Prairie Flow

Dec 13

Written By AWE Network

At Cross Ranch State Park: A mural inspired by the water and prairie that shape our landscape.
Photo Credit: Ashley Nelson

Collaborating Partner:

Cross Ranch State Park, North Dakota Parks and Recreation, and North Dakota Council on the Arts

Artist:

Ashley Nelson

Time & Place:

August 4-14th 2025 at Center, ND

Project Description:

Prairie Flow is a large-scale mural created during my 2025 artist residency at Cross Ranch State Park. Inspired by the Missouri River and the surrounding native prairie, the work blends abstract movement with detailed botanical forms to reflect the landscape of the park. Throughout my residency, I also led community workshops that invited visitors to observe, draw, and connect more with nature. The finished mural serves as a visual celebration of place and creativity.

Goals or Outcomes Achieved:

The project deepened public engagement with nature by connecting art-making to ecological observation.
Workshops encouraged participates to slow down, notice native plants, and understand the relationship between water and prairie ecosystems.
The mural also supported the park’s mission by creating a lasting visual story that invites continued learning and reflection.

What did you learn? Artistically? Administratively? About the community?

I found a renewed excitement for teaching and creative education during this residency. Sharing art with others reminded me how meaningful it is to help people connect with a place through their own creativity. Artistically, I learned how to stay inspired by the landscape even while painting it, responding to color and movement in real time. Overall, creating in a setting that already influences so much of my work reinforced how powerful the combination of art and nature can be.