Maggie Lile, features editor

Living up to its name, the Great Northern Festival attracted and captivated a crowd in Foss Center just over a week ago on Friday, Jan. 31. Despite the arctic theme, the ambience was warm and inviting as the atrium hosted a wide variety of mixed-media and multi-sensory experiences for the audience. These experiences included a poetry workshop, a community mural, a theater performance, various art installations and more.

Bella Olson, a sophomore here at Augsburg, was one of the many talented students who contributed to the essence of the night. As a double major in both Studio Art and Art Education, she was asked to be a part of the festival. The theme “Expanding Landscapes & Impossible Futures” with ties to climate change and community caught her attention, leading her to enthusiastically accept the invitation. 

“To me, ‘Expanding Landscapes and Impossible Futures’ represents how collective hope and community engagement can bring powerful change, both to singular individuals and on a wider, global scale,” Olson stated in an interview with the Echo. “Specifically, I think it focuses on how we as a society can innovate to improve how we interact with the environment, and how we should all be more open-minded to new perspectives to see the world and people around us with less bias.”

As the brainstorming commenced, Olson explored ideas with a fellow collaborator that would reflect the chill of the winter season. She ultimately decided on a collage that would feature a range of animals. “I wanted to incorporate as many endangered arctic species as I could to raise awareness about the impact our choices have on entire ecosystems around us,” she stated.

Taking on her new project over the winter break, Olson relied entirely on second-hand, recyclable materials to create both of her masterpieces: a collage and a globe. Scrap fabric, cardboard, newspapers, packaging material, yarn, paint and other crafting necessities were all a part of the process, mainly sourced from her family and friends. “Both pieces took a long time to create, but I had so much fun making them. I used paper mache techniques to create the globe, and in between layers I would use my time to work on the collage,” she explained.  

Despite the outside challenges that can come with creation, Olson looked inward to stay on track. “Nature is a very important aspect of my life and my creative process, and I want to do everything in my power to protect it and help the Earth heal,” she stated, providing a glimpse into the ‘why?’ behind her work. “Even though we can feel despondent after seeing climate changes’ impacts already happening, I believe it’s so important to remain vigilant, together as a global community, to fight for the “Impossible Future” of a world where people can be a part of nature, in harmony with it, rather than separate from nature and hurting it.”

Art always has been and will continue to be a mode of expression; a way to send a message out, a way to make your voice heard. “I hope that when people see my pieces, it will remind them that entire ecosystems and countless lives are in our hands, and every individual’s decisions matter,” Olson said. “I hope that I can inspire a change, in thought and in behavior, in even one person in a way that will benefit our planet. I want to show people that we should strive to be less wasteful, to question the normalization of overconsumption in our society, and to use their voice to seek […] more sustainable environmental legislation.”

In the original version of this article, Olson’s last name was spelled incorrectly as ‘Olsen’ throughout. This was inaccurate, as her name is spelled Bella Olson. It has been edited to reflect this.