An Initiative of Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
art as stewardship
We live on the edge of the wilderness. The wonder and the awe is the magic that the land reveals. The curiosity and interest is what brings us in, and the commitment and love is what makes us stay. Art is stewardship. Stewardship is trust. Let’s do this.
— Devaki Murch, Boulder, UT residentWhere things stand
The full record — thirty years of designation, litigation, restoration and reduction, plus what people on every side of it are saying — is laid out with sources on the next page.
This project is not a fight. It is a collective commitment. It is a map of the care and love that we have for the land, as a testimony, drawn by our own hands. This is love. Simple. Pure and True.
We are all artists. Draw a quick sketch, take a photo with your phone, write a few quick lines or a doodle — art is who we are, free of any judgement or expectation, just like the land.
A home does not require a designation. A home remains in our hearts despite a designation or boundaries — but the protections do not. We stand together to honor and respect the people, and the place that has been an integral part of their culture and history.
This country is the ancestral and living homeland of nine nations:
The July action ended the Bears Ears Commission and, by the accounts of tribal leaders, was taken without the government-to-government consultation that had been promised. We will support those voices and ensure they are heard. This resistance is beauty in itself, as we speak for the voices of the land, the life and the spirits that are within it.
Monumental Love brings in the voices of those who have relationships with this land. We invite work from those nations to share words and art through their own culture. Please reach out and share your thoughts on this project, and how we can support one another.
A curated collection of exceptional photography by friends of the monument. Moments that capture the beauty and magic of the land through the lens of wonder. The monument tells us its story — through the landscape, the creatures and the plants. Our art is what we give back: a response to this experience, and a translation of our commitment. These images are our contributions to the story.
“Edge of the Wilderness is where we live. It is the space we call home that borders on wild nature. It is a land that is untouched, a land that belongs to no one but itself, and holds a magic and mystery that is sacred. It is a gift that we are given every morning to greet the day, where the lines are carved by the water and the canyons between our home and the wild.”
— Ace Kvale, photographer, Boulder, UT resident
The Monumental Love collection is art donated by the artists, gathered into a curated gallery and available for sale. Bring home the magic of this land, shipped directly to your door — or take a stroll through the work on show at select venues near you. Proceeds support the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Stewardship Program.
Submission details and deadlines available through Grand Staircase Escalante Partners.
Art is an expression. It is the flow of wonder that comes out when you click the shutter, dip your brush in the paint, or pick up your pen. Who is an artist? You. You are here. Welcome.
Where can I find the art? Stop by some of these venues to see work by local artists:
Plus a special display at the Grand Staircase Escalante Partners booth at the Escalante Canyons Art Festival, September 2026.
Show us what you love about the monument. Paint, draw, write, or even embroider a postcard or a sketch, then send it to us. Postcards are free and waiting for you at locations in Boulder and Escalante — and if you are elsewhere in the world, print one at home and mail it to us.
How does the monument inspire you? Draw, paint, write, or embroider on the front of the postcard.
Tell us why designating this land as a monument is important to you.
Make a promise to the land — one from the heart, to give back what we've been given.
"Dear Monument, I promise to…"#monumentallove · #savegrandstaircase
When does a promise become action? Right here:
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Blank postcards are free. Take one, take a few for friends — then bring it back so your love for this land can join the collection.
You do not have to be standing here to love this place. Print a postcard, make it by hand, and mail it to Grand Staircase Escalante Partners
530 W Main St.
Escalante, UT 84726
Grand Staircase Escalante Partners is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive environment in our workplace and across the Monument. We recognize the complex and difficult histories that have shaped American public lands, from dispossession of Native lands and forced removal of indigenous communities to create public lands and parks, to the ongoing exclusion of people of color from conservation and preservation movements.
We acknowledge that the area known as Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and its surrounding areas are the ancestral land and historical territory of the Hopi, Zuni, Dine/Navajo, San Juan Southern Paiute, Kaibab Paiute, Ute, Ute Mountain Ute, Jemez Pueblo, and Acoma nations.
We are on a journey to transform our work–to foster diversity through equitable actions that create a just and inclusive environment, within and beyond our organization. Learn more about how we are integrating justice, equity, and inclusion into our work.
This is a small, independent initiative driven by the community that cares, with a specific output: a dated, public, collaborative, community-authored record of what this landscape means to the people and their experiences, created at the moment its legal status is being rewritten. Our stewardship does not end when the rules change. Our commitment does not end on a deadline. History will not be erased when a committee is dismantled.
Donations are made directly to Grand Staircase Escalante Partners, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 34-1987583); Storyscope Studio receives no portion. Contributions are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Program budget, participation data, and a summary report are available to funders on request.
Monumental love is about reciprocating the collective energy that flows between the people, the place, and the wilderness that it is. It is about recognizing our role as stewards of the land and time — an opportunity to offer our support to the land and each other.
“Now I know, that only love can truly save the world. So I stay, I fight, and I give, for the world I know can be.”
— Diana Prince, Wonder WomanThis is what inspired this project. This is what keeps it going. Because in the end — love wins.
— devaki
