* so this FREE matinee is an excellent enrichment opportunity for you and your kids. (Just make sure you still attend your parent/teacher conferences!) Click Here for more info!
- Want to watch Under an Arctic Sky again or perhaps you were unable to make it to the event? It is now on Amazon Prime Video. Also, there are Chris Burkard books and prints available for purchase in The Den.
- Lastly, check out this article in the Mustang News all about the Chris Burkard event.
Congrats you made to the end of this post! If you attended the Chris Burkard event, please share with us in the comments your favorite part of the evening. Have a fabulous weekend!
