In ecology, “disturbances” are moments of disruption which catalyze change. From tornadoes, to floods, to fires, landslides, development, and pest outbreaks, these events set complex and unexpected processes in motion, fundamentally changing ecosystems. These turning points may bring decline, opportunity, imbalance, or rebirth to a landscape. A stand of old-growth trees falls, and light warms a previously shaded forest floor as nutrient-dense lumber feeds a network of organisms below. Elsewhere, a raging fire is a boon for opportunistic pines, whose seed release is heat-triggered. Rather than stability, environmental systems are defined by a constant cycle of disruption–events that promise decline, opportunity, imbalance, or renewal.

I’m a writer fascinated by artists committed to environmental concerns, and I find “disturbance events” a compelling metaphor for their work. Practices that center plants, human/nature, the built environment, agriculture, land use, queer/cyborg landscapes, and earthworks can unsettle established assumptions concerning environment. As an agent of disturbance, art sheds light into previously shaded modes of thinking.

I discovered arts writing in undergrad as a contributing writer with the Brown Art Review (check it out!), where I published roughly 15 articles, most grounded in interviews conducted with curators, artists, and creatives. I fell in love with the process — research, interviewing, transcribing, editing, and crafting written works that connect creative thought to broader conceptual concerns. This platform is an extension of that work: an opportunity to continue learning, to spotlight creatives, and deep dive into themes of interest.

Thank you for visiting, and welcome to Disturbance Events!