Conservation-Minded Artists in the Heart of SLC
If you live in the Intermountain West, you’ve likely heard of Wild Earth Market, a biannual market brimming with artists who hold a special reverence for the natural world.
According to market founder Courtney Leigh Johnson, the market started from a sweeping vision to offer an alternative to standard art markets. With co-founder Natalie McHale, she built Wild Earth as a way for artists around Salt Lake City to “move beyond basic capitalistic systems and raise awareness for ongoing environmental issues while giving back.”
“We envisioned a place where the community could support local artists,” she says, “while at the same time contributing to organizations working to protect our environment.”
A crowd lines up outside Wild Earth Market in 2022. There’s always a clamor of excitement on market day! Salt Lake City, Utah.
Becca Nina Doll-Tyler, of Ninazuma Pottery, creates at the wheel. Doll-Tyler is one of many Earth-inspired artists at the market.
For Johnson, each Wild Earth market brings both a whirlwind and a celebration. “As the day approaches, the excitement becomes palpable from the artists. ‘Happy Wild Earth Eve’ has become something we artists say to each other the night before.”
During set up, she says the artists try to keep things calm, but that a buzz of anticipation fills the air. “Once the doors open,” she adds, “it gets wild. Our patrons fill the space with so much enthusiasm for our makers and artists. It's a six-hour party that leaves us all full of gratitude and sufficiently exhausted.”
Walking the walk (in hiking boots and some wearable art)
One piece of Wild Earth’s unique draw is its support of environmental nonprofits. Each market day, artists give 10% of all proceeds from the day to an organization chosen by the market creators. Sageland Collaborative was honored to be chosen in 2022.
“We look for non-profits working on the most critical issues facing Utah, as well as how they engage with the community,” Johnson says. “We chose Sageland not only for its focus on science-based solutions to Utah's environmental problems, but also its hands-on approach and community science component.”
A trained environmental scientist-turned-artist, Johnson says she is proud to be a longtime personal volunteer on Sageland’s projects. “From streambank restorations to pollinator work, Sageland Collaborative makes science accessible for everyone. We love that. They give the community the tools to help protect what they love.”
Sage Hen Jewelry’s Aja Martin crafts her sought-after jewelry for the market.
Another contributor to Wild Earth’s enchanting presence in the valley is its lifeblood: the artists. They are selected based on both their craftsmanship and their commitment to sustainable practices in their work. According to Johnson, the market attracts artists who are inspired by the wild places they visit in their free time, bringing that aesthetic to their work.
“The community of artists here feel like family,” she says. “It's a good feeling to be at Wild Earth and be surrounded by friends. I think that's real magic.”
Memories of childhood smells, but make them plastic-free
After its inception, Wild Earth rapidly expanded, gathering some of the best of Salt Lake City’s artists. Maritza Galvan of Petrichorology is one of these makers.
“Wild Earth was the first market I applied for. And I applied as a brand-new company with just six social media followers—my husband, my mom, and my three best friends,” Galvan reflects. “Of course, I didn’t get in that time. But after some business-building, I was so excited to join the community in November of last year.”
A Petrichorology market setup, complete with lotion and shampoo bars, among other products.
Like many of the market vendors, Galvan has a close connection to the more-than-human world. She says that as a child raised in a small town in Mexico, being surrounded by nature was normal for her. “I don’t know if I appreciated what it was like to be close to nature,” she remembers, “until I left my home.”
After moving to Utah, she went on a journey to find and respect nature in a new place. This is part of what sparked Petrichorology, with its roots in creating “goods from the Earth.” And the name? Galvan first wanted to name the company something that meant “sunlight through leaves.” But as she searched for the right word, she found the word petrichor—the smell of the Earth after rain—and knew that was it.
“In my hometown, it’s very humid and rains a lot. You also have a lot of soil, unlike Utah’s concrete-filled spaces. When it rains, petrichor is everywhere because of all the exposed soil. The smell is very strong. Petrichorology became a work to remember my childhood home.”
When asked if art can change the world, Galvan shares a phrase her family uses often: “La union hace la fuerza, or ‘the union makes the strength.’ That’s what I think about how we can save the planet. The answer is the union, or many people making seemingly small changes together. Because of this belief, my business isn’t about money. I created it from my sincere search to be more sustainable, and to offer better choices to other people.”
The sparkle in Galvan’s eye as she talks about sustainability shows the shared, passionate soil of Wild Earth artists and a sense of wonder for the Earth. “We just need the basics,” she says, “and nature has given us all of those. As I say in Petrichorology, “Mother Nature Loves You.”
Visit Petrichorology’s website, Instagram, or Facebook.
Sparking conscious consumerism and a return to the sense of scent
Another artist in the Wild Earth lineup is Marcelino Murga of SoyMurga.
