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Julie Beeler conceived of the Bloom & Dye workshop series to grow her work and passion to benefit what she values most: curiosity, education, creativity, collaboration, community, and the environment.

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Stevenson Mushroom Festival Demonstration - Mushroom Pigments, Paints & Inks

  • Columbia Gorge Museum 990 Southwest Rock Creek Drive Stevenson, WA, 98648 United States (map)

The Stevenson Mushroom Festival is the first annual event in the town of Stevenson, WA held October 18-19. They will be hosting a Mushroom Gala on Friday, October 18th at the Columbia Gorge Museum and on Saturday, October 19 you will be able to attend a variety of happenings and events throughout town.

On Saturday, October 19 at 1pm I am excited to be demonstrating Mushroom Pigments, Paints & Inks. The incredible colors held in mushroom pigments mirror the vast array of hues we can encounter in the natural world. Creating pigments from mushrooms yields a quantity and quality of colors that stand in stark contrast to the hues made from synthetic dyes. The colors produced from mushrooms seem to share a visual lineage—each hue transitions smoothly to the next in a sort of familial harmony. 

In this demonstration I will teach you how to extract and create a watercolor paint from mushrooms. I will cover general mushroom pigment techniques and walk through the process of transforming the pigment into paint and ink. 

In an era when we are increasingly reliant on technology and corporate consumer goods, creating colorants from mushrooms feels like a radical act. Working hands-on with the fruits of the fungi kingdom is an opportunity to reorient ourselves toward renewable sources and sustainable practices.

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