Indiana Wilderness - an Unearthed Speakers Bureau Workshop with Kevin McKelvey

In this workshop attendees will use storytelling, maps, and imagination to engage with wilderness ideas, the history of wilderness in Indiana, and the future of wild areas. The talk will focus on wilderness philosophies from pre-settlement to today and offer an in-depth look at the creation of Deam Wilderness near Bloomington in 1982. Discussion and prompts will generate new perspectives on wilderness and new ways to experience, preserve, or create it in the future.

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. McKelvey’s social practice and placemaking work continues to explore the intersections of art, writing, ecology, gardening, food, and farming.

This program was made possible with the support of the Unearthed Speakers Bureau powered by Indiana Humanities.