Murga started his “hobby” in 2019, with no brand name or any thoughts of turning his work into a business. “But in 2020,” he says, “it slowly started to bloom into what I wanted the brand to be: a minimal, moody, timeless, and eco-conscious brand that helps elevate moods through the power of scent.”
Murga got involved with Wild Earth Market during 2021’s fall event. “I’m so passionate about being part of this collective because of two things: their mission to give back and their drive to create a culture of conscious consumerism. It’s such an environmentally conscious collective.”
A day in the life of a Wild Earth Market vendor is, to Murga, one filled with emotion and life. “It feels electric,” he says. “I’m usually a bit overwhelmed, but I’m also full of joy because of how welcoming the community is towards one another. My booth’s smells help paint the space in something divine. The place always sounds joyful, with laughter and greetings from every direction.”
As many Wild Earth artists do, Murga draws inspiration from the land, savoring the chance to create “musky, sexy, earthy aromas.” He notes his love for getting outdoors, especially to smell flowers and get away for a fresh reset.
“The things I enjoy the most from nature are listening to waves crash, birds chirping, or the bees buzzing,” he says. “This somehow always provides me with a sense of gratitude and slowing down.”
Not only is his time on the landscape crucial for his well-being, but Murga says is it also essential for drawing inspiration. “For example, one of my scents, Oakmoss Amber, is crafted as a reminder of being lost in a forest, with refreshing, damp mossy trunks and stones. Or my Morning Flannel blend - it’s always giving early morning hike energy!”
Murga believes art can reach millions of people, shaping culture and changing perspectives. “With my scent work, I hope to encourage others to get out and explore the great outdoors. I believe that this can shift the way we look at our Earth and make us more conscious of small changes we can make to care for the land.”
Visit the SoyMurga website or Instagram.
Connecting people to the natural world through textiles
Courtney Johnson of Little Canyon Press, in one of her coyote and sage prints.
As the artist behind Little Canyon Press, market founder Courtney Johnson is a talented, passionate maker herself. With a background in environmental science, she has a unique approach to her work. “I really wanted to go to art school,” she reflects, “and now, I feel like I get to combine both environmental science and art, which is pretty cool.”
Growing up in a rural town and acres of woodlands, time spent outside with her dad is part of her origin story as an artist. “Gardening, collecting toads, saving turtles while they were crossing the road, relocating the tadpoles hatching in our pool every spring, and examining roadkill” were all part of this childhood, she says. “I felt connected with nature, it made me feel at home.”
Johnson says her artistic journey has been one of constant evolution, inspired by the “cycles of life and connections formed within ecosystems.”
One major theme in Johnson’s work is death. “I like to explore the beauty in decay, and the ongoing cycles of rebirth. It’s an open conversation to think about the old friend we will all someday greet. Death and decomposition are as much a part of any ecosystem as the blooming of a flower or the birth of an organism. I like to honor its place.”
She’s also passionate about having an educational component to what she creates. “I like to use my art as a tool to raise awareness or just a general appreciation of the beauty of the world.”
“I think art can make a difference” Johnson says. “It makes us feel things. It pulls at parts of us we forgot. I think it's incredibly important as we face climate change and other environmental crises. It gets the word out, it educates, it motivates and inspires us to act, and possibly most importantly, it gives us hope and reminds us of what we are fighting for.”
Visit the Little Canyon Press website or Instagram.
Encouraging the wandering soul to protect places she loves
Aja Martin, the artist behind Sage Hen Jewelry, has been with Wild Earth since the beginning. “This is definitely the market to be a part of in Utah,” she says, “and is always a day of humbling and gratitude.”
And the name Sage Hen? “It’s an old American West slang term for 'woman.’”
Aja Martin of Sage Hen Jewelry, hard at work!
Originally learning metalsmithing and casting in high school in Salt Lake City, Martin says starting college meant taking a break from jewelry. However, during her senior year, she says she “picked it back up right there and hasn’t looked back.”
Martin worked as a part-time artist for a few years. But in an effort to ensure art would be fun rather than work, she pursued a degree in environmental science. “I feel this gives me another chance to protect the environment. To practice what I preach. I am so lucky to live in a beautiful county that constantly inspires the work I do.”
This strong commitment to the environment connects Martin to other Wild Earth artists. “I want every bit of my work to better the environment, whether that’s my day job or jewelry making.” As a way to give back, 10% of her jewelry sales always go to non-profits that focus on the environment.
Beyond her jewelry sales and working for Summit County Health Department to ensure safe drinking water and clean recreational bodies, Martin also helps organize fire mitigation days. She says she feels that we have a duty to protect the wild places we love.
“Nature is my inspiration,” she says, “and I hope to provide people with pieces to encourage them to explore and wander. To protect our Wild spaces. To leave them better than we found them. And to give back.”
“Art makes people think,” Martin reflects. “It’s a language we can all speak, a chance to come together for something greater, and a place we can share our love of something beautiful.”
Visit the Sage Hen website or Instagram.
Author: Sarah Woodbury