Empowering Environmental Awareness: Elizabeth Grandsaert’s Comic Journey through KDACC Funding

A hyper-surreal artist from Pioneer, California, blends whimsy and environmental consciousness in her vibrant “On the Farm” comics, fostering community resilience in rural America

Elizabeth Grandsaert, a visionary artist and illustrator from the foothills of Pioneer, California, took her hyper-surreal art and storytelling to new audiences with the help of KDA Creative Corps (KDACC) funding. Grandsaert’s comics, known for their fusion of whimsy and profound introspection, reflect a passion for both rural life and environmental advocacy.

As the Founder and Executive Director of The Pony Farm Residency Project and Permaculture Garden, Grandsaert has long been immersed in the intersection of art and rural community engagement. The residency project, designed to give mid-career city artists an opportunity to connect with the local Amador County community, laid the groundwork for her latest project,”On the Farm,” a comic series funded by the KDACC grant.

The comics are noted for their effectiveness in raising awareness about pressing environmental concerns, going beyond simple tales set in rural environments. Through the colorful adventures of characters Jax DuBois and friends, “On the Farm” promotes vital messages about water and energy conservation, climate mitigation and emergency preparedness in the Mokelumne Wilderness area.

The grant has allowed the artist to explore new artistic techniques and reach broader audiences with their comics. Grandsaert and her team were excited to use art as a tool for environmental change, especially within rural American communities.

Grandsaert’s work stands apart for its ability to weave serious issues—such as wildfire preparedness and snowstorm survival—into narratives that feel approachable and even fun. With her background in painting and a flair for storytelling, she introduces readers to the quirks of farm life while subtly imparting lessons on conservation and resilience.

Jax, the comic’s protagonist, represents a generation growing up amid environmental uncertainty. Living in the picturesque yet precarious upcountry of Amador County, Jax’s days are filled with swimming in the Mokelumne River and helping prepare the family farm for wildfire season. The characters are based on real-life locals, making them relatable and their experiences authentic. Grandsaert’s vivid illustrations bring this rural world to life, offering readers—whether urban or rural—a window into the challenges and joys of small-town living.

Grandsaert showcased the beauty and struggles of rural life, highlighting the environmental stewardship practices of these communities. The accompanying comics seek to both educate and entertain readers.

Grandsaert’s work also includes an initiative called the FireKeepers Club, a space for community members to share their own stories of resilience in the face of natural disasters. Whether battling wildfires, floods, or heavy snow, locals can contribute their experiences, inspiring others to take action in their own communities. In addition to storytelling, the club offers resources on emergency preparedness, promoting real-world solutions alongside Grandsaert’s fictional tales.

Through her art, Grandsaert has tapped into a unique approach to environmental activism that appeals to rural residents and anyone interested in conservation and sustainability. By focusing on the human side of the climate crisis, she fosters a deeper understanding of how people live with and adapt to nature’s demands. Her whimsical yet purposeful style draws viewers in, encouraging them to reflect on their environmental impact while being entertained by the everyday trials and triumphs of Jax and their friends.

Elizabeth Grandsaert’s journey with KDACC funding was a personal artistic endeavor that allowed her to explore a new form of environmental storytelling where vibrant comics became a means to inspire action. Through “On the Farm” and the FireKeepers Club, she’s planting seeds of awareness and resilience in the heart of rural America—one colorful page at a time.

See more of her work at https://elizabeth-grandsaert-93dz.squarespace.com/about-2.

About the Artist: Elizabeth Grandseart

Liz Grandsaert is a hyper-surreal artist/illustrator from Pioneer, California. Her work delves deep into the human experience of life in rural America. Liz has her BFA in painting from UCLA and focuses on building a multi-dimensional worldview that permeates the Americana mythos.

Local comic touches on fire preparedness, shared experiences

By Marie-Elena Schembri, marie@calaverasenterprise.com

Jax DuBois is 14 and loves swimming, camping, making mixtapes, and hanging at the Mokelumne River with best friend Kelly Kate from West Point.

