Portrait of Gaea Cherissa Dukelow
Childhood experiences are often life-defining. They can shape the paths we take and the perspectives we form.
As a youngster, Gaea Cherissa Dukelow, from the Class of 2013, joined her mom on several rescue missions. Clad in a raincoat and safety vest and sporting a headlamp, Dukelow and her mom would join a group of volunteers on dark rainy nights in North Coventry Township (Pennsylvania) to help thousands of wood frogs and spotted salamanders safely cross a busy highway during the annual migration to vernal pools. It was, for Dukelow, an experience that taught her the value of life, the importance of being a caretaker, and the reality that sharing our planet with the animal kingdom takes work.
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It also takes knowledge.
When it came time for college, Dukelow eventually realized she wanted to study environmental science or biology and transferred to ESF after starting at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She was attracted to ESF because of its strong focus on ecology and the people at ESF who are committed to addressing climate change. Dukelow came to ESF knowing what she was interested in, but not really sure how to effect change. At ESF, she learned how to leverage her interests for the good of the planet. When she graduated, she had the skills and the framework to really begin making a difference. To realize her goals, Dukelow combined her ecological knowledge with her artistic talents. She began painting with oils when she was 13 and recently was the featured artist at the Northern Alaska Environmental Center. Her exhibit showcased original oil paintings that capture the beauty of our planet and the devastation of climate change, using satellite images of earth as her frame of reference.
“As a painter, I meddle in an ancient human craft, obstinately remaining in practice despite today’s pace and precision,” Dukelow noted in her artist’s statement. “I manifest imperfect images with the slowness of human hands, reinterpreting what computer eyes have seen with my own. In this way, I connect with faraway places.”
The art show, which was on display during the fall of 2020, presented an intersection between science and art, changes in landscape over time, and the relationships we form to places we may never have visited, given the ability to view them from a distance. Dukelow leverages her artistic abilities to help
others explore land, perceptions of landscape, and what that means conceptually and emotionally. Hired by CSU’s (Colorado State University) Center for Environmental Management on Military Lands (CEMML), Dukelow recently created the content for signs that were placed along the Chena River. The signs interpret nature for those who find themselves on the bicycle path that runs along the river. With content that ranges from explaining why beavers are necessary to the properties of water and its movement in relation to land, Dukelow’s signs share some of the perspectives she gained from her mom, some of the knowledge that she learned at ESF, and every ounce of her artistic talent.
“I’ve married my artistic side with ecology and the environment,” said Dukelow. To see her work, visit https://gaeacherissa.com.
Stephanie Specchio is the associate vice president of communications and marketing at ESF.
Deh Cho, oil on canvas, 2’ x 2’, 2020. Deh Cho (big river) or the Mackenzie River also known as Kuukpak, is the second-longest river in North America.
