Wilderness Suite
imagine a place stuck in time…
all human activity comes to a halt,
and the course of nature presides…
In 1980, all human development across 2,361,767 acres of land in central Idaho was ceased, creating the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, the largest federally protected wilderness area in the contiguous United States. Now left untouched for 45 years, this landscape tells a unique story of "anti-development."
Wilderness Suite uses images taken before and after the legislation was introduced to protect the Frank Church Wilderness, set into motion by eight video artists, along with live music and pre-recorded electronics, to examine the impression of humankind on the environments it inhabits. This interdisciplinary collaboration unites scientists, filmmakers, and musicians, drawing from and shedding light on the stories that the place and those who still live there have to share.
the Composer
Ruby Fulton
Composer and musician Ruby Fulton writes music which invites listeners to explore non-musical ideas through sound. Her musical portfolio includes explorations of mental illness, Buddhism, philosophy, psychedelic research, addiction, and chess strategy; and profiles of iconic popular figures like the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and musicians Syd Barrett and Whitney Houston. She has collaborated on interdisciplinary projects with thinkers and makers in the sciences and literary, movement and visual arts. She teaches music at the College of Southern Maryland.
the Geographer
Teresa Cavazos Cohn
Teresa Cavazos Cohn is an Associate Professor in the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, a climate change fellow at the Harvard Divinity School, and a co-founder of the Confluence Lab, which brings together scholars in the humanities and sciences with community members to engage in environmental issues in rural communities. Dr. Cohn is a human geographer who specializes in hydrosocial relations with emphasis on Tribes of the Western United States, human dimensions of fire, and science communication and the environment. Her research and outreach projects have been funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, and Milkweed Press.
the Filmmakers
preview the Suite…
Two of Wilderness Suite’s nine movements were completed in 2020 as a result of initial support from the University of Idaho’s Confluence Lab. With music by Ruby Fulton, images from geographers Teresa Cavazos Cohn and Micaela Petrini, and video by Benjamin James, icarus Quartet workshopped “When it became the wilderness” and “CAT,” recorded audio with engineer Michael Laurello, and have since performed them several times as part of their live concert programs.
Promotional video from the University of Idaho’s Confluence Lab, featuring Suite geographer Teresa Cavazos Cohn, Suite composer Ruby Fulton, and icarus’ residency at the Lionel Hampton School of Music in 2020.
The complete third movement, “CAT” – with music composed by Ruby Fulton, video by Benjamin James, and performance by icarus Quartet, recorded, edited, and mixed by Michael Laurello. The project is currently geared toward a live format, but all videos will eventually be available like this one.
what’s Next…
With generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tri-M Foundation, and the University of New Hampshire’s Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Wilderness Suite is forging ahead towards a complete evening-length presentation, available for live performances beginning in Spring 2026. The Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness’ "anti-development" story will be told through nine lenses, each highlighting a unique facet of this vast eden and depicting the geographers’ photographs as juxtaposed with the beautifully distinct aesthetics of the eight visual collaborators.