The main character in a new comic series by Amador County artist Liz Grandsaert, Jax is a typical Pioneer teen who lives on a farm with their mom, Marie DuBois, who constantly dishes out chores and cries of, “Be careful!” even though Jax is fully aware of the dangers that loom: risk of wildfire, dead and dangerous trees, or frigid water that can lead to drowning and hypothermia. When Jax and Kelly Kate sneak out to hang with the city kids, they instinctively act to protect their home, warning the visitors of the dangers of their illegal bonfire and fireworks. Together with Buster, a scruffy yet resourceful local of an unknown age who can be found hanging at the O.K. Corral or tackling projects around the farm, the trio send the city kids packing, with a hefty fine from the sheriff.

The city kids aren’t all bad though, as Jax finds out, when some of them stand up to tough guy Chad for disrespecting Jax and Kelly Kate’s home.

“The heroes are rural and in the first story arc, the city kids come to town and they learn about respecting rural areas and that it is people’s home, and I think that that’s something that everybody can relate to around here,” Grandsaert said. Grandsaert hopes the underlying message here sinks in — that locals and visitors from out of the area can work together.

“It doesn’t have to be like, ‘Nobody come up here; no development,’” said Grandsaert.

Last year, Grandsaert met this type of animosity from some locals when an Amador County supervisor, Brian Oneto, took issue with the farm-based art residency program, the Pony Farm, that Grandsaert runs in Pioneer. The Pony Farm is partially funded by Amador Arts Council, a fact that was bemoaned by Oneto at the May 24, 2022, board meeting where some Arts Council funding was up for approval. Oneto and others took offense to the artwork made by visiting artists at the farm, sparking a contentious debate within the community.

“A woman from town held up a picture of a trans artist and a female Black artist and said, ‘You can’t tell me these people are from Amador,’” Grandsaert said, explaining the sort of xenophobic behavior she hopes the comic will subvert. “It’s so sad because that is not the general population of Amador,” said the artist, who is herself queer and an ally to those who might at first glance seem out of place in a small, rural county.

“I started speaking up and just saying: ‘No, that’s not going to work for us. Not only is that not true, but you cannot say that,’” Grandsaert said.

It’s important to the mission of the Pony Farm to bring new arts and cultural experiences to the area.

“I like bringing new experiences up here to show (locals) that not all change is bad. I’m not saying that we have to open the doors to just anyone and everyone, but it is totally possible to grow our community,” said Grandsaert.

Grandsaert, who was raised in Mountain View, didn’t grow up in the area, but spent summers in college traveling through the Gold Country and cleaning houses with her best friend. She has lived in many other places, including New Orleans, Los Angeles, New York and Germany, and bought her farm in Pioneer in 2016.

When the Caldor Fire broke out in 2021, consuming over 200,000 acres across El Dorado, Alpine and Amador counties, it was Grandsaert’s first time evacuating the farm. For a month, she watched from a distance at a friend’s home in Los Angeles as the forest surrounding her home and business burned.

“It was so hard to be going through all that and nobody knew what the hell I was talking about,” said Grandsaert, whose city friends hadn’t even heard of the fire.

That brush with catastrophic wildfire stayed with the artist, who made a large oil painting called “So Close, So Far, So Big” about the experience.

The vibrant painting, which Grandsaert describes as “pseudo surreal,” depicts a woman looking out over fields, garden hose in hand with water dripping, while above the hills on the horizon, a plume of smoke fills an orange sky dotted by helicopters and dragonflies.

“It was the only painting in my whole life that I’ve ever done where I don’t have to explain anything. People just walk up and they understand it head to toe,” Grandsaert said. “That made me realize that we really do all have the same experience when it comes to these wildfires.”

Grandsaert said: “I’ve been trying to work with this idea of coping. These things are going to happen. We can’t really control it at this point. We can do our best to mediate it, but things are going to be happening and we don’t have the coping mechanisms for massive loss. I mean, I don’t know how to deal with the fact that we lost 200,000 acres. It’s so hard to look at. And then you think about, how is a 10-year-old going to think, and how do we get other people outside of this area, or that live in fire country, to understand how devastating (it is)?”

The next issue of “On The Farm,” to be published in the fall, will follow Jax and their mom as they face a wildfire and prepare to evacuate, touching on shared anxieties around wildfires in the community.

A third issue will show the harsh realities of rural life in the winter. Then, a fourth will focus on spring.

“I’m hoping that the spring volume … represents all of our community feelings or the community consciousness, which is a celebration. We’ve made it out; made it

through another year. We’ve helped each other. We’re fixing whatever’s been broken and we’re doing it again, because this is life,” Grandsaert said.

The “On The Farm” comic project is funded by a Kern Dance Alliance (KDA) Creative Corps grant, in partnership with the California Arts Council. The grant funds come from the larger California Creative Corps pool, a statewide pilot grant program designed to support artists and organizations in creative and cultural projects addressing public health and social justice issues.

Grandsaert’s project was one of 20 to be funded through KDA, and one of hundreds throughout the state.

Meghan O’Keefe, executive director of Amador Arts, said: “We are not at all surprised that Grandsaert was awarded this grant because her work is grounded in her devotion to building community paired with her technical skills as a well-trained fine artist. With her education, experience, and work ethic, she was destined to receive this grant — she earned it.”

Amador Arts provided Grandsaert a letter of recommendation and technical assistance with the grant-writing process, which O’Keefe said is a service the Arts Council extends to “any party interested in applying for arts grants.”

Ultimately, it was Grandsaert’s unique project idea that landed her the $132,400 grant. A May press release stated: “Elizabeth Grandsaert, with the support of the KDA Creative Corps, is set to embark on an exciting project that aims to promote awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery in rural communities throughout the Mokelumne Wilderness area. … This incredible project aims to educate the public on effective conservation strategies and build community around shared experiences.”

Eligibility for the Creative Corps grant was only extended to those living or working within the “communities that demonstrate the highest levels of need as indicated by the California Healthy Places Index (HPI),” according to the California Arts Council. The HPI indicates scores related to the health and wellness of communities throughout California, by zip code. Factors include economic conditions, access to education, transportation, pollution, housing, the quality of neighborhoods, and healthcare access. Amador and Calaveras communities ranking in the lowest quartile on the HPI include Pioneer, West Point, Wilseyville, Rail Road Flat, Mountain Ranch, Sheep Ranch and San Andreas.

As such, Grandsaert intends the comic to be representative of rural communities within both Calaveras and Amador counties where the comic will be distributed for free. Readers can participate by joining the “Fire Keeper’s Club,” an interactive membership that gives community members a chance to share their experiences and get free swag like stickers and emergency preparedness resource materials.

Elizabeth Grandsaert awarded $132,000 by the KDA Creative Corps for her new comic, On the Farm!

Pioneer — The KDA Creative Corps (KDACC) announced May 1, 2023  that Elizabeth Grandsaert received $132,400 in funding to execute On the Farm Comics from May 2023 to May 2024.

Elizabeth Grandsaert, with the support of the KDA Creative Corps, is set to embark on an exciting project that aims to promote awareness related to water and energy conservation, climate mitigation, emergency preparedness, relief, and recovery in rural communities throughout the Mokelumne Wilderness area. This talented artist plans to create a 50-page quarterly comic that will captivate readers with its informative graphics and compelling narrative. Elizabeth is determined to encourage community participation and pride in one of California's most isolated areas by using prize-based incentives to build engagement. She plans to distribute free copies of the comic throughout upcountry Amador and Calaveras communities while executing a complex system of integrated media communication strategies. Her campaign encourages engagement in creative writing, fire safety questionnaires, and fan art publication. This incredible project aims to educate the public on effective conservation strategies and build community around shared experiences.

Elizabeth Grandsaert is proud to be on the list of the 20 recipients who will receive funding for their arts programming which will create a combined 571 jobs here in Central California.

"We were thrilled to see the enthusiastic response from artists and organizations across the region for the KDA Creative Corps grant program," said KDACC Program Director Andrea Hansen. "After a thorough review process, we were excited to announce Elizabeth Grandsaert as a recipient of this inaugural grant and even more excited to see the impact this project will have on the community over the next year."

Out of 140 eligible individuals and organizations, KDACC received an astounding $21.7 million in grant application requests for $3.4 million in available funding. The grant applications came from all 14 counties in the Central Valley and Eastern Sierra region of the state.

Applications from individuals and eligible organizations were reviewed against objective criteria that considered project design, artist involvement, impact on the Healthy Places Index, community engagement and budget. A review panel adjudicated complete and eligible applications based on the criteria against a 6-point ranking scale. Final grant awards were made collaboratively between the Kern Dance Alliance Board of Directors, KDACC program staff and the California Arts Council (CAC) staff.

For more information about the projects please visit https://kdacreativecorps.org/. 

The California Creative Corps is a pilot program designed to promote community and civic engagement and spread awareness about water and energy conservation, climate change, emergency preparedness, relief and recovery through the arts. 

About “On the Farm,”

Join Jax DuBois and their group of friends as they take you on a wild and exciting adventure through the ups and downs of life on the farm. Jax lives in the beautiful upcountry of Amador County and spends their days swimming in the refreshing Mokelumne river and helping their mother prepare their property for wildfires and snow. These comics are not just about the fun and games, but also about spreading awareness on climate mitigation, energy conservation, and emergency preparedness. The artist has created these characters based on real-life upcountry locals, so you know that you can relate to their experiences. Get ready to be inspired and entertained by the amazing life of Jax and their friends on the farm!

About the Fire Keepers Club

If you're someone who is passionate about protecting your community from natural disasters, then join our Fire Keepers Club! Not only will you have the chance to win some fantastic free merch, but you'll also be able to share your personal stories of creativity and resilience in the face of adversity. Whether you've battled wildfires, snowstorms, floods, or any other natural event, we want to hear from you! By joining our Fire Keepers Club, you can share your story and experience with locals who are just as dedicated to keeping their communities safe as you are. Plus, you'll have access to conservation and emergency preparedness resources that you won't find anywhere else. So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today and become a part of something extraordinary!

ABOUT THE KDA CREATIVE CORPS

The KDA Creative Corps (KDACC) is a pilot program, part of the California Creative Corps, designed to promote community and civic engagement, spread awareness about water and energy conservation, climate change, emergency preparedness, relief and recovery through the arts. KDACC is administered by the Kern Dance Alliance, one of 14 organizations selected statewide to regrant funds in their respective regions to arts and social service organizations, individual artists, and cultural workers. For more information, visit KDAcreativecorps.org.

I Art Amador: An afternoon at the pony farm

Kelsey Newman for Ledger Dispatch

Pony Farm, located in Pioneer, California, has housed two artists recently that have given rural Amador County residents exposure to art that they may not have had access to. Pony Farm owners, Liz and Max bought the farm in 2016 and have revamped the 2-acre homestead offering a place for travelers as an AirBnb as well as a respite for artists who hit hard times during the pandemic. This May, they hosted a reception for two incredible artists that applied for Pony Farm’s Spring Artist Residency program. 

Upon arrival to Pony Farm, I went in with an excited, open heart. The first artist I met was the kind and gentle soul, Eden Knutilla.  Some of their artwork hung from the rafters in the gallery/studio cabin with softly lit candles below. They came to Amador County from Oakland, CA and wanted to be surrounded by trees and work beside them to “experience the biodiversity and history of this space.” I asked them how has this space at Pony Farm influenced their creative process and art work; Eden said, “Each of the squares hanging down from the old building is based on a conversation with a tree on the property and that’s what you see on the altar space…each tree has given an offering telling a story and bringing them into the gallery.” I was met with a whole body experience sitting in the studio with Eden. Nearby, the visions of spirals and jagged lines like a heartbeat in different colors, were a few chairs with headphones that welcomed viewers to sit down and listen. As I sat and watched the images projected on a screen and listened to the ethereal sounds, I heard layers of voices, little nuances of different sounds and watched fabric flowing in nature almost like the inside of a dream. Experimental noises with different instruments, Eden moved gracefully in the images. “This work is extricable from the place it is made.” After the 10-day stay, Eden felt Liz did a great job taking them around Amador and going to the historical sites for the first few days. “Learning about the extraction of the Gold Rush and violence towards the Miwok was what started and opened this container…a lot of grief…I think a lot of this work is really about having a conversation with all of the nuances of the history and the present. The sound is an extension of that communication…to speak to complex experiences. The experience is very non-linear…drawings are the recordings of that and then turned into music.” Eden is having conversations upon conversations like the branches of a tree. It is a response to what they are feeling and displayed like a seismograph. Next up for Eden is working with a queer youth group called the Pacific Center for Human Growth, which is also online doing summer workshops and they are looking for more artist in residency programs this fall. Look for more of their work on www.edenknutilla.com

Next, I met with artist Delaney George from New Orleans, L.A. who is a published director, photographer and visual artist who produces and styles most of all of her shoots. She came across Pony Farm Artist Residency program from searching hashtags. “Liz is really good with social media.” When I walked into the smaller gallery space, a number of stunning photographs were displayed with some music playing in the background. Delaney explained everything about this environment in Pioneer is extremely different from her usual typical place she works in but she has also noticed this experience has helped her become aware of her habits when trying to create her art and conceptualize photoshoots. She has been inspired here to create a bigger conceptual project involving mirrors as well. Delaney states, “I find a lot of experiences come from my environment and being out here has taught me that I’m in a different focus area; has held up the mirror in me. I feel like I can focus better out here with less noise.” I asked her to tell me more about “The King is Dead” that is also shown in Los Angeles Gallery 90220. Delaney explained, “The whole concept of the show is a 5-part series of conceptual photographs similar to this but different themes. I imagined this exact shot in a dream. I am deeply inspired by images of the past…where a black woman or black people would have been during this time period and I have to be realistic.” This work is how she views “black women from a majestic standpoint, black women in a deity type fashion.” I was in awe how powerful this photograph spoke to me. “I know these concepts are in your face and so I try to give as much explanation as possible.”

The mixed media piece Delaney worked on during her stay at Pony Farm was a series of candid photographs of familiar people I recognized from local restaurants and business owners. In the middle was a mirror. Looking in, she said as I thought, “Here you are, another face of Amador County. I wanted to create a piece that the people of Amador could keep.” This piece will be part of the permanent Amador Arts Council collection. For more of her 5-part series in Gallery 90220 in L.A., check out @laneslense and @gallery90220 on Instagram. Next up, Delaney may be making a big move to Los Angeles. 

While speaking to Liz Grandseart, co-owner of Pony Farm said that this has been the most successful opening. She would love to extend this residency to a month. “Delaney’s work is showing access to a different culture that is a ‘gift to the county.’ Eden’s work is not selling prints like other artists as they have a Patreon account (online creative economy platform) and that needs to be funded. This is the kind of stuff that is really exciting that people need to see here.”

The two things I saw and felt that both of these young artists have in common along with my conversation with Liz, who is also an artist, are these people have beautiful souls and are very down to earth and articulate individuals. I think Pony Farm is a special place that inspires and grounds one another, right in the heart of Amador County and brings incredible connections between artists and our community and enriches us all as individuals with access to art! It is comfortable and approachable. Liz says, “They hope to continue connecting artists to Amador County.”

Kelsey Newman is a writer working for Amador Arts Council to highlight the local art scene throughout Amador County. If you want to request coverage for arts and cultural/historical events and experiences, please contact Amador Arts at info@amadorarts.org or by calling (209)256-8166. Amador Arts Council is the designated State Local Partner to the California Arts Council, a state agency (arts.ca.gov). Amador Arts Council is a 501c3 established in 1982 to encourage, support, and promote the arts in our schools and community. We put artists to work paying artists of all kinds more than $40,000 a year to provide free classes and creative experiences for all people throughout Amador County. Find out more at amadorarts.org.

Guest Commentary: BOS criticism of art is disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising

Joscelyn Alaya Courtney for Ledger Dispatch

5–6 minutes

My name is Joscelyn Alaya Courtney. I am a woman of 22 years of age and I am a resident of Jackson, California. I was raised here in Amador County – I attended Pioneer Elementary School, Jackson Elementary School and Jackson Junior High School. I opted to attend Calaveras High School in order to learn French, from which I graduated with National French Honors.

I graduated with distinction from Sonoma State University in May 2022. I earned my bachelor’s degree of arts in French and a minor in Art History. I will attain my master’s degree in Art History to earn the experience and qualifications necessary to curate and direct a museum. Based upon my studies, it is apparent that I am interested in world culture and the arts. Or more specifically, how art reveals the lived experiences of individuals throughout history.

