Nature First Aid

About the Artist

Breanna Barrington is an artist based on Treaty 6 territory with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art from the University of Alberta. Blending eco-sensibilities with a dash of whimsy, their work has been shown at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Alberta Council for Ukrainian Arts, Mile Zero Dance, hcma Architecture, Alberta Craft Council, Bleeding Heart Art Space, and more.   

In recent years Breanna has been refining their artistic voice around the subjects of Ukrainian diasporic identity, and channeling eco-anxiety into hopeful action. These explorations orbit around illustration, performance, and bricolage arrangements. Their practice takes shelter under the “multimedia'' umbrella because sustainability is a priority.  This means Breanna tries to use second-hand materials as much as possible, sourcing paint from thrift stores, canvases from back alleys, pencil crayons from local buy and sell groups, and more. By utilizing pre-owned matter, they give forgotten items a new poetic context. 

• Instagram: @Prairie_Bre

• Facebook: Prairie Bre Art

• Website: www.breannabarrington.com

Artist Statement

Did you know that urban spaces retain more heat than rural spaces? You can grow fruit trees in Edmonton that cannot be grown in Entwistle, which is only 100 km west. Both are on the same latitude and receive a similar amount of sun, so why the temperature difference?... Alright, I’ll tell you! The culprits are artifacts of human activity: our buildings, our cars, and especially our concrete retain a LOT of the sun’s energy. If you don’t believe me, take a trip down to the funicular on 100th Avenue and 100th Street to feel the temperature difference between Churchill Square and the River Valley. A recent study at King's University uncovered as much as a 16 to 20-degree difference between Edmonton’s hottest and coolest communities — a nightmare for humans, animals, city boulevards, and a great stress on our electrical grid.  One of the main variables is the absence or presence of trees and natural green space.  

The good news is that there are local efforts to plant more trees and cool the city down for future generations. Last year, the Root for Trees initiative supplied 1500 volunteers with 19 000 trees and shrubs to add to our Urban Forest! If you don’t have time to volunteer, there is a local tree planting subscription called Shrubscriber. Every year I see more articles on the importance of xeriscaping, rewilding your yard, the damage that grass monocrops cause, the harm that herbicides bring, and the benefits of trees in urban spaces. 

Climate change will offer various puzzles for us to solve. If you ever feel overwhelmed about the future and are able to, I invite you to pick up a shovel, tell a friend, and plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit!