with Melissa McGill, Kate Morales & Debra Scacco

“As an artist, a huge pivot point for me in this work has been to understand that what I once thought of as materials, as object, as resource, are actually collaborators, are actually relations.” –Kate MoralesIn this conversation, we welcome three artists who are deeply immersed in their relationships with water. The weaving and flowing conversation follows how each artist, in their own ways, is guided by water and maps water with their work. Along the way, we uncover their personal journeys of centering water in their artistic practices and how those journeys are transformed and translated into artistic work. Melissa McGill is an artist, activist, and water storyteller who has been featured on Talking Water in the past. Melissa is known for creating immersive public works with water at the center and working with communities to create projects that not only make an impact, but send out long-lasting ripples in the communities they serve.  Melissa talks about her intimate and reciprocal relationship with the Po River, Italy’s longest river, and her recent work with historical maps of the Po River incorporating natural elements. Learn more about Melissa's work at https://www.melissamcgillartist.com/.Kate Morales’ artist practice focuses on somatic scribing, which uses image, story, and intuition to map layers of meaning in conversations in service of decolonial healing. Kate is working with Walking Water on a forthcoming book Waters Becoming, offering narratives inspired by the conversations on Water Learning Series: Los Angeles. The book will bring art and words together locating relationships with water. Kate talks about uncovering contexts in conversations through their work, and shares a growing relationship guided by the waters of the LA River and Payahuunadü. Learn more about Kate’s work at https://www.asthecrowfliesdesign.com/.Debra Scacco, who resides in Los Angeles, is a research-based artist and curator. She shares an artistic practice guided and informed by an exploration of the LA River and tributaries. Her work with lines and maps traverses the intimate and public worlds where urban waters flow and move--seen and unseen. She shares an awareness of the hierarchies and infrastructures that control water with an eye towards illuminating and liberating those structures with her work. Learn more about Debra’s work at https://www.debrascacco.com/.Hosted by: Kate BunneyProduced & edited by: Anne Carol MitchellIntro music by: Mamuse 'River Run Free' - featuring Walter StraussTo support Waters Becoming, visit: https://walking-water.org/waters-becoming/.If you feel inspired by Talking Water please consider a donation - our work relies on the community. You can donate here. https://walking-water.org/donate/For more info go to Walking Water website. https://walking-water.org/Hosted by: Kate BunneyProduced & Edited by: Jay LamarsIntro music by: Mamuse 'River Run Free' - featuring Walter StraussIf you feel inspired by Talking Water please consider a donation - our work relies on the community. You can donate here. https://walking-water.org/donate/For more info go to Walking Water website. https://walking-water.org/