Given my background, I am invested in our local arts. I am a proud supporter of the Amador Arts Council and I appreciate their generous contributions to the county. For example, the Amador Arts Council is responsible for wholly funding the public arts education in the Amador County Unified School District. It is a vital vein in the heart of our community. So, I was appalled that this organization had recently come under fire in front of the Amador County Board of Supervisors.

However, I was not in the least surprised to find the reason cited as their approval of grants to the Pony Farm in Pioneer. For those unfamiliar with the Pony Farm, it is a functional farm and a nonprofit residency program for artists that is funded in part by the Amador Arts Council. It is an inclusive organization that brings diversity and culture to our rural area by hosting artists that represent minorities, such as people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals. These artists’ unique identities are reflected in their work.

I have come to understand that some community members find the art promoted by the Pony Farm, and by extension, the Amador Arts Council, to be offensive – or more specifically, “filthy.” Now, as an avid art historian, I do not create art, I consume it. I have studied numerous works that made me uncomfortable and could be classified as vulgar. These reactions and definitions are temporal, meaning that our perceptions are subject to our societal and cultural norms. These determining factors of identity are enforced by age, race, education, religion, politics, etc.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of Amador County is predominantly white, male and over 50 years of age. Here, we observe a low birth rate and a high death rate. This indicates generational “squeeze,” where the majority of the residents are no longer of reproductive age and those who are, are not reproducing at the sufficient rate to sustain our aging population. That being said, us young folks are statistically underrepresented. The Amador Arts Council and the Pony Farm amplifies the presence of our younger population by supporting local artists and hosting community events.

People feel a sense of belonging when they gather with like-minded individuals. When someone enters a space, it is up to them to determine whether they will stay, leave or return. So long as the group is doing no harm, allow them to do as they will. We have the gift of free will, from which we derive the freedom of expression. Therefore, we can share differences in interests, actions and opinions.

There is beauty in diversity. There is also something to be said about the openness to exploring new places and perspectives and how life experiences enrich our character. Simple disagreements do not merit the destruction of others’ ideas and creations. Censorship is a slippery slope that jeopardizes our First Amendment right to free speech. You should not outright condemn something you do not understand. Instead, observe, ask questions, perform independent research from veritable sources, form your own conclusions and go on about your life as a better-informed citizen.

To the community members that openly expressed their critiques of the works featured by the Pony Farm during their open house at the Board of Supervisors meeting, I urge you to look up Pompeiian wall frescoes; you will find that erotic art has existed for millennia. After all, it is impossible to suppress human nature.

Joscelyn Alaya Courtney is a Jackson resident.

***Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article, and articles published in the Ledger Dispatch, are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of anyone other than the author listed.

Amador County Board of Supervisors: Arts Council request sparks debate at BOS meeting

A request for a relatively small donation turned into a big debate about the arts at the latest meeting of the Amador County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 24.

A seemingly benign request by the Amador Arts Council for $3,500 dollars in funding from Amador County set off a war of words of sorts after District 5 Supervisor Brian Oneto questioned the merit of the donation in light of some recent art displays that he objected to, including one that included a swear word and other works by artists featured at the Pony Farm artist residence in Pioneer, which is supported in part by the Amador Arts Council.

While a few speakers during the public comment period agreed with Oneto’s concerns over potentially offensive art, a much larger group of speakers lined up, both in person at the Board of Supervisors chambers and online, to praise the education efforts of the Amador Arts Council and denounce Oneto’s comments as attempted censorship. Following close to two hours on the subject, the Board unanimously, including Oneto, voted to approve the $3,500 donation to the Amador Arts Council. In addition, District 4 Supervisor Frank Axe volunteered to donate all of his $2,000 “Premium Pay” to the Amador Arts Council.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the Board approved a pilot program that will allow very small food businesses to sell to the public without the expense of commercial kitchens. The programs will allow just two of these special permits in Amador County for the first year of the program. Typically, selling food to the public requires a full array of Health Department requirements, but this new program is intended to allow micro businesses to start in residential kitchen facilities.

The Amador County Board of Supervisors meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the Board of Supervisors Chambers, 810 Court Street in Jackson at 9:00 a.m. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Amador County Board of Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, June 14, 2022.

Website: www.amadorgov.org 

Meeting Livestream link: https://www.amadorgov.org/about/streaming-audio