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Washington State University

Arts-Based Education Project Page

International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists – 2026

Project Info

(last updated 3/4/26)

This is the resource page for a Western SARE-funded project focused on using arts-based education to support outreach for the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP). Visit https://iyrp.info/ to reach the official page of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Supporting the IYRP, the goal of this project is use an arts-based approach to increase knowledge of grasslands, rangelands, and the people who inhabit and work in them. The United Nations has designated 2026 as the IYRP. The project is organized around state teams and individuals, with active collaborators in of 13 states, and a goal of at least 15, as well as partners in Canada and Mexico. Reach out if you would like to get involved (bramwell@wsu.edu).

NEW! All project digital files repository located HERE.

 

The concept of the project is to collectively deploy more than 30 multi-sensory, educational art exhibits throughout western North America and beyond for display at libraries, airports, municipal buildings, University buildings, malls, or other, drawing widespread interest among urban and rural audiences, policymakers, and others. Check out conceptual design front panel details here and rear panel details here.

Posters!

The graphics design team including Maria del Carmen Aranguren at University of Arizona, Lara Kaminoff, Tom and Laura from Haddad-Drugan, and Jordan Freeman from 4Culture, recently finished several graphics design products. Here they can be accessed and printed, we’ll have many many at Monterey for SRM with the exhibits.

Coordination Meetings

We are holding the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month (1pm MT) for planning meetings and trainings. We don’t use every meeting slot, but if you would like to participate please email one of us.

Project Resources and Links

Team Contacts and Project Overview

The project team consists of researchers, ranchers, indigenous/tribal partners, and agency personnel in the states noted above. The project leadership team includes folks in WSU Extension, USDA, OSU, the Native American Rangelands Partnership, several ranches, the Indigenous Kinship Circle, UC Davis, UC Extension, and the University of Hawaii.

What’s Happened, What’s Coming Up

2026
  • February: taking requests for exhibits heading to SRM conference in Monterey, or shipment to other locations
  • Jan-Feb: finalizing evaluation materials with UC Davis evaluation research team
  • January: completed design art and exhibits went into production with a fabricator in Tacoma, WA
2025
  • June 30th: Project was awarded funding by USDA Western SARE
  • 1st and 3rd Mondays:
    • Visioning and brainstorming sessions with team and art consultants (Haddad-Drugan-Freeman)
    • Team meetings to recruit content, coordinate with producers, review designs, finalize mini-grant application form
  • August: Set up digital intake (link) with Rangelands Partnership at University of Arizona to establish a new grasslands arts collection
    • Complete: please use THIS LINK to submit materials for the Rangelands Gateway Grass/rangelands Arts Collection.
  • September:
    • Launch the Rangelands Gateway Global Grass and Rangelands Art Collection based out of the University of Arizona. (launched, see link above)
    • Distribute information and media packet to support art contributions, narrated video shorts, and related media. (in development)
    • Recruit paid web designer and graphic arts designer (nearly complete)
    • Recruit videographer for assembling video short montage(s) (in process)
  • October:
    • Exhibit concept finalized to advertise to project team, states, through IYRP, SRM, and Grasslands partner organizations
    • Post sign-up Form for individuals or teams to order a kit (free-standing island + customizable panels and posters) for arts-based education exhibit in your community. See nearly complete FORM HERE.
    • Public-facing webpage for getting engaged with IYRP and accessing Global Grass and Rangelands Art Collection
  • Nov-Dec
    • Launch poster designs. Post order form.
    • Intake of Application Forms to receive exhibit kits, posters, and supplemental education/outreach content.
    • Initiate public-facing webpage for viewing arts-based grass/rangeland educational materials, integrating with global IYRP platforms
    • Provide poster resources to global FAO IYRP launch in December
2026
  • January
  • February
    • Initiate 6 western state Exhibit venues
    • Launch public exhibits
  • More to come as project progress

State-Leads Project Plans

The project is organized around “state leads”, or otherwise local teams to organize exhibits. The focus is on bringing the community together, or intercepting the public in local venues to capture their attention.

  • Exhibit Summary Table by State organized by state. This is a summary used in the WSARE application, and will be added as new project partners are added. This is not a closed/complete list, we can add your project here are will likely make this a google doc.

Call for Photography, Art, Poetry, Other

Ride on! The Rangelands Gateway portal for a new Grass/Rangelands Arts Collection is open for submissions. We don’t have the public-facing gallery available yet, but IYRP website has a great one that is expanding as well. We do have a small “gallery” with a growing collection of examples here, with a link to additional materials in a google folder that is being transferred to an improved public-facing gallery.

Click here for IYRP Photo Submission Guidelines (pdf).

Project Resources

IYRP Arts Files Downloads Share Artwork for IYRP Outreach and Education Forms for Local Exhibit Funding Local Exhibit Planning Resources Arts Concepts and Gallery Southwest WA Photography Contest Evaluation Resources