Indiana Wilderness

Event Details

Kevin McKelvey will lead a talk exploring the ideas, philosophy, and history of Indiana wilderness. We will ponder three questions: How can we find more wilderness in Indiana and in our everyday lives? What is wilderness? How do we think about it and experience it in the 21st century? Attendees will use storytelling, maps, and imagination to engage with wilderness ideas, the history of wilderness in Indiana, and the future of wild areas. This talk will focus on wilderness philosophies from pre-settlement to today and offer an in-depth look at the creation of the Deam Wilderness near Bloomington, Indiana, in 1982. Discussion and workshop prompts will generate new perspectives on wilderness and new ways to experience, preserve, or create it in the future.

The talk will take place in The Jernegan Lodge. It is the large brown building labeled “Lodge” on the exterior. Free parking on site. Attendance is limited to 50 people, so please be sure to register.

Kevin McKelvey is a place-based poet, writer, designer, and social practice artist. He teaches at University of Indianapolis and directs the MA in Social Practice Art program. His book, Dream Wilderness Poems, is a poetic trail guide for the Deam Wilderness Area and was nominated for the Indiana Author’s Award. He is currently at work on a prose book about Midwestern wilderness, a novel, and a book of essays. Other poems are collected in Indiana Nocturnes, a collaboration with another native Hoosier, Curtis L. Crisler. McKelvey’s social practice and placemaking work continues to explore the intersections of art, writing, ecology, gardening, food, and farming.